Pauline Latham

In response to the single enforcement body consultation published in 2021, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to continue engaging with the enforcement bodies and industry partners to strengthen our understanding of the garment trade. We will continue to review this issue and consider options to drive up standards across the sector.

The Department of Health and Social Care is responsible for working with the nation’s health and social care sectors to support individuals with electricity dependent medical equipment at home, including those who need to use medical equipment that requires a power supply.

The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. The Government is confident in its plan to protect households and businesses in the full range of scenarios this winter, in light of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. BEIS continues to work closely with industry and across Government to mitigate the impacts associated with the upcoming winter.

Sustainable biomass can be used to produce renewable and low-carbon electricity and has system benefits, such as dispatchability and inertia, and stable established supply chains and prices, providing energy security within a net zero consistent energy system.

Drax has been supported under the Renewables Obligation since 2011, and under the Contracts for Difference scheme since 21^st December 2016 to generate renewable electricity. There is no cost to the public purse as both schemes are paid for by compulsory levies on electricity suppliers.

The Government only supports sustainable biomass and generators only receive subsidies for biomass that complies with the UK’s strict sustainability criteria.

The forthcoming Biomass Strategy will detail the Government’s assessment of the priority use of biomass across the economy.

Capacity caps can drive competitive auctions and deliver value for money for consumers.

A capacity cap was first deployed in the third Contract for Difference auction in 2019, which secured nearly twice the capacity of the previous auction with a 30% reduction in clearing prices.

We will publish auction parameters well in advance of the next auction in 2021, taking into account our ambitions for net zero.

In March this year, the Government published a consultation on proposals to amend the Contracts for Difference scheme for future allocation rounds. This included options to introduce flexibility in the use of capacity caps as either a 'hard' or 'soft' constraint. The consultation closed on 29 May and responses are being analysed. A government response to this consultation will be published in due course.

The Commission does not have a specific responsibility in relation to scrutinising subcontractors of the National Lottery Operator, and as such, was not previously aware of IGT’s report.

The National Lottery is run by Camelot under licence by the Gambling Commission, and as such it is for the operator to ensure compliance with a range of reporting requirements, including under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The Section 5 National Lottery Licence requires the Operator to comply with all relevant laws to the extent they impose obligations or restrictions on it. It also requires any subcontractors to operate with due propriety.

The Commission does not have a specific responsibility in relation to scrutinising subcontractors of the National Lottery Operator, and as such, was not previously aware of IGT’s report.

The National Lottery is run by Camelot under licence by the Gambling Commission, and as such it is for the operator to ensure compliance with a range of reporting requirements, including under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The Section 5 National Lottery Licence requires the Operator to comply with all relevant laws to the extent they impose obligations or restrictions on it. It also requires any subcontractors to operate with due propriety.

DCMS provides funding to community arts projects in England through a number of our arm’s-length bodies. Arts Council England, for example, invests in communities through their Lottery-funded Creative People and Places (CPP) programme. There are 41 CPP programmes covering 58 local authority districts across the country targeting the least engaged places in England. Arts Council England will invest over £38 million of Lottery funds into this programme for the period 2022-25.

Local authorities also need to continue to recognise the huge benefits that investing in arts and culture can bring and many already do, building successful partnerships to deliver arts and culture to their communities. The Local Government Finance Settlement made available £54.1 billion in 2022/23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion in 2021/22. The majority of this funding is not ringfenced, in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities, such as their community arts offer.

While we are unable to quantify the total provision of core funding to community arts organisations by private foundations at this time, DCMS continues to work with key actors across the civil society sector to improve the data and evidence available.

The Government continues to engage on a regular basis with the English Football League and the administrator about Derby County Football Club. Ultimately, it is for the EFL, the administrator and the club to resolve issues to ensure the survival of Derby County FC, but the government has urged pragmatism from all parties to find a solution for the benefit of fans and the community that the club serves. The EFL must equally preserve the integrity of the league on behalf of all member clubs, but all parties want to see one of the founding members of the Football League continue this season and beyond under appropriate ownership.

It is positive that the EFL has granted a four-week extension to Derby County FC and its administrators to demonstrate proof of funding through to the end of the season. This extension must now be used to ensure a suitable outcome is reached and the government has made this point to the EFL and administrators.

The Government welcomes the findings of the Fan Led Review and has endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review, that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game. The Government will now consider the detail of all the recommendations, including those made on ensuring future financial stability, and work at pace to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator, and any powers that might be needed.

The Government continues to engage on a regular basis with the English Football League and the administrator about Derby County Football Club. Ultimately, it is for the EFL, the administrator and the club to resolve issues to ensure the survival of Derby County FC, but the government has urged pragmatism from all parties to find a solution for the benefit of fans and the community that the club serves. The EFL must equally preserve the integrity of the league on behalf of all member clubs, but all parties want to see one of the founding members of the Football League continue this season and beyond under appropriate ownership.

It is positive that the EFL has granted a four-week extension to Derby County FC and its administrators to demonstrate proof of funding through to the end of the season. This extension must now be used to ensure a suitable outcome is reached and the government has made this point to the EFL and administrators.

The Government welcomes the findings of the Fan Led Review and has endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review, that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game. The Government will now consider the detail of all the recommendations, including those made on ensuring future financial stability, and work at pace to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator, and any powers that might be needed.

Strategic guidance was issued to all 32 local authorities within the Change Programme Partnerships (CPPs) (formerly Regional Expert Partnerships) on 5 October 2023. The strategic guidance supports the set-up phase of the Change Programme. CPPs will be required to set up a CPP Steering Group which will have representation from all partners including school leaders, Parent Carer Forums, and health leads. Each local authority participating in the Change Programme will also establish a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Partnership and produce a local area inclusion plan. Both SEND and AP Partnerships and local area inclusion plans will be tested and refined through working with the local authorities in the CPPs.

The high level strategic guidance and its accompanying strategic delivery plan template will be shared with Change Programme Partnerships (CPPs) ahead of the launch event on 19 September 2023. The event will bring together local authorities and their partners from all nine CPPs to set out expectations for testing the reforms and ensure robust action plans are being put in place. It will also provide access to teams from the Department for Education and the external Delivery Partner who will support CPPs throughout the lifetime of the programme, including helping them to draft their strategic plans.

The department will be sharing strategic guidance with all Regional Expert Partnerships (REPs) for delivery of the Change Programme, which will include setting out the local partners they must engage with. Engagement with all partners across all local areas involved in the REPs, including schools, health partners and families, is integral to successfully delivering, testing and refining the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) reforms set out in the Improvement Plan.

Throughout the lifetime of the programme, there will be a constant feedback loop between the department and the REPs in order to monitor the findings and share learning and best practice. This will include the REPs feeding back on the progress of delivering the reforms and any barriers they may be facing. The department will be transparent throughout this process and is currently establishing how it will provide public updates as the programme progresses.

The department previously shared that all REPs would be led by a lead local authority, selected through objective criteria based on published SEND performance data. The department used this data to identify a shortlist of local authorities in each Department for Education region, who were subsequently invited to submit an expression of interest to be considered for the role. To be eligible for the shortlist, prospective lead local authorities must not:

• Have a live written statement of action from the previous Ofsted/ Care Quality Commission (CQC) Area SEND inspection framework.
• Have an 'inconsistent’ or ‘widespread/systemic failure’ outcome from the new Ofsted/CQC Area SEND inspection framework.
• Have a Section 114 notice.
• Be on our Safety Valve programme.

They must also be in the top 75% of authorities nationally against:

• Rates of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan assessment requests.
• Rates of EHC plan assessments completed in 20 weeks.
• Special Educational Needs exclusions.

The department then ranked the remaining authorities based on their Designated School Grant surplus/deficit and shortlisted the top three local authorities in each region.

The department will be sharing strategic guidance with all Regional Expert Partnerships (REPs) for delivery of the Change Programme, which will include setting out the local partners they must engage with. Engagement with all partners across all local areas involved in the REPs, including schools, health partners and families, is integral to successfully delivering, testing and refining the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) reforms set out in the Improvement Plan.

Throughout the lifetime of the programme, there will be a constant feedback loop between the department and the REPs in order to monitor the findings and share learning and best practice. This will include the REPs feeding back on the progress of delivering the reforms and any barriers they may be facing. The department will be transparent throughout this process and is currently establishing how it will provide public updates as the programme progresses.

The department previously shared that all REPs would be led by a lead local authority, selected through objective criteria based on published SEND performance data. The department used this data to identify a shortlist of local authorities in each Department for Education region, who were subsequently invited to submit an expression of interest to be considered for the role. To be eligible for the shortlist, prospective lead local authorities must not:

• Have a live written statement of action from the previous Ofsted/ Care Quality Commission (CQC) Area SEND inspection framework.
• Have an 'inconsistent’ or ‘widespread/systemic failure’ outcome from the new Ofsted/CQC Area SEND inspection framework.
• Have a Section 114 notice.
• Be on our Safety Valve programme.

They must also be in the top 75% of authorities nationally against:

• Rates of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan assessment requests.
• Rates of EHC plan assessments completed in 20 weeks.
• Special Educational Needs exclusions.

The department then ranked the remaining authorities based on their Designated School Grant surplus/deficit and shortlisted the top three local authorities in each region.

The department will be sharing strategic guidance with all Regional Expert Partnerships (REPs) for delivery of the Change Programme, which will include setting out the local partners they must engage with. Engagement with all partners across all local areas involved in the REPs, including schools, health partners and families, is integral to successfully delivering, testing and refining the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) reforms set out in the Improvement Plan.

Throughout the lifetime of the programme, there will be a constant feedback loop between the department and the REPs in order to monitor the findings and share learning and best practice. This will include the REPs feeding back on the progress of delivering the reforms and any barriers they may be facing. The department will be transparent throughout this process and is currently establishing how it will provide public updates as the programme progresses.

The department previously shared that all REPs would be led by a lead local authority, selected through objective criteria based on published SEND performance data. The department used this data to identify a shortlist of local authorities in each Department for Education region, who were subsequently invited to submit an expression of interest to be considered for the role. To be eligible for the shortlist, prospective lead local authorities must not:

• Have a live written statement of action from the previous Ofsted/ Care Quality Commission (CQC) Area SEND inspection framework.
• Have an 'inconsistent’ or ‘widespread/systemic failure’ outcome from the new Ofsted/CQC Area SEND inspection framework.
• Have a Section 114 notice.
• Be on our Safety Valve programme.

They must also be in the top 75% of authorities nationally against:

• Rates of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan assessment requests.
• Rates of EHC plan assessments completed in 20 weeks.
• Special Educational Needs exclusions.

The department then ranked the remaining authorities based on their Designated School Grant surplus/deficit and shortlisted the top three local authorities in each region.