Nickie Aiken

The City of London has brought this matter to the Department's attention. The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL)'s review of Local Government Ethical Standards made a number of recommendations that relate to disclosable pecuniary interests. Ministers are considering the CSPL's report and recommendations and will issue the government response in due course.

The Government believes that the current daylight-saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK.

We have provided an unprecedented package of financial support since March 2020 to businesses, including those in the weddings sector. We keep this regularly under review, through discussions with HM Treasury.

We have provided an unprecedented package of financial support since March 2020 to businesses, including those in the weddings sector. We keep this regularly under review, through discussions with HM Treasury.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister addressed the nation on Monday 23 November setting out Government’s COVID-19 Winter Plan. The COVID-19 Winter Plan sets out that the current national restrictions will be lifted on 2 December. Close Contact Services can open in all tiers.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister addressed the nation on Monday 23 November setting out Government’s COVID-19 Winter Plan. The COVID-19 Winter Plan sets out that the current national restrictions will be lifted on 2 December. Close Contact Services can open in all tiers.

The government recognises the significant cultural and economic value of cinemas, and has supported them through both sector-specific and economy-wide measures during the COVID-19 crisis.

In the first round of the £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund, more than 200 independent cinemas have so far received funding. As of 25 January 2021, £16.6m has been awarded from the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas, managed by the British Film Institute on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This is from the £30m pot allocated as part of the Fund’s first round.

We have agreed a thorough and robust assessment process for the Fund and are confident in the process established to support the sector. The BFI are continuing to process and assess a small number of outstanding applications, so we cannot confirm the final round one award total at this stage.

Further to this funding, we announced in December that cinemas will be able to apply to a pot of up to £14 million in grants as part of the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund in 2021. This will support cinemas as they transition back to a viable and sustainable operating model from April to June 2021.

In addition to the Culture Recovery Fund, cinemas have also benefited from economy-wide measures including the VAT cut on tickets and concessions, a business rates holiday, access to Bounce Back Loans, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Local Restrictions Support Grants.

As of 11 December, £1 billion worth of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund has been allocated across all four nations of the UK. That includes:

• Direct support to national institutions and the Devolved Administrations, who have received £188 million through the Barnett formula;

• Over £500million in recovery grants to almost 3000 arts and heritage organisations in England;

• Over £100million in capital grants;

• And over £160million in generous repayable finance to some of our most iconic national institutions

Some capital awards and independent cinema recovery grant awards are still to be allocated - this will happen over the coming weeks.

Additionally, a second round of funding was announced on 11 December, which utilises the remaining Culture Recovery Fund funding. There will be over £300m available in grants delivered by DCMS’ delivery partners, and £100m of repayable finance delivered by Arts Council England specifically.

Further information on this will be available shortly.

The Culture Recovery Fund has so far awarded grants to over 2000 cultural organisations, both big and small, with more funding to be awarded in the coming weeks.

This is public money, so rigorous criteria have rightly been applied to ensure we are supporting organisations that have national and local importance, and those that play a key role in the levelling up agenda. Criteria included applicants being able to show that they have a sustainable, viable plan and that this funding would help them to continue trading. The Arm’s Length Bodies delivering the funding (Arts Council England, British Film Institute, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England) are confident they have applied them in all decision making.

In addition, the independent Culture Recovery Board, chaired by Sir Damon Buffini, was created to increase assurance over the delivery of the Culture Recovery Fund programme, and to bring a range of external expertise across culture, heritage, creative industries and museums sectors to support decision making. The board members' role is to offer regional, sectoral and commercial expertise and to bring rigour to decision-making.

The split of organisations who have already been allocated funding demonstrates a balanced picture across regions. The last round of funding was announced on 7 November and allocated over £33 million to 170 arts and heritage organisations, of which 70% was allocated outside London.

We are aware that there are calls for a Government backed insurance scheme for live events. I am grateful for the evidence provided and I know DCMS and Treasury colleagues are monitoring the situation together with the sector.

We are continuing to meet with live events stakeholders to provide support and guidance for venues to re-open and stage live events.

The UK fully supports the Beijing Treaty on Audio-Visual Performances (BTAP) and signed it on 11 June 2013. The UK has now left the EU, and the Government will consider when and how to ratify and implement BTAP as part of its future policy agenda. Any future changes to UK legislation in this area will need to be subject to public consultation and impact assessment.

We expect all universities to continue to deliver excellent learning, in line with guidance from the Office for Students (OfS), to provide students with a full experience. The OfS, as regulator of Higher Education in England, will be monitoring to ensure this is the case, and universities should be open about what students can expect.

As autonomous institutions, it is for HE providers to determine their own provision, taking account of government guidance. However, as we have now lifted restrictions on HE, providers should not be limiting access to face-to-face teaching based on COVID-19 controls.

Online learning should only be offered to enhance the student experience, not detract from it, by making learning more accessible for students, including those who cannot yet attend face-to-face lectures. It should not be used as a cost cutting measure.

Any policies and terms, or changes to existing policies and terms, must be clearly communicated to students. If students have concerns, they should first raise them with their HE provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at HE providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider their complaint.

This government abhors antisemitism and has been clear that we expect universities to be at the forefront of tackling the challenge of antisemitism, making sure that higher education is a genuinely fulfilling and welcoming experience for everyone.

The government has asked all English higher education providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The IHRA definition is an important tool in tackling antisemitism. Adopting this widely recognised definition sends a strong signal that higher education providers take these issues seriously. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote to higher education leaders most recently in October 2020 to reiterate the importance of the definition and to urge all providers to consider adopting it.

The government is pleased to report that at least 91 providers have now adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, with many more preparing to adopt. The decision on adoption of the definition rests with individual providers, but the government will continue to urge them to adopt the definition, and ensure that higher education is a genuinely fulfilling and welcoming experience for everyone.

I am proud that so many providers have taken a positive step towards eradicating antisemitism by adopting the IHRA definition, but further progress is still needed to stamp it out. This is why, in the Secretary of State’s most recent strategic guidance letter to the OfS, the government asked the OfS to undertake a scoping exercise, to identify providers which are reluctant to adopt the definition. The letter asked them to consider introducing mandatory reporting of antisemitic incident numbers by providers, with the aim of ensuring a robust evidence base, which the OfS can then use to effectively regulate in this area.

The Secretary of State also asked the OfS to ensure that, if antisemitic incidents do occur at a provider, they should consider if it is relevant in a particular case whether the provider has adopted the IHRA definition when considering what sanctions, including monetary penalties, would be appropriate to apply.

We will continue to work across government to ensure that racism and religious hatred of any kind is not tolerated anywhere, including in our world-leading universities.

This government abhors antisemitism and has been clear that we expect universities to be at the forefront of tackling the challenge of antisemitism, making sure that higher education is a genuinely fulfilling and welcoming experience for everyone.

The government has asked all English higher education providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The IHRA definition is an important tool in tackling antisemitism. Adopting this widely recognised definition sends a strong signal that higher education providers take these issues seriously. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote to higher education leaders most recently in October 2020 to reiterate the importance of the definition and to urge all providers to consider adopting it.

The government is pleased to report that at least 91 providers have now adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, with many more preparing to adopt. The decision on adoption of the definition rests with individual providers, but the government will continue to urge them to adopt the definition, and ensure that higher education is a genuinely fulfilling and welcoming experience for everyone.

I am proud that so many providers have taken a positive step towards eradicating antisemitism by adopting the IHRA definition, but further progress is still needed to stamp it out. This is why, in the Secretary of State’s most recent strategic guidance letter to the OfS, the government asked the OfS to undertake a scoping exercise, to identify providers which are reluctant to adopt the definition. The letter asked them to consider introducing mandatory reporting of antisemitic incident numbers by providers, with the aim of ensuring a robust evidence base, which the OfS can then use to effectively regulate in this area.

The Secretary of State also asked the OfS to ensure that, if antisemitic incidents do occur at a provider, they should consider if it is relevant in a particular case whether the provider has adopted the IHRA definition when considering what sanctions, including monetary penalties, would be appropriate to apply.

We will continue to work across government to ensure that racism and religious hatred of any kind is not tolerated anywhere, including in our world-leading universities.

It is important for schools and colleges to have the freedom to decide what support to offer pupils based on their particular needs and drawing on an evidence base of effective practice. Our survey of mental health provision in schools and colleges in 2016 and 2017 found that 61% of schools and colleges (56% of primary schools, 84% of secondary schools and 93% of colleges) reported offering a counselling service for their pupils.

The department have published guidance on how to put in place effective school-based counselling, which schools can use to identify where further counselling support is appropriate for their pupils. The guidance is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools.

As children and young people return to school and college, staff need to be equipped to understand that some pupils may be experiencing feelings, such as anxiety, stress or low mood, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, that these are normal responses to an abnormal situation, and how to respond.

From September, the government is investing £8 million to launch the new Wellbeing for Education Return training programme, which will provide schools and colleges all over England with the knowledge and practical skills they need to support teachers, students and parents, to help improve how they respond to the emotional impact of the COIVD-19 outbreak. The programme is providing £8 million to local authorities to enable schools and colleges in England to have access to training during the autumn and spring terms, and expert advisers who will be able to support schools and colleges and can make links to available local authority provision, including counselling.

We have worked hard to ensure that all pupils and learners were able to return to a full
high-quality education programme in September. Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package, with £650 million shared across schools over the 2020-21 academic year, is supporting education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place.

In further education, the department has provided £5.4 million of competitive grant funding to certain colleges through the College Collaboration Fund. Five of the projects funded support student and staff mental health and wellbeing through online programmes and remote support.

Outside of school and college, access to mental health support has been more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. Leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. During Mental Health Awareness Week, the government also announced that a further
£4.2 million will be awarded to mental health charities, including the Samaritans, Young Minds, and Bipolar UK.

All NHS mental health trusts have ensured that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. Public Health England and Health Education England have also developed advice and guidance for parents and professionals on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.

In the long-term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS England. This includes introducing new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

Not all external candidates will be able to be awarded a calculated grade this summer because some will not have been in a position to provide sufficient evidence to enable their exam centre to include them in their centre assessment grades and rankings. The Department has therefore announced that there will be an opportunity for these and other students to sit exams in the autumn. Following Ofqual’s consultation on this autumn series, it has been confirmed that students will be able to sit exams in all subjects at A, AS level and GCSE.

Ofqual has also asked university and college representatives associations to consider the steps that universities and colleges could take when making admissions decisions this summer for any external candidates who do not receive a grade. They have said that they believe institutions will consider a range of other evidence and information for these students to allow them to progress wherever possible.

a) Victoria Tower Gardens, the location of the proposed Holocaust Memorial, is located within Flood Zone 3 but is protected by the Thames Tidal flood defences up to a 1 in 1000 (0.1%) chance in any year flood event. However, the Environment Agency’s most recent breach hazard modelling study shows the site to be impacted by flooding if there was to be a breach in the defences or they were to be overtopped.

The applicant has satisfactorily demonstrated that the structural integrity of the wall can be maintained throughout the construction phase of the development and that a continuous monitoring plan will be in place to identify any unacceptable movement within the wall together with contingency actions. The Environment Agency has requested that the requirements of the monitoring plan be secured by way of planning condition.

b) The Environment Agency’s modelling highlights that a breach in the tidal flood defences, while a low probability, could have an impact due to the depth and velocity of the flood water, increasing risk to life. The applicant, in discussion with the Local Authority’s Local Emergency Planning team, should asses the risks of internal flooding, access and exits of the building as part of a Flood Emergency Plan.

The Environment Agency does not assess or approve the adequacy of flood emergency response procedures accompanying development proposals as it does not carry out these roles during a flood.

a) The Flood Risk Assessment required under paragraph 163 of the National Planning Framework, together with other associated assessments submitted by the applicant, has satisfactorily demonstrated that the integrity of the flood defence can be maintained throughout construction. This is subject to the actions of a detailed monitoring plan outlined within the application.

b) The applicant has demonstrated, through design and loading calculations, that the proposal will not preclude the requirement to raise the flood defences in the future as required by the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan.

It should be noted that while it may be impacted by this proposal, the flood defence is outside of the application boundary and will require cooperation between the applicant and the riparian owner to ensure that a continuous defence is maintained at all times.

a) The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee as outlined in the Development Management Procedure Order (DMPO) 2015. The Environment Agency formulates its response based on evidence and the requirements set out in the National Planning Policy Framework and associated Planning Practice Guidance (Flood Risk and Costal Change). This was created by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

b) Within the Thames Estuary, a complex network of defences, including nine major barriers, around 330km of walls and embankments, and more than 900 other structures (such as flood gates, outfalls and pumps), work together to protect over 1.4 million people and £321 billion worth of property from tidal flooding.

The current tidal flood defences protect to a one in 1000 year flood event. To meet the challenge of climate change and sea level rises, the Thames Estuary 2100 plan details the requirements to raise flood defences in order to protect homes and businesses.

SPS controls on animals and animal products imported into GB from the EU are being introduced in stages. From April, Port Health Authorities (PHA) will be required to carry out remote documentary checks on POAO, with physical and identity checks on animal products being carried out at BCPs from 1 July 2021.

Defra has provided £14 million funding to 21 local authorities in England to support PHAs with the recruitment and training of over 500 new staff. Defra continues to work closely with PHAs to develop the necessary training and guidance needed to deliver SPS controls on the import of animal products, and has a dedicated team in place to provide tailored support.

DFID is engaging with civil society partners to understand the delivery and operational challenges they face as a result of COVID-19. We will work collaboratively with civil society partners in receipt of DFID funding to find pragmatic solutions to support both our partners and continuation of our programmes where appropriate.

The COVID-19 response will continue to develop rapidly, and we are assessing and monitoring the overall financial health of supply partners to identify organisations we believe are at risk due to COVID-19.

We will deliver a comprehensive COVID-19 response through programming to support the global health and economic response, funding for further vaccine development, preparing for the recovery phase and leadership within the international community.

DFID’s approach, in line with the government’s overall approach, is to work collaboratively with partners, including UK based international charities, to find flexible solutions that maintain delivery of essential programmes as far as possible. This applies across grants and contracts, and we are working hard to develop more comprehensive guidance for our partners in these areas.

DFID Smart Rules and programme delivery processes are kept under constant review to ensure that they are appropriate, both for partners and in meeting our responsibilities for spending public money.

The UK is playing a leading role in the global response to COVID-19. The UK has, so far, pledged £744 million of UK aid to help end this pandemic as quickly as possible. In addition, we are urgently redirecting existing support and programmes to be more responsive to COVID-19.

The UK continues to work with international partners, including the United Nations and its agencies, to ensure aid reaches those most in need. We are providing expert advice to governments and international partners to act quickly to assess how and where social protection or humanitarian cash systems could be best used to support an efficient, coordinated response. We are prioritising inclusion across this support and ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable, including people with disabilities, are central to our discussions with partners and governments.

Through DFID’s co-chairing role for the Global Action on Disability (GLAD) donor Network, DFID is pushing for a coordinated response to COVID-19 by GLAD members, comprising of bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations and the private sector.

Preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG), including conflict-related sexual violence, is a priority for DFID. The FCO leads HMG’s work on this important agenda through the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). DFID contributes towards PSVI’s objectives through investing in evidence revealing both the scale of the problem and effective interventions to prevent it. This has shown that violence is preventable.

In communities in the DRC, a project with faith leaders and community action groups resulted in domestic violence halving from 70% to 30% in less than three years, while conflict-related sexual violence reduced from 21% to just 4%. We are sharing this evidence across Government and with international partners to encourage increased investment globally in effective approaches to tackle sexual violence.

In November 2019, the Secretary of State announced a new £67.5 million programme to scale up interventions to prevent VAWG across development and humanitarian contexts, and to continue expanding the evidence base as a global public good.

The UK is also a leading member of the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies – a global initiative working to drive system change to protect women and girls in emergency situations.

The Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) is designed to assist UK companies in learning about overseas tradeshows and how they can be used to help a business’s export development plans.

The Department for International Trade is currently reviewing TAP and looking at a number of possible changes to the support it will offer in the future.

The Government’s negotiating objectives, published 2nd March, included an impact assessment on the environmental implications of a UK-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA.) We are clear that we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.

Recently, the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) launched the Trade and Agriculture Commission, an advisory group that will provide recommendations to the government. The Commission will help further ensure that the UK’s trade policy fully considers our agricultural industry, including our commitment to maintain our high standards.

International travel is now governed by a new traffic light system. Health measures at the border, after arrival, will vary depending on whether travelling from a green, amber or red country. The decision to implement additional border measures is in direct response to scientific and medical data, which represents an increased risk to UK public health and an increased risk of community transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern identified in those countries. There are a range of border measures in place to protect the UK from the importation of coronavirus and variants of concern (VoCs). These are intended to be temporary measures and the government keeps data for countries and territories under constant review.

We have made enormous progress this year in tackling the pandemic across Britain. That progress has been hard won and it is important that we don't risk undermining it now. International travel is vital. It connects families who have been kept apart, boosts businesses and underpins the UK economy. It is absolutely essential that any steps we take now, lay the groundwork for a sustainable return to travel, as the situation improves globally.

The government has however put in place measures to reduce the impact of border measures on families. For arrivals who have not been in a red-list country in the previous 10 days children are required to self-isolate, however they can do so in the family home and may also move between family homes during that period of isolation. For managed quarantine facilities, family groups will be able to quarantine together as long as the hotel is able to accommodate them. This includes couples and parents with children.

The Department has been clear that airlines and travel agents should not deny consumers their legal right to a refund, if it is requested and this should be done in a timely manner. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) undertook a review of the refund policies of all UK airlines, as well as a number of international airlines that operate flights to and from the UK. The CAA has utilised this review to influence airlines to change their processes and practices in order to improve performance in providing refunds. The CAA’s actions have led to an improved quality of service and performance from most airlines. The CAA continues to work with carriers to drive down waiting times, but balancing the support businesses need during this unprecedented situation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a number of challenges. The department is keen to work with the regulator, industry and consumer groups to learn lessons from pandemic, to make changes that are practicable and deliverable.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates determine the maximum amount of housing benefit or universal credit housing costs available for renters in the private rented sector. LHA rates were increased in April 2020 to the 30^th percentile of local market rents costing almost £1 billion and providing 1.5 million claimants with around £600 more housing support per year than they would otherwise have received.

At the same time, we increased the national maximum caps, ensuring all rates including those in central and inner London received an increase. This year the monthly Central London rates were increased by:

In 2021/22 all LHA rates will be maintained at their increased level, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector will continue to benefit from the significant increase in the rates applied this year.

Paper based reviews have always been a feature of Personal Independence Payment assessments and Work Capability Assessments and wherever possible Assessment Providers will conduct a paper-based review. Telephone-based assessments for suitable cases are a temporary measure replacing face-to-face assessments, which were suspended across all health and disability benefits from 17 March due to Covid-19. We are currently in the process of reviewing this measure in light of the latest public health advice and will confirm next steps as soon as possible.

Vaccines administered in France can already be recorded in vaccination records and displayed in the NHS COVID Pass. English residents vaccinated in France should contact their general practitioner or 119 to book an appointment at a regional vaccination centre to record their vaccinations through the National Immunisation Management Service. There are currently seven sites capable of reviewing vaccination evidence with an additional 13 pending. Further expansion of the service is planned in due course.

The NHS Long Term Plan (2019) sets out a systematic approach to reducing health inequalities and addressing unwarranted variation in care by targeting a higher share of funding towards geographies with high health inequalities than would have been allocated using solely the core needs formulae. As a condition of receiving Long Term Plan funding, all major national programmes and every local area across England is required to set out specific measurable goals and mechanisms by which they will contribute to narrowing health inequalities by 2029.

On 1 October, we launched the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Reducing health disparities is one of the core aims of the office and it will set out its plans for delivering on this objective in due course

To improve equity for mothers and babies from Black, Asian and Mixed ethnic groups, NHS England and NHS Improvement published ‘Equity and Equality: Guidance for Local Maternity Systems’ on 6 September, which can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/equity-and-equality-guidance-for-local-maternity-systems/

This guidance asks Local Maternity Systems (LMS) to produce an equity and equality analysis (covering health outcomes, community assets and staff experience) by 30 November 2021; and to co-produce an action plan to improve equity for mothers and babies from minority ethnic and other backgrounds, and race equality for NHS maternity staff by 28 February 2022. The guidance is supported by a £6.8 million investment.

LMS are being asked to include four interventions to prevent avoidable deaths of babies in their action plans: (1) targeted and enhanced continuity of carer with 75% of women from Black, Asian and Mixed ethic groups receiving continuity of carer by 2024 and additional midwifery time to support women from the most deprived areas, (2) smoke-free pregnancy pathways for mothers and their partners, (3) breastfeeding strategies to improve breastfeeding rates for women living in the most deprived areas, and (4) culturally-sensitive genetics services for consanguineous couples. The guidance is supported by a £6.8 million investment, which will support Local Maternity Systems to implement Equity and Equality Action Plans and implement targeted and enhanced Continuity of Carer.

No assessment has been made.

Since requirements were introduced for international travel testing, the costs of travel testing have fallen significantly. The Government is committed to working with the travel industry and private testing providers to reduce the cost of travel testing whilst also ensuring travel is as safe as possible. NHS Test and Trace tests are priced at the mid-market level. We offer deferred payment plans and hardship support for people who cannot afford to pay for the cost of managed quarantine and testing. In some circumstances this may be available to those who are not in receipt of income related benefits.

The Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Office of the Chief Dental Officer on contractual arrangements for 2021/22 onwards. An announcement will be made shortly.

The Department has no current plans to assess the units of dental activity (UDA) allocation for urgent dental treatment.

Contractual arrangements for the first six months of the 2021/22 financial year have been introduced by NHS England and NHS Improvement. The revised UDA threshold set at 60% is based on data that indicates practices may now have capacity to safely achieve more dental activity. Arrangements will be monitored on a monthly basis and are expected to be in place for six months in order to provide increased stability for dental practices. National Health Service commissioners have the discretion to make exceptions, for instance in cases where a dental practice has been impacted by staff being required to self-isolate.

The position of the UK Government has remained constant since April 1950, when the UK extended de jure recognition to the State of Israel, but withheld recognition of sovereignty over Jerusalem pending a final determination of its status. We recognise Israel's 'de facto authority' over West Jerusalem. But in line with Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) and subsequent Council resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as under Israeli military occupation.

A final determination of the status of Jerusalem should be sought as part of a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. It must ensure Jerusalem is a shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states, with access and religious rights of both peoples respected.

The UK has placed girls' education, and broader gender equality at the heart of our G7 Presidency. We have set out two ambitious global objectives to get 40 million more girls into school, and 20 million more girls reading by age 10 in the next 5 years. We are using our G7 Presidency to rally others behind these objectives, and stand up for every girl's right to 12 years of quality education.

A well-funded Global Partnership for Education (GPE) will be central to delivering these global objectives, especially in securing education financing from developing countries' domestic budgets. We look forward to hosting the Global Education Summit to refinance GPE with the Government of Kenya in July. Details of the UK's next contribution to GPE will be announced in due course.

The UK has placed girls' education, and broader gender equality at the heart of our G7 Presidency. We have set out two ambitious global objectives to get 40 million more girls into school, and 20 million more girls reading by age 10 in the next 5 years. We are using our G7 Presidency to rally others behind these objectives, and stand up for every girl's right to 12 years of quality education.

A well-funded Global Partnership for Education (GPE) will be central to delivering these global objectives, especially in securing education financing from developing countries' domestic budgets. We look forward to hosting the Global Education Summit to refinance GPE with the Government of Kenya in July. Details of the UK's next contribution to GPE will be announced in due course.

The UK Government remains committed to supporting maternal and child health interventions as part of our manifesto commitment to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030.

Globally we are working with agencies such as the WHO, GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Financing Facility to support governments to strengthen health systems in affected countries, provide technical assistance, improve quality of care and immunise children.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to working with others to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns, and children by 2030.

Since 2000, UK aid has helped immunise over 760 million children, saving over 13 million lives. Our commitment of up to £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will help immunise a further 300 million children over the next 5 years. As we have set out in the Integrated Review, we will also prioritise supporting health systems, which are at the heart of the fight to end preventable deaths.

The SEISS provides generous support to the self-employed, including freelancers who meet the eligibility criteria. Freelancers who are ineligible for the SEISS are likely to be those who receive less than half of their income from self-employment. The design of the SEISS, including the eligibility, requires that an individual’s trading profits must be at least equal to their non-trading income. This is intended to target support at those who need it the most, and who are most reliant on their self-employment income.

People ineligible for the SEISS on the basis of these criteria may be eligible for other elements of the substantial package of support available.

The CJRS has been available to all employers with a PAYE system and all employees on PAYE regardless of their employment contract. As such, freelancers and those on short term contracts could be eligible for the CJRS if they are on PAYE and meet the eligibility criteria.

The Government has published guidance on eligibility for the business rates holiday for retail, hospitality and leisure properties.

It is for Local Authorities to implement any reliefs and make decisions on eligibility in line with that guidance.

The Government has provided a comprehensive economic response that is one of the most generous globally, including very substantial steps to protect jobs. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has helped to pay the wages of people in 9.9 million jobs across the country, providing £46.4bn worth of support as of 13 December. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has received claims from 2.7 million self-employed workers, amounting to £13.7bn as of 13 December.

The Government will set out the next phase of the plan to tackle the virus and support jobs at Budget 2021.

The end date for new applications under Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) has already been extended several times, ensuring businesses have more time to make loan applications, supporting them through the pandemic. The Government is continuing to work to introduce a new, successor loan guarantee scheme, set to begin in early April, following the closure of the existing schemes to new applicants on 31 March 2021.

In order to give the smallest businesses further support and flexibility in making their repayments for BBLS, the Chancellor has announced “Pay as You Grow” (PAYG) options. PAYG will give businesses the option to repay their BBLS facility over ten years. This will reduce businesses’ average monthly repayments on the loan by almost half. Businesses will also have the option to move temporarily to interest-only payments for periods of up to six months (an option which they can use up to three times), or to pause their repayments entirely for up to six months. Given the continued challenges businesses are facing, the Government has opted to make the full repayment holiday available to borrowers from the first repayment meaning a borrower would be able to make no repayments for 18 months from taking out their loan. If borrowers want to take advantage of this option, they should notify their lender when they are contacted about their repayments.

Furthermore, the Government has amended the CBILS rules to allow lenders to extend loan terms from six to a maximum of ten years at lenders’ discretion and where they judge that this will help borrowers repay their loan, helping them to reduce their monthly repayments.

There are 29 accredited lenders under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) including challenger banks and non-bank lenders (NBLs) who have played a vital role in providing 1.4 million businesses with financial support worth over £42 billion throughout the Covid crisis.

The Government position remains that it does not provide capital to financial institutions, who must source their own funding. Last year, the Treasury issued a Call for Evidence in order to explore a possible private-sector led funding model that would support accredited NBLs to access finance to participate in the BBLS. Based on the feedback we received, including the significant commercial challenges highlighted by both non-bank lenders and the banks, the Government decided not to pursue this funding solution any further. Notwithstanding that decision, we have made changes to allow the transfer and assignment of the Government guarantee for all government-guaranteed loan schemes loans, which is something that NBLs have requested, to support their ability to access funding from commercial partners.

It is possible for skilled professional childcare workers to be employed through the Skilled Worker route. This would require the salary to reach a sufficient threshold, along with the employment structure of such roles to be facilitated through a registered company, whom holds a valid sponsor licence.

In addition, there are other immigration routes which lead to general work rights in the UK, such as those who arrive under our family routes or our Youth Mobility Schemes (YMS). Although it should be noted our YMS is primarily an exchange system based on reciprocal arrangements, it is not intended as a one-way route to sourcing labour overseas.

While I recognise the importance of childcare for many people, immigration cannot be the first recourse for employers, especially at a time when many UK based workers are facing uncertainty due to the economic impact of the global pandemic. There are many childcare options available from within the resident labour market which should be considered in the first instance.

The UK will continue to welcome refugees through resettlement following the completion of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS). We continue to work closely with domestic and international partners on plans to complete the VPRS and to assess the UK’s capacity for resettlement activity, as we recover from the pandemic.

Resettlement will continue to play a primary role, alongside a reformed asylum system, which will see us continue to offer safe and legal routes to the UK for vulnerable people in need of protection.

The sponsorship system is designed to ensure employers fulfil specific duties to confirm those who apply for permission to enter or stay in the UK to work are eligible and will comply with the conditions of their visa.

Businesses are able to comply with these duties and demonstrate a verifiable track record of operating lawfully in the UK, both within the immigration system and the wider employer regulatory regime, in a way individuals or households cannot. Individuals cannot therefore be licensed to sponsor workers. This approach ensures the integrity of the immigration system from abuse and safeguards migrants from exploitative practices.

The Government recognises the negative impact this crime has on industry and the public, causing distress and disruption to victims. We continue to work closely with police and motor manufacturers through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, established by the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime and overseen by the Government’s Crime and Justice Taskforce, to understand what more can be done to tackle the theft of catalytic converters.

The Government is committed to reducing both the opportunity for these crimes to occur and the ability to profit from acquisitive crime. We are working with the police to identify where and how stolen goods are sold and are examining ways to ensure property is identifiable and traceable.

We are committed to providing funding to set up the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership, ensuring national co-ordination of policing and law enforcement partners to tackle metal theft. Through this, the partnership has already started sharing intelligence and providing training to police forces, and the partnership will also enable intelligence sharing between police and industry partners such as transport, power, and telecommunications, to target offenders and implement crime prevention measures.

The Home Office Guide on Firearms Licensing Law includes guidance on which firearms can currently be regarded as antique. The Guide can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/518193/Guidance_on_Firearms_Licensing_Law_April_2016_v20.pdf.

Since 2007, the number of antique firearms recovered in criminal circumstances has increased significantly as criminals have taken advantage of the lack of a legal definition of ‘antique firearm’ to obtain old, but functioning, firearms for use in crime.

That is why on 9 November, the draft Antique Firearms Regulations 2020 were laid before Parliament. They will define ‘antique firearm’ in law, thereby providing legal clarity on which firearms can safely be regarded as antique, and therefore exempt from most firearms controls, and those which must be subject to licensing.

We will further strengthen the controls by removing from the definition of ‘antique firearm’ seven cartridges which have regularly been used in crime. This will mean that firearms chambered for use with those seven cartridges will become subject to licensing. However, owners will be able to keep such firearms on a firearm certificate. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/policing-and-crime-bill-proposals-to-implement-legislation-to-define-antique-firearms.

Subject to the regulations being approved by Parliament, we will publicise the changes in the law on gov.uk and through the media. We are also working closely with representatives of collectors, museums, dealers and shooting organisations on other ways of reaching people – for example, through their websites and newsletters.