11 APPG memberships (as of 25 Aug 2021)
Angling, Basketball, Deafness, Fire Safety and Rescue, Hormone Pregnancy Tests, Kashmir, Minimally Invasive Cancer Therapies, Pension Clawback, Road Freight and Logistics, Roadside Rescue and Recovery, Rugby Union Football Club7 Former APPG memberships
Air Ambulances, Boxing, Child and Youth Crime, Dementia, Gambling Related Harm, Loan Charge, Medical Cannabis under Prescriptionvoted Aye - in line with the party majority
One of 359 Conservative Aye votes vs 0 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 369 Noes - 2
It is a pleasure to follow many colleagues who have talked from the heart about the great concerns that their …
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to correspondence from the …
That this House calls on the Secretary of State for Justice to introduce regulations to simplify the court process for …
Payments from Savanta ComRes, 54 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3UD, for surveys:
That this House notes that we breathe in, drink and eat plastic particles every day; recognises that little research has …
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will …
Division Voting information
Mike Penning voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 33 Conservative No votes vs 308 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 516 Noes - 38
Mike Penning voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 104 Conservative Aye votes vs 124 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 253 Noes - 136
Debates during the 2019 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
(10 debate interactions)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
(8 debate interactions)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (International Trade)
(6 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(23 debate contributions)
(7 debate contributions)
(6 debate contributions)
(5 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(1,373 words contributed)
(877 words contributed)
(775 words contributed)
(48 words contributed)
Hemel Hempstead Petitions
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).
of 113,372 signatures (0.29%)
of 72,360 signatures (0.28%)
of 364,719 signatures (0.25%)
of 59,222 signatures (0.23%)
of 59,065 signatures (0.21%)
of 364,719 signatures (0.25%)
of 388,101 signatures (0.13%)
of 234,626 signatures (0.19%)
of 113,372 signatures (0.29%)
of 142,876 signatures (0.16%)
Latest EDMs signed by Mike Penning
Giving every child the best start in life
Tabled by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)That this House notes the work of WAVE Trust and its 70/30 campaign to reduce levels of child abuse, neglect and domestic abuse by 70 per cent by 2030; further notes that over two-thirds of this House have endorsed that campaign, including a majority from all parties; recognises the role …
(Most recent: 17 Sep 2021)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 22
Labour: 22
Liberal Democrat: 11
Conservative: 7
Democratic Unionist Party: 4
Plaid Cymru: 3
Alba Party: 2
Independent: 2
National Plastic Health Impact Research Fund
Tabled by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)That this House notes that we breathe in, drink and eat plastic particles every day; recognises that little research has been conducted to fully establish what risk that poses to human health; further notes that when plastic gets into the body it can spread; understands that particles emitted from plastic …
(Most recent: 17 Sep 2021)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 13
Conservative: 1
Liberal Democrat: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Mike Penning, 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.
Mike Penning has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Mike Penning has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Mike Penning has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
3 Bills co-sponsored by Mike Penning
Hospital (Parking Charges and Business Rates) Bill 2017-19 - Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)
Sponsor - Peter Bone (CON)
Voter Registration (No. 2) Bill 2017-19 - Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)
Sponsor - Peter Bone (CON)
Construction (Retention Deposit Schemes) Bill 2017-19 - Private Members' Bill (under the Ten Minute Rule)
Sponsor - Peter Aldous (CON)
204 Written Questions in the current parliament
(View all written questions)On 12 May, the Prime Minister confirmed that a public inquiry into COVID-19 would be established on a statutory basis, with full formal powers, and that it will begin its work in spring 2022.
Further details will be set out in due course.
Paymaster General
References to life events in the roadmap refer to gatherings for the purposes of a ceremony, rite or ritual to mark or celebrate a significant milestone in a person’s life. This will include events such as weddings, wakes, baptisms, naming or coming of age ceremonies and stone setting ceremonies. As the Government aims to remove all legal limits on social contact by Step 4, this would enable gatherings for any purpose without the need to publish an exhaustive list of life events. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also leading an Events Research Programme, to support the Government’s aim to remove all limits on weddings and other life events.
Paymaster General
The Government is committed to sharing information and data that informs decision-making. The minutes of SAGE meetings and the evidence considered by SAGE are routinely published on GOV.UK.
Paymaster General
The Government is committed to sharing information and data that informs decision-making. The minutes of SAGE meetings and the evidence considered by SAGE are routinely published on GOV.UK.
Paymaster General
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
3 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Questions
(View all Mike Penning's BEIS questions)The Government recognises the importance of allowing retailers to be able continue operating during these very challenging times which is why all shops can offer click-and-collect services.
Click-and-collect allow the public to have access to goods they need quickly, where they aren’t available from retailers that can remain open and allows goods to be pre-ordered and collected without customers entering the premises, thus remaining in well ventilated spaces - which are, by definition, safer environments where transmission is less likely to occur.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The UK follows the agreed international approach for estimating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, which is for countries to report the emissions produced within their territories.
The Climate Change Act defines UK emissions as being those of greenhouse gases from sources within the UK, consistent with international reporting practice.
There is no internationally agreed approach to measuring consumption emissions. Estimates of imported emissions in particular are associated with greater levels of uncertainty than estimates of UK-based territorial emissions. These emissions do not, therefore, include emissions from the manufacture of goods imported into the UK, which are reported in the country of manufacture, as this would risk double counting. Accounting for emissions produced within each country’s own border in line with international accounting standards, therefore allows for direct comparison of the UK’s emissions with other countries.
Nevertheless, the UK is at the forefront of measuring consumption emissions with statistics published annually and policies developed to reduce emissions. Emissions on a consumption basis (i.e. including emissions embedded in imports) fell by 21 per cent between 2007 and 2017, and by 3 per cent between 2016 and 2017.
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
The Government considers that the carefully regulated use of animals in scientific research remains an important tool in the development of safe new medicines and treatments. At the same time, the Government believes that animals should only be used when there is no practicable alternative and it actively supports and funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). This is achieved primarily through funding for the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) which has invested £67million in research, and works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice and regulations on animal research.
With regard to specific research into Covid-19, human trials are already underway. The Government is currently funding two UK vaccine candidates; one at the University of Oxford and one at Imperial College, London. The University of Oxford began Phase 1 human safety trials on 23 April and have recently recruited healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55 to take part in these trials.
Animal testing has not been skipped, however. Clinical trials of any vaccine must follow a predefined development pathway. It was agreed at the meeting of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities, held on 18 March 2020 that it is scientifically justified to use toxicology data and clinical data collected from other trials using animals to support a first-in-human clinical trial for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate. It was also agreed that data from animal disease models would be required to support Phase II clinical trials.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
8 Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Questions
(View all Mike Penning's DCMS questions)The Government recognises the severe impact the pandemic has had on supply chain businesses for the events sector. Supply chain organisations were eligible for - and many were successful in securing from - the first and second rounds of Culture Recovery Funding. They are recognised as a critical part of the sector.
An announcement on the additional £300 million provided to the Culture Recovery Fund announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the recent Budget will be made in due course.
Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The department continues to meet with the football authorities, including The Football Association (FA), on a range of matters including the return of spectators.
Coronavirus has presented many challenges for sport, and the sector’s success thus far at maintaining their competitive programmes should be commended. The FA is responsible for the scheduling of its competitions, including Non-league Finals Day, as well as preparations for the return of spectators.
Football is clearly not the same without fans, which is why we will look to get spectators back to outdoor stadiums in a safe and manageable way. We will continue to engage with the sector as we progress along the Roadmap, and look forward to welcoming spectators back to stadia across the country from step 3 of the Roadmap.
Assistant Whip
The government and the Gambling Commission continue to be clear that gambling operators must act responsibly during the Covid-19 period, and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned operators that they must not look to exploit the situation in their adverts or marketing. In June 2020 members of the Betting and Gaming Council committed to ensure at least 20% of broadcast advertising is given over to safer gambling messaging.
The Gambling Commission has monitored gambling behaviour during the Covid-19 period and will continue to do so. Survey data published by the Commission this month indicated that 86% of those who gamble did so the same amount or less during the pandemic than they had previously. The Commission recently wrote to operators to remind them of its expectations under guidance issued in May 2020 to increase protections for those who may be at heightened risk of gambling harm. That guidance directed operators to monitor customer behaviour more closely to identify signs of potential harm, and banned mechanisms by which customers could cancel requests to withdraw money from their account.
The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8th December with the publication of a Call for Evidence. As part of the wide scope of that Review, we have called for evidence on the benefits or harms of allowing gambling operators to advertise. In addition, the ASA is currently consulting on proposals to further strengthen the advertising codes, including new rules to minimise the potential for gambling adverts to appeal to vulnerable people, or adversely impact them.
Assistant Whip
Gambling advertising is subject to strict controls on content and placement which dictate that adverts must never be targeted at children or vulnerable people, or seek to appeal particularly to these groups. Operators who breach these rules are subject to sanction by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Gambling Commission. The ASA is currently consulting on proposals to strengthen these controls further, including new rules to minimise the potential for adverts to appeal to vulnerable people, or adversely impact them.
The government and the Gambling Commission have been clear that gambling operators must act responsibly during the Covid-19 period and the ASA has warned operators that they must not look to exploit the situation in their adverts or marketing. In June 2020 members of the Betting and Gaming Council committed to ensure at least 20% of broadcast advertising is given over to safer gambling messaging.
The Gambling Commission has monitored gambling behaviour during the Covid-19 period and will continue to do so. Survey data published by the Commission in October indicated that 84% of gamblers spent the same amount or less on gambling during lockdown (mid-March to mid-June 2020) than they had previously. The Commission updated its guidance for operators in May to increase protections for those who may be at heightened risk of gambling harm, directing operators to monitor customer behaviour more closely to identify signs of potential harm, and banning mechanisms by which customers could cancel requests to withdraw money from their account.
Ministers have regular meetings with stakeholders on a range of issues. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the government’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport.
Assistant Whip
The government recognises the importance of returning all sectors to activity, as soon as it is safe to do so.
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. The Government has made it clear that it will adopt a phased approach based on scientific and medical advice, and that the primary goal is to protect public health. The Government is in discussions with representatives from the sport and physical activity sector about the steps required to restart grassroots sport and will update the public when it is deemed safe to reopening indoor sports venues and facilities as soon as it is safe to do so.
Keeping as many people as possible 2 metres apart from those they do not live with is a key way to reduce the spread of the virus. If it is not viable for a business to operate with 2m social distancing and the business has to operate at 1m social distancing additional mitigating measures need to put in place – for instance ensure customers from different household groups or support bubbles sit back-to-back, but if this is not possible, sit side-to-side.
Assistant Whip
Indoor sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting people to be active and the Government is committed to reopening facilities, including snow sports and indoor rock climbing facilities, as soon as it is safe to do so.
We are holding regular discussions with representatives from the leisure sector and national sports organisations to develop guidance that will support them to open their facilities in a timely and safe manner once lockdown measures are eased.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.
Assistant Whip
In England and Wales, an organisation is a charity if it meets a number of legal tests; namely that it is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the public benefit and that it falls within the jurisdiction of the High Court regarding charities. Supporting the cost of medical treatment has long been recognised as capable of being a charitable purpose where the benefit and safety of the treatment can be demonstrated
The Charity Commission, as the independent charity regulator in England and Wales, is responsible for determining whether or not an institution is a charity and for registering those that are and which meet the legal threshold for registration
The Commission robustly assesses each application on its merits against these tests, based on the information provided in the application.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises that head teachers and staff have worked hard over last year to support their pupils. It would not have been possible for pupils to have received their results without the commitment and expertise of head teachers, teachers and support staff.
Awarding Organisations (AOs) are responsible for setting their exam fees, including any refunds on fees this year. The AOs have been clear that they do not intend to profit from reductions in costs this year. The Department understands that AOs have made commercial decisions on fees and refunds, taking into account the range of costs they incurred as part of their processes, which led to the awarding of qualifications. We are providing approximately £25 million to schools, colleges and exam boards to help with the delivery of 2021 Teacher Assessed Grades and the autumn series. The Department confirmed that it would directly fund AOs to support them with appeals costs and any autumn series losses they make, so that in turn they could increase rebates to centres. AOs have announced their rebates levels for the 2020/21 academic year as follows: AQA 26%, OCR 42%, Pearson 33% and WJEC 42%. Further details of individual AOs’ fees and any refunds can be accessed on AOs' websites.
As AOs are independent bodies, the Department does not hold data on the number of moderators employed. The quality assurance process this year was not designed to moderate grades, but support teachers to make their professional judgements so that pupils received grades that are meaningful.
Minister of State (Education)
The Department recognises that head teachers and staff have worked hard over last year to support their pupils. It would not have been possible for pupils to have received their results without the commitment and expertise of head teachers, teachers and support staff.
Awarding Organisations (AOs) are responsible for setting their exam fees, including any refunds on fees this year. The AOs have been clear that they do not intend to profit from reductions in costs this year. The Department understands that AOs have made commercial decisions on fees and refunds, taking into account the range of costs they incurred as part of their processes, which led to the awarding of qualifications. We are providing approximately £25 million to schools, colleges and exam boards to help with the delivery of 2021 Teacher Assessed Grades and the autumn series. The Department confirmed that it would directly fund AOs to support them with appeals costs and any autumn series losses they make, so that in turn they could increase rebates to centres. AOs have announced their rebates levels for the 2020/21 academic year as follows: AQA 26%, OCR 42%, Pearson 33% and WJEC 42%. Further details of individual AOs’ fees and any refunds can be accessed on AOs' websites.
As AOs are independent bodies, the Department does not hold data on the number of moderators employed. The quality assurance process this year was not designed to moderate grades, but support teachers to make their professional judgements so that pupils received grades that are meaningful.
Minister of State (Education)
Grades were based on a range of evidence and determined by their teachers. Teachers were best placed to understand the content students have covered and their pupils’ performance in the absence of exams.
To support teachers in assessing, marking and making judgements on pupils’ work, the Joint Council for Qualifications and the exam boards published guidance, training and other support materials. Where available, exemplar answers and data on past performance were provided to centres to assist teachers with marking these questions and making fair and consistent judgements of the standard of a pupil’s performance. There was also a process for both internal and external quality assurance to support teachers and ensure consistency. Ofqual worked closely with awarding organisations to ensure robust and similar quality assurance processes were also in place for vocational and technical qualifications being awarded via Teacher Assessed Grades in 2021.
Minister of State (Education)
The Department is considering arrangements for the Primary PE and sport premium for the 2021-22 academic year and will confirm the position as soon as possible.
Minister of State (Education)
It is vital that young people are taught about climate change. For this reason, climate change and related topics, such as sustainability, are included throughout both the science and geography curricula and GCSEs. In primary science and geography, pupils are given a firm foundation for the further study of the environment in secondary school. For example, in primary science pupils are taught about how environments can change as a result of human actions. They will learn about animals’ habitats, including that changes to the environment may pose dangers to living things. In geography at primary pupils will be taught about seasonal and daily weather patterns, climate zones and human geography, including land use, economic activity, and the distribution of natural resources.
In secondary science, pupils are taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. This is expanded on in GCSE science where pupils will consider the evidence for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change. In secondary geography pupils will look at how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments, and the climate. As part of GCSE geography, pupils will look at the causes, consequences of and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards. In 2017, we also introduced a new environmental science A level. This will enable students to study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled. School and teachers can go beyond the topics set out in the National Curriculum, or do more in-depth teaching of these topic areas, if they so wish.
Minister of State (Education)
The Department has asked primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, Reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside priority groups. Where primary and middle schools have already made provision for these children and where they have capacity, they may choose to welcome back additional pupils, in line with wider protective measures. It is up to schools to decide which pupils to prioritise, based on their knowledge of their children and communities.
Where middle schools choose to invite year 8 pupils back, they should be confident they can manage this within the strict measures the Department has asked primary schools to adopt. This includes having no more than 15 pupils in a class, and maintaining consistency of these groups. This guidance covers independent schools where year 8 pupils are in their final year before moving on to another school.
Minister of State (Education)
10 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Mike Penning's Defra questions)Gough Island is a UNESCO natural World Heritage site and the UK Government continues to support RSPB’s efforts to eradicate invasive non-native mice from Gough Island to save critically endangered seabirds from extinction. The RSPB is proceeding with preparations for the final eradication stage taking place later this year. The UK Government has provided over £2 million in funding to support this project and will give further consideration to providing additional funding for the next financial year.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Once our future relationship with the EU has been established there will be an opportunity for the Government to consider further the steps it could take in relation to the import or sale of foie gras.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare, and we have made clear that the production of foie gras using forcing feeding raises serious welfare concerns.
However, until the end of the Transition Period, we are required to observe the relevant EU law which places restrictions on the introduction of measures that impair the movement of goods, such as foie gras.
Once our future relationship with the EU has been established there will be an opportunity for the Government to consider further the steps it could take in relation to the import or sale of foie gras.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The production of foie gras by force feeding is banned in the UK as it is incompatible with our domestic legislation (Animal Welfare Act 2006), which makes it a criminal offence to allow an animal to suffer unnecessarily.
The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras using forcing feeding raises serious welfare concerns.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Farm Animal Welfare Committee has reported to us on animal welfare issues concerning live exports and noted that animals should only be transported if absolutely necessary. We are carefully considering the report and recommendations in terms of what they mean for ending excessively long journeys. We intend to launch a consultation on how we deliver on our manifesto commitment later this year.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Farm Animal Welfare Committee has reported to us on animal welfare issues concerning live exports and noted that animals should only be transported if absolutely necessary. We are carefully considering the report and recommendations in terms of what they mean for ending excessively long journeys. We intend to launch a consultation on how we deliver on our manifesto commitment later this year.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Chipping Barnet on 11 June 2020, PQ UIN 55899.
[questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-06-08/55899]
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Sport England is working with partners including the Sport and Play Construction Association (SAPCA), British Standards Institute (BSI), Institute of Groundsmanship and the NGBs to update guidance on artificial surfaces (Artificial Surfaces for Outdoor Sports) to include recommended measures to help minimise the environmental impact of rubber crumb microplastics. We expect the updated guidance to be published this year.
My department has not commissioned research into the environmental effect of the spread of rubber granules from artificial grass playing fields.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Rubber granules used as infill on artificial playing fields have been proved to be hard wearing and able to provide sports performance and athlete protection. Sport England isn’t aware of any acceptable suitable alternative infill materials that can be used to replace the rubber crumb on existing pitches. This is because the alternatives, such as cork and coconut fibre do not equal performance qualities such as shock absorption and density.
Non-filled long-pile artificial grass surfaces have been developed and introduced to the market, but to date, none have been found to satisfy the sports performance and player welfare requirements of FIFA and World Rugby.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has finalised its work specification for the trials programme and will shortly seek tenders for the research on a competitive basis. It is anticipated the programme will include three elements: real-world scenario testing in a safe off-road environment; assessments of the effects of a proliferation of warning lamps on road user reactions and safety, and to develop guidance for road recovery operators on the use of lighting functions currently permitted by regulation.
The department anticipates the research to be 6-9 months in duration once contracted. A report of the trials and final guidance document will be published upon completion.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We published advice in our safer transport guidance for transport operators recommending that transport operators should ensure a fresh air supply is consistently flowing through vehicles. To achieve this, operators should consider that recirculating air systems may require adjustments to increase fresh air flow. Government guidance for drivers, operators and owners of taxis and private hire vehicles also states that the recirculated air option for the car’s ventilation system should not be used when carrying passengers.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has outlined, through guidance to operators, ways they can help reduce the spread of Covid-19 on the public transport network and boost confidence in the traveling public. These measures include increasing cleaning particularly in high touch areas, encouraging good hand hygiene and providing hand sanitiser at building entry/exit points.
Hand sanitiser points are available at most of the busiest stations. Hand sanitiser points have also been maintained across the 300 most used train stations, as well as 1000 units across the London Tube and Surface Transport network.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to legislate for a net zero domestic greenhouse gas emission target by 2050[1]. This target includes emissions from domestic shipping, making the case for supporting maritime decarbonisation even more urgent[2]. The Clean Maritime Plan, published in 2019, sets out an ambitious and bold plan to put the sector on a path to deliver this objective while securing growth opportunities for the UK.
The publication of the Clean Maritime Plan was underpinned by extensive stakeholder engagement with the UK maritime industry on decarbonising maritime, including through the Clean Maritime Council, which was established in 2018 to ensure strong collaboration between Government, industry and academia on this matter. This partnership continues today, supporting my Department’s action in tackling shipping emissions and ensuring that the whole transport sector delivers on the legislative objective to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-becomes-first-major-economy-to-pass-net-zero-emissions-law
[2] Whilst international shipping emissions are not formally included in the net-zero target at present, the Government is still required to take these emissions into account when setting carbon budgets under the Climate Change Act.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
In 2015, the Department published the Maritime Growth Study, which considered all aspects of the maritime sector and identified where action could be taken to generate growth[1]. Following the publication of Maritime 2050 in 2019, which builds on the findings of the Maritime Growth Study, the Department published the Clean Maritime Plan, which identified the potential for clean economic growth in the UK as a result of the transition to zero emission shipping[2].
Alongside the Plan, the Department published an assessment of the value of potential economic opportunities from low and zero emission shipping. This review provided a framework for assessing the scale of the opportunity generated by emission reduction technologies, including a mapping of the relevant supply chain, an assessment of the global uptake of these technologies, the economic footprint of the UK firms in the supply chain and the UK’s share of global export of these technologies[3].
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/maritime-growth-study
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The government has regular discussions with the aviation industry on a range of issues. The industry is aware that the Health Regulations relating to the self-isolation requirements remain under constant review and are currently subject to a formal review every 28 days. The next review will be on 27 July 2020.
The destinations airlines fly to are commercial decisions for those airlines. The government’s guidance is clear that those travelling abroad should check Foreign and Commonwealth Office coronavirus advice and travel advice before they travel. This advice states that passengers will have to comply with coronavirus requirements in the country that they are travelling to, and this may include self-isolating.
We have not made such an estimate for the number of British nationals that have booked flights to countries that have not formed reciprocal quarantine-free travel arrangements with the UK.
Our approach to travel corridors has been guided by the science and worked closely with health and policy experts from across government to ensure the steps we are taking will minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 cases, while helping to open our travel and tourism sector.
The Department for Transport is in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry to understand the issues the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. The Department is working with the industry to ensure that the appropriate measures are in place to allow for the continued operation of the road freight sector during the pandemic and to identify barriers to accessing the available Government support schemes. ?
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department continues to collect, receive and assess data about the logistics industry. The Government will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of COVID-19 to establish whether any further support for the sector is needed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry to understand the issues that the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. Engagement with the industry suggests that delays in payment from customers is an issue for some hauliers.
The Government will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of COVID-19 to establish whether any further support for the sector is needed.?
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry to understand the issues the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. The Department is working with the industry to ensure that the appropriate measures are in place to allow for the continued operation of the road freight sector during the pandemic and to identify barriers to accessing the available Government support schemes. ?
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has made available £330bn of support through loans and guarantees to support UK businesses. Changes have been made to some of the schemes to ensure that more businesses, particularly those that are SMEs like many road haulage companies, can benefit from them.
The Department is in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry to understand the issues that the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. The Department recognises that the sector is going through a challenging time.
Engagement with the industry suggests that delays in payment from customers is an issue for some hauliers.
Engagement with the industry also indicates that some road haulage trucks have been taken off the road. Whilst there are no current plans to introduce a financial support scheme for haulage businesses whose vehicles are idle during the COVID-19 outbreak, we continue to keep this under review.
The Government will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of COVID-19 to establish whether any further support for the sector is needed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has made available £330bn of support through loans and guarantees to support UK businesses. Changes have been made to some of the schemes to ensure that more businesses, particularly those that are SMEs like many road haulage companies, can benefit from them.
The Department is in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry to understand the issues that the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. The Department recognises that the sector is going through a challenging time.
Engagement with the industry suggests that delays in payment from customers is an issue for some hauliers.
Engagement with the industry also indicates that some road haulage trucks have been taken off the road. Whilst there are no current plans to introduce a financial support scheme for haulage businesses whose vehicles are idle during the COVID-19 outbreak, we continue to keep this under review.
The Government will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of COVID-19 to establish whether any further support for the sector is needed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has made available £330bn of support through loans and guarantees to support UK businesses. Changes have been made to some of the schemes to ensure that more businesses, particularly those that are SMEs like many road haulage companies, can benefit from them.
The Department is in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry to understand the issues that the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. The Department recognises that the sector is going through a challenging time.
Engagement with the industry suggests that delays in payment from customers is an issue for some hauliers.
Engagement with the industry also indicates that some road haulage trucks have been taken off the road. Whilst there are no current plans to introduce a financial support scheme for haulage businesses whose vehicles are idle during the COVID-19 outbreak, we continue to keep this under review.
The Government will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of COVID-19 to establish whether any further support for the sector is needed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has made available £330bn of support through loans and guarantees to support UK businesses. Changes have been made to some of the schemes to ensure that more businesses, particularly those that are SMEs like many road haulage companies, can benefit from them.
The Department is in regular contact with representatives of the road haulage industry to understand the issues that the industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. The Department recognises that the sector is going through a challenging time.
Engagement with the industry suggests that delays in payment from customers is an issue for some hauliers.
Engagement with the industry also indicates that some road haulage trucks have been taken off the road. Whilst there are no current plans to introduce a financial support scheme for haulage businesses whose vehicles are idle during the COVID-19 outbreak, we continue to keep this under review.
The Government will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of COVID-19 to establish whether any further support for the sector is needed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government confirmed its intention to review available evidence on whether a more flexible approach might be appropriate to allowing the use of red flashing lamps by road recovery operators.
The Government is committed to improving road safety, and the Department is currently tendering this independent review through a competitive process. It is expected that the contract will be awarded in approximately three months and, subject to the tenders received, the results could be available four months later. The report will be published following completion.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We want our roads to be as safe as possible. That is why the Secretary of State asked the Department to carry out an evidence stocktake to gather the facts about the safety of smart motorways and make recommendations. The Department will present the findings of the stocktake shortly.
While we would not want to pre-judge the results of that work, we will continue to prioritise improving safety – making conditions safer for everyone on our roads. The Roads Minister will write to you as soon as the stocktake is completed to answer your specific question.
We want our roads to be as safe as possible. That is why the Secretary of State asked the Department to carry out an evidence stocktake to gather the facts about the safety of smart motorways and make recommendations. The Department will present the findings of the stocktake shortly.
While I would not want to pre-judge the results of that work, what I can say is that we will continue to prioritise improving safety – making conditions safer for everyone on our roads. The Roads Minister will write to you as soon as the stocktake is completed to answer your specific question.
International passenger rail services provide a number of benefits for passengers, businesses and the wider economy, including environmental benefits. The Government is committed to supporting the future growth and success of international traffic, including potential sleeper services.
Department for Transport officials have engaged with UK and European partners to encourage the future growth and success of international passenger services, providing connectivity between major European cities. The Department also stands ready to engage with any potential operators of new international services, including sleeper services.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
In 2019 Highways England’s expenditure cost for retrofitting Stopped Vehicle Detection (SVD) was £289,000.
In 2019 Highways England’s expenditure cost for retrofitting emergency areas was £1.8 million.
The table below includes all breakdown cases where the location has been categorised as being in a live lane or not in a live lane.
Breakdown - live lane | Breakdown - not in live lane | |||
Calendar Year | Frequency | % | Frequency | % |
2016 | 27,004 | 20.3% | 106,134 | 79.7% |
2017 | 26,060 | 21.0% | 98,317 | 79.0% |
2018 | 29,987 | 19.7% | 122,076 | 80.3% |
2019 | 27,410 | 21.0% | 103,061 | 79.0% |
Data which has not conformed to these two location descriptions is not included within the table.
The previous Government announced its intention to review available evidence to see if a more flexible approach might be appropriate regarding amending regulations to permit the use of red flashing lights by road recovery operators.
The Government is committed to improving road safety. The Department is commissioning this study, which will involve an assessment of the potential risks and benefits. A decision to review the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 will be taken once the study has reported.
Sole traders are able to apply to offer jobs to young people through the Kickstart Scheme through a Gateway Plus. There are 4 organisations approved as a Gateway Plus – -
- Adecco Working Ventures in Partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses
- REED in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce
- Manpower Group
- The Wirral Chamber of Commerce
The Gateway Plus is the employer of the young person participating in Kickstart and will ensure that the YP receives the additional support to improve their employability which is an essential part of the scheme. The young person will be placed with a host organisation linked to the Gateway plus for their six-month job – this is at no cost to the host organisation. Host organisations can include sole traders.
All Kickstart Jobs are subject to robust checking procedures. The checks we put in place when approving a Gateway Plus organisation ensure that any employer that the Gateway approves is subject to a level of checking and due diligence that DWP are satisfied with. These checks are part of the requirement of the Gateway Plus agreement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Sole traders are able to apply to offer jobs to young people through the Kickstart Scheme through a Gateway Plus. There are 4 organisations approved as a Gateway Plus – -
- Adecco Working Ventures in Partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses
- REED in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce
- Manpower Group
- The Wirral Chamber of Commerce
The Gateway Plus is the employer of the young person participating in Kickstart and will ensure that the YP receives the additional support to improve their employability which is an essential part of the scheme. The young person will be placed with a host organisation linked to the Gateway plus for their six-month job – this is at no cost to the host organisation. Host organisations can include sole traders.
All Kickstart Jobs are subject to robust checking procedures. The checks we put in place when approving a Gateway Plus organisation ensure that any employer that the Gateway approves is subject to a level of checking and due diligence that DWP are satisfied with. These checks are part of the requirement of the Gateway Plus agreement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992, as amended, requires employers to ensure an adequate supply of fresh air in the workplace. In common with a lot of health and safety legislation, this is a goal setting requirement and therefore does not prescribe how to meet this duty.
As each workplace is different, it is the responsibility of the employer to determine how to achieve this requirement and implement the appropriate measures.
To assist employers the Health and Safety Executive updated their guidance on ventilation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in December 2020. The guidance provides simple ways to identify areas of the workplace that may be poorly ventilated and provides steps that can be taken to improve ventilation while maintaining a comfortable temperature. It refers those with complex ventilation system, to the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) website.
The CIBSE covid-19 guidance on ventilation in buildings.is a best practice guide primarily intended for application in non-domestic buildings and it specifically excludes health care and hospital buildings, advising that NHS and PHE guidance should be sought.
The relevant guidance for healthcare providers is contained in the Engineering Health Technical Memoranda best practice guidance published by the Department of Health and Social Care (Estates and Facilities Division). The documents give comprehensive advice and guidance to healthcare management, design engineers, estates managers and operations managers on the legal requirements, design implications and maintenance of specialised ventilation in all types of healthcare premises.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
HSE has played a key role in the development of cross-government Covid-secure guidelines for business. These focus on the practical measures that can be adopted to work safely during the pandemic. HSE has developed and published on its website a suite of guidance and information to complement cross-government guidance and provide additional information in relation to health and safety standards that would be expected.
The webpages provide advice to businesses on a range of topics, including how to complete a Covid-secure risk assessment and undertake worker engagement, in addition to more specific topics such as hygiene procedures and ventilation.
This content is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect developing scientific evidence and understanding. As a result of this review HSE expanded and updated guidance on ventilation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in December 2020 and is continuing to review following feedback and further knowledge and understanding and is updated as necessary.
The guidance provides businesses with simple ways to identify areas of the workplace that may be poorly ventilated and provides steps that can be taken to improve ventilation while maintaining a comfortable temperature.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Kickstart scheme has seen high interest from applicants seeking to offer young people job placements. As such, the numbers of applications are fast-moving. As of 21/01/2021 there have been over 6,500 applications for funding from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme, some 6,000 of these having had final decisions made with over 2,000 of them being approved.
(a) Of the 2,000, there have been around 500 approved applications from employers applying directly with 30 or more jobs, representing 25% of all approved applications so far.
(b) Of the 2,000, there have been over 1,500 approved applications from prospective gateway organisations, representing 75% of all approved applications so far.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Sole traders can apply to the scheme through a Kickstart Gateway. Although if they are not registered with Companies House and/or do not have the systems to pay participants through PAYE, they will need to work with a Gateway which is able to put the participant on the Gateway’s PAYE system.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are not yet able to break Kickstart data down by sector or employer type.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The location of all overseas suppliers with which the Department currently holds contracts could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Information is not held on whether a contract is held with a Chinese-financed company.
NHS England and NHS Improvement do not collect this information centrally.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have worked jointly with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the investment security community across Government as contributors to the investment screening regime. The Department has also consulted with agencies and partner organisations to provide input for the development of National Security and Investment Act 2021.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Bain Capital carried out its own due diligence with respect to the sale. The Department was fully informed and supportive of the sale following its own corporate due diligence process on the purchaser.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works jointly with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the investment security community across government as contributors to the investment screening regime. As an open economy, we welcome foreign trade and investment that adheres to our laws. While we have made no specific assessment, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government to ensure that where risks arise from instances of foreign investment, the necessary assessment is made on a case by case basis.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department holds one contract with Bio Products Laboratory Ltd (BPL) with a value of £3.3 million. Public Health England is responsible for manging the contract which includes distribution of products into the National Health Service. NHS England and NHS Improvement hold one contract with BPL with a value of £5.3 million.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Public Health England has been monitoring the effectiveness of vaccinations in clinical risk groups which will include those with immunosuppression.
From the evaluation of the vaccine programme, the data shows that completion of the two dose schedule correlates well with protection from both disease and severe outcomes, including hospitalisation and death.
Virus Watch data, supported by the United Kingdom Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research COVID-19 rapid response initiative and the antibody testing team in NHS Test and Trace, provided information regarding patients antibodies which included immunocompromised patients as part of their cohort. This suggests some protection against COVID-19, but is only one measure of protection and does not look at cellular immunity which is important in terms of long-term immunity.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is providing £4 million towards the OCTAVE study to examine the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in clinically at-risk groups, including patients with certain immunosuppressed conditions. UKRI has allocated a further £3 million towards a research call to support projects examining the nature and quality of COVID-19 vaccine responses and the mechanisms of immune failure that lead to either COVID-19 re-infection or vaccine breakthrough. This call is now closed and the results will be announced in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
We have no plans to do so and we have not issued any such guidance.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have no plans to do so and we have not issued any such guidance.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have not received any reported adverse events relating to medical and surgical face masks containing graphene. The MHRA continues to review all available information and will issue safety information as and when necessary.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, all international arrivals travelling from outside the Common Travel Area are required to book a testing package before travelling to England to protect themselves and the public. Testing requirements and therefore the costs paid by international arrivals, are set according to the risk posed by travel from ‘red’, ‘amber’ and ‘green’ list countries.
Since requirements were introduced for international travel testing, the costs of travel testing have fallen significantly. The Government is committed to working with the travel industry and private testing providers to reduce the cost of travel testing whilst also ensuring travel is as safe as possible. NHS Test and Trace testing is priced at the mid-market level. GOV.UK shows a list of private providers to allow international arrivals to select providers based on cost, location and types of test on offer.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, all international arrivals travelling from outside the Common Travel Area are required to book a testing package before travelling to England to protect themselves and the public. Testing requirements and therefore the costs paid by international arrivals, are set according to the risk posed by travel from ‘red’, ‘amber’ and ‘green’ list countries.
Since requirements were introduced for international travel testing, the costs of travel testing have fallen significantly. The Government is committed to working with the travel industry and private testing providers to reduce the cost of travel testing whilst also ensuring travel is as safe as possible. NHS Test and Trace testing is priced at the mid-market level. GOV.UK shows a list of private providers to allow international arrivals to select providers based on cost, location and types of test on offer.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In the United Kingdom, all international arrivals travelling from outside the Common Travel Area are required to book a testing package before travelling to England to protect themselves and the public. Testing requirements and therefore the costs paid by international arrivals, are set according to the risk posed by travel from ‘red’, ‘amber’ and ‘green’ list countries.
Since requirements were introduced for international travel testing, the costs of travel testing have fallen significantly. The Government is committed to working with the travel industry and private testing providers to reduce the cost of travel testing whilst also ensuring travel is as safe as possible. NHS Test and Trace testing is priced at the mid-market level. GOV.UK shows a list of private providers to allow international arrivals to select providers based on cost, location and types of test on offer.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and NHS Improvement aim to complete the process to determine the location of a second provider to deliver transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound services before the end of 2021/22. Until the location has been agreed, patients will continue to access assessment and treatment at the established centre in London.
NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned this service in April 2021, therefore the number of patients who will be eligible for this treatment is uncertain. NHS England and NHS Improvement anticipate a level of patient backlog, as a result of patients who are suitable for treatment waiting for the service to be established. Capacity for provision of service in the first year has therefore taken this into account. The actual demand will be closely monitored in the first few years to better inform future commissioning.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and NHS Improvement aim to complete the process to determine the location of a second provider to deliver transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound services before the end of 2021/22. Until the location has been agreed, patients will continue to access assessment and treatment at the established centre in London.
NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned this service in April 2021, therefore the number of patients who will be eligible for this treatment is uncertain. NHS England and NHS Improvement anticipate a level of patient backlog, as a result of patients who are suitable for treatment waiting for the service to be established. Capacity for provision of service in the first year has therefore taken this into account. The actual demand will be closely monitored in the first few years to better inform future commissioning.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Significant progress has been made in the delivery of the commissioning policy for transcranial Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), published in November 2020 and effective from 1 April 2021.
MRgFUS is used in the treatment of medication refractory essential tremor. It has been estimated that there will be approximately 150 cases a year which, in the first instance, will require two centres to meet the needs of the population of England. A centre at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London has already been identified and it is intended that this service will commence in May.
A second centre in the North of England will be required and discussions are ongoing with commissioners about its possible location. It is envisaged that there will need to be a formalised provider selection process given the number of expressions of interest received. Cross-border discussions have taken place with the devolved authorities in Scotland as to the feasibility of a third centre being commissioned in Scotland, and these discussions continue.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Significant progress has been made in the delivery of the commissioning policy for transcranial Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), published in November 2020 and effective from 1 April 2021.
MRgFUS is used in the treatment of medication refractory essential tremor. It has been estimated that there will be approximately 150 cases a year which, in the first instance, will require two centres to meet the needs of the population of England. A centre at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London has already been identified and it is intended that this service will commence in May.
A second centre in the North of England will be required and discussions are ongoing with commissioners about its possible location. It is envisaged that there will need to be a formalised provider selection process given the number of expressions of interest received. Cross-border discussions have taken place with the devolved authorities in Scotland as to the feasibility of a third centre being commissioned in Scotland, and these discussions continue.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Significant progress has been made in the delivery of the commissioning policy for transcranial Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), published in November 2020 and effective from 1 April 2021.
MRgFUS is used in the treatment of medication refractory essential tremor. It has been estimated that there will be approximately 150 cases a year which, in the first instance, will require two centres to meet the needs of the population of England. A centre at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust in London has already been identified and it is intended that this service will commence in May.
A second centre in the North of England will be required and discussions are ongoing with commissioners about its possible location. It is envisaged that there will need to be a formalised provider selection process given the number of expressions of interest received. Cross-border discussions have taken place with the devolved authorities in Scotland as to the feasibility of a third centre being commissioned in Scotland, and these discussions continue.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data on NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) eligibility rates is published quarterly by NHS England at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/
Data on the number of people who apply and are found ineligible at the initial checklist assessment stage for CHC is not currently collected. NHS England will collect and manage CHC checklist data as part of an upcoming patient level data set. Data on the CHC referral conversion rate is available since 2017-18. However, as the 2019-20 data has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 we do not consider there to be sufficient data points to undertake meaningful trend analysis.
We have interpreted ‘first review’ to mean how many people are found to be eligible following a review at the local resolution stage. Prior to 2018-19 this data was not collected. We have interpreted ‘on appeal’ to mean how many people are found to be eligible in full or partially following a request for an independent review. Data on the number of people found to be partially or fully eligible in England and Herts Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is shown in the following tables:
England
Financial Year | Number found partially eligible | Number found fully eligible |
2017-18 | 51 | 90 |
2018-19 | 94 | 100 |
2019-20 | 196 | 222 |
Herts Valley CCG
Financial Year | Number found partially eligible | Number found fully eligible |
2017-18 | 1 | 1 |
2018-19 | 2 | 2 |
2019-20 | 6 | 5 |
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data on NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) eligibility rates is published quarterly by NHS England at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/
Data on the number of people who apply and are found ineligible at the initial checklist assessment stage for CHC is not currently collected. NHS England will collect and manage CHC checklist data as part of an upcoming patient level data set. Data on the CHC referral conversion rate is available since 2017-18. However, as the 2019-20 data has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 we do not consider there to be sufficient data points to undertake meaningful trend analysis.
We have interpreted ‘first review’ to mean how many people are found to be eligible following a review at the local resolution stage. Prior to 2018-19 this data was not collected. We have interpreted ‘on appeal’ to mean how many people are found to be eligible in full or partially following a request for an independent review. Data on the number of people found to be partially or fully eligible in England and Herts Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is shown in the following tables:
England
Financial Year | Number found partially eligible | Number found fully eligible |
2017-18 | 51 | 90 |
2018-19 | 94 | 100 |
2019-20 | 196 | 222 |
Herts Valley CCG
Financial Year | Number found partially eligible | Number found fully eligible |
2017-18 | 1 | 1 |
2018-19 | 2 | 2 |
2019-20 | 6 | 5 |
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data on NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) eligibility rates is published quarterly by NHS England at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/
Data on the number of people who apply and are found ineligible at the initial checklist assessment stage for CHC is not currently collected. NHS England will collect and manage CHC checklist data as part of an upcoming patient level data set. Data on the CHC referral conversion rate is available since 2017-18. However, as the 2019-20 data has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 we do not consider there to be sufficient data points to undertake meaningful trend analysis.
We have interpreted ‘first review’ to mean how many people are found to be eligible following a review at the local resolution stage. Prior to 2018-19 this data was not collected. We have interpreted ‘on appeal’ to mean how many people are found to be eligible in full or partially following a request for an independent review. Data on the number of people found to be partially or fully eligible in England and Herts Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is shown in the following tables:
England
Financial Year | Number found partially eligible | Number found fully eligible |
2017-18 | 51 | 90 |
2018-19 | 94 | 100 |
2019-20 | 196 | 222 |
Herts Valley CCG
Financial Year | Number found partially eligible | Number found fully eligible |
2017-18 | 1 | 1 |
2018-19 | 2 | 2 |
2019-20 | 6 | 5 |
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the current restrictions a couple who live apart can only form a support bubble if they fulfil the eligibility criteria. We recognise that not everyone who would like to form a support bubble will be able to do so. This is because the formation of a support bubble and therefore the ability to have close contact with those you do not live with, carries transmission risks. As such the eligibility criteria is necessarily limited to smaller households most in need of support that cannot be facilitated by other means and in other settings.
We continue to keep the eligibility criteria under review.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Given the incubation period of the virus and local differences in application of testing protocols, it is not possible to definitively determine the number of people who contracted the virus while in hospital in England state or the number of nosocomial infections amongst National Health Service staff and how many have been infected through contacts outside the NHS. NHS England and NHS Improvement do not hold any data on visitors infected.
Since October 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement has published data on COVID-19 hospital activity from 1 August including the numbers of people diagnosed in, or admitted to, hospital with COVID-19. NHS England and NHS Improvement also collect data the time between admission to hospital and first positive swab for COVID-19 and the number of patients admitted to hospital after a diagnosis in the community or diagnosed within eight days after admission.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s Counter Disinformation Unit looks for trends on social media platforms so that we can work with them and other partners to respond to misleading content rapidly., This can range from labelling, downranking, or removal where there is significant risk of harm, in line with platform terms and conditions.
The Department is leading extensive communications activity to reassure the public, providing advice and information to support those who have been prioritised to receive a vaccine and anyone who has questions about the vaccination process.
We have developed the SHARE checklist which aims to increase audience resilience by educating and empowering those who see, inadvertently share and are affected by false and misleading information.
In addition, a range of posters, leaflets and awareness videos have been made available on social media and in public places to help explain more about the COVID-19 vaccine and what the public should expect from the National Health Service.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
As hospitals treat COVID-19 patients, trusts continue to offer as many routine services as they can to restore services to the previous levels. To keep operations going, services are being redesigned and priority is given to patients based on clinical urgency and those who have been waiting the longest. Interruptions to routine services should only occur when they are absolutely unavoidable and these decisions are taken locally based on operational needs. In addition, the Nightingale hospitals continue to support services by offering extra capacity and bed numbers, which are being utilised upon the decision of local clinicians when needed.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All tests have been assessed as performing to manufacturers’ specifications before being used. The current tests are very specific and the risk of false positives, where the test is reacting to other viruses, is extremely low. Like any diagnostic test however, there is always the small possibility of a false negative or a false positive result.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Eighty three laboratories have applied for COVID-19 testing with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, of which 27 are accredited. The remainder have either been assessed or are in the process of being assessed due to a very recent application. Those that have been assessed and not accredited will be working through any actions required to meet the International Organization for Standardization’s accreditation standards.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pooled testing is an important part of the National Testing Programme allowing laboratories to test more samples. It is a safe and effective way of testing swab samples from several people at the same time providing quicker testing of asymptomatic people. However, pooled testing should only be used for samples from people who do not have COVID-19 symptoms. If an individual has COVID-19 symptoms, they should be tested individually. Samples from those who have tested positive in the past should not be used in pooled testing
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group last met in June 2019. This is because the meeting structure has since changed, and NHS England now have a Strategy and Policy Group meeting on a monthly basis and a Delivery Group meeting on a monthly basis instead.
Although there is no specific agenda for the next meeting, the Strategy and Policy group considers the recommendations made by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) relating to clinical policies and service specifications. The CPAG looks at NHS England’s approach to commissioning services, treatments and technologies, and considers which of these should be prioritised for investment.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group last met in June 2019. This is because the meeting structure has since changed, and NHS England now have a Strategy and Policy Group meeting on a monthly basis and a Delivery Group meeting on a monthly basis instead.
Although there is no specific agenda for the next meeting, the Strategy and Policy group considers the recommendations made by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) relating to clinical policies and service specifications. The CPAG looks at NHS England’s approach to commissioning services, treatments and technologies, and considers which of these should be prioritised for investment.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group last met in June 2019. This is because the meeting structure has since changed, and NHS England now have a Strategy and Policy Group meeting on a monthly basis and a Delivery Group meeting on a monthly basis instead.
Although there is no specific agenda for the next meeting, the Strategy and Policy group considers the recommendations made by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) relating to clinical policies and service specifications. The CPAG looks at NHS England’s approach to commissioning services, treatments and technologies, and considers which of these should be prioritised for investment.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service Nightingale hospitals are an unprecedented response to an unprecedented challenge and created additional capacity to ensure the NHS can respond to demand if needed.
The Nightingale hospitals are available to support the NHS when needed. Local clinical leaders are working to determine how this is done whilst considering the needs of all patients requiring NHS care.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Observational studies would not provide robust evidence to inform future commissioning decisions and would delay a more useful and scientific study. The best course of action is to develop evidence via safe and robust clinical trials supported by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).
A programme of two randomised controlled clinical trial are being developed by the NIHR. These trials will be critical in ensuring that evidence for cannabis-based medicinal products can be developed to plan future National Health Service commissioning decisions for the many hundreds of patients in the United Kingdom with refractory epilepsy. Industry also needs to step up and invest in robust clinical trials to improve understanding of how patients might benefit from these products.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Rt. hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 May 2020 to Question 43850.
No assessment has been made.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our aim is to enable residents to be reunited safely with their loved ones. This guidance will be updated as the risk posed by COVID-19 continues to change.
On 22 July 2020 the Government published updated guidance on visiting arrangements for care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visiting-care-homes-during-coronavirus
Our first priority is to prevent infections in care homes and therefore visits should be carried out with caution.
Care homes can develop their visiting policies based on a local dynamic risk assessment, taking into account the circumstances and needs of the individual care setting, including both residents and staff, and the external COVID-19 environment. The process of considering visitors should be led by the relevant local Director of Public Health.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst it is mandatory to wear face coverings on public transport, we recognise that reasonable measures are necessary for some people on health or disability grounds. In the guidance published, we have listed cases in which exemptions could apply.
The guidance published online states that you do not have to wear a face covering on public transport if you have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means you cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering. In addition, you do not have to wear a face covering on public transport if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst it is mandatory to wear face coverings on public transport, we recognise that reasonable measures are necessary for some people on health or disability grounds. In the guidance published, we have listed cases in which exemptions could apply.
The guidance published online states that you do not have to wear a face covering on public transport if you have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means you cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering. In addition, you do not have to wear a face covering on public transport if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service trusts are responsible for establishing their own corporate governance arrangements, including arrangements for public access to Board meetings. The NHS Leadership Academy, now part of NHS England and NHS Improvement, published ‘The Healthy NHS Board’ in 2013 which sets out principles for good governance. These include the principle that Board meetings should be held in public except where there is a compelling reason for confidentiality and is available at the following link:
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government continues to be led by the evidence in our response to COVID-19. Following Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies advice, we think there will be some benefit for people wearing face coverings in enclosed public spaces where social distancing is not possible or where they are more likely to come into contact with people they do not normally meet. This is most relevant on public transport or in some shops.
Comprehensive guidance can be found at the following link:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All health and social care staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 are eligible for testing and have been since 17 April. This includes National Health Service staff, those employed by local authorities, and those working for private providers. Health and social care staff can book a test through the Government’s online self-referral portal, which allows them to register for a home test kit or book a drive-through test at a regional test site. Testing is also available through mobile and satellite test centres that are placed where need is greatest, including to NHS hospitals or care homes. Testing within an NHS facility, such as a hospital, is available for NHS workers.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department is working closely with industry and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, whether on the National Health Service or privately. The supply of unlicensed cannabis-based products is no different. The Government has also recently changed its policy on imports, so that patients can access their prescribed medicines more quickly and be better assured their treatment will not be interrupted.
No assessment has been made of the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the ability of this patient group to maintain funding to private prescriptions for unlicensed medicinal cannabis, and no additional funding is being provided beyond the financial package to provide additional support for public services, individuals and businesses experiencing financial difficulties during COVID-19.
For those who rely on fundraising events to access private medicines, events which do not involve people gathering in one place may still go ahead provided they comply with Government policy and guidelines which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/charities-act-2016-new-fundraising-rules
And further advice on fundraising is available at the following link:
https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/news/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-fundraising
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department is working closely with industry and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, whether on the National Health Service or privately. The supply of unlicensed cannabis-based products is no different. The Government has also recently changed its policy on imports, so that patients can access their prescribed medicines more quickly and be better assured their treatment will not be interrupted.
No assessment has been made of the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the ability of this patient group to maintain funding to private prescriptions for unlicensed medicinal cannabis, and no additional funding is being provided beyond the financial package to provide additional support for public services, individuals and businesses experiencing financial difficulties during COVID-19.
For those who rely on fundraising events to access private medicines, events which do not involve people gathering in one place may still go ahead provided they comply with Government policy and guidelines which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/charities-act-2016-new-fundraising-rules
And further advice on fundraising is available at the following link:
https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/news/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-fundraising
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department is working closely with industry and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, whether on the National Health Service or privately. The supply of unlicensed cannabis-based products is no different. The Government has also recently changed its policy on imports, so that patients can access their prescribed medicines more quickly and be better assured their treatment will not be interrupted.
No assessment has been made of the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the ability of this patient group to maintain funding to private prescriptions for unlicensed medicinal cannabis, and no additional funding is being provided beyond the financial package to provide additional support for public services, individuals and businesses experiencing financial difficulties during COVID-19.
For those who rely on fundraising events to access private medicines, events which do not involve people gathering in one place may still go ahead provided they comply with Government policy and guidelines which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/charities-act-2016-new-fundraising-rules
And further advice on fundraising is available at the following link:
https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/news/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-fundraising
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department is working closely with industry and others in the supply chain to help ensure patients can access the medicines they need, whether on the National Health Service or privately. The supply of unlicensed cannabis-based products is no different. The Government has also recently changed its policy on imports, so that patients can access their prescribed medicines more quickly and be better assured their treatment will not be interrupted.
No assessment has been made of the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the ability of this patient group to maintain funding to private prescriptions for unlicensed medicinal cannabis, and no additional funding is being provided beyond the financial package to provide additional support for public services, individuals and businesses experiencing financial difficulties during COVID-19.
For those who rely on fundraising events to access private medicines, events which do not involve people gathering in one place may still go ahead provided they comply with Government policy and guidelines which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/charities-act-2016-new-fundraising-rules
And further advice on fundraising is available at the following link:
https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/news/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-fundraising
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is in the process of developing a national clinical commissioning policy for MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor. The policy will determine whether the intervention will or will not be routinely commissioned and contain criteria to guide clinical decision making about the patients able to benefit.
A draft policy was returned to the Specialised Commissioning Clinical Panel in November 2019 and is now progressing to stakeholder engagement and public consultation. After public consultation is completed, the policy proposal will be considered by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group. If a decision is taken to commission the intervention, funding will be required to implement the policy. This will be considered alongside other proposals for new treatments for funding through a relative prioritisation process which takes place twice a year, and is next due to take place in May 2020.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is in the process of developing a national clinical commissioning policy for MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor. The policy will determine whether the intervention will or will not be routinely commissioned and contain criteria to guide clinical decision making about the patients able to benefit.
A draft policy was returned to the Specialised Commissioning Clinical Panel in November 2019 and is now progressing to stakeholder engagement and public consultation. After public consultation is completed, the policy proposal will be considered by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group. If a decision is taken to commission the intervention, funding will be required to implement the policy. This will be considered alongside other proposals for new treatments for funding through a relative prioritisation process which takes place twice a year, and is next due to take place in May 2020.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is in the process of developing a national clinical commissioning policy for MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor. The policy will determine whether the intervention will or will not be routinely commissioned and contain criteria to guide clinical decision making about the patients able to benefit.
A draft policy was returned to the Specialised Commissioning Clinical Panel in November 2019 and is now progressing to stakeholder engagement and public consultation. After public consultation is completed, the policy proposal will be considered by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group. If a decision is taken to commission the intervention, funding will be required to implement the policy. This will be considered alongside other proposals for new treatments for funding through a relative prioritisation process which takes place twice a year, and is next due to take place in May 2020.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support prescribing and funding decisions of cannabis-based medicines (whole-plant extract or otherwise) across all conditions covered in the report. We are working hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the knowledge base available.
Central to this, NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with partners to deliver all recommendations from the NHS process evaluation report entitled ‘Barriers to Accessing Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal Use’. The following progress has been made:
- On 20 December 2019 a letter was published reminding prescribers of General Medical Council guidance on the prescribing and use of unlicensed medicines – and to clarify the procedure for prescribing and supplying cannabis-based products for medicinal use;
- The National Institute for Health Research has run two research calls for applications on medicinal cannabis. Following these, a workshop was held including applicants, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Department and other research experts. We expect this to have halved the time required to design and gain funding agreement for a safe and high quality clinical trial. Researchers are expected to involve patients in both the design and delivery of the research;
- Funding has been fast-tracked by NHS England and NHS Improvement and is available from 6 January 2020 for patients who fulfil the criteria for the recently published NICE Technology Appraisals for the use of cannabidiol in conjunction with clobazam for adjuvant treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes. This will improve access to licensed cannabis-based products for appropriate patients. NICE guidelines on the prescribing of cannabis-based medicines also recommend Sativex to treat moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis;
- A new Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Network is being established and will launch shortly. This will make a positive addition to the current well-established clinical networks; and
- A patient registry is being developed with input from specialist clinicians and other advisory bodies.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and NHS Improvement are using existing systems to monitor use of the newly rescheduled unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use in England. In England, these systems monitor the number of items dispensed and associated costs in primary care and the volume of products used and associated cost in secondary care.
The NHS Business Services Authority is only able to provide information on prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines that have been prescribed and submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority. It does not hold information on prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines which have been issued but not fulfilled.
Between November 2018 and October 2019, 19 items for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines that were prescribed on a National Health Service prescription, dispensed in the community and submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority for reimbursement.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not collect data on whether an unlicensed cannabis-based medicine is a whole-plant extract. The licensed cannabis-based medicines Sativex, Nabilone and Epidyolex are not whole-plant extracts, so no data has been provided on these products.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support prescribing and funding decisions of cannabis-based medicines (whole-plant extract or otherwise) across all conditions covered in the report. We are working hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the knowledge base available.
Central to this, NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with partners to deliver all recommendations from the NHS process evaluation report entitled ‘Barriers to Accessing Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal Use’. The following progress has been made:
- On 20 December 2019 a letter was published reminding prescribers of General Medical Council guidance on the prescribing and use of unlicensed medicines – and to clarify the procedure for prescribing and supplying cannabis-based products for medicinal use;
- The National Institute for Health Research has run two research calls for applications on medicinal cannabis. Following these, a workshop was held including applicants, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Department and other research experts. We expect this to have halved the time required to design and gain funding agreement for a safe and high quality clinical trial. Researchers are expected to involve patients in both the design and delivery of the research;
- Funding has been fast-tracked by NHS England and NHS Improvement and is available from 6 January 2020 for patients who fulfil the criteria for the recently published NICE Technology Appraisals for the use of cannabidiol in conjunction with clobazam for adjuvant treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes. This will improve access to licensed cannabis-based products for appropriate patients. NICE guidelines on the prescribing of cannabis-based medicines also recommend Sativex to treat moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis;
- A new Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Network is being established and will launch shortly. This will make a positive addition to the current well-established clinical networks; and
- A patient registry is being developed with input from specialist clinicians and other advisory bodies.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh participated in a visit to Bhasan Char on 3 April, along with heads of a number of diplomatic missions. They also met with the Government of Bangladesh this month to discuss the situation there following recent UN visits. Concerns over the risks of cyclones and the monsoon have been raised, and we note the investments made by the Government of Bangladesh in cyclone shelters and reinforcing embankments. Further conversations are needed between the Government of Bangladesh and the UN on a protection framework for the refugees on the island.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh participated in a visit to Bhasan Char on 3 April, along with heads of a number of diplomatic missions. They also met with the Government of Bangladesh this month to discuss the situation there following recent UN visits. Concerns over the risks of cyclones and the monsoon have been raised, and we note the investments made by the Government of Bangladesh in cyclone shelters and reinforcing embankments. Further conversations are needed between the Government of Bangladesh and the UN on a protection framework for the refugees on the island.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh participated in a visit to Bhasan Char on 3 April, along with heads of a number of diplomatic missions based in Dhaka. They were briefed by officials from the Government of Bangladesh and were given a tour of the island which included seeing the residential accommodation and multi-purpose centres built for the Rohingya refugees. We remain clear that the refugees need to relocate voluntarily, be safe on Bhasan Char, and have access to education and healthcare, including Covid-19 vaccinations as these become available. We welcome the UN's first appraisal visit to evaluate the safety and sustainability of life on Bhasan Char but recognise that further conversations are needed between the Government of Bangladesh and the UN to discuss protection and technical issues in detail. The UK government is not funding operations on Bhasan Char.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is very concerned by the impact on Rohingya refugees of the large fire that took place on 22 March in the Kutapalong refugee camp. A UN-led joint needs assessment found that 48,300 people were directly affected, with over 10,000 households left without shelter. At least 11 refugees are thought to have died, with over 500 injured. The fire damaged distribution, nutrition and learning centres, water and sanitation infrastructure, and medical facilities. UK Aid provided food, water, sanitation, shelter, and support for medical and camp management teams who coordinated the response. UK Aid brought in an additional 10,000 tarpaulins for the rehabilitation of shelters and is supporting the rebuilding of healthcare facilities.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK estimates there are around 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Rakhine State (126,000 of whom have been confined to camps since 2012): they face an increasingly dire situation. There have been fewer clashes in Rakhine since November 2020, but the conflict dynamics in Rakhine remain potentially volatile. The coup has made humanitarian operations difficult and contributed to food shortfalls. This comes on top of the challenges brought by COVID and conflict over the last year. We are in close contact with networks on the ground in Rakhine to monitor risks of atrocities, human rights violations and deterioration in the humanitarian and health situation in camps and villages.
We continue to regularly raise the challenges facing the Rohingya on the international stage, most recently in the UN Security Council Presidential Statement agreed on 10 March.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government recognises that many taxpayers have faced extremely difficult circumstances throughout this crisis.
The Government welcomes constructive proposals from stakeholders to improve the design of the SEISS, including the suggestion for a Directors Income Support Scheme (DISS) from the Federation of Small Businesses, ForgottenLtd, Re Legal Consulting Ltd, and ACCA UK. This proposal aims to provide a new system for company directors, based on reported profits. The Government has considered this proposal in detail and given feedback to its sponsors.
Company owner managers could be eligible for other elements of the support available, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (in respect of their salary but not their dividends), Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at: www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
HMRC’s contingent labour staff are provided through Alexander Mann Solutions, who are supported by over 300 specialist recruitment agencies classified by their role category capability. Prior to this arrangement, contingent labour was provided via Capita on a similar framework. The outline of this spend is below.
Year | Supplier | Invoice Spend |
2017-2018 | CAPITA BUSINESS SERVICES LTD | £13,801,000 |
2018-2019 | ALEXANDER MANN SOLUTIONS | £18,290,000 |
2019-2020 | ALEXANDER MANN SOLUTIONS | £36,360,000 |
2020-2021 | ALEXANDER MANN SOLUTIONS | £24,030,000 |
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In accordance with departmental retention policy and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
The majority of HMRC’s contracts are for contingent labour via an agency, and HMRC use the Crown Commercial Service’s framework contracts for this. These contractors form a flexible complement to HMRC’s workforce, sourced through an employment agency.
With contingent labour there is always at least one agency between HMRC and the individual contractor, although in practice this contract can be further sub-contracted, meaning there are multiple agencies between the department and the contractor themselves.
HMRC would hold a contractual relationship with either the recruitment agency or service provider rather than any umbrella company and are not involved in the payment arrangements of individual contractors.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In accordance with retention policy and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, RCDTS only holds a complete central record of engagements from 2016 to present.
The majority of RCDTS’s contracts are for contingent labour via an agency, and RCDTS uses the Crown Commercial Service’s framework contracts for this. These contractors form a flexible complement to RCDTS’s workforce, sourced through an employment agency.
With contingent labour there is always at least one agency between RCDTS and the individual contractor, although in practice this contract can be further sub-contracted, meaning there are multiple agencies between RCDTS and the contractor themselves.
RCDTS would hold a contractual relationship with either the recruitment agency or service provider rather than any umbrella company and are not involved in the payment arrangements of individual contractors.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to the present.
From HMRC records (2017 to date), RCDTS’ total spend on contingent staff is £31.7m.
The accuracy of this data is dependent on the correct categorisation of the spend and does not take into account any supplier duplication. It also does not take into account changes that may have taken place within this sector and supplier marketplace.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In accordance with retention policy and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, RCDTS only holds a complete central record of engagements from 2016 to present.
With contingent staff there is always at least one agency between RCDTS and the individual contractor, although in practice this contract may be further sub-contracted, so that there are multiple agencies between RCDTS and the contractor.
Umbrella companies are known to be used by off-payroll workers engaged via an intermediary and records show this to be the case for 102 or 43% of total engagements for which records are held.
RCDTS would hold a contractual relationship with either the recruitment agency or service provider rather than any umbrella company and is not involved in the payment arrangements of individual contractors.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
With contingent staff there is always at least one agency between HMRC and the individual contractor, although in practice this contract may be further sub-contracted, so that there are multiple agencies between the department and the contractor themselves.
Umbrella companies are known to be used by off-payroll workers engaged via an intermediary and records show this to be the case for 317 or 17% of total engagements for which records are held.
HMRC would hold a contractual relationship with either the recruitment agency or service provider rather than any umbrella company and are not involved in the payment arrangements of individual contractors.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only hold a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
Since 2018, HMRC’s contingent labour staff are provided through Alexander Mann Solutions, who are supported by over 300 specialist recruitment agencies classified by their role category capability. Prior to this date, contingent labour was provided via Capita on a similar framework.
HMRC has a contractual relationship with the service provider rather than with any individual agency.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In accordance with departmental retention policy, and in preparation to ensure compliance with the 2017 reforms to the off-payroll working rules, HMRC only holds a complete central record of departmental engagements from 2016 to present.
Since 2018, HMRC’s contingent labour staff have been provided through Alexander Mann Solutions, who are supported by over 300 specialist recruitment agencies classified by their role category capability. Prior to this date, contingent labour was provided via Capita on a similar framework.
HMRC have a contractual relationship with the service provider rather than any individual agency.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Under the current VAT rules, many care services provided by charities, public bodies and regulated private welfare institutions are exempt from VAT, meaning no VAT is charged on their services. The Government has no plans to review the VAT treatment of these services at present.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
For an employee to be eligible for the CJRS they must have been notified to HMRC on a real-time information (RTI) submission on or before 19 March. Those paid annually are eligible to claim, as long as they meet the relevant conditions. These conditions include being notified to HMRC on an RTI submission on or before 19 March 2020, which relates to a payment of earnings in the 2019/2020 tax year. Anyone paid annually and notified on an RTI submission after that date will not be eligible for the scheme, which puts them in the same position as those who are paid more frequently and weren’t notified to HMRC on or before 19 March. The 19 March cut-off date allows as many people as possible to be included, by going right up to the day before the announcement and balances the risk of fraud that existed as soon as the scheme became public.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In light of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has introduced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates at a cost of more than £300 billion.
The temporary reduced rate of VAT will support the tourism and hospitality sectors and will help over 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs. There are currently no plans to expand the scope of the temporary VAT reduction to include kennel and cattery businesses. However, the Government keeps all taxes under review.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since March, the Treasury has received over 18,000 items of correspondence from Honourable Members – the largest correspondence volume received of any Government department leading on coronavirus pandemic. Replying to this amount of correspondence while delivering targeted action to protect millions of jobs and livelihoods is a significant challenge for a department of around 1,500 staff. However, the Treasury ensures that every MP receives a timely, accurate and informative reply to their queries. On rare occasions, when MPs have said any replies from the Treasury have not fully covered the issue raised, the department has provided an additional reply covering any outstanding points as soon as possible.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
For an employee to be eligible for the CJRS they must have been notified to HMRC on a real-time information (RTI) submission on or before 19 March. Those paid annually are eligible to claim, as long as they meet the relevant conditions including being notified to HMRC on an RTI submission on or before 19 March 2020, which relates to a payment of earnings in the 2019/2020 tax year. Anyone paid annually and notified on an RTI submission after that date will not be eligible for the scheme, which puts them in the same position as those who are paid more frequently and were not notified to HMRC on or before 19 March.
The Government has sought to prioritise help for the greatest number of people as quickly as possible. Given this, the CJRS has had to be set up to operate at significant scale and with limited manual intervention. Extending the cut-off date beyond 20 March would have significantly increased the risk of abuse because claims could not be verified against the risk of fraud using the data after this point, when?the scheme became public.
The Government is also supporting people on low incomes who need to rely on the welfare system through a significant package of temporary measures. These include a £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance and Working Tax Credit basic element, and a nearly £1bn increase in support for renters through increases to the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants.?These changes will benefit new and existing claimants.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has announced a range of measures to support all businesses, including hauliers, such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. The Department for Transport continues to engage with the haulage industry to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the sector.
As the economy re-opens, the Government will support people back into work. The Government announced on 12 May that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be extended for four months, until the end of October.
From August to October, the scheme will continue for all sectors and regions of the UK, but with greater flexibility to support the transition back to work. Employers currently using the scheme will be able to bring furloughed employees back part-time. The Government will set out full details by the end of May.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government keeps the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme under review, as well as other schemes to support businesses during COVID-19. It continues to engage with the business community and monitor developments in order to ensure a targeted and effective response.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England through business rates relief given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors.
A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, such as haulage companies, has also been made available.
The Government is monitoring the sectoral impact of COVID-19 and is keeping all support under review.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
This Government is committed to support the logistics sector and haulage businesses in the United Kingdom, which are an essential part of our economy.
Budget announced that fuel duty would be frozen for a tenth consecutive year. This has saved the average van driver £18 and the average haulier £113 per tank of fuel relative to 2011. To deliver this saving for businesses and households, the Government has foregone already £67bn and will forego a further £46bn by the end of 2025 compared to fuel duty rising in line with inflation. Furthermore, HGV Vehicle Excise Duty has been frozen since 2001.
Fuel duty raised £28.0bn in 2018-19, contributing to meeting the costs of vital public services such as the NHS, that are playing a crucial role in aiding the Government’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
This Government is committed to support the logistics sector and haulage businesses in the United Kingdom, which are an essential part of our economy.
Budget announced that fuel duty would be frozen for a tenth consecutive year. This has saved the average van driver £18 and the average haulier £113 per tank of fuel relative to 2011. To deliver this saving for businesses and households, the Government has foregone already £67bn and will forego a further £46bn by the end of 2025 compared to fuel duty rising in line with inflation. Furthermore, HGV Vehicle Excise Duty has been frozen since 2001.
Fuel duty raised £28.0bn in 2018-19, contributing to meeting the costs of vital public services such as the NHS, that are playing a crucial role in aiding the Government’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
This Government is committed to support the logistics sector and haulage businesses in the United Kingdom, which are an essential part of our economy.
Budget announced that fuel duty would be frozen for a tenth consecutive year. This has saved the average van driver £18 and the average haulier £113 per tank of fuel relative to 2011. To deliver this saving for businesses and households, the Government has foregone already £67bn and will forego a further £46bn by the end of 2025 compared to fuel duty rising in line with inflation. Furthermore, HGV Vehicle Excise Duty has been frozen since 2001.
Fuel duty raised £28.0bn in 2018-19, contributing to meeting the costs of vital public services such as the NHS, that are playing a crucial role in aiding the Government’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October 2020. Extending the scheme in its current form until July will provide workers, businesses and the economy with clarity on this vital support. After July, the Government will introduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. From August through to the end of October, employers currently using the scheme will have more flexibility to bring their furloughed employees back to work part-time while still receiving support from the scheme. Employers using the scheme will start contributing some of the costs of their workers’ salaries, substituting in part the contribution that the Government is currently making. The Government will outline more details of how this will work by the end of May.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October 2020. Extending the scheme in its current form until July will provide workers, businesses and the economy with clarity on this vital support. After July, the Government will introduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. From August through to the end of October, employers currently using the scheme will have more flexibility to bring their furloughed employees back to work part-time while still receiving support from the scheme. Employers using the scheme will start contributing some of the costs of their workers’ salaries, substituting in part the contribution that the Government is currently making. The Government will outline more details of how this will work by the end of May.
It is the case that some firms will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others, and the Government will seek to support these firms appropriately. It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus.
The Government will continue to monitor developments and engage with affected sectors, with the aim of ensuring that support provided is right for these sectors and for the economy as a whole.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October 2020. Extending the scheme in its current form until July will provide workers, businesses and the economy with clarity on this vital support. After July, the Government will introduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. From August through to the end of October, employers currently using the scheme will have more flexibility to bring their furloughed employees back to work part-time while still receiving support from the scheme. Employers using the scheme will start contributing some of the costs of their workers’ salaries, substituting in part the contribution that the Government is currently making. The Government will outline more details of how this will work by the end of May.
It is the case that some firms will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others, and the Government will seek to support these firms appropriately. It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus.
The Government will continue to monitor developments and engage with affected sectors, with the aim of ensuring that support provided is right for these sectors and for the economy as a whole.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October 2020. Extending the scheme in its current form until July will provide workers, businesses and the economy with clarity on this vital support. After July, the Government will introduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. From August through to the end of October, employers currently using the scheme will have more flexibility to bring their furloughed employees back to work part-time while still receiving support from the scheme. Employers using the scheme will start contributing some of the costs of their workers’ salaries, substituting in part the contribution that the Government is currently making. The Government will outline more details of how this will work by the end of May.
It is the case that some firms will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others, and the Government will seek to support these firms appropriately. It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus.
The Government will continue to monitor developments and engage with affected sectors, with the aim of ensuring that support provided is right for these sectors and for the economy as a whole.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is aware of the importance to company cashflow of reliable invoice payments.
We are taking unprecedented action to support businesses and their cashflow, including business loans and guarantees, paying 80% of furloughed workers’ wages and tax deferrals.
The government keeps all policies under review and is monitoring the impact these measures are having in supporting public services, businesses, and individuals.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the extreme disruption to businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses, including a business rates holiday, grants to smaller businesses and a package of government-backed and guaranteed loans.
The Government has also taken steps to specifically support the logistics sector and haulage businesses. Budget announced that fuel duty would be frozen for a tenth consecutive year, and that HGV VED and levy rates would also be frozen again in 2020-21.
Haulage businesses have also benefitted from the reduced by price of fuel: diesel pump prices in the week of the 4th of May were down 20p per litre compared to a year ago.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the extreme disruption to businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses, including a business rates holiday, grants to smaller businesses and a package of government-backed and guaranteed loans.
The Government has also taken steps to specifically support the logistics sector and haulage businesses. Budget announced that fuel duty would be frozen for a tenth consecutive year, and that HGV VED and levy rates would also be frozen again in 2020-21.
Haulage businesses have also benefitted from the reduced by price of fuel: diesel pump prices in the week of the 4th of May were down 20p per litre compared to a year ago.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the extreme disruption to businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for businesses, including a business rates holiday, grants to smaller businesses and a package of government-backed and guaranteed loans.
The Government has also taken steps to specifically support the logistics sector and haulage businesses. Budget announced that fuel duty would be frozen for a tenth consecutive year, and that HGV VED and levy rates would also be frozen again in 2020-21.
Haulage businesses have also benefitted from the reduced by price of fuel: diesel pump prices in the week of the 4th of May were down 20p per litre compared to a year ago.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will enable millions of people to remain employed.
The Government set up the CJRS to operate at significant scale and with limited manual intervention. Processing claims for the CJRS in cases where HMRC did not have RTI data would require much greater manual handling by HMRC, which would significantly slow down the system. Extending the cut-off date beyond 20 March would significantly increase the risk of abuse because HMRC could not verify claims using data after this point.
The 19 March deadline date allows as many people as possible to be included by going right up to the day before the announcement, while addressing the risk of fraud that existed as soon as the scheme became public.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England through business rates relief given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors.
A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, such as haulage companies, has also been made available. For example, the Government has launched the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms keep people in employment, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank backed by an 80% Government guarantee, and is deferring VAT payments for this quarter.
The Government is monitoring the sectoral impacts of COVID-19, and keeps all support under review.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England through business rates relief given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors.
A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, such as haulage companies, has also been made available. For example, the Government has launched the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms keep people in employment, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank backed by an 80% Government guarantee, and is deferring VAT payments for this quarter.
The Government is monitoring the sectoral impacts of COVID-19, and keeps all support under review.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
No assessment has been made of the validity of recovery industry reports that police authorities are imposing fees on recovery operators nor of the additional costs associated with the roadside removal and storage of electric vehicles compared to ICE vehicles.
Data on the volume of vehicles recovered and how much revenue is accrued or allocated in vehicle recovery fees is not routinely collected by the Home Office.
The Home Office is currently running a consultation to assess the current statutory fees and whether new levels of charges should be applied to the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles in England and Wales. These charges will apply where the police have cause to remove or recover a vehicle in particular sets of circumstances. This consultation does not cover the way in which the police use their powers to order vehicle removal, or the operation of recovery schemes and contracts. These are matters between the police and individual recovery operators.
Minister of State (Home Office)
No assessment has been made of the validity of recovery industry reports that police authorities are imposing fees on recovery operators nor of the additional costs associated with the roadside removal and storage of electric vehicles compared to ICE vehicles.
Data on the volume of vehicles recovered and how much revenue is accrued or allocated in vehicle recovery fees is not routinely collected by the Home Office.
The Home Office is currently running a consultation to assess the current statutory fees and whether new levels of charges should be applied to the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles in England and Wales. These charges will apply where the police have cause to remove or recover a vehicle in particular sets of circumstances. This consultation does not cover the way in which the police use their powers to order vehicle removal, or the operation of recovery schemes and contracts. These are matters between the police and individual recovery operators.
Minister of State (Home Office)
No assessment has been made of the validity of recovery industry reports that police authorities are imposing fees on recovery operators nor of the additional costs associated with the roadside removal and storage of electric vehicles compared to ICE vehicles.
Data on the volume of vehicles recovered and how much revenue is accrued or allocated in vehicle recovery fees is not routinely collected by the Home Office.
The Home Office is currently running a consultation to assess the current statutory fees and whether new levels of charges should be applied to the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles in England and Wales. These charges will apply where the police have cause to remove or recover a vehicle in particular sets of circumstances. This consultation does not cover the way in which the police use their powers to order vehicle removal, or the operation of recovery schemes and contracts. These are matters between the police and individual recovery operators.
Minister of State (Home Office)
No assessment has been made of the validity of recovery industry reports that police authorities are imposing fees on recovery operators nor of the additional costs associated with the roadside removal and storage of electric vehicles compared to ICE vehicles.
Data on the volume of vehicles recovered and how much revenue is accrued or allocated in vehicle recovery fees is not routinely collected by the Home Office.
The Home Office is currently running a consultation to assess the current statutory fees and whether new levels of charges should be applied to the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles in England and Wales. These charges will apply where the police have cause to remove or recover a vehicle in particular sets of circumstances. This consultation does not cover the way in which the police use their powers to order vehicle removal, or the operation of recovery schemes and contracts. These are matters between the police and individual recovery operators.
Minister of State (Home Office)
No assessment has been made of the validity of recovery industry reports that police authorities are imposing fees on recovery operators nor of the additional costs associated with the roadside removal and storage of electric vehicles compared to ICE vehicles.
Data on the volume of vehicles recovered and how much revenue is accrued or allocated in vehicle recovery fees is not routinely collected by the Home Office.
The Home Office is currently running a consultation to assess the current statutory fees and whether new levels of charges should be applied to the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles in England and Wales. These charges will apply where the police have cause to remove or recover a vehicle in particular sets of circumstances. This consultation does not cover the way in which the police use their powers to order vehicle removal, or the operation of recovery schemes and contracts. These are matters between the police and individual recovery operators.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Kit Malthouse, the Minister for Crime and Policing, wrote to the chairs of the licensing committees on 8 April about issues arising from the coronavirus outbreak. He set out an expectation that where a business was unable to pay the charge for reasons related to coronavirus then the licensing authority should exercise its discretion to delay suspending the licence. This would allow the business to continue selling alcohol until it was able to pay.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Our emergency services are doing a fantastic job keeping us safe, using their professional judgement to protect our NHS and save lives. We are committed to ensuring the police have the powers, resources and equipment they need to do their crucial work.
The Government recognises the importance of Personal Protective Equipment for all of those on the frontline. As of 29 May, the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC) have distributed 345,733 masks to police forces across the country over the last two weeks. In total, 20,098,314 pieces of PPE have been procured and will be delivered over the following weeks. Over the course of this week, NPoCC is also set to supply over 200,000 masks and continue to receive additional stock to support forces.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) have confirmed that police currently have a good supply of PPE and they are working to oversee its distribution to forces. The NPCC have issued guidance to all forces on the use of PPE tailored to their unique role to ensure officers and staff are protected sufficiently.
Testing continues to be available to all symptomatic police officers. This enables staff to be able to determine if they should remain isolated or can come back to the workplace in the immediate term. This is vital for our frontline resilience in areas such as policing, fire and Border Force.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not received representations from the public about Derbyshire constabulary advising firearms licence holders to refrain from contacting their Member of Parliament about licensing matters. We are aware that the ‘Derbyshire Alert’ community messaging system recently carried a post inviting firearms applicants to contact the force licensing department directly for advice on current processes for firearms licensing, and in particular in relation to background medical checks. This does not, of course, prevent any member of the public from contacting their MP about any matter of concern
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational matter for the police who are not required to provide information on their decisions in individual cases to the Home Office. Similarly, it is open to the National Police Chiefs’ Council to provide advice or information to police forces relating to firearms licensing. We do, however, have regular discussions with the police, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council, about matters relating to firearms licensing.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The police are responsible for assessing the suitability of those who apply for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, and this includes checks relating to the medical suitability, based on information from the applicant’s GP. This is an important part of the process, as it helps to ensure that those who have lawful access to firearms do not pose a risk to themselves or to others.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Representations received from coroners have helped to inform the discussions we have had with interested parties on strengthening the medical arrangements for firearms licensing. These representations have, in particular, highlighted the importance of the police having sight of medical information from a firearm applicant’s GP prior to granting of a licence, and for the need for a firearms marker to be placed on patient records so that GPs can advise the police if a person begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition while their licence is valid.
Following discussions with police, medical and shooting representatives, new medical arrangements were introduced in 2016 so that medical information would be requested from GPs prior to issuing of a firearms licence and GPs asked to place the firearms marker on patient records.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. It is, however, the case that we have discussed the involvement of medical professionals in firearms licensing procedures with representatives of the medical profession, including the General Medical Council and the British Medical Association, and we will continue to do so, as appropriate.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings. It is, however, the case that we have discussed the involvement of medical professionals in firearms licensing procedures with a range of interested parties including the police, representatives of the medical profession, including the General Medical Council, and shooting organisations including the British Shooting Sports Council and the Countryside Alliance, and we shall continue to do so, as appropriate.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings. It is, however, the case that we have discussed the involvement of medical professionals in firearms licensing procedures with a range of interested parties including the police, representatives of the medical profession, including the General Medical Council, and shooting organisations including the British Shooting Sports Council and the Countryside Alliance, and we shall continue to do so, as appropriate.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings. It is, however, the case that we have discussed the involvement of medical professionals in firearms licensing procedures with a range of interested parties including the police, representatives of the medical profession, including the General Medical Council, and shooting organisations including the British Shooting Sports Council and the Countryside Alliance, and we shall continue to do so, as appropriate.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings. It is, however, the case that we have discussed the involvement of medical professionals in firearms licensing procedures with a range of interested parties including the police, representatives of the medical profession, including the General Medical Council, and shooting organisations including the British Shooting Sports Council and the Countryside Alliance, and we shall continue to do so, as appropriate.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The police are responsible for assessing the suitability of those who apply for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability based on information from the applicant’s GP.
Use of the firearms marker on GP patient records enables the GP to advise the police if a person begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition while their firearms certificate is valid, enabling the police to review their suitability. The Government is supportive of the use of the medical marker as a means of helping to ensure firearms licences are held safely.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The firearms marker on a GP’s patient’s record enables the GP to advise the police if a licensed firearm or shotgun holder begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition while their firearm certificate is valid. Trials testing the medical arrangements took place in Essex and Wiltshire prior to the introduction of a new system in 2016. The results of the trials were not placed in the House Library but were made available to, and were considered by, the members of the working group developing the medical arrangements, including police, medical and shooting representatives. The Government is supportive of the use of the medical marker as a means of helping to ensure that firearm certificates are held safely.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office Guide on Firearms Licensing Law is intended to assist the police and other interested parties in applying and complying with firearms legislation. The guidance is underpinned by the publication of the Authorised Professional Practice for Firearms Licensing which was published in April 2014 through the College of Policing.
The guidance is currently under review so that all legislative amendments made to our firearms controls can be incorporated. A range of interested parties have been consulted about potential changes.
In addition, the Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a power to enable the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to the police on their firearms licensing functions. The Government has consulted on the introduction of this guidance, which will bring greater consistency to firearms licensing across England, Wales and Scotland. The Government will publish its response to the consultation and the statutory guidance in due course. Once published, the police will be required to have regard to the statutory guidance.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has not issued guidance specifically to the National Police Chiefs’ Council on firearms licensing. However, in accordance with section 133 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017, the Secretary of State must consult the National Police Chiefs' Council and the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland before issuing statutory guidance to the police on firearms licensing. Such consultation will take place before this guidance is issued.
Minister of State (Home Office)
While firearms licensing is an operational matter for the police, the Policing and Crime Act 2017 allows the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to the police on their firearms licensing functions which police forces will be required to have regard to. The Government has consulted on the introduction of this guidance and we will publish a response to that consultation, and the statutory guidance, in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational for the police and the Government does not monitor individual licensing decisions. The Government has provided guidance to the police on the exercise of their firearms licensing functions, and we have consulted on the introduction of statutory guidance to the police on this issue, which will help to ensure greater consistency in practice across all police forces.
The Government publishes statistics on firearms and shotgun certificates issued by police forces in England and Wales. The most recent statistics, for the period April 2018 to March 2019 can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812296/statistics-firearm-shotgun-certificates-england-wales-2018-2019-hosb0919.pdf.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational for the police and the Government does not monitor individual licensing decisions. The Government has provided guidance to the police on the exercise of their firearms licensing functions, and we have consulted on the introduction of statutory guidance to the police on this issue, which will help to ensure greater consistency in practice across all police forces.
The Government publishes statistics on firearms and shotgun certificates issued by police forces in England and Wales. The most recent statistics, for the period April 2018 to March 2019 can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812296/statistics-firearm-shotgun-certificates-england-wales-2018-2019-hosb0919.pdf.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational matter for police forces. The police are not required to provide data to the Home Office about how the medical checks are conducted or the response from GPs. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability. As part of this process, GPs are asked to provide information about whether the applicant has suffered from a number of relevant medical conditions.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police, which includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational matter for police forces. The police are not required to provide data to the Home Office about how the medical checks are conducted or the response from GPs. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability. As part of this process, GPs are asked to provide information about whether the applicant has suffered from a number of relevant medical conditions.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police, which includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational matter for police forces. The police are not required to provide data to the Home Office about how the medical checks are conducted or the response from GPs. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability. As part of this process, GPs are asked to provide information about whether the applicant has suffered from a number of relevant medical conditions.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police, which includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The police are responsible for assessing the suitability of those who apply for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability based on information from the applicant’s GP.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police to bring greater consistency to licensing practice across the country. This includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate.
An impact assessment on the proposed medical arrangements was published alongside the consultation document. This made reference to a range of fees being charged by some GPs to provide the medical information. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational matter for police forces. The police are not required to provide data to the Home Office about how the medical checks are conducted or the response from GPs. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability. As part of this process, GPs are asked to provide information about whether the applicant has suffered from a number of relevant medical conditions.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police, which includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational matter for police forces. The police are not required to provide data to the Home Office about how the medical checks are conducted or the response from GPs. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability. As part of this process, GPs are asked to provide information about whether the applicant has suffered from a number of relevant medical conditions.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police, which includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and as was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. It is, however, the case that we have discussed the involvement of medical professionals in firearms licensing procedures with representatives of the police, the medical profession and shooting organisations and we shall continue to do so, as appropriate.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and as was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. It is, however, the case that we have discussed the involvement of medical professionals in firearms licensing procedures with representatives of the police, the medical profession and shooting organisations and we shall continue to do so, as appropriate.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Firearms licensing is an operational matter for police forces. The police are not required to provide data to the Home Office about how the medical checks are conducted or the response from GPs. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability. As part of this process, GPs are asked to provide information about whether the applicant has suffered from a number of relevant medical conditions.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police, which includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The police are responsible for assessing the suitability of those who apply for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability based on information from the applicant’s GP.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police to bring greater consistency to licensing practice across the country. This includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate.
An impact assessment on the proposed medical arrangements was published alongside the consultation document. This made reference to a range of fees being charged by some GPs to provide the medical information. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The police are responsible for assessing the suitability of those who apply for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability based on information from the applicant’s GP.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police to bring greater consistency to licensing practice across the country. This includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate.
An impact assessment on the proposed medical arrangements was published alongside the consultation document. This made reference to a range of fees being charged by some GPs to provide the medical information. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The police are responsible for assessing the suitability of those who apply for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability based on information from the applicant’s GP.
The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police to bring greater consistency to licensing practice across the country. This includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate.
An impact assessment on the proposed medical arrangements was published alongside the consultation document. This made reference to a range of fees being charged by some GPs to provide the medical information. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises that firearms licensing arrangements, including the medical aspects, will be affected by the measures that have been put in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We want to avoid placing any additional or unnecessary burdens on the NHS, and police forces may need to adopt a flexible approach to meet local need and risk in the current exceptional circumstances, with some impact on firearms licensing arrangements. The Government will continue to have discussions with the police to keep firearms licensing under review over the coming weeks and months.
Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 March 2021 in response to Question 157035.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Any decision on the out of service date for the C130J Fleet is subject to the Integrated Review (IR). The intention of the IR is to modernise our Armed Forces to ensure they have the capabilities they need to counter both current threats and those of the future. Any decision on future capabilities will be driven by those principles.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 142765 on 28 January 2021 to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury Mr Laurence Robertson.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 142765 on 28 January 2021 to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury Mr Laurence Robertson.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Any decision on when the Ministry of Defence may take the C130J fleet out of service and possible implications for the A400M fleet, is under consideration as part of the ongoing Integrated Security and Defence Review.
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
2 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Questions
(View all Mike Penning's MHCLG questions)We have published planning practice guidance which sets out how authorities should consider the constraints, such as Green Belt, when determining the suitability, availability and achievability of sites within their plan, and which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment.
This Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the Green Belt, in line with our manifesto. The National Planning Policy Framework outlines strong protections for Green Belt land, and states that a Green Belt boundary may be altered only in exceptional circumstances, through the local plan process. A local authority should consider releasing land from Green Belt only if it can evidence that it has examined all other reasonable options for meeting its development needs. The local authority should demonstrate that it has used as much brownfield land as possible, optimised densities, and discussed with neighbouring authorities whether they could accommodate some of the development required.
The Framework strongly encourages the re-use of brownfield, especially for housing, to relieve some of the pressure to consider other land, including Green Belt. It says that local authorities should give substantial weight to the value of redeveloping suitable brownfield sites, including development above transport infrastructure. Communities are also expected to consider gentle densification within settlements to provide more developable land.
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Safety Bill was published in draft on 20 July 2020 and has undergone pre-legislative scrutiny by the HCLG Select Committee. The Government has been considering the Committee’s report and recommendations and will introduce the Bill as soon as Parliamentary time allows. In addition, we have already established the Building Safety Regulator in shadow form within the Health and Safety Executive. The shadow Building Safety Regulator is primarily focused on developing, and preparing for, the new regulatory regime
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has been clear that it will bring forward legislation to address the legacy of the Troubles that focuses on reconciliation, delivers for victims, and ends the cycle of investigations. We are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders as part of this process and are committed to making progress as quickly as possible.
Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)