Navendu Mishra

The Department engaged Acas to gather evidence of how fire and rehire is being used.

Acas engaged with a range of groups, including employer bodies and trade unions, as well as professional bodies with advisory contact with employers, such as employment lawyers, accountants, and payroll services.

Officials are currently considering these findings, and the Government will respond in due course.

There are a number of specific schemes through which the Government is providing support for workplace learning, including the following:

The Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) Kickstart Scheme Programme: This provides fully funded six-month job placements for 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. Employers participating in the scheme are required to ensure that a young person receives training and support that will enable the young people to become more employable. Before their application is accepted, any employer has to demonstrate how their job placement will help the young person develop their skills and long term employability. Over 2,000 young jobseekers have started in Kickstart jobs with more starting every week.

DWP’s Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs): In the ‘Plan for Jobs’, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an extra 32,000 SWAP participant starts in 2020/21, providing £17m for the Department for Education (DfE) to triple the number of associated vocational training placements. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions also pledged to increase further the number of people taking part in 2021/22. SWAPs offer unemployed benefit claimants in England and Scotland a short period of training, work experience and a guaranteed interview for a live job vacancy to help them move into work. Data up to 6^th December 2020 shows that there have been a total of 44,130 starts to a Sector-based work academy programme.

Apprenticeships: These are jobs, created by employers, which offer high-quality on and off-the-job training. Employers can choose between nearly 600 apprenticeship standards that have been designed by employers to deliver the skills they need. To help employers offer new apprenticeships, as part of government’s Plan for Jobs, they are now able to claim up to £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire until 31 March 2021. DfE are also working on the largest-ever expansion of traineeships and have introduced £1000 incentive payments for employers who offer traineeship work placements to support this.

Industry placements & T levels: Industry placements with an employer are also a key element of T levels which were introduced last September. T Levels offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement.

Additional Measures: In addition, the Government is investing £2.5bn (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) in the National Skills Fund. This is a significant investment and has the potential to deliver new opportunities to generations of adults who may have been previously left behind. This includes funding for the recently launched Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. Skills Bootcamps have the potential to transform the skills landscape for adults and employers. The latest figures for apprenticeships and traineeships starts can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships/2020-21.

The UK’s bilateral deals with pharmaceutical companies for Covid-19 vaccines include funding for research and development, investment in manufacturing and vaccine trials. This investment supports the global scale up of vaccine production and therefore the quantity of vaccines available for low and middle-income countries. The UK is a strong supporter of the multilateral Covid-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility (COVAX) initiative as a means to both get vaccines for the UK population and ensure equitable global access. The UK announced that it will contribute up to £500 million for the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment, which will give lower and middle-income countries equitable access to vaccines that are developed.

We are not able to disclose details of this agreement because of the commercially confidential nature of the contracts between the Government and vaccine manufacturers while commercial negotiations are ongoing.

The timings or nature of any commitments regarding vaccine pricing are for the parties involved.

The World Health Organisation declared a coronavirus pandemic on 11 March 2020 and we would expect it in due course to declare a move to a post-pandemic period as it has done previously for the H1N1 pandemic in 2010.

The UK’s bilateral deals with pharmaceutical companies for Covid-19 vaccines include funding for research and development, investment in manufacturing and vaccine trials. This investment supports the global scale up of vaccine production and therefore the quantity of vaccines available for healthcare workers and vulnerable groups globally. The UK is a strong supporter of the multilateral Covid-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility (COVAX) initiative as a means to both get vaccines for the UK population and ensure equitable global access. The UK announced that it will contribute up to £500 million for the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment, which will give lower and middle-income countries equitable access to vaccines that are developed.

BEIS Ministers and officials have regular meetings with industry as part of the process of policy development and delivery. This meeting enabled a discussion of the market for large heat pump projects in the context of the announcements made in the Budget and Summer Economic Update and the development of future policies to meet our commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Government is planning to publish a Heat and Buildings Strategy in due course, which will set out future actions we will take for reducing emissions from buildings.

The North West has excellent natural resources including offshore wind, tidal, geothermal and unconventional oil and gas. The area boasts an established energy sector supporting over 32,200 jobs and a £3.1 billion economic contribution. It is also the largest manufacturing region in the UK. The North West is therefore well placed to make a significant contribution to a green recovery and the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy, creating new sources of competitive advantage in green manufacturing.

In July, the Government announced £40 million of funding to unlock thousands of green jobs, including in Cheshire and Lancashire, by developing the next generation of nuclear energy technology. The Government has also funded the North West Energy Hub to support the huge opportunities for the region in renewable energy and its manufacturing supply chains.

On 6^th October, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out new plans to Build Back Greener by making the UK the world leader in clean wind energy – creating jobs, slashing carbon emissions, and boosting exports. £160 million will be made available to upgrade ports and infrastructure across the North of England to hugely increase our offshore wind capacity. This will enable the sector to support up to 60,000 jobs directly and indirectly by 2030 in ports, factories, and supply chains, thereby manufacturing the next generation of offshore wind turbines and delivering clean energy to the UK.

A new allocation of Tariff Guarantees has recently opened on the Non Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), supporting larger projects, including ground source heat pumps >100kWth. The Non Domestic RHI will close to new applicants on the 31st of March 2021 and we propose to launch the new Clean Heat Grant scheme,?providing targeted support?to consumers and small businesses?for heat pumps?and some limited biomass,?in?April 2022,?following the end of the?domestic?RHI?scheme. This is backed by £100?million?of Exchequer funding as announced in the 2020 Budget and will be open for two years.

At the Budget, we also announced future support for large heat pump installations in heat networks through the Green Heat Network Scheme. BEIS will consult on this scheme later in the year. Additionally, our Industrial Energy Transformation Fund will be open to large heat pumps providing process heat.

In the Summer Economic Update, we announced £1 billion funding over the next year, to help public sector buildings through the installation of energy efficiency and low carbon heat measures.

BEIS officials met with representatives of the Pump It Up campaign on 15^th September.

We are continuing to develop our net zero strategy. We have recently published the first stage of our Transport Decarbonisation plan and have announced a £2 billion package for cycling and walking. This will be supported by further decarbonisation plans this year covering key sectors, including Heat and Buildings, Trees, and Energy. We will build on our ambitious plans announced at the Budget – for example £1bn to deploy electric vehicle infrastructure, and £800m to deliver carbon capture and storage in the UK – to help to slash our emissions and deliver growth across the country.

As we recover from COVID-19, the Government intends to deliver a UK economy which is stronger, cleaner, more sustainable and more resilient.

This guidance forms part of employers’ normal health and safety practice.

Employers should consult with unions and employees when carrying out their risk assessment to make sure their concerns can be taken into account. If an employee continues to have concerns, they can raise them with any union safety representatives, or ultimately with the organisation responsibility for enforcement in their workplace, either the Health and Safety Executive or the local authority.

Where the HSE identifies employers who are not taking action to comply with the relevant legislation and guidance to control public health risks, they will consider taking a range of enforcement actions.

The Government would encourage employers to engage constructively with employees and their representatives and try to find solutions that are agreeable to all.

The Government is working with the hospitality sector to develop guidance on safe ways for pubs, licensed premises and breweries to open at the earliest point at which it is safe to do so. Meanwhile, there is a significant package of financial support currently available to businesses in the hospitality sector to help the difficulties caused by Covid-19, including:

• Grants under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHGLF), the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund for eligible businesses;
• Government-backed loans through schemes such as the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS);
• Access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to furlough workers, which will continue in its current form until 31 July and then in a more flexible form from August until 31 October;
• A business rates holiday for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses for the 2020 to 2021 tax year; and
• The option to defer VAT payments due between 20 March and 30 June until 31 March 2021.

We continue to keep our support measures under review and to engage with the sector.

The Government has not made a direct estimate of the number of households affected by sub-standards cavity wall insulation (CWI). We do know that the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) has issued approximately 6.2 million CWI guarantees covering defects in materials and workmanship. CIGA is the largest guarantee provider for CWI, and of this 6.2 million, only 0.4% of installations have resulted in concerns being raised.

The Government recognises that faulty work has been carried out under previous energy efficiency schemes and commissioned the independent Each Home Counts review in 2015. The introduction of Trustmark in 2018 as a Government endorsed quality scheme implemented key recommendations of the review on consumer protection and standards.

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which has been the main domestic energy efficiency scheme in GB since 2013, has high standards for domestic energy efficiency and since January this year it includes a requirement for all installers to be TrustMark registered.

All ECO CWI installations are required to have a 25-year guarantee which aims to protect consumers where the installer has fallen into liquidation. CIGA also offer consumers an Alternative Dispute Resolution process which is facilitated by an independent arbitrator.

The Department has published consumer guidance for householders who suspect they have received faulty cavity wall insulation. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cavity-wall-insulation-cwi-consumer-guide-to-issues-arising-from-installations.

We are proposing that written exams for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) that are being taken instead of, or alongside, GCSEs, AS and A levels do not go ahead. We are proposing they are awarded through alternative arrangements similar to GCSEs and A levels. We are seeking views through the joint consultation with Ofqual, that was launched on 15 January, on the detail of these arrangements and the qualifications in scope of this approach. Further information on the approach to awarding qualifications can be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/953003/6743-2_2021_VTQ_alternative_arrangements_consultation_15JAN21.pdf.

For VTQs that require a practical assessment to demonstrate occupational competency or to gain a licence to practise, for example some qualifications in areas such as automotive or electrical installation, we believe these assessments should continue to take place in schools or colleges or other further education settings when possible, subject to public health guidance. We do not consider there to be alternative arrangements that can assess the learner’s practical competence and it is important learners can progress to the next stage of their lives, which will often be to employment or apprenticeships. The consultation seeks views on this position.

Unfortunately, there will be some practical assessments that have to be delayed where it is not possible to deliver the assessment safely, or where students have not received enough learning to reach occupational competence and so are not ready to take the practical assessment.

Parents are not under a duty to register if they are home educating their children and therefore there is not a robust basis on which the Department can reliably collect statistics on home education.

With regard to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department is working closely with local authorities to encourage a return to full attendance in school and is monitoring the situation. Initial conversations with local authorities indicate that the majority have noticed an increase in enquiries from parents about home education. Where parents are anxious about the safety of their children returning to school, local authorities and school leaders are reinforcing that it is in the best interests of pupils to return to school.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Statistics on exclusions are available in the National Statistics release ‘Permanent and fixed period exclusions in England’ here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england.

Statistics on the number of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), including SEN support and Education, Health and Care plans are available in the National Statistics release ‘Special educational needs in England’ here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.

Both publications include statistics by type of SEN, but Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome is not one of the categories specified.

Maintained nursery schools are an important part of the early years sector and provide valuable services, especially in disadvantaged areas. On 24 August, the government announced that up to £23 million of supplementary funding will be provided to local authorities, to enable them to continue protecting the funding of maintained nursery schools during the summer term in 2021. This provides maintained nursery schools with certainty about funding for the 2020-21 academic year.

In addition, support has been provided for the whole early years sector during the COVID-19 outbreak, designed to help providers to remain sustainable. We have continued to fund local authorities for childcare this autumn term at the same levels as seen prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, regardless of whether fewer children are attending. If providers are open but caring for fewer children as a result of low demand, either from parents or due to public health reasons, they can continue to be funded for the autumn term at broadly the levels that they would have expected to see had there been no COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, along with other businesses, early years providers have also been able to access a comprehensive package of business support.

What happens to the funding of maintained nursery schools after the 2020-21 academic year will be determined by the next Comprehensive Spending Review in the context of our priorities across early years as a whole.

This government remains committed to the long-term funding of maintained nursery schools and any reform to the way they are funded will be accompanied by appropriate funding protections.

We are providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover unavoidable costs incurred due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources.

Schools are eligible to claim for: increased premises related costs associated with keeping schools open over the Easter and summer half term holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements.

Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure.

I can confirm that there are procedures and steps already in place to assist traders where their consignment has been rejected by a European Border Control Post. This includes providing assistance with trying to resolve any paperwork issues or permitting consignments to be returned to GB as easily as possible and we continue to support industry bodies with guidance. In particular, we have worked closely with the authorities in the Netherlands, France and Belgium to facilitate imports.

Publication on GOV.UK of the lists of GB Third Country Approved Establishments, on the EU’s TRACES customs system, is a temporary fix. The expectation remains that details will be published by the European Commission. Defra will continue to publish updates on GOV.UK until then.

All qualifying premises known to Defra are included. We published at the earliest opportunity after we learned that the European Commission had not published details.

Traders can notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency by telephone if their consignments are rejected at a European Union (EU) Border Control Post (BCP). Having done so, they can discuss the possible steps that can be taken to enable the product to clear the BCP or be returned to Great Britain (GB).

We are holding regular engagement with the European Commission and EU Member States to learn why some GB consignments are delayed or rejected at EU BCPs. We are then communicating this back to GB traders and certifying officers.

The Environment Agency assesses the risk from heavy metals in freshwater, estuaries and coasts on the basis of Environmental Quality Standards (EQS). These are mostly based on water concentrations and for some substances they are based on the fraction of the metal known to be the most toxic to aquatic life. The EQS for mercury, for example, is based on concentrations of the metal in the tissues of aquatic animals. This allows direct assessment of the amount accumulating in the food chain which may present a risk to biota and higher predators that eat them, which is also protective of human health.

The Secretary of State has the powers to update EQSs in future in light of new scientific knowledge and so, whilst we have not adopted sediment quality guidelines for heavy metals in the freshwater environment at this stage, Defra will keep this under review.

In the marine environment, sediment assessment levels are in place for a range of contaminants, including heavy metals, that are used to enable risk assessments of the potential impacts to marine life such as fish and seabed organisms. Sediment action levels exist to inform the management of the sediment such as the disposal of dredged sediment to sea.

Sediment-bound concentrations of metals and metalloids are assessed through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines Programme where there is a site- or catchment-specific need to do so. The Government does not routinely monitor for sediment-bound concentrations of metals and metalloids within the wider river network. However, the Environment Agency regularly measures levels of metals - including lead, nickel and cadmium - in freshwater as part of its water quality monitoring regime.

The Environment Agency (EA) regulates a number of activities which have the potential to cause plastic waste pollution in the River Mersey. The EA is responsible for the regulation of permitted and exempt plastics recycling plants, which includes reviewing inspection and compliance checks to ensure plastics recyclers are complying with their environmental permits. In 2018 the EA visited all facilities which treated or reprocessed plastic waste and checked they were not losing plastic fragments into surface water draining into the Mersey.

The EA also works nationally to reduce waste crime which helps to minimise and prevent loss of plastic waste into the environment from businesses by keeping it in the waste management system. The EA has worked with the energy sector to reduce plastic media from the cooling treatment processes. It has also worked with water companies to prevent plastic bio-bead loss from the wastewater processes. The EA is working with businesses and leading academics to investigate the types and quantities of plastics, including micro-plastics, entering the environment. This research will feed into plans to tackle this type of pollution at source.

The Government has set standards for phosphorus (P) in rivers, including the River Mersey, applied through the river basin management plans produced by the Environment Agency and its counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Since the mid-1990s, considerable progress has been made in reducing phosphorus in rivers. However, the standards are stringent and further measures are still needed. Phosphorus loadings to rivers from waste water treatment works in England have reduced by 67% since 1995 through investment in phosphorus reduction technology at treatment works and further reductions are planned up to 2027.

For agriculture, Farming Rules for Water and Catchment Sensitive Farming are helping. Defra is also commencing a 7-year transition from EU-based rules to a system in which farmers are paid to improve the environment through a new Environmental Land Management scheme, which includes nutrient management.

Addressing plastic pollution in our waterways is a priority for Defra. In order to measure plastic levels accurately, it is important to use consistent sampling, collection and assessment methodologies for measuring plastics in various environmental media (sediments, water column or biota). Defra is working with the Environment Agency, academia and water companies, to develop such methodologies to enable future monitoring of plastics in wastewater, sludge and the water environment.

Defra is also working with the relevant committees at the British Standards Institute (BSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to progress the development of agreed standards for sampling and analytical methodologies for plastics in the aquatic environment.

In 2018 the number of breaches for operators of waste treatment activities accepting plastic wastes was 260.

The Environment Agency (EA) doesn’t currently collect data on instances of plastic pollution. The Environment Agency has a 7-point plan to reduce plastics in the environment and is working with stakeholders to reduce avoidable plastic waste and encourage a circular economy where possible.

The 2015 Spending Review awarded the Environment Agency approximately £0.5m per year of Contaminated Land Capital Funding to support investigations of potential Special Sites on behalf of local authorities and remediation of orphan Special Sites and we are considering where capital investment would best support remediation in the future.

HMRC also provides Land Remediation Relief which provides a deduction of 100% from corporation tax, plus a deduction of 50%, for qualifying expenditure incurred by companies cleaning up contaminated land acquired from a third party.

The majority of land affected by contamination in England (approx 90%) is investigated and cleaned up by the private sector through the planning regime.

Defra, the Environment Agency, and the Coal Authority are also working in partnership to tackle pollution of the water environment in areas with a legacy of historical metal mining through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines programme.

There are currently no plans in place to remediate existing metal contamination of bed sediments in the Upper Mersey Catchment. The Environment Agency (EA) does however have powers to limit pollution from heavy metals and uses these powers to prevent heavy metal pollution from entering the catchment.

In the wider water environment, Defra is working with the EA and the Coal Authority to tackle legacy impacts of industry through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) programme. The WAMM programme targets pollution of the water environment in areas with a legacy of historical metal mining through the development and operation of mine water treatment schemes, which deliver benefits for the local environment, people and the economy. The current schemes successfully treat 7.4 billion litres of mine water each year and prevent 800 tonnes of metals from entering and polluting rivers.

The Environment Agency (EA) regulates a number of activities which have the potential to cause plastic waste pollution in the River Mersey. The EA is responsible for the regulation of permitted and exempt plastics recycling plants, which includes inspection and compliance checks to ensure plastics recyclers are complying with their environmental permits.

In 2018 the EA visited facilities which treated or reprocessed plastic waste and checked they were not losing plastic fragments into surface water draining into the Mersey. The EA undertook an investigation on the River Tame to identify if there were any permitted activities based on the Tame catchment with the potential to discharge micro-plastics into the watercourse.

The EA identified and inspected three sites. One of these sites was identified as having the potential to discharge plastic waste into the Tame. The EA worked with the operator to prevent waste escaping from the site and potentially causing pollution to the watercourse and the operator subsequently moved to a different area.

The EA also works nationally to reduce waste crime which helps to minimise and prevent loss of plastic waste into the environment from businesses by keeping it in the waste management system. The EA has worked with the energy sector to reduce the loss of plastic media from their cooling treatment processes. The EA has also worked with water companies to prevent plastic bio-bead loss from the wastewater processes. The EA is working with businesses and leading academics to investigate the types and quantities of plastics, including micro-plastics, entering the environment. This research will feed into plans to tackle this type of pollution at source.

A number of funded programmes across Defra deliver multiple environmental benefits. For example, from the start of 2014/15 to the end of 2021/22, we will have spent around £3bn on agri-environment schemes under the Rural Development Programme for England. These schemes help farmers deliver multiple and joint benefits for water, air, biodiversity, flood prevention and more. While some of this is directly targeted at water quality, the wider spend has broader, cross cutting benefits some of which will help to improve water quality, which cannot be simply disaggregated. There, is therefore, no single budgetary figure that can capture all the work done across the Department to tackle river and water pollution.

Of programmes specifically aimed at water management the Water Environment Improvement Fund, with a resources budget of £6.5 million and a capital fund of £10 million in 2020/21, supports local catchment schemes tackling river and other water pollution. A resource budget of £2.86 million and capital budget of £4 million is available for the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines scheme, which funds measures to prevent water from disused mines, polluted with harmful metals such as lead and zinc, entering surface and groundwater.

Tackling river and other water pollution is supported by considerable water company investment in environmental improvements, under their statutory obligations. In the Price Review period 2020-25, investment has been scaled up to £4.6 billion.

River pollution comes from a number of sources and requires a concerted efforts on many fronts which are coordinated through statutory River Basin Management Plans. We are tackling pollution from poor farming practice with regulation, financial incentives and educational schemes for farmers. In addition to government investment in many local improvement schemes, water company investment is being scaled up to £4.6 billion, the highest yet, in the next 5 year period. A new task force comprising government and water companies will help address the problem of sewage discharge from storm overflows and our new chemicals strategy will build on an already robust statutory regime to ensure chemicals are managed and handled safely. The Environment Agency is now in the process of developing the River Basin Management Plans that will run from 2021-2027.

In March 2020, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) suspended most of its services in line with Government guidance, whilst maintaining access for critical workers to support the national emergency response.

The DVSA is restoring its testing services with new procedures in place to keep people safe and help stop the spread of coronavirus. As the DVSA has been unable to provide its normal level of service for the past six months, demand for practical driving tests are higher than usual.

The DVSA has now made over 375,000 slots available to the end of January 2021. From 19 October, driving examiners will be increasing the number of tests they conduct from five to six per day; this should help reduce waiting times.

The DVSA’s Deployment team has now returned to its usual way of working by adding new test slots to the booking system at the start of every week.

In March 2020, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) suspended most of its services in line with Government guidance, whilst maintaining access for critical workers to support the national emergency response.

The DVSA’s priority is to restore its testing services with new protective measures and procedures in place to keep people safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. This includes restricting access and movement around driving test centres and closing waiting rooms to driving instructors and candidates. Some waiting rooms are being used as temporary offices to accommodate driving examiners to ensure social distancing measures are adhered to. This is not a step the DVSA has taken lightly but is an important part of helping keep everyone safe as we fight the virus.

The DVSA is working closely with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to identify actions it could take that would allow some waiting areas to be opened up while balancing the need to keep everyone COVID safe.

The DVSA understands this can be difficult for driving instructors and trainers waiting at test centres that are not near to alternative facilities, which is why the DVSA is keeping the situation under review.

Trainline, like all Third Party Retailers, operates under a long term license issued by the Rail Delivery Group on behalf of the rail industry. This is part of the industry’s Ticketing and Settlement Agreement. The Department has no role in determining commission rates. During the Covid crisis we have directed operators to encourage passengers to purchase online ahead of travel and online retailers, like Trainline, are one way passengers can buy their tickets online.

In accordance with Franchise Agreements, as varied by the Emergency Measures Agreements, franchisees have responsibility to be Good and Efficient Operators.

This involves collecting rental income from tenants under pre-existing contracts wherever feasible.

There are no plans to change the way that Maternity Allowance is treated in Universal Credit, the impact of which has already been considered.

The Department takes every care to prevent incorrect payments being made and to ensure that benefits are paid to the correct recipient; we are focused on paying people their correct entitlement from the outset of a claim.

The Department has a clear strategy for tackling fraud, error and debt in the benefits system, which increasingly focuses on the prevention of fraud and error.

Various mechanisms help ensure that monies are paid to the right people. These include the verification of claimants’ information, clear customer communications to ensure benefit claimants provide full and correct claim details and a robust quality checking regime. This Quality Assurance approach includes pre-payment checks on a selection of claims. Outcomes from these and other checks inform on-going training and help prevent the repetition of errors.

The Department continues to make use of its digital capability, including the use of real time information and other data, which helps identify any potential discrepancies in claims.

The Department’s latest estimates of Fraud and Error in the Benefits system were published on 14^th May 2020 and show that estimated losses from official error in 2019/20 accounted for 0.4% of total benefit expenditure.

These statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2019-to-2020-estimates

The Department takes every care to prevent incorrect payments being made and to ensure that benefits are paid to the correct recipient; we are focused on paying people their correct entitlement from the outset of a claim.

The Department has a clear strategy for tackling fraud, error and debt in the benefits system, which increasingly focuses on the prevention of fraud and error.

Various mechanisms help ensure that monies are paid to the right people. These include the verification of claimants’ information, clear customer communications to ensure benefit claimants provide full and correct claim details and a robust quality checking regime. This Quality Assurance approach includes pre-payment checks on a selection of claims. Outcomes from these and other checks inform on-going training and help prevent the repetition of errors.

The Department continues to make use of its digital capability, including the use of real time information and other data, which helps identify any potential discrepancies in claims.

The Department’s latest estimates of Fraud and Error in the Benefits system were published on 14^th May 2020 and show that estimated losses from official error in 2019/20 accounted for 0.4% of total benefit expenditure.

These statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2019-to-2020-estimates

The Department takes every care to prevent incorrect payments being made and to ensure that benefits are paid to the correct recipient; we are focused on paying people their correct entitlement from the outset of a claim.

The Department has a clear strategy for tackling fraud, error and debt in the benefits system, which increasingly focuses on the prevention of fraud and error.

Various mechanisms help ensure that monies are paid to the right people. These include the verification of claimants’ information, clear customer communications to ensure benefit claimants provide full and correct claim details and a robust quality checking regime. This Quality Assurance approach includes pre-payment checks on a selection of claims. Outcomes from these and other checks inform on-going training and help prevent the repetition of errors.

The Department continues to make use of its digital capability, including the use of real time information and other data, which helps identify any potential discrepancies in claims.

The Department’s latest estimates of Fraud and Error in the Benefits system were published on 14^th May 2020 and show that estimated losses from official error in 2019/20 accounted for 0.4% of total benefit expenditure.

These statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2019-to-2020-estimates

There is information on Gov.UK “Financial help if you have children” about the range of assistance available, including but not limited to, Maternity Allowance.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/childcare-parenting/financial-help-children

This includes the Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500 to provide help with the costs associated with the expenses of a baby (or babies in the event of a multiple birth) expected, born, adopted, or the subject of a parental or residence order or other similar arrangements if there are no other children under the age of 16 in the claimant’s family in most cases. The grant is available to people on Universal Credit.

The Department makes consolatory payments, to acknowledge the non-financial impact of Department maladministration. Data is not differentiated by type. For example, payments can be made for: gross inconvenience, hardship, severe distress or gross embarrassment. The total number of consolatory payments, for maladministration, made to benefit claimants

are published in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts. The information here shows only consolatory payments for maladministration. It also excludes payments to Child Maintenance Group customers as these are not benefit claimants.

Equivalent data for 2020/21 will be finalised at the end of the current reporting year.

Child Maintenance Service are undertaking a range of changes as part of an overall improvement programme. This includes automation of simpler tasks and an improved digital offer, that will enable caseworkers to focus on more complex areas of work, supporting service improvements and increased compliance.

The Government has no plans to review the rate of Statutory Maternity Pay.

Statutory Maternity Pay is intended to enable employed pregnant women and new mothers to prepare for, and recover from, birth and to bond with their child.

Due to COVID-19, since March face-to-face assessments for all disability benefits, including the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) have been suspended. For successful applications to IIDB, award payments will be backdated to the date of application to ensure claimants will not lose out on payments they are entitled to. Reassessment case awards have been extended to ensure that payments continue unhindered on those cases. Any deteriorations which would have meant an increase in award, will be backdated once face-to-face assessments recommence, to ensure no one is left out of pocket.

Eligibility to the Pneumoconiosis Etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 (‘1979 Act’) is dependent on an individual having an IIDB assessment and their age at the time of this assessment.

We have continued to process IIDB claims and lump sum payments for those individuals with terminal illnesses, and those for Fast Track prescribed diseases. These claims have continued to be assessed as usual without the need for a face to face assessment. Individuals can also then claim under the ‘1979 Act’ if eligible. The IIDB Quarterly Statistics show that 1,560 sufferers and 160 dependents received payments totalling £27,233,989 between March and December 2020 under the ‘1979 Act’. The data can be found here under table 3.1: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/industrial-injuries-disablement-benefit-quarterly-statistics-data-to-june-2020

We have now begun some paper based assessments for certain prescribed diseases. This allows a decision on such claims and will enable claimants to determine their eligibility to the ‘1979 Act’.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. We continue to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on disabled people using existing and new data sources. The Department has had discussions with charities, disabled people's organizations’ and individuals to understand the range of experiences disabled people have had during the pandemic and to identify the support needed.

DWP offers financial support for people who are affected by the pandemic, or who need employment-related support in general through Universal Credit, New Style ESA or Pension Credit, all of which can be applied for online. Employer led support is available through Statutory Sick Pay. In addition, people with a condition arising from exposure to the Covid-19 virus are able to access PIP in the same way as other people with long-term health conditions or disabilities.

A range of DWP initiatives are supporting disabled people to stay in and enter work. These include the Work and Health Programme, one-to-one support and training through the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work, Disability Confident and support in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have provided specialist employment support remotely and made programmes easier to access.

The Child Maintenance Service remains committed to ensuring that receiving parents get the money they are owed in maintenance payments, and this has been the case throughout the pandemic. The most recent quarterly statistics show that, in the quarter ending September 2020, 72 per cent of all paying parents paid some of their child maintenance through the Collect & Pay service.

Where compliance is not achieved we may deduct maintenance (and/or any arrears) direct from a paying parent’s. This is one of the Service’s most effective enforcement powers accounting for over half of the maintenance collected under Collect and Pay.

The Service also has tough enforcement powers including deducting as a regular or lump sum deduction from bank accounts, whether they are solely or jointly held as part of a business. Alongside these powers are a range of civil enforcement actions that can be taken through the courts once a liability order has been obtained. These actions include referral to an enforcement agency, committal to prison, and/or disqualification of holding or obtaining a passport or driving licence.

Child maintenance is not taken into account if a parent is also receiving income-related benefits, so can make a real difference to receiving parents and their children. We estimate that there are 120,000 fewer children in low-income households (measured on absolute low income after housing costs) as a result of child maintenance payments.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

There are no current plans to redeploy any department colleagues to the Child Maintenance Service.

However, the Child Maintenance Service are undertaking a range of changes as part of an overall improvement programme that will continue to support increased compliance.

The policy on up-rating UK State Pensions overseas is longstanding and has been supported by successive Governments for over 70 years. Annual index-linked increases are paid to UK State Pension recipients where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example where recipients are living in countries where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. We continue to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on disabled people using existing and new data sources. The Department has had discussions with charities, disabled people's organizations’ and individuals to understand the range of experiences disabled people have had during the pandemic and to identify the support needed.

DWP offers financial support for people who are affected by the pandemic, or who need employment-related support in general through Universal Credit, New Style ESA or Pension Credit, all of which can be applied for online. Employer led support is available through Statutory Sick Pay. In addition, people with a condition arising from exposure to the Covid-19 virus are able to access PIP in the same way as other people with long-term health conditions or disabilities.

A range of DWP initiatives are supporting disabled people to stay in and enter work. These include the Work and Health Programme, one-to-one support and training through the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work, Disability Confident and support in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have provided specialist employment support remotely and made programmes easier to access.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to his previous question 142087, that there are currently no plans to change the timing of the customer satisfaction survey.

Maximus’ Customer Satisfaction Survey is focused on the assessment service provided by Maximus. The survey is to help identify how the service can be improved whilst helping to understand the experience of those undergoing an assessment. The survey has no connection with the claims process or the outcome of a customer’s benefit claim.

The department also undertakes its own survey which is designed to monitor customer satisfaction with the services offered by the department and to enable customer views to inform improvements to the delivery of benefits and services.

Assessment providers are monitored and managed against a range of measures, including customer satisfaction. It is essential we receive ongoing feedback from customers and we invite a random sample of customers to provide feedback on the service they receive each month.

There are currently no plans to change the timing of the customer satisfaction survey.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Universal Credit is designed to be a ‘digital-first’ service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system, allowing our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support.

Although the Department offers comprehensive support for claimants to use our digital service, there will be occasions when people are unable to make their claim online, so telephone applications can be accepted. In these instances, information normally available through a claimant’s online account will be communicated in an alternative format, which is best suited to an individual’s circumstances. Throughout the pandemic, Jobcentre Plus offices have remained open to support the most vulnerable claimants.

Help to Claim, delivered through Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, was already a multi-channel offer prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, capable of supporting people through the entire Universal Credit claim process by telephone and web chat, up to receiving their first full correct payment on time.

Information on historical debt which has been written off by the Child Support Agency is published on gov.uk and includes available data to the end of September 2020:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2020-experimental/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2020-experimental

Paragraph 6 refers entitled. ‘CSA debt written off’

Homeowners experiencing financial difficulties meeting mortgage repayments because of Covid-19, can apply for a mortgage holiday for up to six months and have until 31st March 2021 to do so. The moratorium on lender repossession has been extended until 1 April.

There is no option for fortnightly payments in Universal Credit (UC).

Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA) are available to support claimants who cannot manage their single monthly payment where there is a risk of financial harm to the claimant and/or their family. These include more frequent payments. UC staff will always consider an APA where a need has been identified either by a work coach, case manager, or triggered by information received from the claimant, their representative or their landlord.

The Child Support Agency (CSA) has ceased collection of historical debt on 577,900 cases. This comprised of 410,400 cases which were held on CSA systems and 167,500 cases which were held on Child Maintenance Service (CMS) systems.

These cases had system records showing a total debt value of £1,926.6 million. £1,483.2 million from cases held on CSA systems and £443.4 million from cases held on CMS systems.

This information is available in the public domain at

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-september-2020-experimental

The department and our assessment providers are committed to providing a quality, sensitive and respectful service to everyone. Individuals are encouraged to alert their assessment provider of any additional requirements they may have and providers will endeavour to meet any such reasonable requests.

Individuals can access additional support throughout the assessment process, for example help filling in the questionnaire. Companions are able to join the telephony assessment, as they would have done for the face to face assessment. This is confirmed to the individual in the initial invitation to assessment letter for all telephone assessments. If choosing to request a companion, they will be added to the call by the Health Professional at the start of the assessment.

To further enhance the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) telephony service, PIP providers have implemented a video relay service for claimants with British Sign Language requirements, to enable deaf claimants to participate in an assessment; we are exploring whether this solution could support the Work Capability Assessment process.

The Department takes every complaint incredibly seriously and will investigate any matters raised and respond accordingly as quickly as possible.

The Department does not record complaints information in a way which enables us to answer this question. DWP categorises complaints against specified categories that focus on identifying broadly where service has failed, for example, “DWP staff don’t treat me with respect - You discriminated against me”. It would be under this category Equality Act 2010 breaches would be captured.

As we would have to search through each complaint to obtain specific information about (a) processing of personal independence payment and (b) limited capability for work and work related activities applications would be to interrogate each complaint on a case by case basis to identify whether there had been breaches of the Equality Act 2010, the information requested would therefore could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Our priority throughout this health emergency continues to be to protect the public and staff, while ensuring people get the benefits they are entitled to quickly and safely. Face-to-face assessments remain suspended while we review what activity we can gradually start reintroducing in line with the latest public health advice. We will confirm next steps as soon as possible.

In the meantime, for claimants with the most serious or terminal conditions, claims continue to be processed and decisions made as normal. We are actively considering how to deal with those cases not currently being processed.

We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people using existing and new data sources. There will however be a period until the data needed to fully assess the impact becomes available.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is publishing a rolling programme of data and articles relating to the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. On the 24th April 2020 ONS also published 'Coronavirus and the social impacts on disabled people in Great Britain'. The analysis gives insight into the experience of disabled adults, and where there might be issues that arise for some that differ from those of non-disabled people. This showed that, currently, a lower proportion of disabled people than non-disabled people were worried about transport and caring issues as well as aspects of household finances and work.

That is why we are actively working on policies to provide specific employment support for disabled people both in and out of work. This includes initiatives such as Access to Work (ATW), Disability Confident, Work and Health Programme (WHP) and the new Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme (IPES), alongside investment in a programme of trials and tests to identify effective models of health and employment support for people with health conditions or disabilities.

As part of COVID-19 recovery planning we are working with the Department for Education and NHS England and NHS Improvement to look at improving the provision of therapies to disabled children. NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance entitled ‘COVID-19 restoration of community health services for children and young people: second phase of NHS response in the community health restoration’, updated on 31 July 2020. This makes clear that essential community services, including therapies such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, must be prioritised for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities aged up to 25 years old and who have an Education Health and Care Plan in place or who are going through an assessment for one.

We are in regular contact with care homes and providers in order to assess adherence to this guidance and ways in which this can be improved. If a resident or their family have concerns that the care home is not following visiting guidance appropriately then they can raise them with the home in the first instance. If the resident or family are still dissatisfied, the Care Quality Commission will investigate complaints.

Private providers which are listed on GOV.UK have declared and evidenced compliance with the relevant minimum standards for testing services, including the relevant stage of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service accreditation if the provider is processing tests or taking swabs. The minimum standards are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/testing-on-day-2-and-day-8-for-international-arrivals

The Department is continuing to monitor each provider supplying testing for international arrivals, including assessment of their delivery, customer service and reporting services. We are also carefully monitoring issues raised by the public about private test providers, raising every complaint with providers. We are taking rapid action with companies where appropriate. Providers delivering inadequate services receive a five-day warning to demonstrate they have rectified their service and if they are unable to do so, they are removed from the GOV.UK list.

We have no current plans to do so.

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 whilst also ensuring travel is as safe as possible.

NHS Test and Trace tests are available at the market mid-point. A list of providers offering testing bundles for international arrivals is available at GOV.UK, allowing travellers to find tests at an appropriate price. We also offer deferred payment plans and hardship support for people who cannot afford to pay for the cost of managed quarantine and testing. In some circumstances this may be available to those who are not in receipt of income related benefits.

Departmental data show in the week ending 26 April 2021, 82.5% of care homes in England were able to accommodate residents receiving visitors within care homes, compared to 40.3% at the beginning of March 2021. The Care Quality Commission are investigating concerns about visiting where these are raised and offering support to assist care homes in opening up further to allow more visits in and out of care homes.

Arrivals from amber list countries must take a test on or before day two for variant surveillance and unless they receive a positive result from their day two test, on or after day eight, to improve the efficacy of quarantine. Those travelling from a ‘green list’ country only need to take a test on or before day two. Arrivals should follow quarantine guidelines until they receive negative day two and day eight test results.

The Department is working closely with private providers to ensure tests and results are delivered on time to support individuals to meet legal requirements and end their quarantine period on time. Private providers performance for day two and day eight testing is continually monitored including their ability to provide samples, analysis and report results on time. We take rapid action when providers deliver inadequate services. This includes providers receiving a five-day warning to demonstrate they have rectified their service and if they are unable to do so, they are removed from the appropriate GOV.UK list.

As individuals are contracting a private service the Department does not offer compensation. However, we advise any customers who have had, or are having, a customer service issue with a private test provider, to first report this back to the provider. If the issue cannot be resolved, the consumer should to contact their local trading standards office.

Consumers are able to complain directly with the Department about private providers and we monitor these complaints and address these directly with private providers.

The Department is working closely with private providers to ensure tests and results are delivered on time. Private providers performance is continually monitored including their ability to provide samples, analysis and report results on time. The Department takes rapid action when providers deliver inadequate services. This includes providers receiving a five-day warning to demonstrate they have rectified their service and if they do not, they are removed from the appropriate GOV.UK list.

The Government has made no such estimate and no assessment has been made.

In charging for care, local authorities must follow the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) 2014 Regulations and have regard to the Care and Support statutory guidance. Where additional support is needed, the local authority can be asked to carry out a financial assessment review to ensure the right level of income is retained to meet needs that are not being met by the local authority.

The data requested on postponed care is not collected centrally.

The data requested on postponed care is not collected centrally.

Data is not available in the format requested.

Phesgo has been funded for eligible patients through the National Health Service since 10 February 2021. There are no restrictions on which providers can prescribe Phesgo. It is therefore for clinicians, in discussion with their patients, to decide on the most appropriate treatment.

Patients with breast cancer at Stepping Hill Hospital are clinically managed by the Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust has agreed to use Phesgo. Patients at the hospital should therefore begin receiving this treatment in the near future.

From March 2020 to the end of February 2021, over two million people have been urgently referred and over 520,000 people started receiving cancer treatment. First and subsequent cancer treatments have been maintained at 87% of the level in 2019.

The National Health Service priorities and operational planning guidance for 2021/22 sets out plans to accelerate the restoration of elective and cancer care. Local systems, drawing on advice and analysis from their Cancer Alliance, will ensure that there is sufficient diagnostic and treatment capacity in place to meet the needs of cancer to return the number of people waiting for longer than 62 days to the level of February 2020 or to the national average in February 2020 where this is lower and meet the increased level of referrals and treatment required to address the shortfall in number of first treatments by March 2022.

In July 2020 the Care Quality Commission published a report on the ‘Impact of COVID-19 on the use of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards’ (DoLS), which recorded a significant decrease in the number of DoLS notifications between March 2020 and May 2020, compared with data from the previous year.

There has been no change to DoLS legislation in light of the pandemic and the Department has issued extensive guidance for health and social care staff on applying the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and DoLS during the pandemic. This guidance reiterates the importance of ensuring people have access to the human rights protections the Mental Capacity Act offers and offers advice on COVID-19 testing, deprivation of liberty, DoLS and best interests decision-making. The Department continues to update this guidance based on feedback from stakeholders, including people with lived experience and partners in local government, health and social care.

Details of NHS Test and Trace contract awards, including the value, are published on the Government’s Contracts Finder site. We have Memorandums of Understanding with public sector organisations, which set out the working arrangements between the Test and Trace programme and those organisations.

Since 18 January 2021, 266 contracts relating to NHS Test and Trace have been awarded.

Details of NHS Test and Trace contract awards, including the value, are published on the Government’s Contracts Finder site. We have Memorandums of Understanding with public sector organisations, which set out the working arrangements between the Test and Trace programme and those organisations.

Since 18 January 2021, 266 contracts relating to NHS Test and Trace have been awarded.

Details of NHS Test and Trace contract awards, including the value, are published on the Government’s Contracts Finder site. We have Memorandums of Understanding with public sector organisations, which set out the working arrangements between the Test and Trace programme and those organisations.

Since 18 January 2021, 266 contracts relating to NHS Test and Trace have been awarded.

In July 2020 we set out a target date for implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) of April 2022. We are working towards public consultation which will inform our plans for full implementation.

Until the LPS comes into force, it is vital that all bodies with legal duties under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) continue to operate these important safeguards to ensure the rights of people without relevant mental capacity are protected. The Department is working with national organisations including Health Education England, the Social Care Institute for Excellence and Skills for Care, to ensure that DoLS training continues until the LPS is implemented. In preparation for the implementation of the LPS, organisations should ensure that staff are also up to date with relevant Mental Capacity Act 2005 training.

In July 2020 we set out a target date for implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) of April 2022. We are working towards public consultation which will inform our plans for full implementation.

Until the LPS comes into force, it is vital that all bodies with legal duties under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) continue to operate these important safeguards to ensure the rights of people without relevant mental capacity are protected. The Department is working with national organisations including Health Education England, the Social Care Institute for Excellence and Skills for Care, to ensure that DoLS training continues until the LPS is implemented. In preparation for the implementation of the LPS, organisations should ensure that staff are also up to date with relevant Mental Capacity Act 2005 training.

On 30 March, we published an update to our visiting guidance for supported living and extra care settings, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-living-services-during-coronavirus-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-supported-living

The default position in this guidance is that visits should be supported and enabled wherever it is safe to do so and explains how providers can develop a policy for visiting which mitigates risks. For example, lateral flow testing is now available to providers who are currently eligible for staff testing. There are still some national restrictions in place across England which people in supported living, and their family and friends, must follow. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do

The information requested is not available. The collection of data on cancelled operations has been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to release capacity across the National Health Service to support the response.

The information is not collected in the format requested, as sickness absence data is only collected at trust level rather than individual site.

The following table shows the number of appointments in general practice in Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group in each year since 2018. General practitioner appointment data was first collected in 2018. Data by constituency is not available.

Source: NHS Digital

No waiting list data is held centrally on adults or children wishing to access National Health Service dental services in Stockport, the North West or England.

The Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Chief Dental Officer for England to increase levels of service, as fast as is safely possible. On 29 March we announced that the threshold for full NHS contractual payment would be raised to 60% of normal activity. Nearly 700 urgent dental care centres also remain open across England to ensure that patients are able to access urgent dental treatment. We continue to explore what more can be done to increase capacity including piloting pre-appointment testing.

No waiting list data is held centrally on adults or children wishing to access National Health Service dental services in Stockport, the North West or England.

The Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Chief Dental Officer for England to increase levels of service, as fast as is safely possible. On 29 March we announced that the threshold for full NHS contractual payment would be raised to 60% of normal activity. Nearly 700 urgent dental care centres also remain open across England to ensure that patients are able to access urgent dental treatment. We continue to explore what more can be done to increase capacity including piloting pre-appointment testing.

No waiting list data is held centrally on adults or children wishing to access National Health Service dental services in Stockport, the North West or England.

The Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Chief Dental Officer for England to increase levels of service, as fast as is safely possible. On 29 March we announced that the threshold for full NHS contractual payment would be raised to 60% of normal activity. Nearly 700 urgent dental care centres also remain open across England to ensure that patients are able to access urgent dental treatment. We continue to explore what more can be done to increase capacity including piloting pre-appointment testing.

The information is not collected in the format requested therefore no specific estimate has been made.

On 11 March, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that local teams should consider a universal offer to adults experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping alongside those in priority group six. They advised that they should be offered the vaccine without the need for a National Health Service number or general practitioner registration.

Work is being undertaken to update our operational guidance on reaching rough sleepers and homeless people based on the JCVI’s most recent advice. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement to support outreach services and further work is being done to explore the availability of effective on-street models which could be used to support this work.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has not identified any robust data to indicate that, as a group, persons with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue symdrome (ME/CFS) are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19, therefore those under 50 years old are not prioritised for phase one of the programme.

Prioritisation for Phase two has not yet been decided, but interim advice has been published by the JVCI recommending an age-based approach, which the Government has accepted in principle subject to final advice. The information on estimates of people with ME/CFS who have received a covid-19 vaccination is not held centrally in the format requested.

The Department does not monitor or quality assure organisations providing repeat prescription delivery services. While repeat dispensing is an essential service that all pharmacies must provide under National Health Service pharmaceutical services, repeat prescription delivery services are not. All pharmacies providing NHS pharmaceutical services are subject to the same terms of service and adherence and are monitored by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

NHS England and Improvement published guidance regarding the restoration of NHS services ‘Third phase of NHS response to COVID-19’ on 31 July 2020. On 7 August 2020 they published further guidance ‘Implementing phase 3 of the NHS response to the COVID-19 pandemic’. The guidance makes clear that a central part of responding to COVID-19 and restoring services must be to address inequalities in National Health Service provision, including improving access for disabled people. NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned a national advisory group of leaders from within and beyond the NHS to advise on how to achieve these aims in the coming months. This group has identified eight urgent actions, two of which are to protect the most vulnerable from COVID-19 and to restore NHS services inclusively.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has not identified any robust data to indicate that, as a group, persons with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19, therefore this group is not included as part of the prioritisation for phase one of the programme.

In October 2020, NHS England published a new set of visiting guidelines, which aims to ensure that families have more contact with their loved ones towards the end of their lives while also managing infection risks. The new guidelines, ‘Visiting healthcare inpatient settings principles during the Covid-19 pandemic’, advise the NHS and other healthcare organisations, including hospices, on how to facilitate visiting wherever possible. These guidelines are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/C0751-visiting-healthcare-inpatient-settings-principles-131020_.pdf

We consulted with the sector in November and December 2020 via regular working group meetings and in December 2020, the Government announced an extra £149 million of funding to support lateral flow testing in care homes, with testing for visitors a key part of this.

Care homes were provided with guidance, a letter for visitors to set out clear expectations, and a video for visitors explaining how to get tested, use personal protective equipment and practice social distancing.

As of 18 January 2021, NHS Test and Trace has signed 407 contracts worth £7 billion with 217 public and private organisations.

In 2020-21, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has received £3.61 million for Stepping Hill Hospital, as part of our £450 million investment to upgrade accident and emergency departments and £4.8 million from our £600 million Critical Infrastructure Risk fund to address backlog maintenance at the hospital. This is in addition to £30.6 million allocated for its sustainability and transformation partnership scheme to provide a new Emergency Care Campus. Now that our capital settlement has been confirmed with HM Treasury, we will consider carefully how projects are prioritised within it, whilst further investment will be dependent on the outcome of future Spending Reviews.

In 2020-21, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has received £3.61 million for Stepping Hill Hospital, as part of our £450 million investment to upgrade accident and emergency departments and £4.8 million from our £600 million Critical Infrastructure Risk fund to address backlog maintenance at the hospital. This is in addition to £30.6 million allocated for its sustainability and transformation partnership scheme to provide a new Emergency Care Campus. Now that our capital settlement has been confirmed with HM Treasury, we will consider carefully how projects are prioritised within it, whilst further investment will be dependent on the outcome of future Spending Reviews.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded £30.6 million to fund a new emergency care campus on the hospital site, transforming emergency care in the area. Providing effective care for different patient groups, it will ensure that patients can be seen more quickly by the most appropriate clinical specialists. Developments includes an urgent treatment centre, primary care referral unit and a modern space to provide investigations and treatments that will avoid admission for patients wherever possible.

An additional £3.6 million has been awarded to the Trust, to support emergency care in managing the challenges this winter by funding the separation of COVID-19 and non COVID-19 patients, same day emergency care expansion and increased emergency department capacity through equipment upgrades and enhanced diagnostics access improving patient flow.

The Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) will deliver a long-term, rolling five-year programme of investment in health infrastructure, including capital to build new hospitals. The Prime Minister confirmed 40 hospitals will be built by 2030, with funding of £3.7 billion confirmed over the next four years. An open competition will be run to identify eight further new schemes.

The HIP will modernise estates by more than delivering new hospitals; the Government has committed £450 million to upgrade accident and emergency departments, £400 million to eradicate dormitory accommodation from mental health facilities and £600 million to upgrade and refurbish National Health Service hospitals. In addition, local health systems will shortly be receiving confirmation of their capital envelopes for 2021-22 and the settlement from HM Treasury has enabled us to protect the level of capital funding for trusts which enables them to progress priority investments agreed with local health partners.

We are monitoring staff absence due to COVID-19 and we have multiple workforce supply initiatives. The Nursing and Midwifery Council has invited overseas nurses who are in the process of seeking full registration to join its emergency register, allowing 2,000 nurses to practice. Twelve thousand former healthcare professionals are still in touch with NHS England and have been contacted to support the National Health Service. Financial support has been provided to trusts to support rapid, large-scale recruitment, covering healthcare support workers, medical support workers and international recruits.

NHSX is continuing to work with providers to improve integrated care systems through the Digital Aspirant programme, to digitise capabilities and ensure that services transform to maximise the opportunities that technology offers. In 2020/21 the Digital Aspirant programme is supporting 23 trusts to continue their digital journey and we are planning to support further trusts over the next few years.

Data on the number of National Health Service trusts with COVID-19 restrictions in place for birth partners attending maternity appointments and scans is not held centrally.

Restrictions on visitors are subject to local discretion by trusts and other NHS bodies. The Department expects trusts to use the guidance in place to support access for partners, visitors and other supporters of pregnant women in English maternity services.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are assured that 100% of trusts report that they are actively using the guidance as they make local decisions on visiting restrictions, based on a risk assessment.

The Learning Support Fund will continue to be made available to both new and continuing eligible students for the duration of their course. Further details on eligibility will be published by the NHS Business Service Authority before the start of the 2021/22 academic year.

Commissioning of local services, including for Tourette’s services, is a local matter, over which individual National Health Service commissioners have responsibility. Local commissioners are best placed to understand the needs of local populations and commission services accordingly. NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that early discussions are taking place in both St Helens and Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Groups towards expanding pathways for the diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome for children in the North West.

National restrictions began in England from 5 November. The Government has published guidance for people, including additional guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable people, to help protect them from COVID-19. This applies to those in Stockport and the whole of England. The Government has also written to clinically extremely vulnerable people setting out the guidance and support that is available.

If a clinically extremely vulnerable person cannot work from home, they are advised not to attend work for this period of restrictions and may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit. The Government has also extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until March 2021, and everyone is encouraged to discuss this option with their employer.

During this second wave, cancer has been prioritised in the Greater Manchester area, including Stockport, and this has been agreed across all 11 hospital providers, to continue cancer surgery and at designated COVID-19 ‘green-sites’, ensuring the safety of staff and patients to enable procedures to continue to go ahead.

Measures are in place, as in the first wave, to work together with hospitals around the whole of Greater Manchester to share provisions of staff and resources to ensure that patients from Stockport and every other locality in Greater Manchester have access to cancer treatment and important diagnostic procedures.

Public Health England has published an online monitoring tool to track behavioural changes, including alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings on alcohol consumption are that intake across the population as a whole remained about the same during the pandemic. Those aged 18 to 34 were more likely to report consuming less alcohol each week than before and those aged 35 to 54 were more likely to report an increase. There was also an increase in the proportion of ‘high risk’ drinking from April to September. The monitoring tool is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wider-impacts-of-covid-19-on-health-monitoring-tool

We are pleased that September data shows, for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, that general practitioner referrals for first consultant appointment were 135% higher than in April, and similarly, at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, they were nearly 120% higher than in April.

We are all working hard to see the restoration of services continue, including stepping up COVID-19 protected hubs for cancer surgery and diagnostics and, maximising use of independent sector capacity.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

General practitioners (GPs) are free to charge for the completion of certificates, forms and letters that are not listed as being exempt from charges by General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services Regulations.

The Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association (BMA) suggests guideline fees for such services to help doctors set their own fees. The BMA also publishes guidance for GPs on factors to consider when setting their own fees; this is available at the following link:

https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/fees/setting-your-own-fees/what-to-consider-when-setting-your-own-fees

However, the amount charged is ultimately a matter for the practice.

Where doctors intend to charge for services to patients, the BMA advises practices to forewarn patients, at the earliest opportunity, of the likely level of fees.

We recognise that there are concerns about some fees GPs charge for letters to certify a patient’s health and the consistency of those charges, and the additional burden this can place on GPs. We are working with GPs and other stakeholders to look at where it is necessary for GPs to provide medical evidence and, where it is, that any charges for that evidence, where applicable, are fair and consistent.

The data requested is not held centrally.

In June 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance supporting primary care and community health services to meet the immediate and longer-term care needs of patients discharged following an acute episode of COVID-19. This guidance will be kept under regular review.

The National Health Service and wider scientific community are currently working to better understand the disease course of COVID-19 infection, including the prevalence, severity and duration of symptoms, and how best to support recovery. The National Institute for Health Research and UK Research and Innovation have invested £8.4 million in the Post-HOSPitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID), led by Christopher Brightling at the University of Leicester. The outputs of that research will continue to inform future NHS service design and provision.

The Government has worked with private sector partners to establish local test sites in metropolitan areas across the country. These local test sites are being used to test eligible individuals for COVID-19 without access to a car as part of the Government’s national testing programme. They are set up in different types of locations, such as car parks, town halls and sports courts, where there is space and local demand for testing.

We have detailed clinical operating procedures, developed in collaboration with clinical experts, for local walk-through testing sites. Layouts at walk-through testing sites have been carefully designed to ensure people can move around them safely and prevent spread of the virus; social distancing will be maintained throughout the testing process; and people attending the sites are asked to wear a face covering.

The NHS Test and Trace service which was launched in England on 28 May, brings together testing, contact tracing and outbreak management into an end-to-end service to combat the spread of COVID-19 transmission. This involves working across local government and local communities, Public Health England, other national bodies and a wide range of partner organisations.

We have developed a test and trace service that is best for the needs of the United Kingdom and for the National Health Service, but we continue to follow guidance from the World Health Organization and we are learning from international best practice. We are working closely with other countries to understand the most effective ways for reaching as many cases and contacts as possible in order to reduce the spread of the virus.

The Department does not hold data on the number of disabled people who are financially affected by charges for doctors’ letters and statements.

The General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services Regulations contain a list of statutory certificates that general practitioner (GP) practices are required to provide without charge. Practices are free to charge for the completion of certificates, forms and letters that are not listed as being exempt. NHS England and NHS Improvement expect practices to charge a reasonable sum, appropriate for the workload involved.

The Government recognises that there are concerns about some fees GPs charge for letters to certify a patient’s health. We are now undertaking a thorough review of levels of bureaucracy in general practice to streamline processes, free up valuable time to care for patients and to ensure consistency and fairness of charges for certification.

Since Monday 8 June all National Health Service practices were able to start, at their own pace, seeing patients again once they have appropriate social distancing and other safety measures in place. Personal protective equipment (PPE) for dentists is being made available through their business as usual wholesalers. We have also set up new distribution routes for dentistry to ensure continuity of supply for all urgent dental care centres and have placed them on the list of priority areas to receive supplies from Local Resilience Forums. PPE for dental practices will include equipment necessary for aerosol generating procedures.

A risk assessment specifically relating to dentists using FFP2 instead of FFP3 respirators has not been made. Government guidance for dentists states that FFP3 respirators are advised for all aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) to prevent inhalation of aerosols. Some dental work is classed as AGPs. The Health and Safety Executive carried out a rapid review of the evidence of the effectiveness of FFP3, FFP2 and N95 masks earlier this year. The review stated that FFP2 and N95 respirators offer protection against COVID-19 and so may be used if FFP3 respirators are not available. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/face-mask-equivalence-aprons-gowns-eye-protection-coronavirus.htm

No assessment has currently been made. The true impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on cancer mortality rates will become clearer as the results of data collection and analysis are published over time.

In response to COVID-19, 21 Cancer Alliances across England now have arrangements in place for cancer hubs, in order to allow essential and urgent cancer treatment to continue throughout the pandemic period, and we are now working on the restoration and recovery of all cancer services.

As part of the restoration of services, NHS services will continue to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer, as well as delivering treating patients in cancer hubs, to ensure that referrals, diagnostics and treatment are brought back to pre-pandemic levels.

Where care or nursing home residents are assessed as requiring oxygen by their health care professional, either an oxygen concentrator or oxygen cylinders will be installed by the regional Home Oxygen Service (HOS) provider, who also deliver training on proper use. The HOS provider is then responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the concentrator or replacement of oxygen cylinders as needed. The HOS contracts in England require HOS providers to deliver the equipment within four hours in urgent cases. All the HOS providers have maintained their service levels throughout the COVID-19 pandemic period and supply chains have remained resilient.

The UK remains extremely concerned by the continued recruitment of minors by illegal armed groups in Colombia. We most recently raised this issue on 21 April at the UN Security Council meeting, at which the UN Secretary General's Special Representative presented his quarterly report on Colombia's peace process. We urged all armed groups to immediately release all minors from their ranks, also expressing our concerns about the tragic deaths of minors during Government operations against armed groups in Guaviare last month, and welcomed the Government's investigation into these deaths.

The UK is an active permanent member of the United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to violations committed against children in conflict. We regularly raise concerns with the Colombian Government, and at the UN, and will continue to do so.

We take all allegations or concerns of torture and mistreatment very seriously and will follow up with action, as appropriate. When considering how to act, we will avoid any action that might put the British National or any other person that may be affected at risk

We are aware of reports that suspected genocidaire, Protais Mpiranya, is believed to be in Zimbabwe. The UK supports the UN investigation to locate him. We call on Zimbabwe to work with the UN. We are encouraged that Zimbabwe and Rwanda signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 19 March regarding legal mutual assistance on criminal matters as part of a four-day virtual Joint Permanent Commission to strengthen bilateral relations. The UK remains fully committed to ensuring perpetrators of the genocide are held to account and justice is achieved.

The UK quickly adapted existing programmes in early 2020 to support the COVID-19 response in Zimbabwe. This included funding through the World Health Organisation (WHO) to support national coordination efforts, the development of the National COVID-19 Strategy, and work to enhance the capacity of the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre (PHEOC). UK funding also provided community messaging, support for frontline workers, water sanitation and hygiene improvement in schools and health facilities, and humanitarian food and cash aid to help mitigate the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable. Through the Health Development Fund and WHO, the UK supported development of the National Vaccine Deployment Plan (NVDP), COVID-19 Demand Generation Strategy, Testing Strategy, capacity building of lab scientists, rapid response teams on testing, procurement of tests, and establishment of surveillance mechanisms. Zimbabwe has been confirmed as a participant for the COVAX facility and is eligible for 3 million doses, with 984,000 allocated in the initial round. The UK's Ambassador to Zimbabwe met Vice President Chiwenga on 23 December 2020 to discuss COVID vaccines and reiterated the UK commitment to support equitable access to vaccines through the COVAX facility.

We are aware of reports concerning Sultana Khaya and are monitoring the case. Support for human rights and human rights defenders is a UK priority around the world, and we continue to raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly.

As the Foreign Secretary stated on 11 December 2020, the UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined. We take note of the UN's position on the status of Western Sahara, which is set out on its website: https://www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/nsgt/western-sahara

The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. It is for the parties to the dispute to agree a resolution on the final status of Western Sahara. We encourage the parties to re-engage with the UN-led political process.

Our advice to British nationals abroad is that they should follow the public health advice of the country which they are in, including current COVID-19 restrictions, and consider whether they should take additional precautions due to underlying health conditions. Our consular staff endeavour to give appropriate and tailored support to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. This support includes providing assistance to return to the UK where it is appropriate. The assistance the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can provide to British nationals abroad is set out in the publication: Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide). British nationals who wish to return to the UK should check current COVID-19 related restrictions and follow the advice on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control).

Our advice to British nationals abroad is that they should follow the public health advice of the country which they are in, including current COVID-19 restrictions, and consider whether they should take additional precautions due to underlying health conditions. Our consular staff endeavour to give appropriate and tailored support to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. This support includes providing assistance to return to the UK where it is appropriate. The assistance the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can provide to British nationals abroad is set out in the publication: Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide). British nationals who wish to return to the UK should check current COVID-19 related restrictions and follow the advice on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control).

Our advice to British nationals abroad is that they should follow the public health advice of the country which they are in, including current COVID-19 restrictions, and consider whether they should take additional precautions due to underlying health conditions. Our consular staff endeavour to give appropriate and tailored support to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. This support includes providing assistance to return to the UK where it is appropriate. The assistance the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can provide to British nationals abroad is set out in the publication: Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide). British nationals who wish to return to the UK should check current COVID-19 related restrictions and follow the advice on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control).

We continue to follow media reporting on the death and disappearance of Muhammed Salem Al Fahim to better understand the facts of the case.

The UK provides mentorship and training to a variety of Ethiopian organisations, including those involved in national security and policing. These are limited in scope and go through a rigorous Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment.

The UK provides training for Ethiopian peacekeeping forces involved in AMISOM, the peacekeeping mission in Somalia operated by the African Union (AU), with approval from the UN. The UK works with the AU to provide non-operational leadership training to Ethiopian forces on key elements of peacekeeping work such as: training on compliance with international law and the law of armed conflict, managing and utilising funds for peacekeeping work and media operations. The UK also provides training for a small number individuals on leadership, management of Defence and human rights. The UK provides no operational training to the Ethiopian Military.

We are aware of reports concerning Sultana Khaya. Support for human rights and human rights defenders is a priority around the world, and we continue to raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly.

Tackling the complex barriers to girls' education will be key to achieving 12 years of quality education for all girls. Enabling all girls who menstruate to manage their periods safely, hygienically, and with dignity, allows them to stay in school and fully participate in society. The FCDO takes an integrated approach to ending period poverty and shame, tackling the range of barriers that girls and women face in managing their periods. This includes access to products as well as safe hygiene facilities, education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and shifting social norms to tackle stigma and shame.

Through the Girls' Education Challenge, and other UK aid programmes, we have supported education about periods, girls' access to sanitary products, and improvements to school sanitation facilities. We have also supported a pilot "menstruation friendly" school package in Uganda.

We are aware of the case of Ahmed Aliouat. We discuss human rights with the Moroccan authorities and raise cases where appropriate.

We are aware of the case of Ahmed Aliouat. We discuss human rights with the Moroccan authorities and raise cases where appropriate.

Support for human rights is a priority around the world, and we raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly. We note the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Walid Salek El Batal.

Support for human rights is a priority around the world, and we raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly. We note the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Walid Salek El Batal.

Support for human rights is a priority around the world, and we raise human rights issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly. We note the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Walid Salek El Batal.

The UK's position remains unchanged. We continue to regard the status of Western Sahara as undetermined, and support UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has conducted several visits to Western Sahara since 2011, the latest of which was in January 2016. Further details of these visits can be found on the OHCHR website.

Support for human rights including freedom of expression is a priority around the world. We raise such issues with the Moroccan Government accordingly and monitor cases related to freedom of expression in Western Sahara. The UK fully supports the UN's efforts to achieve a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

HMG takes its export control responsibilities seriously and continues to monitor developments in Western Sahara closely. We examine every licence application on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, including Criterion Four. We draw on a range of sources in making assessments, including from NGOs, international organisations and reports from our overseas network. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard.

We are closely monitoring the situation in Western Sahara. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Travel Advice is regularly updated. It advises against all travel to areas of Western Sahara within 30km north west of the Berm and all areas of Western Sahara south east of the Berm.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are assisting the Metropolitan Police War Crime's Unit in relation to this investigation, including by sharing relevant documents. We are not able to provide further comment on the details of the investigation, as it is ongoing.

We are closely monitoring the situation in Western Sahara. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, observe the ceasefire agreement, and return to the UN-led political process as soon as possible.

The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps, as we regularly make clear to the parties.

The UK is deeply concerned by the human rights environment in Zimbabwe that includes the abduction, arrest and assault of civil society, trade union and opposition activists. Zimbabwe remains one of the UK's 30 human rights priority countries globally. I regularly engage with the Government of Zimbabwe to raise serious concerns about the political, economic and human rights situation in Zimbabwe. We have been clear that the Government of Zimbabwe must meet its international and domestic obligations by respecting the rule of law, safeguarding human rights, and committing to genuine political and economic reform for the benefit of all Zimbabweans. When I wrote to Foreign Minister Moyo on 12 August, following a telephone call with him on 8 June, I raised specific human rights violations and made it clear that the UK has yet to see meaningful progress on human rights. Until this changes, further UK support for Zimbabwe would not be possible.

The UK Government published the Annual Human Rights Report for 2019 in July. This report includes a section outlining our considerable concern around the current human rights environment in Zimbabwe. It also outlines the extensive financial and technical support the UK gives to civil society organisations who help Zimbabwean citizens hold the state to account. We do not publicise our partners to avoid putting them at risk, in itself an indictment of the situation in Zimbabwe. We will continue call on the Government of Zimbabwe to uphold the rule of law. This includes respecting the Zimbabwean Constitution which clearly prohibits enforced disappearances, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. The UK will also continue to work alongside the international community to support good governance, respect for human rights, and genuine political and economic reform in Zimbabwe, to help secure a better future for all Zimbabweans.

CDC's investment into Azalai is centred on creating jobs and stability in some of the world's most challenged countries: Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, and Cote d'Ivoire. Since 2015 the company has created over 150 new permanent jobs in the formal economy. In addition to job creation, the investment has wider benefits to the local and national economies. For example, by purchasing locally sourced goods and services and by improving economic infrastructure.

CDC's investment into Azalia is via two funds: AfricInvest III and Cauris Croissance. CDC's partnership model, investing through fund managers, helps it achieve impact at scale by supporting hundreds of SMEs across Africa and South Asia. In addition to backing local teams of investors, and equipping them with strong Environmental, Social and Governance practises, the model helps support the development of self-sustaining local finance markets.

CDC publishes the amounts it invests directly into businesses and into investment funds on its website www.cdcgroup.com. Amounts invested by fund managers into individual companies are not published as this information is commercially sensitive.

NS&I has seen exceptionally high customer demand since the Covid-19 outbreak, and this was amplified by a requirement for NS&I to raise additional funding from savers to support the Government’s response to the pandemic.

In order to return customer service levels to the high standards NS&I is accustomed to, they have put a number of measures in place to improve its operational performance. These include expanding its UK contact centres by opening additional sites and recruiting additional staff to process customer enquiries. NS&I is working hard to return to delivering its usual high standard of customer service.

In January 2021, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (EST), as the Minister responsible for NS&I, met with NS&I senior managers and its outsourced provider, to discuss their operational recovery plans and progress against their targets. The Treasury continues to support NS&I’s recovery programme.

In the financial year 2019-20, 65 local authorities in England borrowed £657 million to finance Housing Revenue Accounts (HRAs). As local authorities borrow from the PWLB to fund their capital programmes as a whole, it is difficult to know for certain how much of this borrowing was from the PWLB.

Between 12 March and 25 November 2020, the PWLB offered a separate HRA rate, which was 100 basis points lower than the Certainty rate at which local authorities could borrow for all other capital expenditure. During this time 50 local authorities borrowed £1.146 billion from the PWLB at the HRA rate.

The HRA rate was discontinued after the Certainty rate was reduced by 100 basis points, which equalised the costs of borrowing for all types of capital expenditure.

Information on the ethnic breakdown of recipients supported by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is not available.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publish statistics on the CJRS. The latest release was published on GOV.UK on 25 February 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-february-2021.

The information requested could only be made available at disproportionate cost. Due to the high number of contracts awarded by HMRC, it would take a significant amount of HMRC staff resource to obtain the information requested. HMRC records are not held in such a way as to identify contracts that have ended due to a supplier termination event.

The information requested could only be made available at disproportionate cost. Due to the high number of contracts awarded by HMRC, it would take a significant amount of HMRC staff resource to obtain the information requested. HMRC records are not held in such a way as to identify contracts that have ended due to a supplier termination event and the reason behind this.

HMRC incorporate standard tax compliance clauses into all of their commercial contracts, requiring the supplier to ensure that it and its subcontractors do not put in place arrangements involving offshore companies designed to achieve a reduction in United Kingdom tax which would otherwise be payable.

HMRC do not hire debt collection agencies (DCAs) directly. DCAs are engaged to collect a small proportion of HMRC tax debt via the Debt Market Integrator (DMI) Framework, currently with Indesser. None of the eight DCAs brought onto the HMRC panel (from the framework) is based in offshore tax havens; all are registered and based in the UK. Even though the DCAs are not hired directly by HMRC, as a tax authority HMRC conduct robust compliance checks on each of the DCAs on the panel, on at least an annual basis.

The information requested could only be made available at disproportionate cost. Due to the high number of contracts awarded by HMRC, it would take a significant amount of HMRC staff resource to obtain the information requested. HMRC records are not held in such a way as to identify companies by the location of their accounts.

However, HMRC do include clauses within their standard contract terms and conditions that prohibit the use of arrangements involving the use of offshore entities, whereby the main purpose is to achieve a reduction in UK tax of any description.

Since March 2020, private sector debt collection agencies have collected £321 million on behalf of HMRC. To put that into context, HMRC have collected £38.7 billion of debt in total in the period from April to November 2020.

HMRC use eight different debt collection agencies and the debt can be spread across them at any one time. HMRC do not contract directly with these agencies, but instead have access to their services via the Debt Market Integrator. This organisation acts as a broker and routes the debts to the debt collection agencies that are members of the panel. This is the same way that other Government departments have access to debt collection agency services. The Debt Market Integrator itself is a joint venture between Cabinet Office and the private sector.

Public sector procurement is subject to a legal framework which encourages free and open competition and value for money, in line with internationally and nationally agreed obligations and regulations. In line with these regulations, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are required to treat suppliers from third-party countries equally to companies registered in the UK. In compliance with these obligations, HMRC may award a contract to a company not registered in the UK, should such a supplier be successful as part of a relevant procurement process.

HMRC’s standard contract terms and conditions prohibit the use of any arrangements involving the use of offshore companies, or other offshore entities, whereby the main purpose is to achieve a reduction in United Kingdom tax of any description. Failure to meet such requirements may constitute a ‘Supplier Termination Event’, allowing HMRC to terminate the contract with the supplier.

HMRC, as the tax authority, adopt a robust approach to tax compliance for their own procurements. HMRC conduct tax compliance checks for their own competitive tenders, reserving the right to exclude a supplier where they can demonstrate a breach of tax/social security obligations by the supplier, including in instances where no binding judicial or administrative decision has been made.

Suppliers bidding for HMRC contracts valued at over £5 million are also required to self-certify their tax compliance status (Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Notice 03/14), including declaring: (i) any convictions for tax related offences/civil penalties for fraud or evasion; (ii) successful challenges under the General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) or the ‘Halifax’ abuse principle; or (iii) involvement in a failed avoidance scheme which was/should have been notified under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Scheme (DOTAS). The circumstances surrounding any such declaration would be considered before any decision is taken on contract award.

HMRC also undertake extensive tax compliance checks both as part of the procurement process and at least annually for all high value/risk/complexity contracts and for some selected low value/high risk or high complexity contracts. HMRC’s standard contractual terms and conditions allow them to terminate a contract where a supplier is in breach of tax law during the term of a contract.

Ahead of the end of the transition period, the Government has announced the VAT and excise duty treatment of goods purchased by individuals for personal use and carried in their luggage arriving from or going overseas (passengers). The following rules will apply from 1 January 2021:

- Passengers travelling from Great Britain to any destination outside the United Kingdom (UK) will be able to purchase duty-free excise goods once they have passed security controls at ports, airports, and international rail stations.

- Personal allowances will apply to passengers entering Great Britain from a destination outside of the UK, with alcohol allowances significantly increased.

- The VAT Retail Export Scheme (RES) in Great Britain will not be extended to EU residents and will be withdrawn for all passengers.

- The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales for non-excise goods will be removed across the UK.

The Government published a consultation which ran from 11 March to 20 May. During this time the Government held a number of virtual meetings with stakeholders to hear their views and received 73 responses to the consultation. The Government is also continuing to meet and discuss the changes with stakeholders following the announcement of these policies.

The detailed rationale for these changes are included in the written ministerial statement and summary of responses to the recent consultation: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-09-11/hcws448 and https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-consultation-on-duty-free-and-tax-free-goods-carried-by-passengers. A technical note has also been issued to stakeholders to expand on this document and to respond to issues raised by stakeholders.

The concessionary treatment on tax-free sales currently affects airports that fly to non-EU destinations. The extension of duty-free sales to EU bound passengers will be a significant boost to all airports in England, Scotland and Wales, including smaller regional airports like Manchester which have not been able to offer duty-free to the EU before.

On 25 November the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out their assessment of the fiscal impact of the withdrawal of the tax-free airside sales. The OBR estimate that the withdrawal will raise approximately £170 million per year for the Exchequer, after behavioural responses are taken into account and passenger numbers recover from the impacts of Covid-19.

The Government also recognises the challenges the aviation sector is facing as it recovers from the impacts of Covid-19 and has supported the sector throughout the pandemic, and continues to do so, including schemes to raise capital, flexibilities with tax bills, and financial support for employees.

In its Plan for Jobs, the Government has announced unprecedented support to help unemployed people in Great Britain find a job. We are providing £1.2bn to significantly expand and enhance work search support, including doubling the number of work coaches, additional investment into the Flexible Support Fund to provide direct support at a local level, and using externally contracted provision to expand support even further.

Recognising that young people are particularly at risk, the government has also launched a new £2bn Kickstart Scheme, creating hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across Great Britain, as well as a guaranteed foundation of support to all 18-24 year olds on Universal Credit in the Intensive Worksearch group, through its new youth offer.

The support is available across Great Britain, including the Stockport constituency and the North West region. As of August 2020, approximately 330,000 people are receiving worksearch support through Universal Credit and Jobseeker's Allowance in the North West. The support includes measures, such as the Flexible Support Fund, that will be delivered at a local level through DWP’s extensive network of over 600 Job Centre Plus branches. This means the additional discretionary support work coaches have to remove barriers to work will be allocated based on local needs. The Rapid Response Service can also be rapidly mobilised anywhere in the country and is based on understanding of local labour market.

We recognise that every region will be feeling the impacts of this crisis and the Government has responded to the challenges of Covid-19 through unprecedented support for business and workers across the country.

At the Summer Economic Update, the Chancellor announced the Government’s plan to support jobs in every region through upgrades to local infrastructure, boosting skills, and new employment support schemes. This builds on our commitment at Budget to invest in our towns, cities, people and places.

The citizenship ceremony is an important part of becoming a British citizen. Citizenship ceremonies have now resumed with reduced capacity due to social distancing measures in line with government guidelines. Local Authorities are also conducting virtual ceremonies where possible.

The usual deadline for a person to attend a ceremony within three months of their application being approved has been extended to six months. Advice regarding COVID-19 impacts on Citizenship ceremonies is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/citizenship-ceremonies.

There is discretion to waive the requirements to make the oath and pledge and attend a ceremony in the special circumstances of an individual case.

The usual deadline for a person to attend a ceremony within three months of their application being approved has been extended to six months. The majority of those applying for British citizenship (naturalisation applicants) will be settled in the UK, and so already able to access public services on this basis.

In addition, there is discretion to waive the requirements to make the oath, pledge and to attend a ceremony in the special circumstances where a person needs to acquire citizenship quickly for a compelling reason.

Over 206 local authorities across the UK are responsible for planning and conducting Citizenship ceremonies within each local authority area.

Information is not held by the Home Office on the number of ceremonies which have been scheduled or completed by local authorities.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides flexible powers to authorities in local areas. As the powers are local in nature, the Home Office does not centrally collate data on the use of powers under the 2014 Act.

Data on injunctions that have been issued for incidents relating to anti-social behaviour is not collated centrally or published.

The Home Office does not collate data on the use of the Community Trigger mechanism. The 2014 Act includes a statutory duty for relevant bodies in a local government area to publish, at least annually, the number of applications for Community Trigger reviews received, the number of times the threshold for review was not met, the number of reviews carried out, and the number of the reviews that resulted in recommendations being made.

The Home Office updated statutory guidance in January 2021 to support local authorities to make effective use of the powers in the 2014 Act and provide enhanced clarity on the Community Trigger process. The 2014 Act and the statutory guidance also supports agencies determine whether restorative approaches are appropriate, depending on the specific behaviour.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides flexible powers to authorities in local areas. As the powers are local in nature, the Home Office does not centrally collate data on the use of powers under the 2014 Act.

Data on injunctions that have been issued for incidents relating to anti-social behaviour is not collated centrally or published.

The Home Office does not collate data on the use of the Community Trigger mechanism. The 2014 Act includes a statutory duty for relevant bodies in a local government area to publish, at least annually, the number of applications for Community Trigger reviews received, the number of times the threshold for review was not met, the number of reviews carried out, and the number of the reviews that resulted in recommendations being made.

The Home Office updated statutory guidance in January 2021 to support local authorities to make effective use of the powers in the 2014 Act and provide enhanced clarity on the Community Trigger process. The 2014 Act and the statutory guidance also supports agencies determine whether restorative approaches are appropriate, depending on the specific behaviour.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides flexible powers to authorities in local areas. As the powers are local in nature, the Home Office does not centrally collate data on the use of powers under the 2014 Act.

Data on injunctions that have been issued for incidents relating to anti-social behaviour is not collated centrally or published.

The Home Office does not collate data on the use of the Community Trigger mechanism. The 2014 Act includes a statutory duty for relevant bodies in a local government area to publish, at least annually, the number of applications for Community Trigger reviews received, the number of times the threshold for review was not met, the number of reviews carried out, and the number of the reviews that resulted in recommendations being made.

The Home Office updated statutory guidance in January 2021 to support local authorities to make effective use of the powers in the 2014 Act and provide enhanced clarity on the Community Trigger process. The 2014 Act and the statutory guidance also supports agencies determine whether restorative approaches are appropriate, depending on the specific behaviour.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides flexible powers to authorities in local areas. As the powers are local in nature, the Home Office does not centrally collate data on the use of powers under the 2014 Act.

Data on injunctions that have been issued for incidents relating to anti-social behaviour is not collated centrally or published.

The Home Office does not collate data on the use of the Community Trigger mechanism. The 2014 Act includes a statutory duty for relevant bodies in a local government area to publish, at least annually, the number of applications for Community Trigger reviews received, the number of times the threshold for review was not met, the number of reviews carried out, and the number of the reviews that resulted in recommendations being made.

The Home Office updated statutory guidance in January 2021 to support local authorities to make effective use of the powers in the 2014 Act and provide enhanced clarity on the Community Trigger process. The 2014 Act and the statutory guidance also supports agencies determine whether restorative approaches are appropriate, depending on the specific behaviour.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides flexible powers to authorities in local areas. As the powers are local in nature, the Home Office does not centrally collate data on the use of powers under the 2014 Act.

Data on injunctions that have been issued for incidents relating to anti-social behaviour is not collated centrally or published.

The Home Office does not collate data on the use of the Community Trigger mechanism. The 2014 Act includes a statutory duty for relevant bodies in a local government area to publish, at least annually, the number of applications for Community Trigger reviews received, the number of times the threshold for review was not met, the number of reviews carried out, and the number of the reviews that resulted in recommendations being made.

The Home Office updated statutory guidance in January 2021 to support local authorities to make effective use of the powers in the 2014 Act and provide enhanced clarity on the Community Trigger process. The 2014 Act and the statutory guidance also supports agencies determine whether restorative approaches are appropriate, depending on the specific behaviour.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) has lifted thousands of modern slavery victims out of dangerous situations of exploitation, putting them in a position where they can begin to rebuild their lives. We know that the system is currently facing challenges, therefore it is right that we learn lessons and consider how we can continue to support victims in a way that is sustainable and centred on their needs. The Government has established the NRM Transformation Programme, which will address the challenges that the current system faces by resetting the system of identification and support. Building on the successes of recent NRM reforms, the NRM Transformation Programme will make sure genuine victims have their cases settled promptly, receive support tailored to their needs, and are empowered to move on with their lives. We intend the NRM to be a world-class system that effectively identifies and delivers needs-based support for victims of modern slavery.

Where relevant, individuals are able to claim asylum whilst they are being supported by the NRM. Potential victims and victims of modern slavery are eligible for support through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), including accommodation and financial support. Where appropriate, some support services may be delivered by the asylum support system for asylum seeking victims

Confirmed victims of modern slavery who are also asylum seekers may be eligible for a grant of leave as a confirmed victim of modern slavery, but this usually only needs to be considered if the asylum claim is refused. The published policy can be found on gov.uk (Discretionary leave considerations for victims of modern slavery) and gives a number of examples in which a grant of discretionary leave is appropriate.

As part of the New Plan for Immigration announced on 24 March 2021, we are consulting on a proposal that would enable confirmed victims with long-term recovery needs linked to their modern slavery exploitation to be considered for a grant of temporary leave to remain to assist their recovery. This builds on our end-to-end needs-based approach to supporting victims. We would also make clear that temporary leave to remain may be available to victims who are helping the police with prosecutions and bringing their exploiters to justice.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places requirements on Responsible Persons to implement practical arrangements and procedures to safeguard all residents and prevent serious and imminent danger. Most multi-occupied residential premises will have in place an evacuation plan to provide assurance to all residents.

The recent Fire Safety Consultation sought views on our proposals to the Inquiry’s recommendations that require a change in the law, including on requiring the Responsible Person for all high-rise residential buildings to draw up and share with their local Fire and Rescue Service current evacuation plans. Following the Consultation, we are considering the proposals in light of the responses received, and plan to implement Regulations as soon as is practical in 2021.

It is important that we get this right and ensure the voice of residents and those with accessibility needs and disabilities are heard, and we will undertake a further consultation this spring on the complex issue of personal emergency evacuation plans.

The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, which came into force in April 2018, placed duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person’s homelessness. If a housing authority is unable to prevent an applicant from becoming homeless, they are required to reach a decision as to whether the applicant has a priority need for accommodation.

Any person who is made homeless by result of an emergency, such as a fire, has a priority need for homeless assistance and would be entitled to accommodation secured by the local authority.

No woman who had gaps in comprehensive sickness insurance as a result of maternity leave or childcare responsibilities has had their application for citizenship refused on such a basis.

Regulations set out the requirements which EEA nationals needed to follow if they wished to reside here lawfully on the basis of free movement. In the case of students or the self-sufficient – but not those who were working here – the possession of comprehensive sickness insurance has always been a requirement.

The British Nationality Act allows us to exercise discretion over this requirement in the special circumstances of any particular case. UKVI will consider cases sensitively, taking into account the nature and reasons for any period of unlawful residence alongside other information relevant to the individual.

No woman who had gaps in comprehensive sickness insurance as a result of maternity leave or childcare responsibilities has had their application for citizenship refused on such a basis.

Regulations set out the requirements which EEA nationals needed to follow if they wished to reside here lawfully on the basis of free movement. In the case of students or the self-sufficient – but not those who were working here – the possession of comprehensive sickness insurance has always been a requirement.

The British Nationality Act allows us to exercise discretion over this requirement in the special circumstances of any particular case. UKVI will consider cases sensitively, taking into account the nature and reasons for any period of unlawful residence alongside other information relevant to the individual.

People who have been convicted of one of the offences specified in Schedule 15 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003, including stalking involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and who have been sentenced to 12 months or more of imprisonment or youth detention or who have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, are automatically managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Of those people, those who pose a higher risk of harm - where formal multi-agency meetings are held to inform the shared Risk Management Plan - are included on the ViSOR Dangerous Persons Database.

People who do not meet those criteria, but who have been convicted or cautioned for, or reprimanded or warned about, an offence which indicates that they pose a risk of serious harm to the public, and who are considered by the MAPPA agencies to require the active involvement of several agencies via regular multi-agency public protection meetings, are also managed under MAPPA and included on ViSOR. Additionally, a person who has not been convicted of an offence, but whose behaviour gives reasonable grounds for believing that there is a likelihood of them committing an offence which will cause serious harm (known as a Potentially Dangerous Person), may also be included on ViSOR.

The College of Policing has issued guidance to police forces on the ‘Identification, assessment and management of serial or potentially dangerous domestic abuse and stalking perpetrators’. The key principles set out that forces should have processes in place to identify serial or potentially dangerous domestic abuse or stalking perpetrators and ensure that information about the perpetrator is recorded on the Police National Computer, the Police National Database or ViSOR as appropriate.

Information the Home Office collects on stalking outcomes can be found in the Home Office Open Data Tables, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

Information on domestic abuse-related outcomes is published by the Office for National Statistics and is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/domesticabuseinenglandandwalesoverview/november2019

From the data the Home Office collects from the police, it is not possible to identify how many people are charged for repeated offences of either stalking or domestic abuse-related offences.

The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to monitor the situation closely and take these exceptional circumstances into account.

To ensure a spouse or partner applying for entry clearance, leave to remain or indefinite leave are not unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control, for the purpose of the minimum income requirement:

• A temporary loss of employment income between 1 March and 31 July 2020 due to COVID-19, will be disregarded provided the requirement was met for at least six months up to March 2020.
• An applicant or sponsor furloughed under the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be deemed as earning 100% of their salary.
• A temporary loss of annual income due to COVID-19 between 1 March 2020 and 31 July 2020 will generally be disregarded for self-employment income, along with the impact on employment income from the same period for future applications. Income received via the Coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme will also be taken into account.
• Evidential flexibility may be applied where an applicant or sponsor experiences difficulty accessing specified evidence due to COVID-19 restrictions.

These concessions are set out for customers on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents.

The minimum income requirement can also be met in several ways in addition to or instead of income from employment or self-employment. For example, income from the couple’s investments, property rental or pension may also be taken into account, together with their cash savings.

The Decent Homes Review began in February 2021 with the first meeting of the Decent Homes Review Sounding Board.  The full list of Sounding Board members is listed below.

In addition, Government invited other interested stakeholders to register their interest in the review.  To date,122 organisations and 13 individuals have registered.

Association of Retained Council Housing

Building Research Establishment

Chartered Institute of Housing

Confederation of Cooperative Housing

Councils with ALMOs Group (CWAG)

G15

G320

The Housing Ombudsman

Local Government Association

London Councils

National Federation of ALMOS

National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations

National Housing Federation

Northern Housing Consortium

Regulator of Social Housing

Rural Services Network

Tenants and Resident Organisations of England (Taroe)

Tenant Participation Advisory Service

UNIFY (cross-housing BAME Network)

The Social Housing White Paper committed to review the Decent Homes Standard to consider if it should be updated. The Review is in two stages, with the first step considering the case for change. If the evidence demonstrates that we need to revise the Standard, we will consider the strategic, economic and management case for new criteria as a second stage of the review.

We are currently considering responses to the consultation on raising accessibility standards for new homes, and will be publishing a Government response setting out next steps.

We are currently considering responses to the consultation on raising accessibility standards for new homes, and will be publishing a Government response setting out next steps.

MHCLG does not collect information on the number of applications made by local authorities or social landlords in respect of injunctions concerning anti-social behaviour.

The Government is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour. The Social Housing White Paper sets out proposals to support the victims of anti-social behaviour by clarifying the responsibilities that police, local authorities and their landlords have in tackling anti-social behaviour. This will signpost tenants to the most relevant agency where they can receive the most appropriate support to deal with the issues they are facing.

Data on local council tax support claimants at the end of each quarter, at both England and local authority level, is available in this published table: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/961905/LCTS_claimants_2020-21_Q3.xlsx

Through the local tax income guarantee, the Government is compensating councils for 75% of irrecoverable losses in council tax and business rates income for 2020-21, including those as a result of increased local council tax support claimants. We are also providing councils with £670 million of new funding to enable them to continue providing local council tax support in 2021-22, at a time when caseloads may be higher than in previous years.

All multi-occupancy residential buildings should have an up-to-date fire risk assessment which includes the external wall system. In view of the forthcoming Fire Safety Bill, building owners should ensure their buildings are promptly assessed.

The EWS1 valuation process is not a Government or regulatory requirement, therefore the Government has no intention to legislate on its delivery.

Statistics on Housing Ombudsman cases are published annually in their Annual Report and accounts. These can all be found on the link below.

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/about-us/corporate-information/publications/

The EWS1 process is not a Government or regulatory requirement.

The Government is providing nearly £700,000 funding to RICS to train up to 2,000 assessors to undertake EWS assessments. So far over 700 professionals have enrolled.

There are 38 landlords and property agents listed on the database of rogue landlords and property agents. The database does not distinguish between landlords or property agents, only individuals and organisations.

There have been no banning orders issued in Stockport Borough or Stockport constituency.

Banning Orders and the database of rogue landlords and property agents are two of a range of tools available to local authorities to tackle rogue and criminal landlords, including civil penalties of up to £30,000 and rent repayment orders.

Civil penalties were introduced in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 as an alternative to prosecution for certain housing offences under the Housing Act 2004 and a breach of a banning order under the Housing and Planning Act 2016. The Department does not currently collect data from local housing authorities on the number of civil penalties issued.

Local housing authorities are expected to develop and document their own policy on when to prosecute and when to issue a civil penalty and should decide which option it wishes to pursue on a case-by-case basis in line with that policy. The amount of the civil penalty should be determined by the local housing authority in each case, up to a maximum penalty of £30,000.

From the start of the scheme on 1 April 2013 to 30 September 2020, the total value of equity loans has been: (a) £17,413,247,594 in England and (b) £45,697,965 in Stockport.

Statistics for Help to Buy: Equity Loan to 30 September 2020 can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-data-to-30-september-2020.

There are 7 landlords who have been issued with a banning order under the Housing and Planning Act 2016. Only banning order offences committed after 6 April 2018 are eligible for a local authority to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a banning order.

The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and has given local authorities a comprehensive range of tools to deliver a new generation of council housing.

To support the development of new affordable homes we are investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme. We are keen to see local authorities playing a key role in the delivery of this programme alongside housing associations.

To further support local authority development, in March 2021 we announced a package of reforms that will give local authorities increased flexibility over how they spend their Right to Buy receipts on replacement homes. This package will make it easier for authorities to fund new homes using Right to Buy receipts including homes for social rent.

In addition, since the abolition of the Housing Revenue Account in 2018 that enables local authorities to borrow for building, we have given social landlords a longer term rent deal for 5 years from April 2020 allowing them to charge rents of up to CPI +1% per annum, and reduced the Public Works Loan Board interest rates for borrowing for housing, providing a stable investment environment to deliver new homes.

We want to see local authorities using these tools to build more affordable homes.

The new Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme will introduce regional property price caps which set the maximum purchase price in each region. For example, the cap for the North West is set at £224,400.

The regional caps are aligned to the first-time buyer market. They are all set at 1.5 times the forecast regional average first-time buyer price, in line with the Office of Budget Responsibility’s house price inflation forecast for 2021/22 as at Budget 2018, up to a maximum of £600,000 in London.

The caps were designed to support the purchase of properties that are more consistent with the wider first-time buyer market. This in turn helps optimise the resources available to enable purchasers to achieve the dream of home ownership. The Government has reviewed the caps and continues to be satisfied they allow good availability of first-time buyer type properties in each region

There will of course be local hotspots within each region that are more expensive. However, the approach is aimed at striking the right balance between better targeting the scheme so it can assist more first-time buyers, whilst accounting for a degree of price variation within regions without the additional complexity that may arise from more localised caps. Therefore, there are no plans to revise the caps.

From the start of the scheme on 1 April 2013 to 30 September 2020, there were (a) 240,083 first-time buyers in England and (b) 709 first-time buyers in Stockport.

Statistics for Help to Buy: Equity Loan to 30 September 2020 can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-data-to-30-september-2020

Local authorities are responsible for the design of their council tax support schemes, including eligibility for help with bills. The Government recognises the importance of local council tax support for those in financial need, and that caseloads have increased as a result of the pandemic. It was announced at the Spending Review that local authorities in England would be provided with £670 million of additional grant funding to enable them to continue to provide support to households that require it.

We are committed to delivering affordable homes of a variety of tenures so that we can support a range of people in different circumstances and stages in their lives. Our £9 billion Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme, running to 2023, will deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes

Since 2010, we have delivered over 517,100 new affordable homes, including over 365,800 affordable homes for rent, of which 148,000 were homes for social rent.

This Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and is investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over the next 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, which will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow.

The new Affordable Homes Programme will deliver more than double the number of homes for social rent than the current programme, with around 32,000 social rent homes due to be delivered

This is a complex issue which is why the Government reviewed the Act. We have been looking at the options and will update on our findings in due course.

This is a complex issue which is why the Government reviewed the Act. We have been looking at the options and will update on our findings in due course.

The Government publishes a snapshot of the number of Local Council Tax Support claimants in England on a quarterly basis. This data sets out the number of pensioner and working-age claimants at a local authority level, as well as for England as a whole. The Government most recently updated this data on 17 February to reflect the number of claimants as of 31 December 2020. The latest data release is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-local-government-finance#local-council-tax-support .

The number of households in local authorities' waiting lists by local authority and region since 1997 is published in live table 600 which is published here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-rents-lettings-and-tenancies.

The latest available figures refer to 31 March 2020

It should be noted that the number of households on the waiting list is not the same as the number of households waiting. Households may apply to multiple authorities and authorities only "clean" their lists periodically. Local authority waiting list size can be affected by other factors, including reviews by local authorities to remove households who no longer require housing. The frequency of reviews varies considerably and so the total number of households on waiting lists is likely to overstate the number of households who still require housing.

The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and is investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, which will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow.

The new Affordable Homes Programme will deliver more than double the social rent than the current programme, with around 32,000 social rent homes due to be delivered

At Budget 2020 we introduced a lower PWLB rate for borrowing for a local authority’s Housing Revenue Account to support the delivery of new council housing

The Government has also taken steps to ensure that home moves can continue to take place, including into and within social housing, and that landlords can take steps to carry out repairs and safety inspections, provided these are undertaken in line with public health advice and the relevant coronavirus (COVID-19) legislation. The government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak includes advice for social landlords which makes clear that they will need to consider how to carry out their allocation and lettings activities in line with the current guidance on practical steps to reduce transmission of the virus, including for example how they conduct viewings and tenancy sign-ups. Guidance for landlords and tenants provides advice on how to carry out repairs and maintenance safely.

The number of households in local authorities' waiting lists by local authority and region since 1997 is published in live table 600 which is published here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-rents-lettings-and-tenancies.

The latest available figures refer to 31 March 2020

It should be noted that the number of households on the waiting list is not the same as the number of households waiting. Households may apply to multiple authorities and authorities only "clean" their lists periodically. Local authority waiting list size can be affected by other factors, including reviews by local authorities to remove households who no longer require housing. The frequency of reviews varies considerably and so the total number of households on waiting lists is likely to overstate the number of households who still require housing.

The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and is investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, which will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow.

The new Affordable Homes Programme will deliver more than double the social rent than the current programme, with around 32,000 social rent homes due to be delivered

At Budget 2020 we introduced a lower PWLB rate for borrowing for a local authority’s Housing Revenue Account to support the delivery of new council housing

The Government has also taken steps to ensure that home moves can continue to take place, including into and within social housing, and that landlords can take steps to carry out repairs and safety inspections, provided these are undertaken in line with public health advice and the relevant coronavirus (COVID-19) legislation. The government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak includes advice for social landlords which makes clear that they will need to consider how to carry out their allocation and lettings activities in line with the current guidance on practical steps to reduce transmission of the virus, including for example how they conduct viewings and tenancy sign-ups. Guidance for landlords and tenants provides advice on how to carry out repairs and maintenance safely.

The Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social Housing White Paper sets out a package of measures that will improve the lives of social housing residents in England, including a review of standards on decency and energy efficiency of existing stock.

The Regulator of Social Housing requires homes to be maintained to at least Decent Homes Standard.

The Decent Homes Standard has driven improvements to the quality of social housing. Between 2011 and 2016 Government provided a total of £1.76 billion to 45 councils across England to tackle the backlog of non-decent homes, making over 158,000 homes decent. In 2019, 12 per cent of dwellings in the social rented sector failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard. This is lower than the proportion of private rented (23 per cent) and owner occupied (16 per cent) homes.

At the Chancellor’s summer economic update, the Government announced a £50 million demonstrator project and at the Spending Review 2020, the Chancellor announced £60 million of further funding to upgrade the least efficient social housing. The Fund will bring a significant amount of the social housing stock that is currently below EPC C up to that standard.

The cumulative amount of council tax outstanding since 1993 was £3.6 billion at March 2020. The Government has confirmed that councils will be able to spread any deficits on their collection fund arising in 2020-21 over the next three years, and has provided a £500 million hardship fund this year to councils to further reduce council tax bills of low income households.

The Government will also provide councils with £670 million in 2021-22 to recognise the increased costs of providing local council tax support and other help to economically vulnerable households.

On 25 January, MHCLG published a summary of results from the first eight rounds of the local authority COVID-19 financial monitoring survey. These rounds of the survey collected financial data from March until December 2020 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-covid-19-financial-impact-monitoring-information ).

Local authorities have a range of powers and tools to protect tenants and support enforcement activities. This includes civil penalties of up to £30,000, banning orders for the worst offenders and powers to tackle illegal evictions.

In April 2018, using powers under the Housing and Planning Act 2016, we introduced a national database of rogue landlords and property agents alongside banning orders for the worst landlords.

We will consider further measures, such as expanding the scope of the database, as part of preparation for the Renters Reform Bill.

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 143147 on 28 January 2021.

The cumulative amount of council tax outstanding since 1993 was £3.6 billion at March 2020. The Government has confirmed that councils will be able to spread any deficits on their collection fund arising in 2020-21 over the next three years, and has provided a £500 million hardship fund this year to councils to further reduce council tax bills of low income households.

The Government will also provide councils with £670 million in 2021-22 to recognise the increased costs of providing local council tax support and other help to economically vulnerable households.

The Department does not collect data on the use of debt collection companies by local authorities.

Spending Review 2020 has been drawn up in unique circumstances. Our primary aim has been to ensure local government has the resources and stability it needs to continue to provide vital public services and tackle the pandemic. The Spending Review has confirmed that Core Spending Power is forecast to rise by 4.5 per cent in cash terms next year. This real terms increase follows the largest real terms increase in Core Spending Power for a decade at Spending Review 2019. This means local authorities will be able to access an additional £2.2 billion in resources to support Adult and Children’s Social Care and maintain universal services. We will bring forward proposals for the annual local government finance settlement for 2021-22 as soon as we can.

This is all in addition to an unprecedented package of support for local authorities to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. At the Spending Review the Chancellor announced more than £3 billion of additional support for Covid-19 pressures next year. This is on top of the support committed this financial year, including over £7.2 billion for local authorities, even before the extension of the Contain Outbreak Management Fund for those authorities under the highest level of restriction – potentially worth over £200 million a month – announced as part of the Covid-19 Winter Plan. This takes the total support committed to councils in England to tackle the impacts of Covid-19 to over £10 billion.

We are consulting at present on options to raise accessibility standards in new homes, including options for making M4(2) for accessible and adaptable dwellings a mandatory standard. Our consultation also asks for views on either fixed or evidenced proportions of M4(3) wheelchair user dwellings. The Government will respond to this open consultation in due course, and evidence submitted in response will inform an assessment of the costs and benefits of building homes to M4(2) and M4(3) standards.

We are consulting at present on options to raise accessibility standards in new homes, including options for making M4(2) for accessible and adaptable dwellings a mandatory standard. Our consultation also asks for views on either fixed or evidenced proportions of M4(3) wheelchair user dwellings. The Government will respond to this open consultation in due course, and evidence submitted in response will inform an assessment of the costs and benefits of building homes to M4(2) and M4(3) standards.

Whilst no specific guidance has been issued to local authorities on engagement with disability organisations, all local authorities are required to uphold the Public Sector Equality Duty.

This requires that public bodies, including local authorities, pay due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

Protected characteristics include disability. Local authorities therefore have a legal obligation to consider the potential impact of their policies, services and decisions on people with protected characteristics.

The Government has established an unprecedented package of support to protect renters throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to support tenants and landlords as we head into winter.

To keep tenants in their homes over the winter, the Government has legislated to require landlords to give tenants six months’ notice before they can seek repossession, except in the most egregious cases.

Where possession cases do go to court, the judiciary will look to prioritise the most egregious cases such as those involving anti-social behaviour. New court rules have been introduced by HMCTS requiring landlords to set out any information they are aware of in relation to how their tenant, or any dependant of their tenant, has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Where this information is not provided, judges have the ability to adjourn proceedings. Additionally, bailiffs have been advised not enforce possession orders in places where local public health restrictions have been introduced by Government through legislation, or between 11 December 2020 to 11 January 2021.

This Government remains committed to tackling homelessness and ending rough sleeping and is clear that no one should be without a roof over their heads. We have provided £4.3 billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19 which includes their work to support homeless people, including £3.7 billion which is not ringfenced, and £600 million to support social care?and a further £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to support vulnerable rough sleepers.

We are also providing a Flexible Homelessness Support Grant of £200 million to help local authorities plan and respond to their local homelessness pressures alongside delivering the Homelessness Reduction Grant of £63 million to implement the Homelessness Reduction Act and enable local authorities to do more to prevent and relieve homelessness in their areas.

Local planning authorities are required to publicise and consult on all planning applications, including those for Changing Places lavatories. Whilst disability organisations are not statutory consultees on planning applications, we would expect local planning authorities to consider whether there are planning policy reasons to engage local disability organisations who are likely to have an interest in a proposed development.