Paul Sweeney

Ministers and officials have regular dialogue with counterparts in DHSC, where concerns of the trans community are raised. We will continue to work with the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure improved service for transgender patients and service users.

The Government Equalities Office has recently provided grants to the Royal College of General Practitioners and to the LGBT Foundation to pilot and evaluate ways to improve delivery of services to LGBT patients and service users, especially in general practice.

The Government Equalities Office liaised closely with the Department of Health and Social in developing the commitments set out the LGBT Action Plan. These include the appointment of a National Adviser, who will focus on reducing the health inequalities that LGBT people receive when accessing the NHS.

We are aware demand for gender identity services is growing at a significant rate.

NHS England increased investment in these services in 2016/17, from £26million to £32million, and this figure of £32million has been the overall financial investment in these services each subsequent financial year in-cluding the current year of 2018/19.

Between July and October 2017 NHS England and NHS Scotland held separate but related public consultations on proposals for new service specifications that, if adopted, describe how specialised gender identity services for adults will be commissioned and delivered in the future.

Final versions of the service specifications will be used to inform a process of competitive procurement that will determine which organisations are best placed to provide specialist gender identity services. The process of procurement will be managed by NHS England, with the involvement of NHS Scotland.

The Government Equalities Office liaised closely with the Department of Health and Social in developing the commitments set out the LGBT Action Plan. These include the appointment of a National Adviser, who will focus on reducing the health inequalities that LGBT people receive when accessing the NHS.

We are aware demand for gender identity services is growing at a significant rate.

NHS England increased investment in these services in 2016/17, from £26million to £32million, and this figure of £32million has been the overall financial investment in these services each subsequent financial year in-cluding the current year of 2018/19.

Between July and October 2017 NHS England and NHS Scotland held separate but related public consultations on proposals for new service specifications that, if adopted, describe how specialised gender identity services for adults will be commissioned and delivered in the future.

Final versions of the service specifications will be used to inform a process of competitive procurement that will determine which organisations are best placed to provide specialist gender identity services. The process of procurement will be managed by NHS England, with the involvement of NHS Scotland.

The priority theme for the 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls. Working in collaboration with our EU partners, the UK Government helped to secure a strong outcome document, which included positive language on sexual and reproductive health and rights, the role of men in unpaid care, quality education and human rights.

In addition, the UK delegation, led by the Secretary of State for International Development, had a successful programme, including ‎chairing side events to share good practice, bilateral meetings and delivering the UK national statement.

During Cabinet Office Oral Questions on Wednesday 14 November, in response to questions about the Infected Blood Inquiry from Member for Manchester, Withington Jess Smith MP and the Member for Kingston upon Hull North Diana Johnson MP, I used the word “compensation” to refer to the financial payments made to victims of infected blood. In doing so, I misspoke. I should instead have used the words “financial support”. I am sorry for any confusion this may have caused in the House. I am happy to make that clarification, and the record has been corrected to reflect this.

The Government is committed to continually strengthening the Civil Service. We use a range of internal and external work to inform our understanding of current effectiveness and to shape work to continue making improvements. Recent examples include the Barber Review, the PACAC Inquiry into Whitehall effectiveness, and the International Civil Service Effectiveness Index.

We have asked the Lord Chief Justice to nominate a judge to chair the inquiry, and I hope to announce the name of that judge soon. Once the Chair is appointed, we will be discussing with them the composition of the inquiry panel.

We have asked the Lord Chief Justice to nominate a judge to chair the inquiry, and I hope to announce the name of that judge soon. Once the Chair is appointed, we will be discussing with them the composition of the inquiry panel.

The Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) is the formal mechanism for inter-administration discussion on negotiations for the UK leaving the EU. In the period between February and October 2017 when JMC(EN) did not meet, the First Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU held a series of bilateral meetings with the devolved administrations on a range of issues related to EU Exit.

230 appeals have been received in the last 12 months. The following table shows the constituencies in which the appellants are based.

There is a specific process for handling complaints under the Green Deal. This starts with a complaint by the consumer to their Green Deal Provider. If not resolved satisfactorily, the consumer may then approach the Green Deal Ombudsman or the Financial Ombudsman Service, depending on the nature of the complaint. Their decisions will be binding on the Green Deal Provider. If after progressing through those channels the consumer is still not satisfied, they may request that their complaint be referred to the Secretary of State for consideration.

In respect of such referrals, the Secretary of State may reduce or cancel a Green Deal loan, if she is satisfied that there has been a breach of the law or code of practice.

The cancellation or reduction of a loan represents the full extent of the Secretary of State’s power to provide redress for consumers in relation to the Green Deal.

BEIS aims to ensure that cases are concluded as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring that fair redress is provided where appropriate and decisions take account of all available, relevant evidence.

BEIS currently has a number of outstanding appeal cases and we have taken steps to speed-up the handling process. We are making progress and this has resulted in the recent issuing of 4 final sanctions and 16 Intention Notices. We expect these numbers to increase significantly soon.

There is a specific process for handling complaints under the Green Deal. This starts with a complaint by the consumer to their Green Deal Provider. If not resolved satisfactorily, the consumer may then approach the Green Deal Ombudsman or the Financial Ombudsman Service, depending on the nature of the complaint. Their decisions will be binding on the Green Deal Provider. If after progressing through those channels the consumer is still not satisfied, they may request that their complaint be referred to the Secretary of State for consideration.

In respect of such referrals, the Secretary of State may reduce or cancel a Green Deal loan, if she is satisfied that there has been a breach of the law or code of practice.

The cancellation or reduction of a loan represents the full extent of the Secretary of State’s power to provide redress for consumers in relation to the Green Deal.

BEIS aims to ensure that cases are concluded as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring that fair redress is provided where appropriate and decisions take account of all available, relevant evidence.

BEIS currently has a number of outstanding appeal cases and we have taken steps to speed-up the handling process. We are making progress and this has resulted in the recent issuing of 4 final sanctions and 16 Intention Notices. We expect these numbers to increase significantly soon.

The Electricity System Operator (NGESO), has a legal obligation to have a capability to restore the electricity system in the event of a total or partial failure.

In line with historic expectations, NGESO has sourced and procured capability to achieve the restoration of 60% of national demand within 24 hours. This level of demand equates to the level required to run a stable, interconnected Electricity Transmission System, from which remaining demand can be restored.

This approach requires a certain number of self-starting generators to be available in each region and prioritises the restoration of supplies to other generators to maintain a broadly consistent rate of restoration across all GB regions.

The restoration approach is reviewed at least once every two years, to ensure that GB’s restoration capability keeps pace with all relevant technologies and the changes to the electricity system.

The electricity System Operator (National Grid ESO) has a legal license obligation to ensure that it has a restoration capability.

In order to ensure that this capability evolves to provide a safe and effective restoration as the electricity system continues to decarbonise and decentralise, NGESO is undertaking a project to develop and demonstrate new approaches to restore the electricity system from Distributed Energy Resources to increase competition in the market and deliver cost and carbon emission reductions.

BEIS will continue to monitor GB’s changing restoration capability alongside National Grid and Ofgem to ensure it remains robust and effective.

The future of the over 75 licence fee concession is the responsibility of the BBC. In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government and the BBC agreed that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC in June 2020.

However, the Government is disappointed with the BBC’s decision as it has been clear that it wants and expects the BBC to continue this concession. Since the BBC took its decision, I have met with the Chairman of the BBC Board and the Director-General of the BBC and I have asked them to do more to help the most vulnerable groups affected by the decision.

The future of the over 75 licence fee concession is the responsibility of the BBC. In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government and the BBC agreed that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC in June 2020.

However, the Government is disappointed with the BBC’s decision as it has been clear that it wants and expects the BBC to continue this concession. Since the BBC took its decision, I have met with the Chairman of the BBC Board and the Director-General of the BBC and I have asked them to do more to help the most vulnerable groups affected by the decision.

The future of the over 75 licence fee concession is the responsibility of the BBC. In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government and the BBC agreed that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC in June 2020.

However, the Government is disappointed with the BBC’s decision as it has been clear that it wants and expects the BBC to continue this concession. Since the BBC took its decision, I have met with the Chairman of the BBC Board and the Director-General of the BBC and I have asked them to do more to help the most vulnerable groups affected by the decision.

The BBC is responsible for the cost and the administration of the over 75 licence fee concession from June 2020.

The BBC says that it will work with older peoples groups, charities and voluntary organisations to design a bespoke system to support all those over 75 affected by its decision. As part of this system, the BBC says that its licensing arm, TV Licensing, will make it as easy as possible for carers and family members to act as representatives for pensioners seeking to claim a free TV licence, including those caring for elderly people with complex illnesses like dementia.

The BBC is responsible for the cost and the administration of the over 75 licence fee concession from June 2020.

The BBC says that it will work with older peoples groups, charities and voluntary organisations to design a bespoke system to support all those over 75 affected by its decision. As part of this system, the BBC says that its licensing arm, TV Licensing, will make it as easy as possible for carers and family members to act as representatives for pensioners seeking to claim a free TV licence, including those caring for elderly people with complex illnesses like dementia.

Under the Food Information to Consumers Regulations (EU 1169/2011) it is a requirement that food information shall not be misleading, as to its country of origin or place of provenance, method of manufacture or production or by attributing to the food effects or properties which it does not possess.

It is a key priority as the UK prepares to leave the EU to ensure there remains a robust and effective regulatory regime for maintaining the safety of food for the benefit of UK consumers and of the UK food industry. The Secretary of State has set out our ambition to develop a recognised gold standard system for food and farming quality, to ensure that we maintain the highest standards of quality and transparency for consumers and take opportunities to market British food across the world.

As the Prime Minister said in her statement to the House on Monday 21st January, the Government is opposed to extending Article 50 and we are committed to leaving the EU on 29 March 2019. In any case, the EU are very unlikely simply to agree to extend Article 50 without a plan for how we are going to approve a deal.

The Government continues to plan for all eventualities. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State remain in regular contact and, along with the rest of Cabinet, agreed to progress with the next phase of our no deal plans. The Chancellor remains committed, allocating £1.5billion for EU Exit preparations in all scenarios in 2018/19 and 2019/20; this was subsequently increased by £0.5bn for 2019/20 in the 2018 Budget, meaning the government will have invested over £4 billion in preparing for EU exit since 2016.

We will not enter a Customs Union because it would not respect the result of the referendum and would not allow for an independent trade policy. The partnership we are seeking with the EU will include an ambitious customs arrangement between the UK and EU, and the trading relationship on goods will be as ambitious as possible. There will be no tariffs, fees, charges, or quotas.

Both the EU and UK have been clear that our future partnership will respect the development of an independent UK trade policy beyond the economic partnership with the EU.

This would not be possible in the customs union.

The UK Government does not channel any UK bilateral aid through the Government of Zimbabwe. The UK, through the Department for International Development in Zimbabwe, provides extensive financial and technical assistance to a wide range of civil society organisations in Zimbabwe. We do not publicise our partners to avoid putting them at risk. Our funding supports Zimbabwean citizens to hold the state to account in its respect for human rights and democratic principles.

Work on developing the UK’s 2019 Voluntary National Review is ongoing, and we will consult with a wide range of key stakeholders as we finalise our plans.

We will launch an online consultation to ensure we capture a wide range of views and inputs, and will be drawing on a range of sources to collect data and information, including:

• the UN’s global indicator framework for measuring global progress towards the SDGs;
• the UK’s Office for National Statistics’ National Reporting Platform on UK data for the SDGs;
• Single Departmental Plans in which government departments have embedded the SDGs; and
• departmental Annual Reports and Accounts in which departments are expected to report progress towards the SDGs.

Work on developing the UK’s 2019 Voluntary National Review is ongoing, and we will consult with a wide range of key stakeholders as we finalise our plans.

We will launch an online consultation to ensure we capture a wide range of views and inputs, and will be drawing on a range of sources to collect data and information, including:

• the UN’s global indicator framework for measuring global progress towards the SDGs;
• the UK’s Office for National Statistics’ National Reporting Platform on UK data for the SDGs;
• Single Departmental Plans in which government departments have embedded the SDGs; and
• departmental Annual Reports and Accounts in which departments are expected to report progress towards the SDGs.

Work on developing the UK’s 2019 Voluntary National Review is ongoing, and we will consult with a wide range of key stakeholders as we finalise our plans.

We will launch an online consultation to ensure we capture a wide range of views and inputs, and will be drawing on a range of sources to collect data and information, including:

• the UN’s global indicator framework for measuring global progress towards the SDGs;
• the UK’s Office for National Statistics’ National Reporting Platform on UK data for the SDGs;
• Single Departmental Plans in which government departments have embedded the SDGs; and
• departmental Annual Reports and Accounts in which departments are expected to report progress towards the SDGs.

Work on developing the UK’s 2019 Voluntary National Review is ongoing and we are consulting with a range of key stakeholders to finalise these plans. The Government will ensure that a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society organisations, have an opportunity to contribute to the review, and intend to launch an online consultation to capture as many views and suggestions as possible.