Patricia Gibson

We are carefully reviewing the feedback gathered from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, and a summary will be published in due course.

In Autumn 2021 we consulted on further proposed changes to the rules governing the commercial and non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets into Great Britain.

We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders in the animal welfare sector and a summary will be published in due course.

While no national Government can control the global factors pushing up the cost of energy, we will continue to support British farmers and crofters.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a price reduction to ensure that all businesses, including chemical companies, and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. Non-domestic customers do not need to take action or apply to the scheme – support will automatically be applied to bills.

HM Government is also supporting businesses to improve their energy efficiency by at least 20% by 2030. This could deliver up to £6 billion in cost savings by 2030.

We have extended the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme by three years and more than doubled its budget.

We have also provided these sectors with broader support, bringing forward half of this year’s BPS payment as an advance injection of cash to farm businesses. Payments will be paid in two instalments each year for the remainder of the agricultural transition period.

We have issued statutory guidance providing clarity to farmers on how they can use slurry and other manures during autumn and winter. We have delayed changes to the use of urea fertiliser until spring 2023 and introduced new slurry storage grants to help farmers comply with the Farming Rules for Water, reducing dependence on artificial fertilisers.

HM Government supports a competitive red meat sector and we are working closely with industry to ensure there is a long-term strategy for the sector's workforce.

The Skilled Worker route is open to all those eligible who wish to come to the UK to work in a skilled job they have been offered, including butchers in the red meat industry. This is coupled with an emphasis on employers investing in, and training, the domestic workforce. Defra is working with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to raise awareness of career opportunities within the food and farming sectors among the United Kingdom workforce. HM Government and industry have also established a new professional body for the farming industry: The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH). TIAH will enable the industry to drive greater uptake of skills, creating clear career development pathways, and promoting the sector as a progressive, professional, and attractive career choice.

As announced in the Government Food Strategy in June, HM Government has now commissioned an independent review which will consider how automation, domestic labour and migrant labour can contribute to tackling labour shortages in the food supply chain. The review will focus on farming, processing, and food and drink manufacturing as sectors which are critical for food production and food security.

There is no additional evidence pack for the Nature Recovery Green Paper. The initial proposals set out in the Nature Recovery Green Paper are based on publicly available evidence and advice from our experts. Alongside the Nature Recovery Green Paper, we published a summary of the HRA Review Working Group's findings, as well as guidance on regulation 9 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.

The Nature Recovery Green Paper consultation was published on 16 March and will run for 8 weeks, closing on 11 May.

The evidence reports and impact assessments for the Environmental Targets consultation are currently undergoing final assurance. The length of the consultation response period will be extended to reflect the length of delay in publishing the underlying evidence reports.

Our target is to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste over the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan, and we have already made good progress. We have introduced one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products, reduced sales of single-use carrier bags by over 95% in the main retailers through the 5p charge, and, since 1 October this year, have banned the supply of plastic straws, cotton buds, and stirrers, with exemptions. And we will not stop there. Next year we will extend the carrier bag charge to all retailers and increase the minimum charge to 10p, consult again on the introduction of a deposit-return scheme for drinks containers, and, from 2022, will introduce a tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled content.

Our landmark Environment Bill includes a number of measures that will enable us to further tackle plastic waste. These include measures to impose charges on single-use plastic items and make producers cover the costs of collecting and managing plastic packaging waste.

The Export Health Certificates (EHC) Online service has been available for trade with third countries since June 2020. It replaces the current manual process for applying for EHCs.

The 150 most frequently used third country EHCs (representing 80% of current throughput) are available via the EHC Online service. There will be further releases of third country EHCs on the online service before the end of 2020.

APHA plan to make EHCs for EU trade available via EHC Online from mid-October. This will offer traders visibility of the documentation they will be required to use at the end of the transition period.

The EHC Online service has been developed with the capability to meet future demand in export trade. Defra estimate that up to an additional 300,000 Export Health Certificates may be required annually to facilitate EU trade. The EHC Online system has been designed and stress tested to process transactions in excess of this.

The Government has increased the number of Official Veterinarians (OVs) holding the relevant qualification to certify exports of products of animal origin, including meat products, in Great Britain from approximately 600 in February 2019 to more than 1200 today. On 1 October 2020, we launched a new £200,000 funded training scheme to enhance OV capacity further. In parallel, we launched a £100,000 scheme to train Certification Support Officers (CSOs). CSOs can handle several preliminary and administrative tasks to prepare consignments for certification. This reduces the burden on OVs and Local Authority Certifying Officers. More than 100 CSOs have been authorised in GB to date.

To help traders prepare for changes to export arrangements for animals and products of animal origin (POAO) from 1 January 2021, we are hosting a series of webinars from mid-October. Specimen Export Health Certificates and accompanying guidance notes for trade between Great Britain and the EU have been made available on the GOV.UK website, to enable exporters and certifiers to familiarise themselves with the detailed requirements.

A Groupage Export Facilitation Scheme was developed in consultation with industry to help facilitate the export of certain commodities with complex but stable supply chains, including composite products, meat products and meat preparations, for use from 1 January 2021.

The Food Standards Agency is finalising its new guidance to the food industry covering which health and identification marks should be used on POAO after the end of the Transition Period. We anticipate that this will be published shortly.

The Government remains absolutely committed to ensuring consumers are protected when travelling by air. As announced in both the Global Travel Taskforce report in April, and the recent announcement on Regulatory reforms, we will consult on additional, flexible and modern tools to enforce consumer rights.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to make an application. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days. However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The latest information on turnaround times for paper applications can be found here.

The DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham to help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.

Work is ongoing to reduce the backlog of paper applications. There has been a particular focus on vocational driving licence applications to support the HGV driver shortage. This has been successful with vocational applications now back to normal turnaround times.

The DVLA understands the impact that delays can have on people’s everyday lives and continues to work as quickly as possible to process paper applications and return people’s documentation to them.

One year on from the publication of the Smart Motorway Safety Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan, National Highways (formerly Highways England) published a report which shows that in terms of fatality rates, smart motorways are the safest roads in the country. Per mile travelled, fatal casualty rates are a third higher on conventional motorways (0.16 per hundred million vehicle miles, hmvm) than on All Lane Running (ALR) motorways (0.12 per hmvm). Per mile travelled, fatal casualty rates on strategic road network A-roads (0.44 per hmvm) are more than three and a half times the rate on ALR motorways.

Tax is a matter reserved to HM Treasury and the Chancellor. The Department for Transport has therefore conducted no impact assessment on the vat treatment of electric vehicle charging.

During the current lockdown, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is offering a limited theory test and practical test service in England and Wales to NHS health and social care workers, emergency services and local council workers who need to both drive as part of their job and respond to 'threats to life' as part of their job. Mobile emergency workers who have a valid compulsory basic training (CBT) certificate and wish to apply for a motorcycle licence would also be eligible.

Mobile emergency worker tests cannot be currently offered in Scotland due to Covid restrictions set by the Scottish Government.

The DVSA will continue to offer mobile emergency worker tests once the current lockdown restrictions have been lifted, and will keep that service under review.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has measures in place to increase practical driving tests when it is safe for testing to resume. These include offering overtime and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, and conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays).

In addition, the DVSA has started a recruitment campaign to increase the number of examiners to increase testing capacity and reduce the backlog as quickly as possible, whilst maintaining a COVID-secure service for customers and examiners.

During the current lockdown, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is offering a limited theory test and practical test service in England and Wales to NHS health and social care workers, emergency services and local council workers who need to both drive as part of their job and respond to 'threats to life' as part of their job. Mobile emergency workers who have a valid compulsory basic training (CBT) certificate and wish to apply for a motorcycle licence would also be eligible.

Mobile emergency worker tests cannot be currently offered in Scotland due to Covid restrictions set by the Scottish Government.

The DVSA will continue to offer mobile emergency worker tests once the current lockdown restrictions have been lifted, and will keep that service under review.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has measures in place to increase practical driving tests when it is safe for testing to resume. These include offering overtime and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, and conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays).

In addition, the DVSA has started a recruitment campaign to increase the number of examiners to increase testing capacity and reduce the backlog as quickly as possible, whilst maintaining a COVID-secure service for customers and examiners.

In Scotland, The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 require the suspension of all driving tests and lessons in areas under protection level 4. Currently this includes all of mainland Scotland and the Western Isles. Therefore, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is not able to offer key worker tests in Scotland.

The DVSA is working with its theory test contract provider, Pearson VUE, to respond to requests for theory tests in England and Wales from organisations such as Ambulance Authorities on behalf of frontline mobile emergency workers who require a driving licence to carry out duties in their employment role.

The DVSA is in the process of planning for the resumption of services and increasing test capacity when it is safe to do so. Arrangements will be announced in due course.

The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place for road safety reasons; to ensure that a candidate’s knowledge is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.

It is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point that they drive unsupervised for the first time. Those with theory test certificates expiring may have taken their test in early 2019. Since then, their lessons and practice sessions will have been significantly curtailed during recent lockdowns and it is likely that their knowledge base will have diminished. Research suggests that this would be particularly harmful for hazard perception skills, a key factor in road safety.

Ensuring new drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the training of new drivers, who are disproportionality represented in casualty statistics. Taking all this into consideration, the decision has been made not to extend theory test certificates and learners will need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.

Government is committed to tackling climate change and delivering our net zero commitment and Ministers regularly discuss this with Cabinet colleagues.

Last week we announced that Tees Valley will be the UK’s first Hydrogen Transport Hub, bringing together industry, academia and government to accelerate UK’s take up of green hydrogen. This aligns with wider plans to driver forward progress by funding 19 new hydrogen powered refuse trucks in Glasgow and starting trials for Britain’s first hydrogen powered train. We are committed to exploring all the options for green hydrogen across freight, buses, trains, maritime and aviation and ensuring the UK can leads the world in its deployment and use in transport applications.

(a) The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has reconfigured one of its buildings to create additional space for contact centre staff and installed screens to maximise the number of staff answering calls. The contact centre’s opening hours have increased at weekends and will shortly be increasing during the working week.

(b) The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for driving tests. It has added extra call taking capacity to improve response rates. The practical driving test service is now open to all driving test candidates including key workers.

The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Safety Review Call for Evidence, published in March 2018, gathered information on how to tackle the safety issues that cyclists and pedestrians face, or perceive, when travelling on our roads, to support the Government’s aim of increasing cycling and walking.

The subsequent Government response set out a two-year plan of action which identified reviewing the guidance in The Highway Code to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians as a top priority. The review of The Highway Code is therefore a direct response to that action.

You may be aware that the UK has not placed restrictions on the transit and transfer of seafarers and I have written to the International Maritime Organisation, the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation on 23 March 2020, confirming that the UK will continue to meet its international obligations related to the transit and transfer of seafarers and highlighted that the UK is fully committed to the welfare of all seafarers regardless of their nationality, asking other States to follow this example.

I appreciate that restrictions remain in place, making it difficult for seafarers to reach their destination for crew change. I assure you that we are doing what we can to address those issues, working in partnership with industry, other Government Departments and overseas administrations to enable the freedom of movement needed to keep the industry operating.

I welcomed the framework recently developed by the International Chamber of Shipping and other organisations, which has been supported and circulated by the International Maritime Organisation and fully understands the need for safe crew changes around the world.

I am keen to see a resolution to this issue and understand that it is not possible to keep extending seafarers contracts, as this could have a detrimental impact on their health and well-being and potentially puts the flow of goods at risk. Whilst the safety and security of seafarers is the responsibility of the vessel’s operators, the Government is continuing to monitor the welfare of all UK seafarers and is working to support employers in their repatriation efforts for all non-essential staff.

There are two separate social security arrangements in place between the UK and Canada, made in 1995 and 1998. The UK Government has no plans to change the social security relationship with Canada.

The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is up-rated annually in countries where there is a legal requirement to do so. This is a longstanding policy, which has been supported by successive governments for over 70 years. The Government has no plans to change the policy.

The draft Bereavement Benefits Remedial Order proposes to extend Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance to cohabiting partners with dependant children. We are currently considering representations received on the proposals during the Orders first laying period. On conclusion, the Order will be laid for a second and final 60-day sitting period. This will be followed by debates in both Houses of Parliament before the proposals can become law. Due to the nature of the Parliamentary processes, we cannot say at this stage when the Order will come into force.

DWP is working closely on the implementation of the Order, and we will be updating the GOV.UK website at key points during the parliamentary process:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bereavement-benefits-proposal-for-implementation-of-the-mclaughlin-2018-and-jackson-2020-judgments

Around 1.4 million eligible pensioners across Great Britain receive some £5 billion in Pension Credit which tops up their retirement income and is a passport to other financial help such as support with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and a free TV licence for those over 75.

We continue to use every opportunity to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. For example, on 16 June as part of a media day of action on Pension Credit, DWP joined forces with Age UK as well as the BBC to help reach, via national and local media, older people who may be reticent about claiming it. More recently, on 7 September, I met the BBC Director General to discuss other opportunities to work together to get information about Pension Credit to pensioners and their family members. We have also set up a working group including organisations such as Age UK, Independent Age, the BBC and British Telecom to explore innovative ways to reach eligible pensioners. The most recent meeting of the working group took place on 19 October.

Earlier this year, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain received information about Pension Credit in the leaflet accompanying their annual State Pension up-rating letter. They will do so again next year.

There are no plans to review the existing Pension Credit backdating rules.

Retirement Services are currently experiencing a very high volume of enquiries, and it is taking us longer than usual to reply as we recover from the challenges of the pandemic.

DWP now triage enquiries giving priority to vulnerable claimants who may be at risk, and those with benefit payment issues.

We are reviewing the effectiveness of the approach we have taken throughout the pandemic and to improve our level of service we have introduced a bespoke Retirement Services mailbox for MP enquiries, improved our MP engagement at local level and are reviewing resourcing levels.

We are in the process of designing the future operating model for DWP complaints and correspondence. As part of this we will be looking for further opportunities to drive efficiency in the process whilst ensuring that vulnerable customers are prioritised.

On 15th July 2021, we laid the draft proposal for a Bereavement Benefits (2021) Remedial Order before Parliament. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bereavement-benefits-proposal-for-implementation-of-the-mclaughlin-2018-and-jackson-2020-judgments

This proposes to extend eligibility for Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment to surviving cohabitees with dependent children.

On 15th July 2021, we laid the draft proposal for a Bereavement Benefits (2021) Remedial Order before Parliament. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bereavement-benefits-proposal-for-implementation-of-the-mclaughlin-2018-and-jackson-2020-judgments

This proposes to extend eligibility for Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment to surviving cohabitees with dependent children.

Between 5 July and 9 August 2021, DWP Retirement Services are recruiting 183 new members of staff to enhance our resources to work on our State Pension teams. This will enable us to continue to deliver the very best level of service to our customers.

The department has not shared any guidance with the Home Office on the continued payment of Universal Credit (UC) to people (a) awaiting a decision on their EU Settled Status Application or (b) appealing a rejection of their EU Settled Status application.

I refer the honourable member of North Ayrshire and Arran to my previous response on this subject: UIN 19715

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on the 24^th February 2021 to question number 155395.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues, including the Home Secretary, on a range of issues.

The Department is confident in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) world-leading regulatory regime, for publicly funded medicines and others. There are no current plans for a review of regulatory measures on the use of medicines developed and produced with public funding.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cardiac risk in young adults. 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.

The Government has established a cross-Government bereavement working group and is committed to working with the voluntary sector, including the UK Commission on Bereavement, to assess how further support can be provided to those who have been bereaved. We are also working with the National Institute of Health and Care Research on research into the barriers that prevent minority ethnicity groups from accessing bereavement services. We expect the findings of this research in 2024.

In addition, NHS England have developed statutory guidance to support integrated care boards in their duty to commission palliative care services within integrated care systems which states that commissioners should ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement services.

The Government has established a cross-Government bereavement working group and is committed to working with the voluntary sector, including the UK Commission on Bereavement, to assess how further support can be provided to those who have been bereaved. We are also working with the National Institute of Health and Care Research on research into the barriers that prevent minority ethnicity groups from accessing bereavement services. We expect the findings of this research in 2024.

In addition, NHS England have developed statutory guidance to support integrated care boards in their duty to commission palliative care services within integrated care systems which states that commissioners should ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement services.

We have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on improving health and wellbeing, including measures to reduce obesity.

No specific assessment has been made. However, this winter we are spending £55 billion to help households and businesses with their energy bills, amongst the largest support plans in Europe. A typical household will save around £900 this winter through the price guarantee in addition to the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme.

We are also spending £9.3 billion over the next five years on energy efficiency and clean heat, making homes easier and cheaper to heat. We will spend £26 billion in total on cost of living support next year, including the £900 cost of living payment for eight million poorer households.

We have also put in place the largest ever increase to the National Living Wage - for 2 million workers – taking it up to £10.42, which is worth over £1,600 a year to a full-time worker aged 23 and over.

Stocks of finasteride tablets currently remain available.

The Department works with NHS England, the devolved administrations, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry and others operating in the supply chain, to prevent shortages and expedite resupply where possible.

There have been no specific discussions.

The Department works with suppliers, NHS England, the devolved administrations, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and expedite resupply where possible to ensure that any risks to patients are minimised.

The Department is aware of a shortage of alfacalcidol one microgram capsules affecting one of three suppliers due to manufacturing delays. We understand that this issue is due to be resolved in November 2022. Two alternative suppliers hold stock of all strengths of alfacalcidol capsules with no anticipated supply issues.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In 2020/21, the NIHR’s expenditure on mental health research was approximately £109 million. The NIHR has recently invested an additional £30 million in a Mental Health Research Initiative to address the disparity between regional needs and mental health research activity. This has funded more than 100 new mental health projects in areas of unmet need across the NIHR’s research infrastructure. The NIHR is exploring the provision of further support to improve research capacity and capability in regions with low research activity and high unmet need. The NIHR’s funding is available through open competition and researchers are encouraged to submit applications in this area.

Our guidance will make clear that in most circumstances, people will not need to test. The Government will enable COVID-19 tests to be made available for those who wish to purchase them through the private market. We are working with retailers and pharmacies to establish the private market in testing and reducing the cost of private testing to ensure it is affordable.

Further details on which at-risk groups will be eligible for tests will be available in due course. We will keep the impact of these COVID-19 policies on people such as those who are immunocompromised under review.

On 14 September, we set out our plan to sustain the progress made in combatting the virus and prepare the country for future challenges.

The high level of vaccine protection has allowed us to live with COVID-19 without stringent restrictions. However, If the data suggests the National Health Service is likely to come under unsustainable pressure, the Government has prepared a Plan B.

The NHS is working to ensure appropriate operational plans are in place, including to meet potential increases in demand for emergency care.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the largest funder of mental health research in the United Kingdom, through the Department. The NIHR spent £93.4 million on mental health research in 2019/20. While it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions, the NIHR’s funding is available through open competition and it encourages researchers to submit applications, including for mental health research.

The managed quarantine package includes travel to and from the quarantine facility. We expect that passengers are transported back to the airport they were collected from when they arrived in England. Onward travel to other parts of the United Kingdom is not included within the quarantine package. The Department has on-site liaison officers within all facilities to ensure that any issues with transportation can be effectively dealt with.

Whilst NHS England and NHS Improvement have made no formal estimate, National Health Service organisations are responsible for their energy strategy, including responding to energy price changes. Where this occurs, organisations can reconsider their purchasing strategies by entering into longer term contracts for greater certainty of costs and reduce demand by upgrading existing inefficient systems. In addition, NHS organisations can increase their longer-term resilience by installing on-site renewable energy.

The Government has compensated departments and other public sector employers in England for the increased cost of the Levy, including National Health Service (NHS) England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) and provided Barnett consequentials on this funding to the devolved administrations.

The Autumn Budget set out that the cost of this across public sector employers is c. £1.7bn-£1.8bn a year overall. The amount the NHS will be compensated by will be proportional to the NHS paybill, and NHSE/I will prepare and communicate its allocations to individual organisations and service lines in due course.

The public inquiry into COVID-19 has not yet been set up and its terms of reference are not yet confirmed. The Department is undertaking the appropriate preparatory work ahead of the terms of reference for the inquiry being announced, for example on planning, staffing, and how the Department will work with other relevant partner organisations within the health and social care sector.

The benefits and risks of using mesh for hernia repair have been considered in detail by clinicians and the professional bodies who represent them and there remains a clinical need for these devices.

The requirements of the medical device regulations are such that the manufacturer of the medical device must hold all relevant scientific and clinical evidence to demonstrate the safety and performance of their device before they can place the product on the market. For these types of devices, they must then obtain certification from an independent third-party conformity assessment body who will undertake a full review of all the manufacturers data and how it supports the claims being made. Once they are satisfied that the device is safe and performs as expected they will issue a certificate to the manufacturer confirming that they device complies with the regulations.

A UK-wide Medical Device Information System (MDIS) is being developed. We intend to begin a formal public consultation on the MDIS regulations later this year with the aim of laying the regulations in due course, subject to parliamentary time.

No such discussions have taken place or are planned to be held in the near future.

Competent Authorities responsible for the application of the health mark, are aware of the new form of the mark to be applied after the 31 December 2020 and have already taken steps to ensure new health marks are available to officials working in United Kingdom approved slaughterhouses.

The latest guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends two prescription medicines - Sativex – for the treatment of spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis patients, and Epidyolex – for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy. These are licensed cannabis-based products, which may be prescribed by specialist doctors, in cases where it is clinically appropriate and funded on the National Health Service in England. NICE is clear that there is a need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding decisions for unlicensed cannabis-based products on the NHS.

The National Health Service app and NHS website are being updated with relevant COVID-19 information throughout this pandemic, drawing on central guidance from the Cabinet Office, which has a cross-Government Guidance Coordination Team to ensure the most up-to-date and relevant information is made available, representing the latest scientific advice. All health and care content is driven through that process to our national products / platforms. In addition, the NHS website team continuously reviews content, both new and existing to reflect any changes in guidance or where required, to reflect ways the public can access health and care services during this crisis and take steps to limit the spread of infection.

The NHSX COVID-19 contact tracing app will assist with a well-established technique of contact tracing and works alongside the wider Test and Trace programme, which will help ease the lockdown in England and the rest of the United Kingdom. The NHS COVID-19 app provides proximity data for contact tracing - with the goal of slowing the spread of the virus by alerting people who may have been exposed to infection so they can take action to protect themselves, the people they care about and the NHS. We believe this could be important in helping the country return to normality, as we start to look to easing lockdown measures.

It is difficult to estimate the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19, since the majority of testing has been for those with medical need, for example for people who are unwell in hospital. The Government does not collect data on people who have mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 at home.

The latest available data on the number of COVID-19 cases can be viewed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, those that have recovered and those that have died.

On 12 March 2020 the Prime Minister announced that the COVID-19 response was moving from the contain to delay phase. This phase has been initiated as there is now community transmission of the virus in the United Kingdom, i.e. transmission not directly related to travel; this has made interventions in ports of less relative importance. With the shift to the delay phase and commensurate policy changes the Public Health England port health approach has changed to a ‘warn and inform focus’.

The UK Government remains concerned about reports of human rights violations in Colombia. We have raised our concerns with the relevant state actors over the past two weeks, and will continue to do so. Most recently, I spoke with acting Foreign Minister Adriana Mejía on 14 May to welcome Colombia's commitment to transparent investigations into allegations of abuse. We will continue to work closely with the UN Office of the High Representative for Human Rights in Colombia, and the wider international community to reduce tensions.

Colombia is a UK Government 'Human Rights Priority Country,' and we look to the Colombian authorities to investigate fully any excessive use of force, and take appropriate action against those responsible. The fundamental human right to peaceful assembly and association must be guaranteed.

The Government has discussed mobility arrangements across a number of areas as part of negotiations on our future relationship with the EU.

The EU has already legislated such that UK nationals will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This will apply from the end of the transition period to all UK nationals travelling to and within the Schengen area for purposes such as tourism.

This is the standard length of stay that the EU provides to the nationals of eligible third countries that offer visa-free travel access for EU citizens, in line with existing EU legislation.

As things stand, stays beyond the EU's 90/180 day visa-free allocation from 1 January 2021 onwards will be for individual Member States to decide and implement through domestic entry rules and visa arrangements for non-EU citizens. UK nationals will need to discuss the specifics of their situation with the relevant Member State authorities and should be prepared to provide any extra documentation that may be required.

We are deeply concerned that the death penalty verdicts imposed on Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa by Bahrain's Court of Cassation have been upheld. Lord Ahmad, who is the Minister of State responsible for human rights, reinforced this position in his tweet of 14 July. We have raised both cases at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. The Bahraini Government is fully aware that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.

Our assistance is designed to support Bahrain-led reform in areas including human rights. It is provided in line with international standards and fully complies with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process.

The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way.

The Adjusted Net Income threshold of £50,000 for the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) means that the Government continues to support the majority of Child Benefit claimants, whilst ensuring that the fiscal position remains sustainable. The Government therefore considers that the current threshold remains appropriate.

However, as with all elements of tax policy, the Government keeps this under review.

Pensions tax relief is one of the most expensive reliefs in the personal tax system. In 2020/21 Income Tax and employer National Insurance Contributions relief cost £67.3 billion. The annual and lifetime allowances help to ensure that the highest earning pension savers do not receive a disproportionate benefit. 99 per cent of pension savers make annual contributions below £40,000, the level of standard annual allowance.

All aspects of the tax system are kept under review as part of the annual Budget process, and in the context of the wider public finances.

We are fully committed to supporting the aviation industry as it is vital to our future as a global trading nation as well as playing an important role in local economies. In May 2022, the Government published Flightpath to the Future - our strategic framework for the sector to build back better, make UK aviation cleaner, greener and more competitive than ever before. It also explores key issues including workforce and skills, recovery, global impact, innovation and decarbonisation.

The Government considers it is vitally important that there are appropriate mechanisms in place to ensure the financial services regulators are accountable for all aspects of their performance.

The FCA is responsible for ensuring consumer protection for a broad range of financial services products. However, it does not regulate all financial services firms and products. Blackmore Bond Plc was not authorised by the FCA and the sale of the ‘mini-bond’ product it offered was not an activity regulated by the FCA.

Landlords are able to claim tax relief on finance costs (including mortgage interest payments) for their rental property at the basic rate of income tax.

From 2017, the Government phased in a set of reforms to restrict finance cost relief to the equivalent of the basic rate of income tax. This ensures fairness in the income tax system, as previously higher rate taxpayers received a more generous tax relief than those on lower incomes. The reforms mean that all landlords will now receive the same amount of relief. It also reduces the disparity in income tax treatment between homeowners and landlords.

The Government believes that only a small proportion of landlords will be affected by this measure. However, the Government will keep this under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.

The cohort of borrowers referred to in this question are so-called mortgage prisoners. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) review into mortgage prisoners, published in November 2021, found that the population of mortgage prisoners is varied and complex. There is no single measure to address all of the circumstances this population of mortgage holders face.

The Government has worked with the FCA to implement changes to its mortgage lending rules, removing the regulatory barrier that prevented some customers, who otherwise may have been able to switch, from accessing new products. Any further work on this issue must consider the practicality of solutions and their effects on the wider mortgage market, including the resilience of firms and fairness to other borrowers.

A cap on the Standard Variable Rates (SVRs) charged by inactive firms would be an unprecedented market intervention and would undermine the principle of risk-based pricing that underlies the mortgage market. It would entail risks to the financial stability of firms, who would be unable to vary their rates in line with their funding costs, and would be unfair to borrowers in the wider mortgage market who pay similar rates to mortgage prisoners. It is also important to note that the SVRs charged by inactive firms are in line with those paid by borrowers in the active market.

Ultimately, the pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders. However, if mortgage borrowers do fall into financial difficulty, FCA guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options. The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been established as an independent regulator responsible for the supervision and regulation of conduct in financial services. The FCA’s independence from Government does not mean it can act arbitrarily, rather it must operate within the framework of statutory duties and powers agreed by Parliament. As well as being required to operate within this framework, the FCA is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions.

This direct accountability to Parliament reflects the FCA’s statutory independence and the fact that it is solely responsible for everyday operational decisions without Government approval or direction, and so it is primarily accountable for them. The Government has no plans to support a cross-party parliamentary investigation into the FCA’s handling of issues relating to Azure Services Limited, as this would be a matter for Parliament. That notwithstanding, the Treasury plays an important role in holding the FCA accountable, including through engaging closely with the FCA across all levels of seniority.

The Government recognises the impact on consumers as a result of Azure Services’ business practices whilst it operated as a credit broker without the relevant Office of Fair Trading (OFT) licence and, later on, FCA authorisation. However, the Government notes the decision by Barclays Partner Finance to refund over £210m to customers who took out a loan following an introduction by Azure Services. Barclays Partner Finance is currently putting in place the necessary arrangements for this programme of remediation and has committed to contact impacted customers before the end of the year to set out the next steps.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been established as an independent regulator responsible for the supervision and regulation of conduct in financial services. The FCA’s independence from Government does not mean it can act arbitrarily, rather it must operate within the framework of statutory duties and powers agreed by Parliament. As well as being required to operate within this framework, the FCA is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions.

This direct accountability to Parliament reflects the FCA’s statutory independence and the fact that it is solely responsible for everyday operational decisions without Government approval or direction, and so it is primarily accountable for them. The Government has no plans to support a cross-party parliamentary investigation into the FCA’s handling of issues relating to Azure Services Limited, as this would be a matter for Parliament. That notwithstanding, the Treasury plays an important role in holding the FCA accountable, including through engaging closely with the FCA across all levels of seniority.

The Government recognises the impact on consumers as a result of Azure Services’ business practices whilst it operated as a credit broker without the relevant Office of Fair Trading (OFT) licence and, later on, FCA authorisation. However, the Government notes the decision by Barclays Partner Finance to refund over £210m to customers who took out a loan following an introduction by Azure Services. Barclays Partner Finance is currently putting in place the necessary arrangements for this programme of remediation and has committed to contact impacted customers before the end of the year to set out the next steps.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer that was given on 25 February 2022 to UIN 127486.

The Government sets the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) rates to minimise administrative burdens.

Organisations are not required to use the AMAPs rates. Instead, they can agree to reimburse the actual cost incurred, where individuals can provide evidence of the expenditure, without an Income Tax or National Insurance charge arising.

Alternatively, they can choose to pay a different mileage rate that better reflects their employees’ circumstances. However, if the payment exceeds the amount due under AMAPs, and this results in a profit for the individual, they will be liable to pay Income Tax and National Insurance contributions on the difference.

The Government keeps this policy under review.

There are certain situations where a third party will be responsible for the bill (and be named on it). In this situation, any electricity charges are then passed onto the end user, typically through an all-inclusive rent (in the case of a landlord/tenant) or ‘pitch’ charges, e.g. for a park home.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will explore this issue further, including by gathering further information via the government consultation.

Under the Warm Home Discount, currently suppliers have the option to spend up to £40 million per year on Industry Initiatives. Industry Initiatives provide valuable support to vulnerable households, including those not eligible for the rebate. The Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme is one such initiative, where customers can apply for a rebate if they live in a park home. Last summer Government consulted on reforms to the Warm Home Discount, including making Industry Initiatives mandatory from 2022/23.

The Chancellor speaks to his colleagues on a regular basis about a range of matters.

Ultimately the best way to support aviation and the wider travel sector is through the safe and sustainable recovery of international travel, which is why we have recently confirmed the removal of pre-departure and day 2 PCR test requirements for eligible fully vaccinated passengers and all under 18s arriving in England. The Government is working with the Devolved Administrations to ensure a four-nation approach, which we fully support.

We have worked closely with the travel sector throughout the pandemic to help find ways to enable people to travel safely, while protecting public health. The aviation and aerospace sectors are being supported with over £12 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and grants for research and development.

The reforms announced at the Budget will produce an alcohol duty system that is overall simpler, fairer and healthier.

The Government believes it is appropriate to charge different rates of duty on drinks based on their alcoholic strength, with stronger drinks paying more duty and lower ABV drinks paying less duty. To minimise differences between categories of drinks, for the first time all products at 8.5% ABV or above will pay the same rate of duty regardless of the product type. This will also be true of products below 3.5% ABV. The existing system of taxing wines above 22% ABV in line with spirits on the basis of their pure alcohol content will continue. The Government also believes it is right to move wine to be taxed in proportion to its strength, as is already the case for beer and spirits. These reforms will result in lighter still wines below 11.5% ABV and many sparkling wines becoming cheaper, while higher strength still wines will pay more duty.

The Government is continuing to engage with industry, and industry members are encouraged to respond to the alcohol review consultation before the deadline of 30 January 2022.

The reforms announced at the Budget will produce an alcohol duty system that is overall simpler, fairer and healthier.

The Government believes it is appropriate to charge different rates of duty on drinks based on their alcoholic strength, with stronger drinks paying more duty and lower ABV drinks paying less duty. To minimise differences between categories of drinks, for the first time all products at 8.5% ABV or above will pay the same rate of duty regardless of the product type. This will also be true of products below 3.5% ABV. The existing system of taxing wines above 22% ABV in line with spirits on the basis of their pure alcohol content will continue. The Government also believes it is right to move wine to be taxed in proportion to its strength, as is already the case for beer and spirits. These reforms will result in lighter still wines below 11.5% ABV and many sparkling wines becoming cheaper, while higher strength still wines will pay more duty.

The Government is continuing to engage with industry, and industry members are encouraged to respond to the alcohol review consultation before the deadline of 30 January 2022.

The reforms announced at the Budget will produce an alcohol duty system that is overall simpler, fairer and healthier.

The Government believes it is appropriate to charge different rates of duty on drinks based on their alcoholic strength, with stronger drinks paying more duty and lower ABV drinks paying less duty. To minimise differences between categories of drinks, for the first time all products at 8.5% ABV or above will pay the same rate of duty regardless of the product type. This will also be true of products below 3.5% ABV. The existing system of taxing wines above 22% ABV in line with spirits on the basis of their pure alcohol content will continue. The Government also believes it is right to move wine to be taxed in proportion to its strength, as is already the case for beer and spirits. These reforms will result in lighter still wines below 11.5% ABV and many sparkling wines becoming cheaper, while higher strength still wines will pay more duty.

The Government is continuing to engage with industry, and industry members are encouraged to respond to the alcohol review consultation before the deadline of 30 January 2022.

The reforms announced at the Budget will produce an alcohol duty system that is overall simpler, fairer and healthier.

The Government believes it is appropriate to charge different rates of duty on drinks based on their alcoholic strength, with stronger drinks paying more duty and lower ABV drinks paying less duty. To minimise differences between categories of drinks, for the first time all products at 8.5% ABV or above will pay the same rate of duty regardless of the product type. This will also be true of products below 3.5% ABV. The existing system of taxing wines above 22% ABV in line with spirits on the basis of their pure alcohol content will continue. The Government also believes it is right to move wine to be taxed in proportion to its strength, as is already the case for beer and spirits. These reforms will result in lighter still wines below 11.5% ABV and many sparkling wines becoming cheaper, while higher strength still wines will pay more duty.

The Government is continuing to engage with industry, and industry members are encouraged to respond to the alcohol review consultation before the deadline of 30 January 2022.

The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way by targeting support where it is most needed.

The adjusted net income threshold of £50,000 only affects a minority of individuals, with comparatively high incomes. Individuals claiming Child Benefit with average and low incomes are not liable to pay HICBC. If a claimant lives with a partner earning above £50,000, their partner will be liable to pay the charge.

The Government therefore believes that the current threshold for HICBC remains the best option at present. As with all elements of tax policy, the Government keeps this under review.

The Government has been clear that the reduced rate of VAT is a temporary measure. It is right that, as restrictions are lifted and demand for goods and services in the tourism and hospitality sectors increases, this relief is reduced and eventually removed in order to rebuild and strengthen the public finances. This policy will cost the Exchequer over £7 billion and, while the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are no plans to make the reduced rate of VAT permanent.

In order to keep costs down for families, the supply of electricity for domestic use, including charging electric vehicles at home, attracts the reduced rate of VAT (5 per cent).

Electricity supplied at EV charging points in public places is subject to the standard rate of VAT (20 per cent). There has been no change to this policy and the Government has no plans to review these provisions.

Treasury officials are in regular contact with HMRC colleagues. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

HMRC do not classify which assets should be written down at the main or special rate of writing down allowances. Instead, businesses should identify whether an asset they have acquired has a useful economic life (UEL) of more or less than 25 years when new. This UEL test for plant and machinery should be applied on the asset as a whole, rather than individual components; since for tax purposes the asset is depreciated as a single unit.

Treasury officials are in regular contact with HMRC colleagues. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

HMRC do not classify which assets should be written down at the main or special rate of writing down allowances. Instead, businesses should identify whether an asset they have acquired has a useful economic life (UEL) of more or less than 25 years when new. This UEL test for plant and machinery should be applied on the asset as a whole, rather than individual components; since for tax purposes the asset is depreciated as a single unit.

The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.

The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority. The members published an update on the actions of its members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.

With regards to ATMs, LINK (the scheme that runs the UK’s largest ATM network) has existing arrangements in place to protect free-to-use ATMs that do not have another free-to-use ATM or Post Office within one kilometre. LINK’s members have also made £5 million available to fund ATMs at the request of communities with poor access to cash. The Payment Systems Regulator has powers to regulate LINK and is holding it to account over its commitment to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs.

The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.

The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority. The members published an update on the actions of its members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.

With regards to ATMs, LINK (the scheme that runs the UK’s largest ATM network) has existing arrangements in place to protect free-to-use ATMs that do not have another free-to-use ATM or Post Office within one kilometre. LINK’s members have also made £5 million available to fund ATMs at the request of communities with poor access to cash. The Payment Systems Regulator has powers to regulate LINK and is holding it to account over its commitment to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs.

The Government has committed to legislate to protect access to cash and ensure that the UK’s cash infrastructure is sustainable for the long term. To progress this work, the Government published a Call for Evidence on Access to Cash in October 2020. The Call for Evidence sought views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system. The Government is considering responses to the Call for Evidence and will set out next steps in due course.

The Government created the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group in 2019, which has provided a forum for the public bodies to formally co-ordinate respective approaches to access to cash. This is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority. The members published an update on the actions of its members in July 2020. This included work led by the PSR and FCA to develop a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury has been working closely with regulators and industry to ensure customers continue to have access to essential banking services, including cash, while also protecting the safety of staff and customers. This has meant the vast majority of people have been able to access cash through the pandemic.

With regards to ATMs, LINK (the scheme that runs the UK’s largest ATM network) has existing arrangements in place to protect free-to-use ATMs that do not have another free-to-use ATM or Post Office within one kilometre. LINK’s members have also made £5 million available to fund ATMs at the request of communities with poor access to cash. The Payment Systems Regulator has powers to regulate LINK and is holding it to account over its commitment to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs.

On 25 November 2020, the Government and UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) published their response to the consultation on the timing of reform to the Retail Prices Index (RPI). Owing to shortcomings in its calculation, UKSA intends to bring the methods and data sources of the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) into RPI.

The Government and UKSA are mindful of the widespread use of RPI in the economy, and, as such, sought views in the consultation on the broader impacts of reform. The Government and UKSA received approximately 550 responses from members of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes whose benefits are linked to RPI.

It is apparent that some DB pension scheme members will be affected by UKSA’s reform. The effect of reform on the members of such schemes will depend on whether their benefits are linked to RPI under the trust deed and rules of the scheme. As noted in the consultation response document, the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) estimates that the average reduction in lifetime income from an individual’s RPI-linked pension post-retirement could be 4 per cent for a woman and 5 per cent for a man. However, the PPI estimates that women will generally experience a greater lifetime reduction in overall pension benefit, as they live longer than men on average.

The announcement in the response by the Chancellor and UKSA Chair means that reform will not be implemented before 2030. The Government keeps the occupational pensions system under review and will continue to do so.

In making its decision (with regard to the timing of reform) the Government has had due regard to and complied with the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty as laid out in the Equality Act 2010

For further information please see the consultation response at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-consultation-on-the-reform-to-retail-prices-index-rpi-methodology.

The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors, and will run until 31 March 2021.

This policy will cost over £2 billion. The Government keeps all taxes under review, and any future decisions on tax policy will be made at Budget.

Within the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) system, private residence relief (PRR) exempts from CGT the gain a person may make when they sell a residential property that they have lived in as their main home.

In April, changes were made to reduce the final period exemption, in which a previous main residence always qualifies for CGT PRR, from 18 months to 9 months. The final period exemption is an ancillary relief intended to allow individuals who own another residence time to sell their property after they are no longer using their old main residence. This change was to target the relief better at owner occupiers and reduce the instances where people can accrue relief on two properties simultaneously.

The Government has no plans to change the length of the CGT Private Residence Relief (PRR) final period exemption.

Within the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) system, private residence relief (PRR) exempts from CGT the gain a person may make when they sell a residential property that they have lived in as their main home.

In April, changes were made to reduce the final period exemption, in which a previous main residence always qualifies for CGT PRR, from 18 months to 9 months. This change was to better target the relief at owner occupiers and reduce the instances where people can accrue relief on two properties simultaneously.

The Government has no plans to change the length of the CGT Private Residence Relief (PRR) final period exemption.

We remain committed to supporting as many borrowers as possible with inactive lenders move to a cheaper deal. The government has worked with the FCA to implement rule changes to its mortgage lending rules, removing the regulatory barrier that prevented some customers, who otherwise may have been able to switch, from accessing new products. Inactive lenders have now started contacting borrowers who have been struggling to switch, setting out that options may be available for them on the active market. I will monitor the situation and hope to see even more options available over the coming months.

The FCA recently confirmed additional options to support borrowers, including making intragroup switching easier and extending the window in which interest-only borrowers coming to the end of their term can continue making interest payments, without paying down the capital. These modified rules came into force on 23 October 2020. More information can be found here: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-confirms-measures-support-closed-book-and-interest-only-part-and-part-mortgage-borrowers.

UK Asset Resolution (UKAR) – the owner of the Northern Rock Asset Management mortgage portfolio - has worked to help customers looking for a better deal with another lender by;

• waiving all early redemption charges;
• providing an online ‘Deal Finder’ tool which allows customers to search the market to find and compare mortgages from other lenders;
• partnering with Mortgage Force who have a panel of brokers who can give impartial, whole of market mortgage advice; and
• referring customers to specialist brokers, such as HUB Financial Solutions, where advice fees are waived.

It is also worth noting that Norther Rock Asset Management’s Standard Variable Rate (SVR) has always been set in line with the SVRs of active lenders.

Under the current VAT rules, sun protection products are subject to the standard rate of VAT. High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and is provided VAT free when dispensed by a pharmacist.

Expanding the scope of the current VAT relief would come at a cost to the Exchequer. While all taxes are kept under review, there are currently no plans to reduce VAT on sunscreen products.

Cleaning products are subject to the standard rate of VAT. Providing an exemption for these products would come at a considerable cost to the Exchequer and is not possible under the current legal framework. Although the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are no current plans to change the VAT treatment of these products.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The detailed rationale for these changes are included in the written ministerial statement and summary of responses to the recent consultation: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-09-11/hcws448 and https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-consultation-on-duty-free-and-tax-free-goods-carried-by-passengers.

In 2019 HMRC estimate that VAT RES refunds cost around £0.5billion in VAT for around 1.2million non-EU visitors. In 2019 the ONS estimate there were substantially more EU visitors (24.8 million) than non-EU passengers (16.0 million) to the UK. This implies an extension to EU residents would significantly increase the cost by up to an estimated £0.9billion. This would result in a large amount of deadweight loss by subsidising spending from EU visitors which already happens without a refund mechanism in place, potentially taking the total cost up to around £1.4billion per annum.

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

HMRC estimate that around £150 million of VAT is not charged as a result of tax-free airside sales. As with the VAT RES, extending the relief to the EU would significantly increase the cost of the scheme and result in a large amount of deadweight loss by subsidising spending from EU-bound passengers which already happens.

The final costings will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The detailed rationale for these changes are included in the written ministerial statement and summary of responses to the recent consultation: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-09-11/hcws448 and https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-consultation-on-duty-free-and-tax-free-goods-carried-by-passengers.

In 2019 HMRC estimate that VAT RES refunds cost around £0.5billion in VAT for around 1.2million non-EU visitors. In 2019 the ONS estimate there were substantially more EU visitors (24.8 million) than non-EU passengers (16.0 million) to the UK. This implies an extension to EU residents would significantly increase the cost by up to an estimated £0.9billion. This would result in a large amount of deadweight loss by subsidising spending from EU visitors which already happens without a refund mechanism in place, potentially taking the total cost up to around £1.4billion per annum.

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

HMRC estimate that around £150 million of VAT is not charged as a result of tax-free airside sales. As with the VAT RES, extending the relief to the EU would significantly increase the cost of the scheme and result in a large amount of deadweight loss by subsidising spending from EU-bound passengers which already happens.

The final costings will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.

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

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

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

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

- The VAT Retail Export Scheme in Great Britain will not be extended to passengers travelling to the EU and will be withdrawn for all passengers.

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

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

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

The final costings will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.

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

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

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

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

- The VAT Retail Export Scheme in Great Britain will not be extended to passengers travelling to the EU and will be withdrawn for all passengers.

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

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

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

The final costings will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.

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

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

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

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

- The VAT Retail Export Scheme in Great Britain will not be extended to passengers travelling to the EU and will be withdrawn for all passengers.

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

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

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

The final costings will be subject to scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the next forecast.

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

The Government wishes to encourage pension saving, to help ensure that people have an income, or funds on which they can draw, throughout retirement. This makes pensions tax relief one of the most expensive reliefs in the personal tax system. In 2017/18 income tax and employer National Insurance Contributions relief cost £54 billion.

The Government therefore imposes a charge on early withdrawals, which can be from 40% to 55% depending on the circumstances, both to recoup its investment through tax relief and to provide individuals with a strong incentive to save through their pension for the long-term.

It is for these reasons that the Government does not have any plans to remove tax on pension payments in response to this outbreak. As with all tax policy, this will be kept under review.

The Government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector regarding their contribution to the handling of this unprecedented situation. The Government is also working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to ensure that the rules are being upheld during this crisis.

The FCA rules require insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed. In addition, the FCA has said that, in light of COVID-19, insurers must consider very carefully the needs of their customers and show flexibility in their treatment of them.

Customers who feel that they have not been treated fairly should first make a formal complaint to their insurer. If they then feel that their complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily, they are able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), an independent body set up to provide arbitration in such cases. The FOS can help micro-enterprises with annual turnover sheets that do not exceed €2 million, and small businesses with turnover that does not exceed £6.5 million. The decision of the FOS is binding on insurers up to £350,000.

If customers would like to make a general complaint about the practice of deducting small business grants from the value of insurance settlements, the FCA would be happy to hear from them through their consumer support service.

While the FCA can’t resolve individual disputes and will not normally be able to discuss their investigations or findings with the person making the complaint, they can take any information provided into account as a part of their wider monitoring of practices in the sector.

The Government remains committed to helping businesses and workers through the present very difficult time, and has announced unprecedented support, including a range of grant and tax deferral schemes, and £300 billion of guarantees, equivalent to 15 per cent of UK GDP.

The terms on which transaction fees for card purchases may be refunded are a commercial arrangement between businesses and their acquirers (the financial services firms which process card payments on behalf of businesses). Some acquirers are taking voluntary measures to support their business customers, for example through waiving fees, and the Government welcomes such action.

The Government recognizes the challenges faced by households as a result of COVID-19. This is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for public services, businesses and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency.

The Government has not delayed the introduction of WLTP. WLTP strengthens the link between the vehicle tax system and the true environmental impact of car purchasing decisions as well as allowing consumers to make more informed decisions between model variations. From 1 January 2021 only WLTP emissions figures will be shown on registration documents for new cars.

However, to ease the transition to WLTP, company car tax appropriate percentages for effected vehicles have been reduced for two years so company car drivers do not see a significant increase in their tax liabilities.

The Government consulted in 2018 on how the design of the VAT registration threshold, currently set at £85,000, could incentivise growth better.

The results of the call for evidence did not present a clear option for reform.

While there are no plans to make changes to the design of the VAT threshold, the Government continues to keep all taxes under review.

Details of the call for evidence are available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/vat-registration-threshold-call-for-evidence.

The Seafarer’s Earnings Deduction (SED) offers a 100 per cent reduction in income tax on maritime employment income for UK and EEA resident seafarers who have a qualifying period of time absent from the UK. The qualifying period must be made up of at least 365 days, but return visits to the UK during that time up to a maximum of 183 consecutive days can count towards the qualifying period. This is among the most generous reliefs available to seafarers worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented interruption to many industries and businesses, and the Government has announced a broad range of support including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and mortgage holidays for homeowners and landlords.

The Government will keep all taxes under review.

The Government has announced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, including grants, loans and relief from business rates worth more than £300 billion. On 20 March, the Government announced that UK VAT registered businesses can defer VAT payments due with their VAT returns in the deferral period until March 2021.

While the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are currently no plans to apply a credit to VAT accounts.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

Treasury ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, including banks, as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK.

The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) regulates LINK, the scheme that runs the UK’s largest ATM network. The PSR has used its powers to hold LINK to account over its commitments to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs in the UK.

Resource for the EUSS Resolution Centre is kept under close review and additional resource has been made available to support call handling.

The Citizens’ Rights (Application Deadline and Temporary Protection) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 protect existing relevant EU law rights. EEA citizens and their family members who were lawfully resident in the UK at the end of the transition period and apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) by the 30 June deadline, have their rights protected until the final determination of an application, including through any appeal.

There is a system-to-system service between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Home Office, which will in most cases confirm a pending application to the EUSS automatically.

We continue to work closely with DWP to ensure anyone whose rights are protected by making an in-time application to the EUSS will continue to receive benefits. DWP have provided staff with guidance.

HMS DASHER tragically sank in March 1943 following an explosion onboard where no enemy action was involved. All those lost on HMS DASHER are commemorated either on a headstone marking their grave, or on a memorial to the missing.

The wreck of HMS DASHER is the last known resting place for 356 servicemen and, in line with Government policy to let war casualties lie undisturbed, the wreck is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986; this means the site can only be accessed under a licence granted by the Secretary of State for Defence.

In response to concerns that some casualties from this tragedy were buried on land, there has been two surveys. Neither survey has found any evidence of casualties buried on land and there is no intention to conduct further surveys until such time as further evidence is provided.

HMS DASHER tragically sank in March 1943 following an explosion onboard where no enemy action was involved. Records show that 23 servicemen are buried in marked graves at the following locations, Ardrossan Cemetery (13), Greenock Cemetery (seven), Frizington Roman Catholic Cemetery (one), Mearns Cemetery (one) and at Paisley (Hawkhead) Cemetery (one).

It is Government policy that, where a wreck of a ship is the final resting place for our Service men and women, they should be allowed to lie undisturbed. As DASHER is the last known resting place for 356 Servicemen, the wreck is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986; this means the site can only be accessed under a licence granted by the Secretary of State for Defence. The lives of those lost are commemorated on war memorials around the country.

The increase, as a percentage, for the national living wage (NLW) rate, the amount the Civil Service (CS) pay remit permitted, and the overall award which the Ministry of Defence (MOD) implemented in each year since 2016 is presented in the table below:

Notes to table:
- The MOD has implemented an award at the maximum of the permitted ranges allowed under the Cabinet Office/Treasury guidance in each year. This represents the overall MOD change in pay and not necessarily what every individual received.

- For 2023 the CS guidance, and therefore MOD’s award, are yet to be published/determined and, therefore, their respective cells are blank.

No assessment has been made on the impact of the NLW rise on recruitment and retention. This will be closely monitored from April 2023 when the new NLW rate comes into effect. A multi-disciplinary project team has been created to steer the Defence response to the NLW and any necessary changes in our operating model.

Of the Service personnel who assisted with COVID-19 testing in Liverpool, which ended in November 2020, none are currently in isolation at Catterick Garrison.

At present, neither the chain of command nor the catering department at Catterick Garrison have received negative comments from personnel in isolation. Spot checks on meals are conducted daily by duty personnel, and menus are routinely monitored by Food Service Warrant Officers to guarantee appropriate standards are maintained.

The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets. Further detail on how the Fund will operate from 2022-23 onwards will be set out later this year.

I am delighted to say that the first round of the Levelling Up Fund received significant interest. Bids are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced and bidding authorities informed in due course.

I am delighted to say that the first round of the Levelling Up Fund received significant interest from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland bidding authorities across the three investment priorities of the Fund. Bids are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced later in the year and bidding authorities will be informed in due course.