Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Repeal the current Dangerous Dogs Act and replace with new framework
Gov Responded - 24 Jan 2023 Debated on - 27 Nov 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act and replace it with legislation that focuses on early intervention to prevent dog bites and tackle dog-related issues regardless of breed or type, based solely on their behaviour.
Bad owners are to blame not the breed - don't ban the XL bully
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 23 Nov 2023 Debated on - 27 Nov 2023 View 's petition debate contributions
I believe that the XL bully is a kind, beautiful natured breed that loves children and people in general, and are very loyal and loving pets.
Revoke local government powers to charge CAZ, LEZ, and ULEZ.
Gov Responded - 24 Jan 2022 Debated on - 26 Jun 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsRevoke local government powers to charge CAZ, LEZ, and ULEZ.
Amend the 1999 GLA Act to remove the Mayor's power to impose road use charges
Gov Responded - 22 Mar 2023 Debated on - 26 Jun 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Mayor's proposed extension of ULEZ over a short timeframe could negatively impact millions of people and businesses across SE England.
Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex
Gov Responded - 26 Jan 2023 Debated on - 12 Jun 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government must exercise its power under s.23 of the Gender Recognition Act to modify the operation of the Equality Act 2010 by specifying the terms sex, male, female, man & woman, in the operation of that law, mean biological sex and not "sex as modified by a Gender Recognition Certificate"
Commit to not amending the Equality Act's definition of sex
Gov Responded - 25 Jan 2023 Debated on - 12 Jun 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsIt has been reported that the Government may amend the Equality Act to "make it clear that sex means biological sex rather than gender." The Government has previously committed to not remove legal protections for trans people, an already marginalised group, but this change would do so.
Create statutory legal duty of care for students in Higher Education
Gov Responded - 20 Jan 2023 Debated on - 5 Jun 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsNo general statutory duty of care exists in HE. Yet, a duty of care is owed to students, and the Government should legislate for this. HE providers should know what their duty is. Students must know what they can expect. Parents expect their children to be safe at university.
'Owen's Law' - Change the law around allergy labelling in UK restaurants
Gov Responded - 14 Jul 2021 Debated on - 15 May 2023 View 's petition debate contributions1.Restaurants to put all information about allergens in their food on the face of the main menu so customers have full visibility on what they're ordering.
2.Servers must initiate a discussion with customers about allergies on all occasions.
3.National register for anaphylaxis deaths
Appoint an Allergy Tsar as a champion for people living with allergies
Gov Responded - 25 Aug 2021 Debated on - 15 May 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government should appoint an Allergy Tsar to act as a champion for people with allergies to ensure they receive appropriate support and joined up health care to prevent avoidable deaths and ill health.
Do not sign any WHO Pandemic Treaty unless it is approved via public referendum
Gov Responded - 27 May 2022 Debated on - 17 Apr 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to commit to not signing any international treaty on pandemic prevention and preparedness established by the World Health Organization (WHO), unless this is approved through a public referendum.
Do not impose any new requirements on parents who are home educating
Gov Responded - 20 Aug 2021 Debated on - 27 Mar 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Education Committee has recently recommended introducing a statutory home educated register, and greater assessment of home educated children. These recommendations are in contrast to the views of many parents who home educate.
Do not require parents to register home educated children with local authorities
Gov Responded - 8 Aug 2022 Debated on - 27 Mar 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsRemove the clauses relating to 'Children not in school' from Part 3 of the Schools Bill, and do not pursue compulsory registration of all home-schooled children. We see no evidence that this would be beneficial, and we believe the proposals place a discriminatory burden on supportive parents.
Make suicide prevention a compulsory part of the school curriculum.
Gov Responded - 21 Oct 2022 Debated on - 13 Mar 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsWe want suicide spoken about in schools in a safe and age-appropriate way. Speaking about suicide saves lives
The Dept for Education are conducting a review of the RSHE curriculum; this petition calls on the DfE to include suicide prevention within the statutory guidelines of the new curriculum.
Make the use of free-running snares illegal for trapping wildlife
Gov Responded - 13 Jan 2022 Debated on - 9 Jan 2023 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government should prohibit the sale, use and manufacture of free-running snares under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, putting them in the same category as self-locking snares, which are already illegal.
Ensure Trans people are fully protected under any conversion therapy ban
Gov Responded - 12 May 2022 Debated on - 13 Jun 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsEnsure any ban fully includes trans people and all forms of conversion therapy.
Make non-binary a legally recognised gender identity in the UK
Gov Responded - 20 May 2021 Debated on - 23 May 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsHave non binary be included as an option under the GRP (Gender Recognition Panel)/ GRC (Gender Recognition Certificate), in order to allow those identifying as non binary to be legally seen as their true gender identity. As well as having ‘Non-binary’ be seen as a valid transgender identity.
Do not implement proposed new offences for vehicle "tampering"
Gov Responded - 21 Dec 2021 Debated on - 25 Apr 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government’s modernising vehicle standards proposal suggested new offences for tampering with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road. This could have a hugely detrimental impact on the UK motorsport and custom aftermarket industry.
Ban the shooting of badgers immediately
Gov Responded - 12 Oct 2020 Debated on - 21 Mar 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsShooting of Badgers is licensed by Natural England as part of the DEFRA Badger cull. 24,000+ Badgers were shot in 2019.
Mark Allen's Law - we want throwline stations around all bodies of open water
Gov Responded - 1 Jul 2021 Debated on - 24 Jan 2022 View 's petition debate contributionsMark Allen, aged 18, drowned after jumping into a freezing reservoir on a hot day in June 2018.
In May 2019 we watched whilst 3 throwlines were installed where he died.
Mark could have possibly been saved if they were in place beforehand.
To allow non-prescribed storage of Salbutamol Inhalers in Commercial Kitchens
Gov Responded - 25 Aug 2021 Debated on - 29 Nov 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsIn 2014 the Human Medicines Act was amended so that schools could keep emergency stocks of salbutamol inhalers without prescription. Asthma is increasing in the UK and we believe that adult sufferers of Asthma working in high-risk commercial kitchens should have similar life-saving support.
Allow international travel to visit partners and family
Gov Responded - 20 Apr 2021 Debated on - 24 May 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government should class in-person interaction with family members and unmarried partners abroad as an essential reason to travel.
Do not give consent for another Scottish Independence Referendum
The SNP government appears solely intent on getting independence at any cost.
Repeal the Coronavirus Act 2020
Gov Responded - 20 Oct 2020 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Coronavirus Act grants potentially dangerous powers including to detain some persons indefinitely, to take biological samples, and to give directions about dead bodies. Powers last up to 2 years with 6 monthly reviews, and lockdown powers could prevent protests against measures.
Allow golf to be played with appropriate safety measures
Gov Responded - 18 Jan 2021 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsThe Government should allow golf courses to remain open during the second lockdown, and any future restrictions. Shops and clubhouses can close, but courses should be allowed to remain open, with social distancing in place.
Keep gyms open during Tier 4 lockdown
Gov Responded - 14 Jan 2021 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsConsider keeping gyms open during lockdown because so many people have mental health and stress and they need something to do to take their mind off it closing all fitness facilities can affect us pretty badly.
Shut all nurseries and early years settings during lockdown
Gov Responded - 26 Jan 2021 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsUrgent call for the government to close all nurseries and early years settings in light of the new lockdown to protect early years staff.
Open gyms first as we come out of lockdown & fund a Work Out to Help Out scheme
Gov Responded - 16 Mar 2021 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View 's petition debate contributionsWe want the government to recognise the importance of gyms, health clubs, leisure centres and swimming pools in empowering people to look after their health and stay fit and for them to open first as we come out of lockdown.
We're also calling for government to fund a Work Out to Help Out scheme.
Take action to stop illegal immigration and rapidly remove illegal immigrants
Gov Responded - 8 Oct 2020 Debated on - 19 Oct 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsIllegal immigrants are entering the UK in many different ways, including small boats from France which are not stopped by either French or British forces.
Halt Brexit For A Public Inquiry
Gov Responded - 15 Apr 2019 Debated on - 5 Oct 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsThe UK's departure from the EU looms but questions remain about the legitimacy of the Referendum. The Electoral Commission said illegal overspending occurred during the Referendum. Were the vote/any subsequent political acts affected? Article 50 was triggered. Was the overspend known about then?
To establish a Public Inquiry into the conduct of the 2016 EU Referendum.
Gov Responded - 24 Apr 2019 Debated on - 5 Oct 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsThere is now strong evidence of serious misconduct during the 2016 EU Referendum, including intereference by foreign actors and governments. This must be investigated under the Inquiries Act (2005).
Extend the transition; delay negotiations until after the coronavirus outbreak
Gov Responded - 9 Apr 2020 Debated on - 5 Oct 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsThe government should consider delaying negotiations so they can concentrate on the coronavirus situation and reduce travel of both EU and UK negotiators. This would necessitate extending the transition period; as there can only be a one off extension, this should be for two years.
Increase pay for NHS healthcare workers and recognise their work
Gov Responded - 4 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsI would like the government to review and increase the pay for healthcare workers to recognise the work that they do.
Reduce or scrap the immigration health surcharge for overseas NHS Staff.
Gov Responded - 29 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsTo revoke the Immigration Health Surcharge increases for overseas NHS staff. The latest budget shows an increase of £220 a year for an overseas worker to live and work in the UK, at a time when the NHS, and UK economy, relies heavily on them.
We would like the government to consider social care as equally important to NHS
Gov Responded - 20 Apr 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsWe would like the government to support and regard social care: financially, publicly and systematically on an equal par as NHS. We would like parliament to debate how to support social care during COVID-19 and beyond so that it automatically has the same access to operational and financial support.
Give non-British citizens who are NHS workers automatic citizenship
Gov Responded - 6 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsGive NHS workers who are EU and other Nationals automatic UK citizenship if they stay and risk their own lives looking after the British people during the COVID crisis.
Make nurseries exempt from business rates to support the childcare sector
Gov Responded - 2 Apr 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsAfter owning nurseries for 29 years I have never experienced such damaging times for the sector with rising costs not being met by the funding rates available. Business Rates are a large drain on the sector and can mean the difference between nurseries being able to stay open and having to close.
Government to offer economic assistance to the events industry during COVID-19
Gov Responded - 27 Mar 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsFor the UK government to provide economic assistance to businesses and staff employed in the events industry, who are suffering unforeseen financial challenges that could have a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of people employed in the sector.
Give UK nurseries emergency funding if they have to close down amid COVID-19
Gov Responded - 14 Apr 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsIf nurseries are shut down in view of Covid-19, the Government should set up an emergency fund to ensure their survival and ensure that parents are not charged the full fee by the nurseries to keep children's places.
Provide financial support to performers and creators during the COVID-19 crisis
Gov Responded - 22 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsThe prospect of widespread cancellations of concerts, theatre productions and exhibitions due to COVID-19 threatens to cause huge financial hardship for Britain's creative community. We ask Parliament to provide a package of emergency financial and practical support during this unpredictable time.
Support the British aviation industry during the COVID-19 outbreak
Gov Responded - 7 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsAs a result of the COVID-19 outbreak there are travel bans imposed by many countries, there is a disastrous potential impact on our Aviation Industry. Without the Government’s help there could be an unprecedented crisis, with thousands of jobs under threat.
Extend grants immediately to small businesses outside of SBRR
Gov Responded - 29 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsThe cash grants proposed by Government are only for businesses in receipt of the Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Relief, or for particular sectors. Many small businesses fall outside these reliefs desperately need cash grants and support now.
Business Rate Relief to be extended to all small businesses in healthcare.
Gov Responded - 5 Jun 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsTo extend the business rate relief to all dental practices and medical and aesthetics clinics and any small business that’s in healthcare
Provide financial help to zoos, aquariums, & rescue centres during the pandemic.
Gov Responded - 28 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsZoos, aquariums, and similar organisations across the country carry out all sorts of conservation work, animal rescue, and public education. At the start of the season most rely on visitors (who now won't come) to cover annual costs, yet those costs do not stop while they are closed. They need help.
Offer more support to the arts (particularly Theatres and Music) amidst COVID-19
Gov Responded - 20 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View 's petition debate contributionsAs we pass the COVID-19 Peak, the Government should: State where the Theatres and Arts fit in the Coronavrius recovery Roadmap, Create a tailor made financial support mechanism for the Arts sector & Clarify how Social Distancing will affect arts spaces like Theatres and Concert Venues.
These initiatives were driven by Nick Fletcher, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Nick Fletcher has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to require local authorities to publish a register of derelict buildings in their area; to make provision in respect of the preparation and maintenance of such registers; and for connected purposes.
Safety cameras Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Mark Eastwood (Con)
Public office (child sexual abuse) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Alexander Stafford (Con)
Import of Dogs Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Elliot Colburn (Con)
First-Aid (Mental Health) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Dean Russell (Con)
The Board of Film Classification’s (BBFC) well-recognised age ratings and content advice continue to be of huge value to audiences.
My Department is consulting with the BBFC and video-on-demand services on the role of age ratings, as part of work on the future regulation of video-on-demand services.
I was pleased to see the new partnership between Amazon Prime Video and BBFC. Netflix already carries BBFC age ratings across their entire UK catalogue and we welcome BBFC’s continued engagement with other providers in the sector.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Codes of Practice on Employment and guidance on sex discrimination cover the exceptions in the Equality Act 2010 which mean in certain circumstances, it is lawful for an employer to require a job applicant or worker to have a particular protected characteristic (e.g. sex), provided certain statutory conditions are met.
Codes of Practice on Employment can be found here (Chapter 13): https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/employercode.pdf
Guidance on Job Advertising can be found here: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/ehrc_advertising_-_equality_law_12.pdf
and here: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/advertising_-_faq.pdf
There are no plans to produce new guidance in this area, but EHRC keeps all its guidance under review.
The Crown Prosecution Service is unable to supply details of organisations they consulted as part of the proposed revision of their legal guidance on 'Deception as to Gender' as the information requested is the subject of a Freedom Of Information request which is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
The information requested is subject to an open Freedom Of Information request to the Crown Prosecution Service, which they are considering in the normal way.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon Gentlemen’s Parliamentary Question of 27 March is attached.
Government Agencies, statutory bodies, non-departmental public bodies and central functions of Government departments are located across the United Kingdom, including in South Yorkshire.
The Cabinet Office has published as Open Data on data.gov.uk basic information on the location of Government Departments, agencies, public bodies and functions
(https://data.gov.uk/dataset/3145b9dd-bf34-4cbf-8c40-1f726f9db261/occupation).
The number of staff employed at each site and year of establishment is not held centrally.
Further to the answer given to PQs 54003, 54280 and 54102 on 8 June 2020, the Government understands the huge significance of weddings to couples planning to get married. We are working to ease restrictions safely to enable weddings to take place.
The Government provides a wide range of funding to support local authorities in reaching net zero. Through their core settlement, grant funding schemes, and UK growth funding, the Government is enabling local authorities to tackle net zero goals.
The Government has established the UK Infrastructure Bank with an initial £12 billion of capital for the twin goals of tackling climate change and levelling-up. This includes a loan facility for local government to deliver net zero.
The phrase Violence Against Women and Girls (otherwise known as ‘VAWG’) is an umbrella term used by the Government, which refers to acts of violence or abuse that we know disproportionately affect women and girls. This definition is set out in our 2021 Tackling VAWG Strategy which seeks to support all victims of these crimes, including male victims.
The Online Safety Act takes an approach which will protect all users online, which includes men and boys. The section 54 guidance is a summary document, pulling together measures that protect users from content and abuse as set out in the Act, that disproportionately affects women and girls, but do not only affect women and girls.
Ofcom will produce guidance which will summarise in one clear place measures that can be taken to tackle the abuse that women and girls disproportionately face online.
The guidance will capture online activity and content as set out in the Act, including the priority offences, the priority harms to children, and relevant content and activity subject to the Category 1 duties.
Ofcom’s timelines for producing the guidance are set out in its implementation plan which was published on 26 October 2023.
We have set out our expectation that all mobile network operators should have switched off their 2G and 3G networks by 2033. This will free up spectrum for 5G and beyond and is an important part of the UK’s strategy to increase diversity in the telecoms supply chain, contributing to the nation’s security and resilience.
The Government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April 2023, outlined our unwavering commitment to extending 4G coverage to 95% of the UK’s landmass, alongside setting out our ambition for the UK to have nationwide coverage of standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030.
We welcome the fact that some operators have indicated they are likely to decommission their 2G/3G networks, particularly their 3G networks, earlier than 2033. We will continue to work with network operators to ensure a smooth transition that meets the needs of business users, ensuring that consumers, including vulnerable groups, are treated fairly and can continue to access the services they need.
On 29 July, the Government set out further details of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) and confirmed that further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the small percentage of domestic energy consumers not reached by EBSS, such as park homes residents.
The Government will shortly announce how these households will receive the £400 of support.
The Government made clear its commitment to new nuclear in the 2020 Energy White Paper, setting out its aim to bring at least one large-scale project to a Final Investment Decision this parliament, subject to value for money and all relevant approvals. Alongside the White Paper, the Government announced it was entering negotiations on Sizewell C. The Government will also provide up to £385m for an Advanced Nuclear Fund for the next generation of nuclear technology aiming, by the early 2030s, to develop a Small Modular Reactor and to build an Advanced Modular Reactor demonstrator.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan and the Energy White Paper set out multiple plans and objectives for supporting the UK’s nuclear sector.
For large-scale nuclear, we aim to bring at least one large-scale nuclear project to a Final Investment Decision this Parliament and entered negotiations with EDF on Sizewell C. A large-scale nuclear power plant could support a peak of around 10,000 jobs during construction and provide significant investment opportunities. Having consulted on the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model for funding new nuclear, we are continuing to discuss this model with project developers and to consider the potential role of Government finance during construction, provided there is value for money and subject to relevant approvals.
We are also investing further in Small Modular Reactors and Advanced Modular Reactors. We announced the £385m Advanced Nuclear Fund, comprised of up to £215m to develop a domestic SMR power plant design and up to £170m for an ambitious AMR programme.
The Government is committed to further nuclear beyond Hinkley Point C, as set out in the Energy White Paper. Future nuclear projects can benefit from the expertise in the UK supply chain demonstrated at Hinkley, a project that EDF says will provide 25,000 employment opportunities and train over 1,000 apprentices. Alongside the White Paper, the Government announced it was entering into negotiations on Sizewell C, which EDF intends to replicate Hinkley - a strategy which should ensure continuity in UK supply chain jobs and skills.
Oxford Economics’ Nuclear Economics Report 2016 suggests that the nuclear sector contributes approximately £6.4bn GVA to the UK economy, with each civil nuclear worker contributing an estimated average £96,600 – significantly higher than the UK average of £56,200.
In 2018, the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group – of which BEIS is a member - estimated that the sector employed approximately 89,000 full-time equivalents (FTEs) across the UK, including in the north of England.
The estimated figures are across the UK, but not specific to each of the regions.
The payment process is a four-step process that requires the customer to confirm the work has been completed, the installer to record the work on the TrustMark database, the scheme administrator to check the conditions of the voucher issued have been met, and then the scheme administrator ICF to make the payment. The scheme administrator check is to ensure consumer protection and value for money, including undertaking fraud checks. The scheme administrator aims to pay tradespeople as soon as possible after the check is complete.
BEIS officials are working with consumers and installers to ensure they are clear on the information and checks required as part of the payment process, so that installers can be paid as quickly as possible. We will continue to work closely with scheme administrator ICF to identify further process improvements, increase the number of vouchers issued, and ensure timely release of payment.
Funds for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator were awarded through a competitive assessment process which was completed on 30th November 2020. The assessment was undertaken against the criteria set out in the scheme guidance and involved 3 independent assessors and a moderation panel. On this occasion, within the total funding envelope available and the success criteria, the bid from Doncaster Council was not successful. Feedback was provided to Doncaster Council on 11th December by Ricardo PLC who are acting as the scheme administrators. Following the Spending Review announcement in November 2020 there will be a further round of the scheme in the next financial year.
If you would like to get in touch with the SHDF Demonstrator team, please email SHDF.Demonstrator@beis.gov.uk.
Under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), businesses can apply for between £2,000 up to 25% of their turnover. The maximum loan available under the Scheme is £50,000. Once a business has received a BBLS facility, it is not eligible to apply for a second loan under the Scheme.
Businesses using BBLS, who later decide that they need more financing, may be able to refinance under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) provided they are eligible for the CBILS.
Businesses are not permitted to access more than one of either the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, CBILS, Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) or the Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) scheme at the same time.
The Media Bill, introduced to Parliament on 8 November, will give Ofcom new powers to draft and enforce a Video-on-demand Code, aimed at mainstream TV-like on-demand services. This will be similar to the Broadcasting Code, which sets out appropriate standards for content on linear television. The Code will include new rules for on-demand content including rules on harmful and offensive material, and specific protections for under-eighteens.
Ofcom will also be given an enhanced ongoing duty to assess video-on-demand providers’ audience protection measures, such as pin codes, content warnings, and age ratings, to ensure that the systems put in place to protect younger audiences are effective and fit for purpose.
Ministers and officials regularly meet the leadership of Arts Council England (ACE) to discuss a range of matters. As an arm’s-length body of the Department, ACE is operationally independent and, like all the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's arm’s-length bodies, is responsible for complying with legislation, including the Equality Act 2010, under which religion or belief is a protected characteristic.
Darren Henley, Arts Council England’s Chief Executive, was clear to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 8 December 2022 about Arts Council England’s commitment to respecting and protecting all those with protected characteristics. Arts Council England has a number of policies in place that protect freedom of conscience within the organisation.
The Government has great trust in the BBFC best practice age ratings. The BBFC’s Classification Guidelines are based on consultations every 4-5 years with experts and over 10,000 members of the public. This ensures the guidelines remain in step with societal standards and parental expectations. More information on the guides themselves can be found on the BBFC’s website.
In addition, the latest public consultation in 2019 showed 83% of parents trust BBFC age ratings all or most of the time.
Elite and professional athletes may train and compete at ice rinks in all tiers.
As of 14 September non-professional performing arts activity, including choirs, orchestras or drama groups can continue to rehearse or perform together where this is planned activity in line with the performing arts guidance and if they can do so in a way that ensures that there is no interaction between groups of more than six at any time. If an amateur group is not able to ensure that no mingling takes place between these sub-groups of no more than six (including when arriving at or leaving activity or in any breaks or socialising) then such non-professional activity should not take place.
We will continue to work with the Performing Arts sector to understand how the new regulations affect those engaging in activity. We have always been clear that the easing of restrictions depends on the prevalence of COVID-19.
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. The Government has made it clear that it will adopt a phased approach based on scientific and medical advice, and that the primary goal is to protect public health. Martial arts are able to resume on a non-contact basis so long as they are done in alignment with Government guidance on group sizes, social distancing and venues. The Government is in discussions with representatives from martial arts governing bodies about the steps required to restart contact safely.
I regularly attend weekly meetings with tourism stakeholders. As soon as it is safe to open the hospitality and tourism sector, I will continue to engage with stakeholders on a range of issues to help support the industry's recovery.
It has been deeply concerning to see a rise in hate towards Jewish people following Hamas's heinous terrorist attacks in Israel. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I wrote to Vice Chancellors on 11 October 2023, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents and actively reassure Jewish students, so they can study without harassment or intimidation. We have also written to school and college leaders in similar terms.
On 23 October, I attended a meeting of the Jewish Community, Crime, Policing and Security Taskforce chaired by the Home Secretary, to discuss how we can crack down on any antisemitism or glorification of terrorism in schools, colleges, and universities. We are very clear; all education settings must take swift and robust action against this unacceptable behaviour.
The department is liaising closely with Community Security Trust, the University Jewish Chaplaincy, the Union of Jewish Students, and higher and further education mission groups. We are very aware of the impact of the evolving conflict on Jewish students and the steps being taken by education providers to support them.
The Department has brought forward the review of the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, including an independent expert advisory panel, which will advise the Secretary of State on the introduction of age limits for certain subjects. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/terms-of-reference-for-review-panel-on-rshe.
The work of the expert panel will inform the public consultation, which will be published in the autumn, prior to publishing revised guidance in 2024.
The Department has engaged with a number of stakeholders in relation to developing the guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children.
The Department will be undertaking a full public consultation on the draft guidance prior to publication and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders throughout this process.
It is vital that the guidance published gives clarity for schools and colleges, and reassurance for parents. The Department is taking the necessary time to ensure that it reflects the best possible advice before publishing the draft.
The Government is committed to continuing to raise literacy standards for all pupils, regardless of gender. English is fundamental to education and provides the skills and knowledge pupils need to communicate with others, both in school and in the wider world. Language in the early years is also associated with long-term employment outcomes. Children with poor vocabulary at age five are more than twice as likely to be unemployed at age 34 as children with good vocabulary, according to research which is available at: https://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/20.500.12289/1057/eResearch_1057.pdf?sequence=1.
By ensuring high quality systematic synthetic phonics teaching, the Government wants to improve literacy levels to give all children a solid base upon which to build as they progress through school, and help children to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Sutton Trust are, together, the Government-designated What Works Centre for Education. The EEF has carried out a comprehensive review of robust studies on the effects of phonics. They found that phonics is more effective on average than other approaches for early reading, when embedded in a rich literacy environment. Phonics approaches have been consistently found to be effective in supporting younger readers to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional four months’ progress.
Since 2010, the Government has accelerated the effective teaching of phonics, by placing it at the heart of the curriculum and introducing the annual phonics screening check in 2012 for pupils at the end of Year 1.
The recent publication of the international literacy study, Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021, showed England was among the top scoring countries, coming fourth out of the 43 countries that tested children of the same age. The performance of England’s pupils in PIRLS 2021 remained stable after significant improvements in 2011 and 2016. As well as the overall success, both the gender gap and the gap between the highest and lowest achievers have continued to narrow, driven in the long term by the improvement of the scores of boys and the lowest attainers. Researchers have found that the Phonics Screening Checks (PSC) score was the most significant predictor of PIRLS performance.
In 2018, the Department also launched the £60 million English Hubs Programme to improve the teaching of reading, with a focus on phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. The English Hubs have delivered intensive support to 1,700 schools to date. Departmental analysis shows that partner schools supported by the English Hubs Programme outperformed other schools by around seven percentage points in their PSC.
Both the Relationships Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance and the Department’s ‘Political impartiality in schools’ guidance are clear that schools should assess external agencies thoroughly before agreeing to any work with them. This can include challenging or asking for evidence of claims made by external agencies about their work and how this interacts with schools’ legal duties on political impartiality.
All schools should consult with parents on what is to be covered and ensure that they provide examples of the resources that they plan to use. This will give parents an opportunity to understand what will be taught and when, and to clarify how the resources being used will support delivery of the different aspects of the RSHE curriculum. This is particularly important where schools plan to work with external organisation and/or use their materials.
On 31 March, the Secretary of State wrote to all schools to set out that, under current arrangements, schools can and should share curriculum materials with parents. The Department will consider, as part of the review of the RSHE statutory guidance, whether any further changes are needed to reinforce the need for transparency around RSHE materials.
In May, the Secretary of State announced the details of the independent expert advisory panel who will advise on the review of the RSHE curriculum. The panel will provide expert advice to the Secretary of State on what is appropriate to be taught in RSHE and at what age.
It will remain important that schools take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable, and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations.
Oak National Academy, the independent provider of freely available online curriculum and lesson resources, will develop curriculum materials to make sure every school can access high quality, compliant RSHE resources.
The Department is providing dedicated secretariat support to service all aspects of the Panel’s work, including the identification of further experts and stakeholders for the Panel to engage with. The Department expects the Panel to report back regularly.
The Department expects that any engagement with schools undertaken by the Panel will be prioritised to ensure relevant activity takes place before the school holidays. The Department has already engaged with parent groups as part of the review and will facilitate their engagement with the Panel.
The terms of reference stipulate that the Panel will identify the topics within the relationships, sex and health education curriculum which would benefit from age limits. The Panel will bring together expertise on health, teaching, curriculum development, and safeguarding. It will advise on the application of suitable age limits for some topics to ensure pupils are protected from inappropriate concepts they are too young to understand. In doing so, it will draw on wider expertise on specific matters. The Panel will be independent and make its own recommendations to the Secretary of State for Education on age restrictions, including whether some topics are unsuitable. It will be for the Panel to determine what topics they wish to look at and whether they deem further work is necessary.
The Department is providing dedicated secretariat support to service all aspects of the Panel’s work, including the identification of further experts and stakeholders for the Panel to engage with. The Department expects the Panel to report back regularly.
The Department expects that any engagement with schools undertaken by the Panel will be prioritised to ensure relevant activity takes place before the school holidays. The Department has already engaged with parent groups as part of the review and will facilitate their engagement with the Panel.
The terms of reference stipulate that the Panel will identify the topics within the relationships, sex and health education curriculum which would benefit from age limits. The Panel will bring together expertise on health, teaching, curriculum development, and safeguarding. It will advise on the application of suitable age limits for some topics to ensure pupils are protected from inappropriate concepts they are too young to understand. In doing so, it will draw on wider expertise on specific matters. The Panel will be independent and make its own recommendations to the Secretary of State for Education on age restrictions, including whether some topics are unsuitable. It will be for the Panel to determine what topics they wish to look at and whether they deem further work is necessary.
The right to withdraw is set out in the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019. The review announced by the Department in March 2023 will be focused on the content of the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance. The Department has no current plans to revisit the legislation.
The Department remains committed to ensuring that all pupils receive age appropriate RSHE to support their wellbeing and attainment and helping them to become successful adults who make a meaningful contribution to society.
As part of the review, the Department is setting up an independent panel of experts to advise on what can be done to ensure that what is taught is appropriate, including introducing age restrictions: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-of-relationships-sex-and-health-education-to-protect-children-to-conclude-by-end-of-year.
The department is determined to support as many families as possible with access to high-quality, affordable childcare, which is why in the Spring Budget 2023, my Right Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced significant new investments to expand the free early education entitlements.
From September 2025, eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year, from when their child is nine months old to when they start school.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects the new 30 hours entitlement to gradually increase labour market participation of parents with young children. A 2016 study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies had found that expanding from part-time to full-time free childcare leads to significant increases in labour force participation and employment of mothers, which emerge immediately and grow over the months following entitlement.
By 2027/28, the OBR expects around 60,000 to enter employment and an equivalent effect from 1.5 million mothers of young children already in work increasing their hours.
The department will substantially uplift the hourly rate paid to local authorities to increase hourly funding rates paid to childcare providers, to deliver the existing free early education entitlements. We will provide £204 million of additional funding in 2023/24, increasing to £288 million by 2024/25.
This funding is in addition to the £4.1 billion that the government will provide by 2027/28 to facilitate the expansion of the new free hours offer, by which time we will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.
In the Spring Budget 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.
As set out in the Childcare Act 2006, the definition of ‘childcare’ excludes care provided for a child by a parent or other relative. The government has no current plans to extend the definition of childcare to include relatives. Friends or acquaintances known to the parent can receive government funding, but they must be registered childcare providers.
Parents who are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) or Universal Credit (UC) Childcare can use it to pay for any childcare provision registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency. If a relative registers as a childminder and cares for a related child outside the child’s own home, or registers as a nanny and cares for a related child inside the child's own home, that childminder or nanny can qualify for TFC or UC.
As part of the government’s biggest ever expansion to childcare provision, low-income families will be able to access increased childcare support worth a total of £900 million from 28 June 2023.
Later this month, the Department for Work and Pensions will raise the amount that parents in Great Britain can claim back monthly for their childcare costs on Universal Credit, up to £951 for one child and £1,630 for two or more children. This is a rise of 47% from the previous limits of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children.
At the same time, the government will help eligible parents to cover the costs of the first month of childcare when they enter work or significantly increase their hours, removing one of the most significant barriers to parents working and helping to grow the economy.
Those parents will also receive up to 85% of their childcare costs back before their next month’s bills are due. This means they should have money to pay for childcare one month in advance going forward.
The government is also supporting families by providing additional cost of living payments of up to £900 for households on eligible means-tested benefits. Over 6 million people across the UK on eligible ‘extra-costs’ disability benefits will receive a further £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment during summer 2023/24, to help with the additional costs they face.
UC improves incentives for parents to enter work. Claimants with children are entitled to a work allowance which is an amount they can earn before their benefit is affected. Once earnings are above their work allowance, a single taper is applied. This ensures their UC reduces gradually as their earnings increase.
The government has consistently said that the best way to support people’s living standards is through good work, better skills and higher wages. To that end, the UC taper rate was reduced from 24 November 2021 from 63% to 55%, meaning that claimants can keep more of their earnings. At the same time, we also increased the work allowance by £500 a year, in addition to the normal benefits uprating.
State Pensions, benefits, and statutory payments have been increased in line with the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September 2022, which was 10.1%. These increases took effect from April 2023.
The government is committed to protecting vulnerable claimants by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of essential services. The government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt.
In the Spring Budget 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.
As set out in the Childcare Act 2006, the definition of ‘childcare’ excludes care provided for a child by a parent or other relative. The government has no current plans to extend the definition of childcare to include relatives. Friends or acquaintances known to the parent can receive government funding, but they must be registered childcare providers.
As part of the government’s biggest ever expansion to childcare provision, low-income families will be able to access increased childcare support worth a total of £900 million from 28 June 2023.
Later this month, the Department for Work and Pensions will raise the amount that parents in Great Britain can claim back monthly for their childcare costs on Universal Credit, up to £951 for one child and £1,630 for two or more children. This is a rise of 47% from the previous limits of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children.
At the same time, the government will help eligible parents to cover the costs of the first month of childcare when they enter work or significantly increase their hours, removing one of the most significant barriers to parents working and helping to grow the economy.
Those parents will also receive up to 85% of their childcare costs back before their next month’s bills are due. This means they should have money to pay for childcare one month in advance going forward.
The government is also supporting families by providing additional cost of living payments of up to £900 for households on eligible means-tested benefits. Over 6 million people across the UK on eligible ‘extra-costs’ disability benefits will receive a further £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment during summer 2023/24, to help with the additional costs they face.
Universal Credit (UC) improves incentives for parents to enter work. Claimants with children are entitled to a work allowance which is an amount they can earn before their benefit is affected. Once earnings are above their work allowance, a single taper is applied. This ensures their UC reduces gradually as their earnings increase.
The government has consistently said that the best way to support people’s living standards is through good work, better skills and higher wages. To that end, the UC taper rate was reduced from 24 November 2021 from 63% to 55%, meaning that claimants can keep more of their earnings. At the same time, we also increased the work allowance by £500 a year, in addition to the normal benefits uprating.
State Pensions, benefits, and statutory payments have been increased in line with the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September 2022, which was 10.1%. These increases took effect from April 2023.
The government is committed to protecting vulnerable claimants by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of essential services. The government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt.
The Department is in the process of identifying the members for an independent expert panel to inform the wider review of the Relationships, Sex and Health Education statutory guidance. The Department expects the process to be completed shortly and will then make public more details of the panel and their work. The Department will ensure that the views of faith groups are represented in the review process.
The Department is in the process of appointing the members of an independent expert panel to inform the wider review of the Relationships, Sex and Health Education statutory guidance. The Department expects the process to be completed shortly and will then make public more details of the panel and their work.
The department is investing over £200 million per year in free holiday club places for children from low-income families through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
HAF supports disadvantaged children and their families with enriching activities, providing them with healthy food, helping them to learn new things, and improving socialisation.
The programme takes place all across England and has reached over 685,000 children, of which 475,000 children were receiving benefits-related free school meals (FSM), during last year’s summer holidays.
While the department asks local authorities to focus the majority of the funding on FSM children, local authorities have the flexibility to use up to 15% of their funding to target and support other children and families that align with the local authorities’ own priorities.
Schools are responsible for teaching relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), in line with the statutory guidance. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
The Department does not endorse or promote resources to schools, including those produced by Educate and Celebrate.
The Department is very concerned by reports that inappropriate materials are being used to teach relationships and sex education and has brought forward the review of the RSHE statutory guidance as a result, including conducting a public consultation as soon as possible. The review will enable us to decide whether further action is needed to ensure that schools are fully transparent with their RSHE policies and what will be taught.
Schools must make sure all content they use is factual and age appropriate and should engage with parents, so they are aware of what their children are being taught. Schools should be engaging with parents proactively on how and what they are teaching children on these issues.
The Department is clear that parents have a right to view teaching materials and copyright law does not prevent a parent from viewing external resources.
The information requested on state funded primary, state funded secondary and special schools is available from the National Statistics release on suspensions and permanent exclusions at this link:
Data can be accessed from the Explore data and files section, using the ‘Create your own tables’ function. A table containing figures for Pupil Referral Units is provided.
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers by gender in each school, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers by gender in each school, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers by gender in each school, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers by gender in each school, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
The table below provides the number and percentage of a) state-funded special and (b) pupil referral unit schools in England without any male teachers in each of the last five school workforce reporting years for which data is available.
State-funded special and pupil referral unit schools in England without a male teacher, by census year and school type, number and percentage as at November 2017 to 2021:
| State-funded special schools | Pupil referral units1 | ||
Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
2021 | 45 | 4.5% | 16 | 4.9% |
2020 | 45 | 4.5% | 16 | 4.8% |
2019 | 45 | 4.6% | 18 | 5.3% |
2018 | 41 | 4.2% | 17 | 5.1% |
2017 | 48 | 5.0% | 23 | 6.8% |
Source: School Workforce Census
1: Including alternative provision academy schools.
Details of funding for the Primary PE and sport premium and School Games for the 2023/24 academic year will be announced shortly.
The Department believes that the majority of schools use high quality, appropriate resources and engage with parents openly and transparently on what they plan to use.
The Department has been made aware of cases where this may not be the case. The Department will write to all schools to clarify how materials can be shared to enable schools to engage with parents. The Department will provide a specific date for the publication of this letter shortly.
The Autumn Statement announced significant additional investment in core schools’ funding. The core schools budget, which provides funding for mainstream schools and high needs, will increase by £2 billion in each of the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, over and above totals announced at the 2021 Spending Review.
Schools' funding is £4 billion higher this year than last, and it will rise by another £3.5 billion, on top of that, next year. Taken together, this means an increase of over 15% in just two years.
Local authorities are required by regulations to provide mainstream schools with sufficient funds, through their local schools funding formula, to enable them to meet the additional cost of pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including those with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, up to £6,000. Local authorities identify a notional special educational needs and disability (SEND) budget for schools as a guide to what they may need to spend in supporting their pupils with SEN. The department has issued guidance to local authorities on their calculation of the notional SEN budget using their local funding formula.
When the costs of additional support required for a pupil with SEN exceed £6,000, the local authority should allocate additional top-up funding to cover the excess costs. This funding comes from the local authority’s high needs budget. This may follow a statutory assessment producing an EHC plan, though local authorities have the discretion to provide high needs top-up funding for pupils without an EHC plan.
As the department moves towards a different system for funding mainstream schools, in which the department, rather than local authorities, will determine allocations for individual schools through a single, national formula, we plan to move to a standardised calculation of schools’ indicative budgets for their pupils with SEN. Following the recent consultation on implementing this new system, we are considering the detail on how to achieve this and intend to consult further in future.
In addition, the department has committed to publishing a SEND and alternative provision improvement plan early this year, following the Green Paper publication in March 2022, which set out proposals to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND, within a fairer and financially sustainable system.
In the 2021/22 academic year, there were 43,200 apprenticeship starts in England at Level 6 and 7 (degree level), of which 22,000 were female and 21,200 were male. Information on the nationality of learners is not held for government funded further education courses via the Individualised Learner Record.
Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
Increasing languages take-up is a key priority for the department. In September 2014, a statutory requirement for all key stage 2 pupils to study either an ancient or a modern foreign language was introduced to the national curriculum. The department has also taken steps to increase the uptake of languages at GCSE. GCSEs in all modern and ancient languages have been part of the English Baccalaureate performance measure for secondary schools, first introduced in 2010.
The department also recently completed its review into the subject content for French, German, and Spanish GCSEs – the most popular languages at this level. Although the new GCSE will not be available for first teaching until September 2024, the intention is that more pupils will want to study languages at GCSE level and encourage them to continue with this study to post-16 and beyond. The department published the government response to the consultation alongside the revised subject content in January 2022.
The total number of pupils in state-funded schools in England entered for examinations in at least one language GCSE has increased from 231,224 in 2010 to 253,379 in 2019. This amounted to an increase among all key stage 4 pupils from 40% in 2010 to 47% in 2019. With GCSE examinations due to recommence in 2022, the department will return to publishing, as far as possible, our usual range of English Baccalaureate entry and attainment measures.
The department also provides funding for several programmes to improve teaching quality and take-up in specific languages. These are:
Economic and financial education are important parts of a broad and balanced curriculum and provide the essential knowledge to ensure that young people are prepared to manage their money well, make sound financial decisions and know where to seek further information when needed.
Pupils currently receive financial education through the maths and citizenship curricula, both subjects are in the National Curriculum.
Finance education as part of the citizenship curriculum can be taught at all key stages. The curriculum seeks to develop young people’s financial awareness and skills by helping them to look after their money and realise that future wants and needs may be met through saving. This is built on at secondary school to cover income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent.
The Department has introduced a rigorous mathematics curriculum, which provides pupils with the knowledge and skills to make important financial decisions. In the primary mathematics curriculum, there is a strong emphasis on arithmetical knowledge; this knowledge is vital, as a strong understanding of numeracy will underpin pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money. There is also specific content about financial education, including calculations with money.
Schools are also free to include the teaching of financial education in their non-statutory personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) provision if they wish, drawing on the PSHE Association’s non-statutory programme of study.
We trust schools to use their professional judgement and understanding of their pupils to develop the right teaching approach for their particular school, drawing on the expertise of subject associations and organisations.
The Department continues to work closely with the Money and Pensions Service and other stakeholders such as Her Majesty’s Treasury, to consider what can be learned from a range of external initiatives and whether there is scope to provide further support for the teaching of financial education in schools.
Fairness to young people is fundamental to the Department and Ofqual’s decision making. We want to ensure all young people have the confidence that, despite exams not going ahead, they will receive a grade that reflects their ability and enables them to progress.
Pupils will receive grades determined by their teachers, with assessments covering what they were taught, and not what they missed. Teachers have a good understanding of their pupils’ performance and how they compare to other pupils this year and in previous years. They are best placed to undertake an assessment of the level of learning loss of individuals as they know their pupils best.
Entitlements to reasonable adjustments should be taken into account by teachers when deciding which evidence to use, with flexibility to use or discount evidence. The range of evidence can be tailored to an individual pupil according to coverage of the specification.
Teachers have been provided with grade descriptors and exemplar materials to support them in making an evidence-based judgement of the grade at which each pupil is performing. Pupils will also have multiple chances to show what they know and can do and will be able to see the evidence their teacher plans to submit for them.
Exam boards have set out clear requirements for quality assurance to centres. Every centre will need to produce a policy setting out their approach to assessment and quality assurance, and exam boards will check these. Heads of Centre will also be required to provide a formal declaration about the accuracy and integrity of the grades submitted and the processes supporting them.
Every pupil will have the safety net of the option to appeal their grade if they wish to. If a pupil believes their grade is wrong, they will be able to ask their centre to check for errors and make sure they have followed their own process correctly.
Given the ongoing disruption to education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department announced in January that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead as planned this summer.
The Department and Ofqual launched joint consultations on 15 January 2021 on how to award grades for both general qualifications and vocational and technical qualifications in 2021 so they are robust and fair. We received over 100,000 responses from pupils, parents, teachers, head teachers and other stakeholders. There was widespread support for our approach.
In terms of fees from exam boards, awarding organisations will need to cover their costs which, for example, will include the provision of assessment and support materials, managing the quality assurance and appeals processes. We expect they will make commercial decisions on fees and refunds on that basis. Given the unusual circumstances this year, it is not possible for them to have certainty about their 2021 costs in advance.
The Government will provide funding to awarding organisations with respect to formal appeals of teacher assessed grades submitted to them by state-funded providers and any providers on behalf of private candidates. These centres will not need to pay a fee to awarding bodies when submitting their appeal.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, meets regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the Department’s agenda.
The statutory guidance on the new curriculum for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education, which came into force in September 2020, makes clear that by the end of secondary education young people should know the facts relating to pregnancy. It states that there should be medically and legally impartial information. Pupils should be made aware of the relevant legal provisions when particular topics are being taught, including abortion. It is for schools to decide how best to comply with this in order to meet the needs of their pupils. To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence, the Department has produced RSHE Teacher Training Modules which are available for all schools on GOV.UK. The ‘Intimate and sexual relationships including sexual health’ teacher training module covers pregnancy specifically. Each training module covers safeguarding to make sure teachers, pastoral staff and the designated safeguarding lead are equipped to deal with sensitive discussions and potential disclosures.
On 1 October, the Department published a temporary continuity direction which makes it clear that schools have a duty to provide remote education for state-funded, school-age children unable to attend school due to COVID-19. This will come into effect from 22 October 2020. The direction poses no additional expectations on the quality of remote education expected of schools beyond those set out in this guidance.
Alongside the direction, the Department also announced further remote education support to assist schools and further education (FE) colleges in meeting the remote education expectations set out in the schools guidance for full opening, published in July, and the autumn term guidance for FE colleges, published in August, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools; and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/what-fe-colleges-and-providers-will-need-to-do-from-the-start-of-the-2020-autumn-term.
The support package will be available over the coming months to schools or FE colleges seeking additional support, and can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
For schools, the Department’s support includes 250,000 laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and development resources for staff, including a good practice guide and school-led webinars. We are also investing £1.5m of additional funding to expand the EdTech Demonstrator programme, which provides peer-to-peer support for schools and colleges. For colleges, the Department’s support package will include 80 grants of £1,000 to colleges across England, providing additional training and support for mentors and coaches specialising in assisting teachers with remote education.
The package is designed to help schools and colleges build on and deliver their existing plans in the event that individual or groups of pupils are unable to attend school because of COVID-19 in line with guidance and the law. This adds to existing support outlined in the Answer of 22 September 2020, including resources available from Oak National Academy.
Schools and colleges have worked hard over the summer and the autumn term to prepare for full reopening and to develop remote education contingency plans. This is testament to their commitment to ensuring any missed education is recovered and that we prevent the attainment gap from widening further. We have a shared responsibility for working to ensure this generation of young people do not face long-term disadvantage.
The Department is committed to the continuation of high-quality education for all pupils during this difficult time. The Department published guidance on Thursday 2 July that sets out what is expected from schools for their remote education provision:
All schools should plan to ensure any pupils educated at home for some of the time are given the support they need to master the curriculum and so make good progress. Schools should also look to improve the quality of their existing provision against the expectations set out in the guidance on curriculum and remote education here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
The Department has provided a range of resources to support schools in delivering remote education. This includes examples of teaching practice during coronavirus, which provides an opportunity for schools to learn from each other’s approaches to remote education, as well as our work with sector-led initiatives such as Oak National Academy. Relevant guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-practice-for-schools-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
The Department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20, and then for the 2020-21 academic year to provide video lessons for Reception up to Year 11. This will include specialist content for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Oak will remain a free optional resource for 2020-21.
The Department has already invested over £100 million to support remote education, including the delivery of over 220,000 laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access. The support package includes an investment of over £14 million on technical support to give schools access to cloud-based education platforms, nearly £6 million to support a new EdTech demonstrator school network, and over £85m to provide laptops, tablets and 4G internet devices, including security and e-safety packages and their distribution, and to top up the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund.
We have already delivered over 50,000 4G wireless routers to support disadvantaged children to learn at home and access vital social care services. These routers come with free data for the autumn term and will allow local authorities and academy trusts to support children who may have their education and care disrupted because of official coronavirus restrictions or disruption to face-to-face contact.
The Department is now supplementing this support by making available an initial 150,000 devices in the event that face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions.
Repayments are made based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not the interest rate, amount borrowed or borrower’s occupation. Repayments are calculated as a fixed percentage of earnings, with only the amount of earnings above the relevant repayment threshold being considered – and if the borrower’s income drops, so do repayments made. No repayments are made on earnings below the repayment thresholds. Any outstanding debt is written off at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower.
If, at the end of the year, the borrower’s total income is below the relevant annual threshold, they may reclaim any repayments from the Student Loans Company made during that year.
There are no plans to amend the regulations to apply different repayment terms to borrowers in different occupations.
The £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package is made up of £650 million to be shared across state primary and secondary schools over the 2020/21 academic year, and a National Tutoring Programme, worth £350 million, which will increase access to high-quality tuition for the most disadvantaged pupils over the 2020/21 academic year. We will announce further details of how these will operate as soon as possible.
We are committed to supporting all children and young people to make up for time spent out of education. We know that remote education has been working well for many students in post-16 education, and we will continue to work with the sector to establish the best way to support students to make up for the disruption due to COVID-19.
The Government has committed over £100 million to support vulnerable and disadvantaged children in England to access remote education and social care services, including by providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers.
We are providing laptops and tablets to disadvantaged and vulnerable children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examinations in year 10, receiving support from a social worker or are a care leaver. Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and children in year 10 do not have internet connections, we are providing 4G wireless routers.
The Department has ordered over 200,000 laptops and tablets and allocated devices to local authorities and academy trusts based on its estimates of the number of eligible children that do not have access to a device. Local authorities and academy trusts are best placed to identify and prioritise children and young people who need devices. All local authorities and academy trusts can place orders for the devices they need.
The Department has published information about how many laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers we have delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy trusts as of 30 June, which can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data. This includes 635 devices to Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council for children with a social worker and care leavers.
The Government recognises that schools and colleges want clarity on exam fees following the cancellation of this summer’s exams. The Department for Education and the exam boards are working together to ensure that schools and colleges are provided with further information as soon as possible. The exam boards are looking at the costs that will be saved this summer, alongside new work they need to undertake to gather centre assessment grades and provide calculated grades to students.
Schools and colleges will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. This will ensure that they are able to continue to meet their regular financial commitments. We expect schools and colleges to pay any due invoices for exams, as the process is worked through.
The Department is committed to ensuring that students can continue to learn at home in these very difficult circumstances. We recognise that many schools and colleges have already shared resources for students who are at home, and we have issued guidance for schools and colleges which signposts to an initial list of free online resources identified by educational experts and teachers.
Leading state schools have collaborated to open The Oak National Academy, which was launched online on 20 April 2020. This free initiative is led by 40 teachers who have assembled video lessons and resources for any teacher in the country to make use of if they wish to do so. 180 video lessons will be provided each week, across a broad range of subjects, for every year group from reception through to year 10. In addition, the BBC has developed resources for families as part of a comprehensive new education package, which is now available on television and online at BBC Bitesize.
We have also committed over £100 million to boost remote education, including giving free laptops and tablets to children from disadvantaged backgrounds across England, care leavers and those with a social worker, to help them learn from home during the lockdown. Additionally, if families of these children do not have good access to the internet, we will provide them with 4G routers so that these children can learn online and access social care services. The Department will also ensure that every school and college that wants it has access to free, expert technical support to get set up on Google for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education.
Parents and children and young people should be encouraged to walk or cycle where possible, and avoid public transport at peak times.
Home to school transport provided or organised by schools, academy trusts or local authorities varies widely. Schools, trusts and local authorities should work together and with relevant transport providers to put in place arrangements which fit the local circumstances, including the measures being put in place to reduce contact. Further guidance is available here:
This guidance sets out that local authorities or transport providers could consider the following:
As the full financial consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak on the sector emerge, we will assess the impact of the outbreak on the sector and the most appropriate means of how to approach to financial health assessments and intervention actions, including how to treat the Coronavirus Business Loan Interruption Scheme and other elements of government support.
The Government encourages local authorities to consider such provision in public toilets to support those with this need but does not have powers to compel the provision of sanitary bins in public toilets. I would encourage the hon. Member to raise the issue locally.
Local authorities are best placed to determine bin provision locally. Our Binfrastructure guidance sets out a strategic approach local authorities can take to tailor their bin provision to the characteristics of the area and the community they serve. I am committed to working across government to explore where potential improvements can be made.
The Environment Agency are working to ensure that items of waste containing POPs are treated in a way that destroys the POPs content, thus eliminating the risk they pose to human health and the environment. Items of waste containing POPs cannot be landfilled, recycled, or prepared for reuse; the POP content must be incinerated to destroy the POPs.
The Environment Agency is working to bring local authorities and the waste sector into compliance with these requirements. Core guidance on how to comply with this legislation was published on GOV.UK when this legislation was introduced in 2016 and 2019. The Environment Agency and Defra have been working with stakeholders, including local authority representatives, from early 2021, to help them prepare to comply. This engagement will continue as the Environment Agency activity develops. Additional guidance on how to manage waste upholstered domestic seating has been in development with stakeholders since winter 2021. This was issued to local authorities and their contractors in August 2022 and published on GOV.UK on 19 December 2022. The Environment Agency will continue to maintain and update this guidance as needed.
The Government recognises that this is particularly challenging for some local authorities due to their geography and infrastructure. In December 2022 the Environment Agency published three Regulatory Positions (temporary conditional relaxations) designed to help local authorities manage their transition to compliance. Where there is local disruption to waste management services, the Environment Agency are rapidly engaging with local authorities and local waste operators to understand the barriers to compliance and how they can support resumed services.
Each and every suicide is a tragedy, with a devastating impact on families and communities and we are committed to doing all we can to prevent them.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues about a range of issues and we continue to work together across Government, and with experts, to review our plans and ensure they are fit for the future.
We are investing an additional £57 million in suicide prevention by 2023/24 through the NHS Long Term Plan. Through this, all areas of the country are seeing investment to support local suicide prevention plans and the development of suicide bereavement services.
Tackling plastic pollution was a priority before our COP presidency, and will continue to be after it concludes. The single-use carrier bag charge has led to a 95% reduction in the consumption of these bags in the main supermarkets- and earlier this year we extended it to all retailers. We are consulting right now on plans to go further, and extend restrictions on single-use plastics to plates, cutlery and expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers. In April 2022, we will introduce the plastic packaging tax – significantly incentivising plastic recycling. The world-leading Environment Act will allow us to do more still – with Extended Producer Responsibility schemes to ensure polluters pay, Deposit Return schemes to cut littering and boost plastic bottle recycling, and Consistent Collections to make recycling plastic, and other materials, easier for householders. Taken together, this is an exciting and comprehensive package of measures to make a real and lasting difference.
The consultation on the National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides outlines how the Government will support the development of nature-based solutions, low toxicity methods, and biopesticides, in line with the principles of Integrated Pest Management.
In partnership with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Defra is funding field trials for Integrated Pest Management in oilseed rape.
Defra also supports research on the genetic improvement of rapeseed to increase resilience to pests.
When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of disabled passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider all equality related needs and make this clear in their consultation.
Together with the industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.
Station staff will still provide face-to-face services on the railways, which assists those who need additional support, and cannot or do not want to use contactless or mobile tickets. All staff in customer facing roles or with managed responsibilities undertake enhanced disability awareness training and TOCs are already required to provide this. These reforms will not affect these arrangements.
The Department recently hosted roundtable discussions with industry and accessibility and transport groups to discuss this matter and ensure their views are understood. We continue to engage with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee through the process.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently working closely with the National Police Chiefs Council, Trading Standards, local authorities and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.
The police are responsible for on-road enforcement of vehicle offences, including cloned plates. Local authorities have procedures in place to deal with number plate cloning and registered keepers are advised to return any fines they receive to the issuing authorities along with any evidence to show that their vehicle was not in the area at the time. Registered keepers may also request photographic evidence and other information from the relevant authorities who have issued the penalty.
Acquired rights (grandfather rights) for car drivers who passed their test prior to 1 January 1997 allowed drivers with a Category B (car) licence entitlement to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes (Category C1). We have no existing plans to amend the requirements for acquiring a C1 licence.
Drivers wishing to obtain a Category C or C+E licence for heavy goods vehicles are required to complete the driving test for that category of vehicle.
The process for renewing driving licences, including for those with medical conditions, has not changed.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services have been available throughout the pandemic and are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence.
Paper renewal applications will take longer. Ongoing industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union, fewer operational staff on site at the DVLA to allow for social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements and an increased demand for services has led to delays in dealing with paper applications.
The DVLA has recently trialed a simplified renewal process for some medical conditions. This has significantly reduced turnaround times for some drivers. However, there will be further delays if the DVLA requires further medical information from NHS health care staff before it can make a licensing decision.
There is no legal requirement for vehicles that are used off-road to be registered. In 1994 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency introduced a voluntary scheme to register ‘off-road’ motorcycles. This scheme was extended in 1996 to include all mechanically propelled vehicles which are used off-road. The details of vehicles registered under this scheme are held on the DVLA’s database and on the Police National Computer.
There are no plans to make the registration of vehicles that are only used off-road mandatory.
To keep bus and lorry drivers on the road, the Government has made temporary provisions to remove the requirement to submit a medical report when applying to renew a bus or lorry driving licence, until further notice. Provided they have no notifiable medical conditions, drivers will be issued a licence that is valid for one year instead of the usual five. This only applies if the licence expired after 1 January 2020 or is due to expire.
As is always the case, drivers must ensure they are medically fit to drive and they are legally obliged to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency about the onset or worsening of any medical condition.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Budget 2020 that £500 million is being made available in 2020/21 to local highway authorities in England, outside London, to repair potholes. Yorkshire and the Humber’s share is £53.3 million. The Department will shortly publish details of the individual funding allocations we are making available.
The Department has been in dialogue with local stakeholders regarding proposals to construct a new station, and rail link, from Doncaster Sheffield Airport to the East Coast Mainline (ECML). An updated Strategic Outline Business Case for the proposal was submitted at the end of February 2020, and officials from the Department are currently reviewing this to allow for an assessment of its merits to be made.
HSE is the workplace regulator therefore the legislation and guidance will apply to toilets used by workers in workplaces made available to them as a place of work.
HSE have begun a review of the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations. They currently estimate they will be in a position to carry out a public consultation in summer 2024.
However, in the meantime, HSE have updated their web guidance to ensure it is clear that provision must be made for any worker with a disability to enable them to have access to facilities which are adjusted to their use if necessary.
Statistics on the number of households in receipt of Universal Credit are published every three months. The latest statistics are available by the number of households who either receive or do not receive the childcare element, to August 2022, on Stat-Xplore.
As the regulator for workplace health and safety, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) collects information on fatal injuries resulting from work-related accidents.
Statistics of work-related fatal injuries by sex are published by HSE on HSE’s website. Published statistics for work-related fatal injuries by sex for 2017/18 to 2021/22 are as follows:
Number of fatal injuries to workers | |||
|
|
| |
Year | All | Male | Female |
2017/18 | 141 | 135 | 6 |
2018/19 | 149 | 142 | 7 |
2019/20 | 113 | 110 | 3 |
2020/21 (revised) | 145 | 141 | 4 |
2021/22 (provisional) | 123 | 116 | 7 |
Source: Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations (RIDDOR).
The most recent data available is for the 8 May 2022. At that point over 162,600 Kickstart jobs had been started by young people. The last Kickstart jobs were started by young people on 31 March 2022, and we expect the number of starts to increase further as employers report commencement of employment.
We have previously published the number of jobs approved and advertised as of 31 January 2022, here. At that point, over 235,000 jobs had been advertised and over 305,000 had been approved. Kickstart has now closed to employer applications and, as of March 2022, all approved jobs proceeding to the advertisement stage, have been advertised. As such, these totals will not increase further.
Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 8 May 2022 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.
Jobs made available (advertised) and job starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Also included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location.
The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways. This is generally because, over time, some previously approved jobs were removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.
Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.
The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.
Table 1: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts, Great Britain, by nation and region (figures rounded to nearest 100*)
| Total jobs made available | Total jobs started |
Region / Nation Split | (DATA RETAINED FROM 31/01/22) | (DATA EFFECTIVE 08/05/22) |
|
|
|
Total, Great Britain | 235,000 | 162,600 |
|
|
|
England | 204,000 | 140,200 |
East Midlands | 14,000 | 10,300 |
East of England | 18,000 | 11,800 |
London | 51,000 | 32,800 |
North East | 11,000 | 8,100 |
North West | 30,000 | 20,600 |
South East | 26,000 | 17,300 |
South West | 14,000 | 9,800 |
West Midlands | 21,000 | 15,800 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 19,000 | 13,700 |
Scotland | 19,000 | 14,300 |
Wales | 12,000 | 8,000 |
Table 2: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts, Great Britain, by Sector (figures rounded to the nearest 10*)
Sector Split | Total jobs made available | Total jobs started |
| (DATA RETAINED FROM 31/01/22) | (DATA EFFECTIVE 08/05/22) |
Administration | 57,350 | 40,000 |
Animal Care | 1,610 | 1,330 |
Beauty & Wellbeing | 1,720 | 1,320 |
Business & Finance | 8,500 | 5,930 |
Computing Technology & Digital | 15,840 | 12,360 |
Construction & Trades | 7,230 | 5,190 |
Creative & Media | 20,990 | 16,730 |
Delivery & Storage | 6,380 | 4,430 |
Emergency & Uniform Services | 520 | 360 |
Engineering & Maintenance | 7,080 | 4,900 |
Environment & Land | 4,620 | 3,450 |
Government Services | 1,000 | 710 |
Healthcare | 6,140 | 3,460 |
Home Services | 1,560 | 900 |
Hospitality & Food | 26,380 | 14,060 |
Law & Legal | 650 | 520 |
Managerial | 960 | 660 |
Manufacturing | 6,430 | 4,400 |
Retail & Sales | 34,970 | 26,450 |
Science & Research | 990 | 790 |
Social Care | 4,740 | 2,640 |
Sports & Leisure | 5,920 | 4,170 |
Teaching & Education | 11,000 | 6,800 |
Transport | 900 | 460 |
Travel & Tourism | 1,110 | 580 |
* Due to rounding, sum of figures may not match declared total
We will keep the 30 vacancy minimum under review throughout the scheme, which is open until December 2021 for the funding of new jobs.
As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.
Where paying parents fail to pay their maintenance on time and in full, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aim to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance using its range of enforcement powers.
If all efforts to re-establish compliance have been exhausted and the paying parent is employed, the Service can deduct their maintenance and any arrears directly from their earnings. The CMS can also deduct directly from bank accounts as a lump sum or regular amount. We have a range of other strong enforcement powers, including the use of Enforcement Agents to take control of goods, forcing the sale of property, disqualification from holding a UK passport or commitment to prison.
The CMS is committed to using its wide ranging enforcement powers proportionally, and in the best interests of children and separated families, and must consider on a case by case basis whether taking action will secure more money for children.
Since 2018 we have introduced new collection and enforcement powers. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the new powers. At present we have no plans to further extend these powers.
Patients can request to register or change their gender to that with which they identity. No formal assessment has been made, however the Government is clear that biological sex matters and that there are different health needs between the sexes. It is important that patients continue to receive the right care for their need whilst feeling comfortable and confident to access the healthcare they need.
As of September 2023, 74% of trusts were delivering an inpatient smoking cessation service. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, it has been agreed that integrated care boards will determine locally when they achieve a 100% level of trusts providing this service.
The Government has confirmed it is now on track to meet its target to open 160 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) by March 2025, and expects to achieve this a year early in March 2024. 10 CDCs are currently operational in Yorkshire, with a further eight due to open ahead of November 2024, and a further final CDC planned to open by March 2025. In total, 19 CDCs are due to open in Yorkshire by March 2025. CDCs in Yorkshire have been defined as those open under the following integrated care boards (ICBs):
- Humber and North Yorkshire ICB;
- South Yorkshire ICB; and
- West Yorkshire ICB.
The following CDCs in Yorkshire are already operational:
- Armley Moor Health Centre CDC;
- Askham Bar Community Care Centre CDC;
- Barnsley Glassworks CDC;
- Bradford District and Craven CDC;
- East Riding Community Hospital CDC;
- Huddersfield CDC;
- Leeds CDC;
- Montagu Hospital CDC;
- Rotherham Diagnostics CDC; and
- Selby War Memorial CDC.
The following CDCs in Yorkshire are due to open in the next twelve months:
- Beeston Village Centre CDC;
- Halifax CDC;
- Hull & East Riding CDC;
- North Lincolnshire CDC;
- Ripon CDC;
- Scarborough Gateway CDC;
- Wakefield CDC; and
- Withernsea Community Hospital CDC.
The CDC in Hull & East Riding is due to open by March 2025.
The Department and NHS England count CDCs delivering activity and accessing national CDC revenue funding as open. This may include activity delivered in temporary facilities while the full CDC is built.
NHS England has set a target for systems to increase cancer treatment capacity by 13%, with the aim of further reducing cancer waiting lists. The latest statistics for February 2023 show that 98.04% of National Health Service patients have received their subsequent chemotherapy treatment within 31 days, against a target of 98%.
The Department is working with NHS England to improve early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer. To increase rates of early detection for prostate cancer, NHS England is redesigning pathways to maximise capacity. In October 2022 NHS England published ‘Best Practice Timed Pathway’ for suspected prostate cancer. This guidance sets out how diagnosis can be achieved within 28 days for the suspected prostate cancer pathway. The guidance includes using a magnetic resonance imaging first strategy to reduce biopsy and move necessary biopsies from theatre into clinic. NHS England and NHS Improvement introduced a new financial incentive for 2022/23 through the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation scheme to support the delivery of the pathway.
There are currently no plans to do so.
The proportion of prescriptions in England in 2022 issued to men and women is displayed in the table below.
Gender | Items Dispensed | Proportion (%) |
Female | 628,562,493 | 54.02% |
Male | 501,247,030 | 43.08% |
Unknown | 33,634,015 | 2.89% |
Indeterminate | 29,683 | 0.00% |
Source: NHS Business Services Authority Information Services Data Warehouse
“Unknown” is where no data is held. “Indeterminate” is where the data held does not confirm male or female.
Proportions have been rounded to two decimal places and may not total 100%.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including men’s health and women’s health issues. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Achieving earlier and faster diagnosis of cancer is a priority for the National Health Service. That is why one of the core ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan is to diagnose 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028. The latest published data shows this was at 52% between January 2020 to December 2020.
NHS England’s comprehensive Early Diagnosis strategy is based on six core strands of activity, from raising awareness of cancer symptoms and encouraging people to come forward, to implementing targeted interventions for particular cancer types that we know have previously experienced later stages of diagnosis.
Membership of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group (NSPSAG) is arranged by direct appointment and reviewed regularly to ensure that it continues to reflect the strategic direction and priorities of the national suicide prevention strategy for England and subsequent progress reports. Final decisions on membership rests with the Department and the Chair of NSPSAG, Professor Sir Louis Appleby. We will also be considering NSPSAG membership as we develop our new suicide prevention strategy.
NSPSAG membership is made up of a wide range of experts, including those with lived experience, academics, the voluntary sector, public health and the National Health Service. Member organisations are: Association of Directors of Public Health; British Transport Police; Coroners’ Society of England and Wales; Harmless; Health Education England; If U Care Share; James' Place; Local Government Association; Mental Health Foundation; Mental Health Innovations; Ministry of Justice; Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England; National Suicide Prevention Alliance; NHS England; Office for National Statistics; Papyrus; Royal College of General Practitioners; Royal College of Nursing; Royal College of Psychiatrists; Samaritans; Shout; The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities; Young Minds; and Zero Suicide Alliance.
Queries about the NSPSAG should be sent to the Department, which provides the secretariat function for the NSPSAG.
Membership of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group (NSPSAG) is arranged by direct appointment and reviewed regularly to ensure that it continues to reflect the strategic direction and priorities of the national suicide prevention strategy for England and subsequent progress reports. Final decisions on membership rests with the Department and the Chair of NSPSAG, Professor Sir Louis Appleby. We will also be considering NSPSAG membership as we develop our new suicide prevention strategy.
NSPSAG membership is made up of a wide range of experts, including those with lived experience, academics, the voluntary sector, public health and the National Health Service. Member organisations are: Association of Directors of Public Health; British Transport Police; Coroners’ Society of England and Wales; Harmless; Health Education England; If U Care Share; James' Place; Local Government Association; Mental Health Foundation; Mental Health Innovations; Ministry of Justice; Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England; National Suicide Prevention Alliance; NHS England; Office for National Statistics; Papyrus; Royal College of General Practitioners; Royal College of Nursing; Royal College of Psychiatrists; Samaritans; Shout; The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities; Young Minds; and Zero Suicide Alliance.
Queries about the NSPSAG should be sent to the Department, which provides the secretariat function for the NSPSAG.
Membership of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group (NSPSAG) is arranged by direct appointment and reviewed regularly to ensure that it continues to reflect the strategic direction and priorities of the national suicide prevention strategy for England and subsequent progress reports. Final decisions on membership rests with the Department and the Chair of NSPSAG, Professor Sir Louis Appleby. We will also be considering NSPSAG membership as we develop our new suicide prevention strategy.
NSPSAG membership is made up of a wide range of experts, including those with lived experience, academics, the voluntary sector, public health and the National Health Service. Member organisations are: Association of Directors of Public Health; British Transport Police; Coroners’ Society of England and Wales; Harmless; Health Education England; If U Care Share; James' Place; Local Government Association; Mental Health Foundation; Mental Health Innovations; Ministry of Justice; Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England; National Suicide Prevention Alliance; NHS England; Office for National Statistics; Papyrus; Royal College of General Practitioners; Royal College of Nursing; Royal College of Psychiatrists; Samaritans; Shout; The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities; Young Minds; and Zero Suicide Alliance.
Queries about the NSPSAG should be sent to the Department, which provides the secretariat function for the NSPSAG.
Agendas for future National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group meetings are yet to be confirmed. However, the Department will be working closely with the Advisory Group and wider stakeholders over the coming months as the new National Suicide Prevention Strategy is developed. This will include discussions on issues relating to high-risk groups, such as men.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has been reporting on excess mortality in England during the COVID-19 pandemic, via its Excess Mortality report, which is updated monthly. The report includes weekly estimates of excess deaths, including for men aged 25 to 64.
OHID’s report estimates that there have been 19,293 excess deaths for men in this age group across the course of the pandemic in England (deaths registered between 21 March 2020 and 30 December 2022). During this period, deaths for men aged 25 to 49 have been 11% higher than expected and deaths for men aged 50-64 have been 18% higher than expected.
The Department is closely monitoring figures on excess deaths and OHID will continue to update their monthly report. No additional reporting on excess deaths for men aged 25 to 64 is planned.
It is likely that a combination of factors has contributed to excess deaths, including the ongoing challenges and impact of COVID-19, and health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
All veterans can access bespoke National Health Service mental health support through Op COURAGE, which provides a complete mental health care pathway for veterans, who can benefit from personalised care plans, support and treatment both in and out of hours. Op COURAGE includes the High Intensity Service, which is for veterans in crisis about mental health, including at risk of suicide. We strongly encourage all veterans who need mental health support to contact Op COURAGE.
Veterans who may not wish to access Op COURAGE can also access the full suite of NHS support available to the public, including via the 24 hours seven days a week single point of access telephone lines for urgent NHS mental health support, which are in place in every area of the country. Alongside this, veterans can also access third sector support via many helplines, including the Samaritans and other suicide prevention helplines.
Additionally, every local authority has a suicide prevention plan in place, tailored to meet the needs of their local communities. The Government is also investing an additional £57 million in suicide prevention by 2023/24 through the NHS Long Term Plan to support local suicide prevention plans and the development of suicide bereavement services, which will enable more people to access the support they need, including veterans and their families. On 24 January 2023, we announced that we will be publishing a new National Suicide Prevention Strategy this year.
From 8 August passengers returning from France who have been fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine in the United Kingdom, United States of America or certain European countries for 14 days do not need to quarantine or take a day eight test.
Licencing applications made to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a matter for individual pharmaceutical companies. The timescale for a decision to approve such applications is a matter for the EMA.
Ministers and officials across Government have regular discussions about the future direction of social distancing policy. These discussions include consideration of whether businesses may be required to ensure employees comply with social distancing and face covering requirements on health and safety grounds.
The Department is not responsible for production of this factsheet and has no role in its distribution. It is for individual schools to determine whether they use the factsheet.
No such assessment has been made. The Abortion and Abortion Care Fact Sheet for schools was produced and published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. The contents of the factsheet were developed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Public Health England co-badged the factsheet on the basis that the Royal College represents the United Kingdom medical experts on abortion.
Throughout the pandemic, the Government has listened carefully to the views of the scientific community, the information from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and its sub-groups when taking decisions on the best way to tackle the pandemic
Allowing people to take alcohol purchases away from hospitality venues increases the risk that people will consume the alcohol nearby or congregate in public spaces. We have seen evidence where local authorities have taken enforcement action against pubs, therefore we are mitigating against this risk.
The Government has these restrictions constantly under review.
We recognise that in supported living environments, the accommodation is the person’s own home and that for many people in supported living, there are important reasons for having in-person visits. Our guidance for supported living settings includes guidance on visiting safely, and is available at the following link:
We currently do not offer any lateral flow testing for visitors in supported living settings. However, this is under review. Our testing strategy is based on clinical advice about relative priorities and developed in consultation with the sector to ensure any testing programmes are practical, deliverable and meet the needs of both carers and people receiving care.
The Government regularly reviews its rules on social contact, assessing all restrictions to ensure that they continue to be necessary and proportionate. These decisions are based upon the best evidence available regarding their impact and effectiveness.
A support bubble is a close support network between a household of any size and a single occupancy adult and provide support for those that might be most isolated during the pandemic. Local restrictions provide an exemption to rules on household mixing for those providing care or assistance to a vulnerable person.
The Government has committed to undertake a public consultation on whether to make permanent the COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. Further details on the consultation will be available in due course.
The Department is aware of reports of two women who died after seeking abortion treatment earlier this year. Both sought care before the temporary approval came into force on 30 March and physically attended an abortion clinic. Both deaths have been appropriately investigated and in one case investigations are continuing. For the other case, the coroner concluded that there was “no indication either from the physical examination or toxicological evaluation to suggest the pregnancy or attempted abortion contributed directly or indirectly to the death.”
We continue to closely monitor the impact of the temporary approval for women’s homes to be classed as a place where both sets of medication for early medical abortion can be taken up to 10 weeks gestation.
From April to June 2020, there were 23,061 medical abortions where both medications (Antiprogesterone and prostaglandin) were taken at home.
The National Health Service is making arrangements to ensure that women are supported and cared for safely through pregnancy, birth and the period afterwards during this pandemic.
Decisions on partners attending scans and appointments is subject to local discretion by trusts and other NHS bodies. Local maternity teams will be able to advise women on their policy on partners attending antenatal appointments including scans.
Guidance produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is clear that women should be encouraged to have one birth partner, who has no symptoms of COVID-19, present with them during any type of labour and birth, unless the birth occurs under general anaesthetic.
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
Anyone who has had close recent contact with someone who has COVID-19 must self-isolate if the NHS Test and Trace service asks them to do so. There are no exemptions. If there is more than one case of COVID-19 associated with a workplace, employers should contact their local health protection team who will undertake a risk assessment, provide public health advice and, where necessary, establish a multi-agency incident management team to manage the outbreak.
On 1 June the shielding guidance was updated to advise that those shielding may wish to consider spending time outdoors once a day while following social distancing guidelines.
The Government continues to review the emerging evidence and we will continue to listen to medical advisers on the level of clinical risk the virus presents to different groups of people at different points in time.
At each review point for the social distancing measures, we will review the risks for the clinically extremely vulnerable and assess whether the shielding period needs to be extended or whether it is possible for the shielding guidance to be eased further.
The next review will take place the week commencing 15 June. As part of this, we will consider the next steps for shielding beyond 30 June. We will write to all individuals on the shielded patient list with information about next steps on shielding advice and the support that will be available to them after this review point.
We continue to work to ensure the National Health Service COVID-19 app is compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. We are committed to regular audits of the app by independent specialist assessors to conduct usability testing of the app, including dedicated research to solely focus on accessibility, as part of a wider strategy to ensure nobody is excluded. We have published an Accessibility Statement, which will be kept under review and updated as necessary.
We know how beneficial it can be for people to access day care and respite settings. The Department recognises the importance of day centres and other forms of respite provision. However, it is important that they continue to follow the current social distancing guidelines, in addition to the shielding advice for vulnerable groups where this applies. Both the current advice and guidelines are available publicly on GOV.UK. We are working with the sector to understand where further national guidance would be beneficial.
From 8 June, all passengers arriving in the United Kingdom without having travelled through another part of the Common Travel Area must provide their contact details, and will be required to self-isolate for 14 days, apart from those who belong to an exempted group. This includes those travelling from France. Those travelling from Ireland, which is part of the Area, and who have remained within the Area for 14 days or more, are exempt from the new temporary measures. This allows us to maintain the unique arrangements of the Common Travel Area, and we are in close contact with the Irish Government as we each work to tackle COVID-19.
The way in which people can access general practice services during the COVID-19 emergency response has changed: practices are offering more triage and remote consultations (video and online) to see as many patients as possible while protecting staff and patients from avoidable risk of infection. NHS England and NHS Improvement have produced a guide to support all general practitioner practices in England with the rapid implementation of a ‘total triage’ model using telephone and online consultation tools. This means that every patient contacting a practice is triaged before making an appointment. The guide is available at the following link:
Where a face-to-face appointment or a home visit is clinically necessary, practices will take all necessary steps to reduce the risk of infection, including using personal protective equipment.
The National Health Service ‘Open for Business’ campaign has been created to encourage all patients requiring urgent and emergency care to seek appropriate medical advice and treatment, and reassure them that they won’t be a burden on the NHS. Further information on the campaign can be found at the following link:
https://coronavirusresources.phe.gov.uk/nhs-resources-facilities/resources/open-for-business/
The current advice for those across the UK remains to stay at home and not travel abroad unless it is for a permitted exempt reason. 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.
Other countries maintain their own visa regimes. As of 1 January 2021, British Citizens do not need a visa when travelling to the EU for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism and similar activities. Requirements for stays beyond visa or visa free periods are subject to national procedures for each country. Any queries on applicable regimes are for the relevant immigration authorities in that country. If a British national overseas requires consular assistance, the FCDO can be contacted by phone or email 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The kind of assistance we offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case. Ministers raise specific issues of concern affecting British nationals overseas as appropriate.
The current advice for those across the UK remains that you must stay at home and not travel abroad unless it is for a permitted exempt reason. 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 whether they should take additional precautions due to underlying health conditions. As of 1 January 2021, British Citizens will not need a visa when travelling to the EU for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism and similar activities. Requirements for longer stays are subject to Member States' national procedures. Any queries should be directed to the relevant immigration authorities in that country. UK nationals lawfully resident in the EU before 31 December 2020, and their family members, will be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. If a British national overseas requires consular assistance, the FCDO can be contacted by phone or email 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The kind of assistance we offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case. More detail on the assistance the 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).
The Government introduced the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) from January 2013 to ensure that support for families is targeted at those who need it most. The tax charge applies to anyone with an individual income over £50,000 who claims Child Benefit, or whose partner claims it, regardless of family make-up.
HICBC is calculated on an individual rather than a household basis, in line with other income tax policy. Basing HICBC on household income would effectively introduce a new means test, which would be costly to administer and create burdens on the majority of families who receive Child Benefit.
The current approach only requires a small number of Child Benefit claimants to complete a self assessment tax return to report and pay HICBC, while leaving the vast majority of claimants unaffected.
The installation of water fountains for public use in public parks is subject to the standard rate of VAT.
VAT raised around £130 billion in 2019/20, and helps to fund key spending priorities. Any reduction in tax paid is a reduction in the money available to support important public services, including the NHS and policing. In addition, this request should be viewed in the context of over £50 billion of requests for relief from VAT received since the EU referendum. Such costs would have to be balanced by increased taxes elsewhere, or reductions in Government spending.
There are no current plans to change the VAT treatment of the installation of water fountains for public use in public parks. However, the Government keeps all taxes under review.
The Government currently uses the tax system to encourage the uptake of vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions to help meet our legally binding climate change targets. This is why zero emission cars and electric vans are liable to pay no Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), and why users of zero and ultra-low emission cars have favourable company car tax (CCT) rates in comparison to conventionally fuelled vehicles.
The Net Zero Review interim report published by HM Treasury in December last year highlighted that structural changes in the economy related to net zero will have fiscal implications. Much of the revenue from fossil fuel-based taxes is likely to be eroded during the transition to a net zero economy. However, there is currently a high level of uncertainty regarding the rate at which receipts decline.
As the UK moves forward with the transition away from petrol and diesel cars and vans, the Government will need to ensure that revenue from motoring taxes keeps pace with this change, so that the Government can continue to fund the first-class public services and infrastructure that people and families across the UK expect. Any changes to the tax system will be considered by the Chancellor and any further steps will be announced in due course.
The government plans to establish Freeports across the UK. These will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK. Freeports will spread jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country by unleashing the economic potential of our ports.
We recently published our response to the Freeports consultation, clearly outlining a wide range of measures to create vibrant, innovative Freeports which are attractive to domestic and international investors looking to start or grow their UK operations. The Freeports consultation response is publicly available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/freeports-consultation
As outlined in the consultation response, we are inviting ports of all modes (air, sea and rail), and businesses, universities and local authorities from across the country to reach out to each other, collaborate and begin to build a strategy for how their region can best meet our ambition.
Specific locations will be chosen in due course according to a fair, transparent and robust bidding process; details of which will be published in due course.
Children’s care facilities in England which were in receipt of small business rate relief (SBRR) or rural rate relief (RRR) as of 11th March are eligible for the small business grant funding (SBGF) of £10,000. Nurseries occupied by providers on Ofsted’s Early Years Register and wholly or mainly used for the provision of the Early Years Foundation Stage may also benefit from the 12-month business rates relief holiday.
Children’s care facilities may also benefit from a range of other business support measures. The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.
On 22 May we announced that lenders will continue to show forbearance to borrowers that need it, this includes giving them the option to apply for a mortgage payment holiday up until the 31 October, in line with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
We are continuing to work closely with lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to ensure that people are supported during these challenging times, especially if they are facing financial distress.
Lenders are continuing to show forbearance as required, working together with borrowers to establish how they can best affordably and gradually get back on track. Customers who are concerned about their current financial situation should get in touch with their lender at the earliest possible opportunity.?
The Licencing Act provides no legal framework for suspending or waiving premises licence fees. The Act requires that a premises licence be suspended in cases of non-payment or late payment of annual premises licence fees. However, the Minister of State for Crime and Policing has written to chairs of licensing committees to advise that where businesses experience difficulties in paying premises licence fees as a result of the covid-19 outbreak, licensing authorities should exercise their discretion and consider delaying any suspension of a licence.
All firms affected by coronavirus are encouraged to treat their employees fairly and carefully. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is already helping firms keep millions of people in employment by covering most wage costs. While there is no obligation for employers to take up the scheme, the scheme is open to all UK employers provided they have created and started a PAYE payroll scheme; enrolled for PAYE online; have a UK bank account; and that HMRC have received an RTI submission notifying payment in respect of that employee on or before 19 March 2020.
The Government is committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and the State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. The Government provides support for older people, such as Winter Fuel Payments, free eye tests and NHS prescriptions, and free bus passes.
Since 2010, the State Pension has been uprated by the highest of average earnings growth, price inflation or 2.5% - an approach known as the Triple Lock. The value of the State Pension is £1,903.20 a year higher than it was in 2010.
It is important to note that the personal allowance - the amount of income that each individual may receive before paying income tax - is currently set at a level high enough to ensure that those pensioners whose sole income is the new State Pension or basic State Pension do not pay any income tax.
The Government is committed to a fair tax system in which those with the most contribute the most. This is why the income tax system consists of three progressive rates of tax, which sit above an internationally high personal allowance.
During this difficult time the Treasury recognises the extreme disruption the necessary actions to combat Covid-19 are having on businesses, including important industries such as travel and tourism.
That is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for individuals and businesses to protect against the current economic emergency. This includes grants to smaller businesses, and a package of government-backed and guaranteed loans through the Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. Together these schemes ensure almost all viable UK businesses can apply for a government backed loan.
Travel and tourism industries can also benefit from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and travel agents occupying eligible properties will benefit from the retail, hospitality and leisure business rates holiday.
The government will not be able to protect every single job or save every single business, but these measures will support millions of families, businesses and self-employed people to get through this and emerge on the other side both stronger and more united.
The Small Business Grant Fund has been designed to support the smallest businesses which have been hit hardest by the measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The design of the scheme has been tied to existing eligibility for Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief, which together provide a straightforward framework for Local Authorities to make payments as quickly as possible. Any delay in the delivery of the grants schemes would be highly unwelcome during this time of crisis, when it is vital that Local Authorities make payments to hard-hit businesses as quickly as possible.
Under the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure Grant Fund, properties operating in those sectors with a rateable value of £15,000 or under can receive a £10,000 even if they are not eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief. This is designed to help sectors which have been particularly hard hit by the closures necessary to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The Government will bring forward legislation to allow small- and medium-sized businesses and employers to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to COVID-19.
The Government will work with employers over the coming months to set up the repayment mechanism for employers as soon as possible. Existing systems are not designed for this purpose.
All businesses and self-employed people in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, may be eligible to receive support with their tax affairs through HMRC’s Time To Pay service.
The Chancellor announced on 17 March that this grant will be increased to £10,000 for all businesses in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief, or Rural Rate Relief. In addition, retail businesses with a rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000 will receive a cash grant of £25,000.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will write to Local Authorities this week to outline these schemes and will provide detailed guidance as soon as possible. Eligible businesses will be contacted by Local Authorities shortly afterwards to provide details on how to claim this money.
The Government is committed to running a fair, transparent and robust allocation process to select up to 10 freeports across the UK.
The Government is currently consulting publicly on freeports policy; the finalised policy and a bidding process will be announced in due course after the consultation has concluded.
The Government takes proscription offences seriously. Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations or individuals who may be members of or who demonstrate support for proscribed organisations are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies.
Following the terrorist attacks on Israel, the Home Secretary wrote to police chiefs in England and Wales urging them to step up patrols and use the full force of the law to tackle those inciting hatred towards our Jewish communities.
The Home Secretary and the Prime Minister have hosted a roundtable with police chiefs and the Community Security Trust (CST) to discuss the practical steps that can be taken to enhance the operational response to any potential disorder.
Public order policing has disseminated briefing materials to police forces covering hate crime and the proscription offences, including advice on the flags associated with proscribed organisations Hamas and Hizballah.
HM Passport Office's gender recognition policy includes guidance for customers regarding the evidence required when someone is changing their passport sex marker without a gender recognition certificate. The policy can be found at Gender recognition policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
HM Passport Office continues to operate at a small percentage of its usual staffing levels so its people can continue to socially distance while on site in line with public health guidance, yet it has been rapidly acquiring additional office space, and since 23 March has so far added 172 COVID-secure desks.
Additionally, HM Passport Office is part way through developing a new system which digitises applications, including the supporting documentation, which will substantially increase the ability of staff to process applications from home. Currently, about 40% of passport applications are being processed through this system and, for those simplest cases where checks upon the application can be fully completed with minimal manual intervention, they are being processed quickly.
The Home Secretary has expressed her determination to ensure failures of the past are not repeated and to do all we can to bear down on offenders and support victims. That is why on 19th May the Government announced its intention to publish a paper on group-based child sexual exploitation by the end of the year, following consultation with subject matter experts. We intend this paper to present the best available evidence on the characteristics of this form of offending, bringing together insight from existing research, independent reviews, and all of the evidence from the Home Office's own work in this area.
The Home Office will set up an External Reference Group, comprising of broad membership with a range of experience and expertise, to review the Pape before its publication. We plan to engage with the External Reference Group over the summer. It is vital we allow time for the External Reference Group to play a proper part in scrutinising the findings and setting the direction for further work.
Subject to engagement with the External Reference Group, we intend to publish the Paper on group-based child sexual exploitation in the autumn.
There are currently no plans to offer members of the Armed Forces financial assistance with the purchase of any vehicle, including electric vehicles for private use, either through salary sacrifice or by any other means.
The Planning Inspectorate currently has 878 appeals which have not been allocated an inspector within a year of their submission.
This work continues to be undertaken and we will make an announcement regarding next steps in due course.
The Government does not have plans to introduce a new council tax discount for residents whose properties are on private roads. Council tax contributes to the cost of delivering a wide range of local services, including adult social care, children’s services and police and fire services. The council tax system contains a wide range of discounts and exemptions to reflect personal circumstances and local authorities also have discretion to offer discounts where they consider it appropriate.
My officials are providing bespoke feedback to Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council on their unsuccessful Future High Streets Fund application to help with future funding.
The Government is also providing support to local leadership through our High Streets Task Force, giving high streets and town centres expert advice to adapt and thrive. The Task Force is providing hands-on support to local areas to develop data-driven innovative strategies and connect local areas to relevant experts. The Task Force will be rolling out experts, training and data offers across the country in due course and has launched a range of online support.
I am also pleased to see that both Doncaster and Stainforth Town Deal Boards will be submitting their Town Investment Plan proposals at the end of January 2021. These Town Deals have the potential to benefit the wider Doncaster area and I look forward to receiving these very soon.
Beyond this, our new £4 billion Levelling Up Fund will be open to all local areas across the country, including £600 million available later this year.
The final sales under the Voluntary Right to Buy Midlands pilot are due to conclude in 2021, following some delays to sales caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pilot is being fully evaluated, and the results of this evaluation will be published.
We announced at Budget 2020 that we are investing £12 billion to build affordable homes between 2021/22 and 2025/26. This will be the biggest cash investment in affordable housing for a decade.
The Affordable Housing Programme is flexible, and providers are able to bid into the programme to deliver a range of affordable homes across the country. The exact location these homes will depend on the bids received. We will announce further details on the new programme in due course
The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service.
Homeowners who pay estate rent charges for the management or maintenance of the communal areas on an estate should be able to challenge these costs. That is why the Government intends to legislate to give freeholders on private and mixed-tenure estates equivalent rights to leaseholders to challenge the reasonableness of estate rent charges, as well as a right to apply to the First-tier Tribunal to appoint a new manager for the provision of services covered by estate rent charges.
A hospital order (section 37 of the Mental Health Act) authorises detention under the Mental Health Act for an offender who is suffering from a mental disorder, for as long as treatment in hospital is necessary and appropriate.
The order is made by a court as an alternative to a prison sentence, where the court thinks it appropriate that an individual should be diverted away from custody to hospital for treatment. There is no minimum term to be served for the purpose of punishment so the period of detention will be determined by the patient’s responsible clinician or the Tribunal based on the need for ongoing treatment in hospital.
As part of the planned reforms set out in the Mental Health Act White Paper, we want to ensure that all patients, including those subject to section 37 of the Act, have a high-quality care and treatment plan in place within days of their admission. This plan should set out the patient's needs, how these will be met whilst they are detained under the Mental Health Act, the objectives of detention and any proposed timescales before improvement might be expected.
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel will publish its revised drafting guidance on GOV.UK in due course, and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. This guidance will reflect the Government’s position as set out in the Written Statement of 23 May 2022, Official Report, HCWS47.
The 2019 Guide to Gender-Neutral Drafting is not a Government publication. It was produced for an external seminar, and although based on guidance of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, it was not published by them. Stonewall was not consulted in relation to either publication.
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel will publish its revised drafting guidance on GOV.UK in due course, and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. This guidance will reflect the Government’s position as set out in the Written Statement of 23 May 2022, Official Report, HCWS47.
The 2019 Guide to Gender-Neutral Drafting is not a Government publication. It was produced for an external seminar, and although based on guidance of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, it was not published by them. Stonewall was not consulted in relation to either publication.
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel will publish its revised drafting guidance on GOV.UK in due course, and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. This guidance will reflect the Government’s position as set out in the Written Statement of 23 May 2022, Official Report, HCWS47.
The 2019 Guide to Gender-Neutral Drafting is not a Government publication. It was produced for an external seminar, and although based on guidance of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, it was not published by them. Stonewall was not consulted in relation to either publication.