Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
FIONA'S LAW - Women should be allowed a yearly Cervical screening
Cervical screening needs to be every year.
This is because women are dying, mothers, wives, daughters, granddaughters and sisters are dying.
These initiatives were driven by Philippa Whitford, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Philippa Whitford has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Philippa Whitford has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to provide protections for whistleblowers; to create offences relating to the treatment of whistleblowers and the handling of whistleblowing cases; to establish an independent body to protect whistleblowers and whistleblowing, in accordance with the public interest; to make provision for that body to set, monitor and enforce standards for the management of whistleblowing cases, to provide disclosure and advice services, to direct whistleblowing investigations and to order redress of detriment suffered by whistleblowers; to repeal the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to reform the Universal Credit application process; to make provision about advice and assistance for claimants, and arrangements for payments; and for connected purposes.
Wellbeing of Future Generations (No. 2) Bill 2019-21 - Private Members' Bill (under the Ten Minute Rule)
Sponsor - Caroline Lucas (GRN)
Trade Agreements (Exclusion of National Health Services) Bill 2019-21 - Private Members' Bill (Ballot Bill)
Sponsor - Peter Grant (SNP)
Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 - Private Members' Bill (Ballot Bill)
Sponsor - Geoffrey Robinson (LAB)
Health and Social Care (National Data Guardian) Act 2018 - Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)
Sponsor - Peter Bone (CON)
School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill 2017-19 - Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill)
Sponsor - Lord Field of Birkenhead (CB)
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. We will open round 2 in Spring 2022 and will share further details in due course.
The Government committed to explore whether and how COVID-status certification might be used to reopen our economy, reduce restrictions on social contact and improve safety. As set out in the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021,’ the Government will set out its conclusions on the COVID-status Certification Review in advance of Step 4 of the Roadmap, in order to inform the safe reopening of society and the economy.
An update on the Roadmap Reviews was published on 5 April and can be found here:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ174869 on 13 April 2021.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published on GOV.UK. As set out there, the Taskforce has been commissioned by the Prime Minister to consider opportunities for regulatory reform across the economy independently, and to report to him in April. It is a matter for the Taskforce to decide its areas of focus within the Terms of Reference.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published on GOV.UK. As set out there, the Taskforce has been commissioned by the Prime Minister to consider opportunities for regulatory reform across the economy independently, and to report to him in April. It is a matter for the Taskforce to decide its areas of focus within the Terms of Reference.
The Government is committed to ensuring that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote and has been working with the RNIB to improve the voting process for voters with sight loss. We are currently considering how best to implement changes better to support blind and partially sighted people to cast their vote. Announcements will be made in the usual way.
The UK Government will continue to prepare to meet our obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, in line with the approach set out in the 20 May Command Paper, the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol. In this paper, we committed to providing guidance to business, including our plans for extensive HMRC support for Northern Ireland businesses engaging in any new processes under the Protocol. We will publish that guidance this summer.
We will also continue to engage with business through the Business Engagement Forum, which met for the first time on 10 June and which will play an important part in our thinking as we implement the Protocol.
The UK Government will meet its obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, in line with the approach set out in the Command Paper published on 20 May, the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol. We will ensure that the Protocol is implemented in a way that upholds the gains of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and which protects the interests of the people and economy of Northern Ireland. We committed in the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol to provide guidance to business, including our plans for extensive support for NI businesses engaging in new processes. We will publish that guidance during the course of this summer.
The UK Government will meet its obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, in line with the approach set out in the Command Paper published on 20 May, the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol. We will ensure that the Protocol is implemented in a way that upholds the gains of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and which protects the interests of the people and economy of Northern Ireland. We committed in the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol to provide guidance to business, including our plans for extensive support for NI businesses engaging in new processes. We will publish that guidance during the course of this summer.
Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are declared quarterly on GOV.UK.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave my Hon. Friend the Member for Hendon on 28 March 2022 to Question 142443.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave my Hon. Friend the Member for Hendon on 25 March 2022 to Question 142442.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave my Hon. Friend the Member for Hendon on 25 March 2022 to Question 142441.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Strangford on 15 February 2022 to Question 119577.
The UK stands ready to formalise our association to EU programmes at the earliest opportunity. The UK raised the ongoing delays at the EU-UK Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes in December. In this meeting the EU confirmed that they were unwilling to move on UK association due to broader political issues. The minutes from this meeting can be found on GOV.UK. We continue to push the EU to formalise our association to Horizon Europe as soon as possible.
We recognise that the EU’s delays to the UK’s association have led to uncertainty for researchers, businesses and innovators based in the UK. In order to provide reassurance, the Government guaranteed funding for the first wave of eligible successful applicants to Horizon Europe. On 15 March, the Government announced an extension of the guarantee to a second wave of eligible, successful applicants to ensure that important international collaborations can continue and to provide reassurance for future collaborations.
This guarantee protects researchers whether we associate to Horizon Europe, or not. The Government’s position remains to associate and we will continue to do everything we can, but the UK cannot wait indefinitely. If the UK is unable to associate to Horizon Europe soon, and in time to make full use of the opportunities it offers, we are committed to introducing a comprehensive alternative programme of international science, research and innovation collaborations. These will focus on both immediate stability for the sector, with short-term mitigations including the guarantee of funding for successful Horizon applicants, and a bold and ambitious longer-term offer that delivers many of the benefits of Horizon association, and additional benefits, through wider global participation, and even stronger industry and SME engagement.
The Government is, and will continue to be, a champion of the needs of business and industry, including the UK manufacturing sector. This is why Build Back Better: plan for growth and its supporting strategies will put the UK at the forefront of opportunities, give businesses the confidence to invest, boost productivity across the UK, enable our green industrial revolution, and support our vision for Global Britain.
As announced in the Plan for Growth, published alongside Budget, the Department is engaging across Government to develop an Innovation Strategy. As well as working across Whitehall and with our Innovation Expert Group, we want to engage with the innovation community, including the manufacturing sector which accounts for 64% of all business expenditure on UK R&D, to ensure the evidence base is sound and the policy proposals in the Strategy are well developed.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary ran a cross-government process with Departments to review in detail how ODA is allocated between key priorities. The Foreign Secretary announced an ODA settlement of £706 million for my Department on Tuesday 26th January.
Though the impact of the COVID pandemic has impacted ODA budgets, international collaboration remains central to a healthy and productive R&D sector. The Government’s commitment to research and innovation has been clearly demonstrated, given we are increasing investment in R&D across government to £14.6bn in 2021/22, and as set out in our Integrated Review ambition.
In contrast to the number of open calls that UKRI runs, which remained relatively stable with an additional surge to deliver specific COVID-19 related funding, the number of applications for funding from UKRI has risen over the last year, including in response to COVID-19. To date the trend has already shown an increase of over 1,000 applications ending December 2020, with a further projection of another 2,000 applications to be received in the final quarter. These increases are against an active portfolio of approximately 14,000 grants.
UKRI has also responded to increased demand to help stabilise the system and the pressures felt across the research and innovation community. Active grants continue to attract a high number of requested changes through their life, but more recently hundreds more enquiries have resulted from COVID-19 disruption, generating many requests for both costed and no cost extensions with £90 million in costed grant extensions paid this year.
Other stabilising interventions that UKRI has made in response to the pandemic include bringing forwards £100 million of Quality Related funding from Academic Year 2020-21 to AY 2019-20, and providing additional funding through the Sustaining University Research Expertise (SURE) Fund in financial year 2020-21.
The Government invests in research talent through PhDs and fellowship schemes. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the single biggest funder of PhDs in the UK and currently funds between six and seven thousand PhDs per year (around 53% in STEM) through its studentships and training grants, including Centres for Doctoral Training and Doctoral Training Partnerships.
Multi-year fellowship schemes funded by BEIS are delivered both by the National Academies and UKRI and are targeted at different career stages, from early career researchers to research professors and chairs. These schemes support the development and progression of a broad spectrum of researchers and their teams while supporting their excellent research.
The Department is currently working with UKRI on the development of an R&D People and Culture Strategy as one of my top priorities. The R&D People and Culture Strategy will look to ensure the UK has the people we need at all levels, working in a culture that gets the best out of everyone and delivers the best outcomes for the country. A key part of this will be ensuring the R&D workforce has the capacity and capability to deliver the government’s ambitions for R&D with enough people with the right skills across disciplines, and throughout career stages and job roles.
BEIS Ministers regularly speak to my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on a range of issues, including R&D funding. I am pleased that the UK reached an agreement to take part in the Horizon Europe programme. Association to Horizon has been welcomed by businesses and the research community and will bring huge benefits to the UK. We have always been clear that Horizon funding complements domestic funding programmes.
At the Spending Review in November, the Government committed to investing £14.6 billion in research and development in 2021/22. Spending Review was complete before the outcome of negotiations with the EU was known. As part of our ongoing Departmental allocations process, we are continuing to work with HM Treasury on the costs of Horizon Europe.
The Government remains in dialogue with industry and overseas governments about the potential benefits, practicalities and implications of an aircraft scrappage scheme.
The Government is aware of the challenges, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, that medical research charities are currently facing.
The Government already provides significant funding to charities’ research, for example through Research England’s Quality Related (QR) charity support funding. This year charity QR will amount to £204m, to support charity funded research in universities in England and equivalent support is provided in Scotland through devolved funding arrangements.
Additionally, the Government supports this research through investments in the necessary infrastructure, through collaborations with UKRI and through the tax system. In 2018-19 over £1.3bn in tax relief on donations was received through Gift Aid benefitting all charities, including those carrying out vital medical research.
BEIS has been working with the Association of Medical Research Charities to develop an appropriate approach to supporting the important research that their members fund.
The Government recognises that the death of a family member is deeply upsetting for those involved. The death of a child is particularly tragic, and this is why the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy we introduced Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay in April this year.
All employees have right to take a reasonable amount of time off work for an emergency involving a dependant, including in the case of bereavements. The entitlement could, for example, be used to make funeral and other arrangements.
We expect employers to respond with compassion and understanding in the case of all bereavements and we have given them the tools that they need to do this. In 2014 Acas published their guidance on Managing a Bereavement in the Workplace: A Good Practice Guide. This is available on the ACAS website- www.acas.org.uk.
The Government has published several sets of guidance to help employers support the need of bereaved employees.
In 2014, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills commissioned the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to publish guidance on how to manage bereavement in the workplace. The guidance was first published in 2014 and last updated in May 2018 (https://archive.acas.org.uk/media/4114/Managing-bereavement-in-the-workplace---a-good-practice-guide/pdf/Managing-bereavement-in-the-workplace-a-good-practice-guide.pdf).
Earlier this year, the Department introduced this year a new entitlement to Bereavement Leave and Pay for employees who lost a child. Guidance was published on GOV.UK in April 2020 to help employers managing this new policy (https://www.gov.uk/employers-parental-bereavement-pay-leave).
The department is considering all aspects of how exiting the EU might affect further and higher education. This includes consideration of participation in EU-funded programmes, future arrangements for migration and for access to student finance support. We are committed to ensuring the country is prepared for every eventuality.
My officials also regularly engage with sector stakeholders on a range of issues, including leaving the EU and the Transition Period.
This is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only.
The Defra food waste prevention programme has provided grants of nearly £12m to over 300 organisations since 2018. FareShare was awarded around £3m of funding, helping to set up the Surplus with Purpose Fund, and supporting the infrastructure required to distribute surplus food. Whilst we are not planning any further grants, we remain committed to food waste prevention action, investing £2.6 million this year to combat food waste in the supply chain and in the home through working with the Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP).
The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible and clearly legible. Information shall not in any way be obscured and depending on the package size, there is a minimum font size.
That said, we welcome work by industry, especially companies developing new digital technologies like NaviLens with the potential to provide the means for people with visual impairment to access food information. As part of the upcoming Food Strategy White Paper, we will look at optimising food information, including labelling, so all consumers, are better able to make informed choices.
The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible and clearly legible. Information shall not in any way be obscured and depending on the package size, there is a minimum font size.
That said, we welcome work by industry, especially companies developing new digital technologies like NaviLens with the potential to provide the means for people with visual impairment to access food information. As part of the upcoming Food Strategy White Paper, we will look at optimising food information, including labelling, so all consumers, are better able to make informed choices.
The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible and clearly legible. Information shall not in any way be obscured and depending on the package size, there is a minimum font size.
That said, we welcome work by industry, especially companies developing new digital technologies like NaviLens with the potential to provide the means for people with visual impairment to access food information. As part of the upcoming Food Strategy White Paper, we will look at optimising food information, including labelling, so all consumers, are better able to make informed choices.
The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible and clearly legible. Information shall not in any way be obscured and depending on the package size, there is a minimum font size.
That said, we welcome work by industry, especially companies developing new digital technologies like NaviLens with the potential to provide the means for people with visual impairment to access food information. As part of the upcoming Food Strategy White Paper, we will look at optimising food information, including labelling, so all consumers, are better able to make informed choices.
We will recognise the validity of any animal tests on products that have already been undertaken and so avoid the need for further testing.
The grandfathering of all existing GB-held REACH registrations into the domestic system will further avoid the need to duplicate animal testing associated with re-registration.
The UK has been at the forefront of opposing animal tests where alternative approaches could be used. This is known as the "last-resort principle", which we will retain and enshrine in legislation through our landmark Environment Bill
We are determined that there should be no need for any additional animal testing for a chemical that has already been registered, unless it is subject to further evaluation that shows the registration dossier is inadequate or there are still concerns about the hazards and risks of the chemical, especially to human health.
On 1 January, legislation to bring EU REACH into UK law came into force. This means that businesses wishing to sell or distribute chemicals domestically now need to comply with UK REACH as part of our domestic chemicals regulatory framework
UK REACH retains the fundamental approach and core principles of EU REACH, including the core principle of “no data no market”. This means that businesses that wish to access the GB market will need to supply relevant data to the Health and Safety Executive in order to support the registration of a substance.
Under EU REACH, data is owned by individual businesses and industry consortia. For GB businesses who do not own the data they need, obtaining it is a matter of commercial negotiation between themselves and the businesses that do hold that information. Industry has some time to make these arrangements. This is because we have put in place provisions for the deadlines for the full submission of data to underpin registration dossiers to be staggered, according to the quantity and hazard profile of a substance, over a period of 2, 4 or 6 years from 28 October 2021.
On the 1 January, legislation to bring EU REACH into UK law came into force. This means that businesses wishing to sell or distribute chemicals domestically now need to comply with UK REACH as part of our domestic chemicals regulatory framework
UK REACH retains the fundamental approach and core principles of EU REACH, including the core principle of “no data no market”. This means that businesses that wish to access the GB market will need to supply relevant data to the Health and Safety Executive in order to support the registration of a substance.
Under EU REACH, data is owned by individual businesses and industry consortia. For GB businesses who do not own the data they need, obtaining it is a matter of commercial negotiation between themselves and the businesses that do hold that information. Industry has some time to make these arrangements. This is because we have put in place provisions for the deadlines for the full submission of data to underpin registration dossiers to be staggered, according to the quantity and hazard profile of a substance, over a period of 2, 4 or 6 years from 28 October 2021.
The Government has not conducted an assessment of the financial or other costs of introducing VI-1 import certificates for wine imported into the UK from the EU at the end of the transition period.
The Government recognises that businesses need time to make the necessary adaptations to meet the requirement for import certification on wine imported to Great Britain from the EU and we are therefore legislating to delay the introduction until 1 July 2021.
Defra officials are working closely with UK industry to ensure we have the capability to meet the equivalent EU requirement being introduced on 1 January 2021.
The legislation which postpones, to 1st July 2021, the introduction of wine certification for imports of EU wine to Great Britain, is being laid on 29th December 2020 and will come into effect at the end of the transition period. This is in addition to the previously legislated for easement allowing imports of wine to Great Britain from non-EU countries to continue using the EU VI-1 form.
A number of exemptions to these certification requirements were included in the legislation setting out the certification requirements, adopted under the EU Withdrawal Act. These exemptions included wine shipments that do not exceed one hundred litres, small shipments of wine sent from one private individual to another and wine imported for trade fairs.
Up to April this year, retail sales of scampi are, year on year, up in 2020. Noticeably higher sales in March may reflect consumers buying frozen products to prepare for Covid-19-related movement restrictions. Reduced demand from the UK food service sector and export markets has had a notable impact on the Nephrops market. Whilst there are some small signs of recovery as EU Nephrops markets reopen, prices remain subdued. Defra continues to work with the seafood industry across the UK, and with the Devolved Administrations and Seafish, to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on trade, and to support the sector through these challenging times.
That support includes providing £10 million of funding to the sector in England through the Fisheries Response Fund and the Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme. The Fisheries Response Fund, worth £9 million, has provided grants of up to £10,000 for eligible catching and aquaculture businesses to help cover fixed-costs. The £1 million Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme is supporting projects to help develop the infrastructure necessary to get fish from the catching & processing sectors to consumers, creating new opportunities and improving market resilience.
The UN assesses that although the current number of detected cases remains relatively low in Gaza and the West Bank, the capacity of the Palestinian health system to cope with an increase in COVID-19 cases is poor, including the low availability of PPE and ventilators. The situation is particularly severe in Gaza, where the health system has shortages in specialised staff, drugs and equipment.
The UK has pledged £764 million to support the global humanitarian response to COVID-19. We have delivered additional vital support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by providing funding to the World Health Organization and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity. I also recently announced £20 million in new funding, which will help the Palestinian Authority support its health workers who have been on the frontline battling coronavirus.
The UN assesses that although the current number of detected cases remains relatively low in Gaza and the West Bank, the capacity of the Palestinian health system to cope with an increase in COVID-19 cases is poor, including the low availability of PPE and ventilators. The situation is particularly severe in Gaza, where the health system has shortages in specialised staff, drugs and equipment.
The UK has pledged £764 million to support the global humanitarian response to COVID-19. We have delivered additional vital support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by providing funding to the World Health Organization and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity. I also recently announced £20 million in new funding, which will help the Palestinian Authority support its health workers who have been on the frontline battling coronavirus.
The UN assesses that although the current number of detected cases remains relatively low in Gaza and the West Bank, the capacity of the Palestinian health system to cope with an increase in COVID-19 cases is poor, including the low availability of PPE and ventilators. The situation is particularly severe in Gaza, where the health system has shortages in specialised staff, drugs and equipment.
The UK has pledged £764 million to support the global humanitarian response to COVID-19. We have delivered additional vital support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by providing funding to the World Health Organization and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity. I also recently announced £20 million in new funding, which will help the Palestinian Authority support its health workers who have been on the frontline battling coronavirus.
The UN assesses that although the current number of detected cases remains relatively low in Gaza and the West Bank, the capacity of the Palestinian health system to cope with an increase in COVID-19 cases is poor, including the low availability of PPE and ventilators. The situation is particularly severe in Gaza, where the health system has shortages in specialised staff, drugs and equipment.
The UK has pledged £764 million to support the global humanitarian response to COVID-19. We have delivered additional vital support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by providing funding to the World Health Organization and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity. I also recently announced £20 million in new funding, which will help the Palestinian Authority support its health workers who have been on the frontline battling coronavirus.
The Government takes the negative impact of US tariffs on Scotch Whisky very seriously. These tariffs are unnecessary, unhelpful and harm industry and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Department for International Trade engages regularly with Scottish industries which are unfairly impacted by the tariffs. On 13 August I held calls with the Scotch Whisky Association, Walkers Shortbread, Diageo and others, to update them on the outcome of the US August tariff review and to better understand their concerns.
The UK continues to lobby the US for the settlement of the Airbus/Boeing disputes and the removal of tariffs.
The latest research on the impacts of non-carbon dioxide aircraft emissions suggests that there remain significant uncertainties on their impact on the environment, and the effectiveness of proposed mitigation methods. However, the Government will continue to consider the research as it progresses.
I met with the Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space Group earlier this year and my officials regularly engage with the aerospace industry on a range of issues through various forums, including discussing items relating to EU Exit.
The Government recognises that international action is essential given the global nature of both the aviation sector and of climate change. The UK therefore takes a leading role in the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to reduce emissions from international aviation. For example, we are committed to implementing the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and negotiating for ICAO to agree a long-term emissions reduction goal for international aviation by its 41st Assembly in 2022.
Our COP26 presidency provides the UK with a unique opportunity to increase global ambition to decarbonise all sectors, including aviation. The government is working to deliver an ambitious set of initiatives that increase global ambition on aviation decarbonisation, showcase the latest in innovation and technology, and encourage the use of sustainable aviation fuels.
In addition, we are taking strides domestically to ensure aviation plays its part in delivering the UK’s net zero commitments: we recently established the Jet Zero Council to bring the sector together to drive decarbonisation and will shortly publish a consultation on how the sector can reach net zero.
The Government is working closely with the UK’s aerospace and aviation industries, including at sector level through the Aerospace Growth Partnership.
In addition, the Global Travel Taskforce has undertaken extensive engagement with the transport industry, including aviation and aerospace, and are putting in place a range of measures to support a safe and sustainable return to air travel and encourage consumer confidence.
On 15 December we introduced the ‘Test to Release for International Travel’ scheme in England, allowing arrivals from countries not on the travel corridors list to pay for a privately provided Covid-19 test and reduce their period of self-isolation if the test is negative.
The Global Travel Taskforce has concluded its work. However, the Government is working closely and at pace with industry and our international partners to implement the taskforce recommendations and ensure a safe and sustainable return to international travel.
The taskforce recommendations addressed three priorities: implementing effective public health measures; encouraging safe growth in demand; and driving a co-ordinated response with global partners.
As a first step, on 15 December the Government introduced the ‘Test to Release for International Travel’ scheme in England, allowing arrivals to pay for a privately provided Covid-19 test and reduce their required period of self-isolation if the test is negative.
The Covid pandemic, and the need for the Government to respond to it, have clearly impacted the aviation and aerospace sectors.
The Government has therefore announced through the Global Travel Taskforce, a number of measures to assist the sector to restart over the winter period. This includes the ‘Test To Release for international travel’ (TTR) scheme, which was launched on 15 December and will boost consumer confidence in air travel.
Following the successful implementation of these measures, the government will then put forward its strategic framework for the medium and long term recovery of the aviation sector.
We are considering the future of the sector in terms of sustainability. The aviation sector must be a green one that creates high quality, skilled jobs.
The Jet Zero Council has now set out ambitions on sustainable aviation fuel, zero-emission aviation and aerospace technologies.
Following the successful implementation of our aviation restart measures, the government will then put forward its strategic framework for the medium and long term recovery of the aviation sector, and set out a pathway for recovery to sustainable growth.
We will be consulting on our position on aviation and climate change in the new year.
DWP is aware that a small number of new State Pension claims have been subject to delays in receiving payment.
The Department is working hard to clear the current backlog, many of which have accrued since the Covid Pandemic.
We are prioritising overdue payments and payments that are imminent within the next few weeks. Normal service will be resumed by the end of October 2021.
Claimants don’t need to act, we have identified the cases and will process them as soon as possible.
No assessment has been made on the effect of the waiting time of debt levels and mortgage defaults for new UC claimants.
No assessment has been made of the potential merits of switching to Support for Mortgage Interest rather than housing support for homeowners with a mortgage in receipt of universal credit.
I do not intend to meet with the Scottish Government officials to discuss the report on the feasibility of piloting a Citizens Basic Income (CBI) in Scotland as I do not think a CBI is the right approach for the UK. A CBI does not take any account of people’s needs and circumstances, is not targeted at the poorest in society and would be hugely expensive.
This government believes Universal Credit is the right strategy for the UK because it simplifies the benefits system, promotes and incentivises work and provides targeted support to those in most need in a way that is affordable.
I do not intend to meet with the Scottish Government officials to discuss the report on the feasibility of piloting a Citizens Basic Income (CBI) in Scotland as I do not think a CBI is the right approach for the UK. A CBI does not take any account of people’s needs and circumstances, is not targeted at the poorest in society and would be hugely expensive.
This government believes Universal Credit is the right strategy for the UK because it simplifies the benefits system, promotes and incentivises work and provides targeted support to those in most need in a way that is affordable.
The Department is currently conducting its assessment of Evusheld, which includes advice from clinicians in line with available data, the public health situation and other treatments available. While we expect to receive clinical advice shortly, we are unable to confirm a specific timetable.
AstraZeneca commissioned the UK Health Strategic Authority to conduct studies into the effectiveness of Evusheld against the Omicron variants. Initial data has been shared with AstraZeneca. The Department is also assessing Evusheld through requesting advice from clinicians on the most appropriate option for the National Health Service in line with available data, the public health situation and other treatments available. While we expect to receive clinical advice shortly we are unable to confirm a specific timetable.
The level of folic acid to be added to non-wholewheat flour is being consulted on as part of the Bread and Flour Regulations review. A final decision on the required level of fortification will follow consideration of the consultation responses alongside advice from relevant expert committees.
The Department’s decision to legislate for the fortification of non-wholewheat flour with folic acid was informed by the evidence and consultation responses. Bread is consumed by over 99% of British households and over a quarter of all groceries in the four biggest supermarkets contain flour, therefore it is an ideal vehicle for fortification.
Non-wholewheat flour is an already established vehicle for fortification and has been subject to mandatory fortification with calcium, iron, niacin and thiamin during milling for decades. The decision to fortify non-wholewheat flour with folic acid will minimise the burden on industry as it will avoid subjecting other types of flour to the existing mandatory fortification requirements.
As part of the Bread and Flour Regulations review, we will consult on updated regulations and an impact assessment once the Northern Ireland Assembly Elections have concluded.
Neurology is a popular specialty and generally achieves a 100% fill rate for training places, with no significant attrition issues. A new curriculum is being introduced with increased emphasis on working and training in internal medicine and stroke as well as neurology, which will increase the number of trainees in the acute areas of neurology.
To improve the retention of all National Health Service staff, the NHS People Plan focuses on actions for organisations to build a more compassionate and inclusive culture. This includes a focus on staff health and wellbeing, support for flexible working and a renewed commitment to tackling inequality. The NHS Retention Programme is seeking to understand why staff leave, resulting in targeted interventions to support staff to stay whilst keeping them well.
The NHS RightCare progressive neurological conditions toolkit states that patients with a neurological condition will be offered a regular review of their emotional and psychological status and supported to access information and mental health services when needed. Support may include counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, written advice or a neuro-psychological specialist if required. In addition, people living with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions may be referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service.
We are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services by 2023/24. The Mental Health Recovery Action Plan also provided £500 million of targeted investment in 2021/22. This will enable an extra two million people in England to access National Health Service-funded mental health support, with an additional 27,000 mental health professions recruited to support this expansion.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraises all new medicines, including for multiple sclerosis, and is committed where possible, to publishing draft guidance at the time of licensing with final guidance published within three months. NICE has published guidance recommending a number of medicines for multiple sclerosis for routine use in the National Health Service. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE.
The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines do not include specific guidelines on consumption of alcohol by children and young people. However, advice on alcohol consumption is available at NHS.UK, the Talk to FRANK online resource, and GOV.UK.
The National Health Service provides advice that alcohol use in teenage years is related to a range of health and social problems and recommends that children and young people do not drink alcohol before the age of 18 years old. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/should-my-child-drink-alcohol/
Education on alcohol use is also a statutory component of relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education in England.
No assessment has yet been made as data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol consumption by children and young people is not currently available. NHS Digital’s Smoking, Drinking and Drugs among Young People Survey provides information on drinking behaviours and attitudes among children aged 11 to 15 years old. The last survey was carried out in 2018. Field work for the 2021 survey began in autumn 2021.
The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines do not include specific guidelines on consumption of alcohol by children and young people. However, advice on alcohol consumption is available at NHS.UK, the Talk to FRANK online resource, and GOV.UK.
The National Health Service provides advice that alcohol use in teenage years is related to a range of health and social problems and recommends that children and young people do not drink alcohol before the age of 18 years old. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/should-my-child-drink-alcohol/
Education on alcohol use is also a statutory component of relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education in England.
Immunocompromised individuals are a priority cohort for research into therapeutic and prophylaxis treatments, such as monoclonal antibody therapies and repurposed compounds. The RAPID C-19 collaboration has enabled active multi-agency oversight of national and international trial evidence as it emerges for COVID-19 therapies, both in potential treatment and prophylactic indications. Where material evidence is identified, this has enabled the rapid formation and implementation of United Kingdom-wide clinical access policies. The RAPID C-19 collaboration actively reviews all promising compounds. To date, the evidence has most strongly supported treatment use, but the evidence around prophylactic use will continue to be actively reviewed.
NHS England and Improvement and NHS Blood and Transplant regularly assess the impact of COVID-19 hospitalisations on NHS transplant services and are working with transplant units to restore transplantation services to pre-pandemic levels.
Whilst specific data for 26 January 2022 is not available, as of 23 January 2022, deceased donation represents 86% of pre-pandemic levels and living donation has since resumed to delivering quarterly matching runs through the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme. NHS Blood and Transplant and NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work with transplant units to optimise the uptake of every organ that becomes available.
Data on the number of modellers is not held. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation formulates advice and recommendations based on appraisal of the best scientific and other evidence available and has no specific allocated modelling resource. Modelling is commissioned from a range of resources as and when required.
There are no plans to increase the routine immunisations modelling capacity at present. Modellers from academic institutions, public bodies and the Government have been focused on supporting efforts against COVID-19 through the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation formulates advice and recommendations based on appraisal of the best scientific and other evidence available and has no specific allocated modelling resource. Modelling is commissioned from a range of resources as and when required.
There are no plans to increase capacity at present. Modellers in academic institutions, public bodies and the Government have been focused on supporting efforts against COVID-19 through the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
Currently, the NHS Health Check programme aims to raise awareness of the risk factors that affect both heart and brain health. This aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, and some cases of dementia among adults aged 40 to 74 years old.
We will be setting out our future plans on dementia for England in 2022. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is contributing to the development of the new strategy which will include a focus on prevention and risk reduction. As part of this, the concept of brain health in encouraging people to reduce their dementia risk, is being explored. Officials are engaging with a range of stakeholders on the new strategy including members of the Dementia Programme Board and other Government departments.
Funding for dementia research is allocated via the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The following table shows spending on research into dementia prevention by each organisation in each of the last three years. Spending by the MRC in 2020/21 is not yet available.
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 |
MRC | £10.8 million | £6.7 million | N/A |
ESRC | £0.7 million | £0.7 million | £1.1 million |
NIHR | £1.8 million | £1.5 million | £1.7 million |
Total | £13.3 million | £8.9 million | £2.8 million |
The following table shows spending on research into ‘brain health’ in each of the last three years. Figures for the MRC’s spend reflect research into neurodegeneration, epilepsy and stroke which is directly relevant to brain health research, as the MRC does not have a specific brain health research portfolio. Spending by the MRC in 2020/21 is not yet available.
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 |
MRC | £71.1 million | £68.1 million | N/A |
ESRC | £0.1 million | £0.2 million | £0.4 million |
NIHR | £3.9 million | £5.8 million | £5.4 million |
Total | £75.1 million | £74.1 million | £5.8 million |
The Government has committed to invest £375 million in neurodegenerative disease research over the next five years to fund projects into a range of diseases, including dementia. We will be setting out our plans on dementia for England for future years in 2022. This will include our ambitions for dementia research.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is currently considering whether there is sufficient evidence to recommend delivering the second dose of the MMR vaccine at 18 months. We will be guided by their advice.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) relies on modelling work from a variety of sources to support its advice, including the UK Health Security Agency and academic groups.
Varicella is a ‘business as usual’ item that the JCVI will consider in the short to medium term. However, as modelling capacity is finite and resources are supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response, the JCVI are unable to provide an expected timeframe. The modelling Quality-Adjusted Life Year meeting to discuss varicella will be scheduled once evidence becomes available.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) relies on modelling work from a variety of sources to support its advice, including the UK Health Security Agency and academic groups.
Varicella is a ‘business as usual’ item that the JCVI will consider in the short to medium term. However, as modelling capacity is finite and resources are supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response, the JCVI are unable to provide an expected timeframe. The modelling Quality-Adjusted Life Year meeting to discuss varicella will be scheduled once evidence becomes available.
In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Scotland and Alzheimer’s Research UK, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) delivers Join Dementia Research (JDR), an online platform recruiting people into dementia research studies, which is open to all who wish to participate. Through the Innovations in Clinical Trial Design and Delivery for the Under-served programme, the NIHR is actively seeking to improve participation in research by providing resources and examples of good practice to support researchers seeking to engage with and include under-served groups.
No specific assessment has been made.
As of February 2021, the number of full time equivalent clinical oncologists has increased by 20.5% since February 2015 – an increase of 250 clinical oncologists working in the National Health Service. Health Education England funded an extra 50 places in clinical oncology and an extra 36 in medical oncology in 2021.
The next Spending Review will set out further details of the Government’s spending plans for non-NHS budgets for future years, which includes funding for the NHS workforce.
No specific assessment has been made.
As of February 2021, the number of full time equivalent clinical oncologists has increased by 20.5% since February 2015 – an increase of 250 clinical oncologists working in the National Health Service. Health Education England funded an extra 50 places in clinical oncology and an extra 36 in medical oncology in 2021.
The next Spending Review will set out further details of the Government’s spending plans for non-NHS budgets for future years, which includes funding for the NHS workforce.
Plans for increasing funding for dementia research and delivering a moonshot are subject to Spending Review settlements. We will be setting out our plans on dementia for England for future years in due course.
The National Institute for Health Research has commissioned the National Immunisation Schedule Evaluation Consortium to undertake the Com-CoV trial. This trial is gathering data on the long-term immune response of using different COVID-19 vaccines for the first and second dose.
Public Health England has also undertaken follow up on people given mixed schedules as part of routine care to monitor self-reported side effects and antibody response. The antibody results will be published in due course.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published interim advice on a potential Covid-19 booster vaccination programme on 30th June 2021, which can be found at the following link:
The JCVI’s interim advice is that COVID-19 boosters should first be offered to the most vulnerable. The JCVI advises a two staged approach, with individuals in Stage 1 offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine, and flu vaccine, as soon as possible from September, and individuals in Stage 2 offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine as soon as practicable after Stage 1, with equal emphasis on deployment of the flu vaccine where eligible.
Final decisions on the timing and scope and cohort eligibility, including the groups listed above, of any COVID-19 vaccine booster programme will be confirmed once the JCVI have provided their final advice, alongside considerations related to COVID-19 vaccine supply and approvals by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
As part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the United Kingdom may request access to the European Union’s Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) in respect of a serious cross-border health threat. The UK was given access to the EWRS for COVID-19 from 1 January 2021.
The TCA also provides for continued cooperation on scientific and technical matters between the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the UK body responsible for surveillance, epidemic intelligence and scientific advice on infectious disease. We are currently developing a Memorandum of Understanding with ECDC to formalise future cooperation.
As part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the United Kingdom may request access to the European Union’s Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) in respect of a serious cross-border health threat. The UK was given access to the EWRS for COVID-19 from 1 January 2021.
The TCA also provides for continued cooperation on scientific and technical matters between the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the UK body responsible for surveillance, epidemic intelligence and scientific advice on infectious disease. We are currently developing a Memorandum of Understanding with ECDC to formalise future cooperation.
Children under 16 years of age, even if they are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), are at low risk of serious morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. There is also a lack of safety and efficacy data for COVID-19 vaccines in children. Most children under the age of 16, including those who are CEV, are therefore not recommended for routine vaccination.
Given the very high risk of exposure to infection and outbreaks in residential settings, vaccination may be appropriate for those with severe neuro-disabilities who require frequent care in these settings. This option should be discussed between parents or guardians and the child’s clinician.
As of 1 April, due to low prevalence, shielding advice has been paused for all clinically extremely vulnerable people, including children and young people. All CEV pupils should attend their school unless they are one of the very small number of pupils under paediatric or other specialist care and have been advised by their GP or clinician not to attend. Pupils who live with someone who is CEV should continue to attend school as normal.
More information on children and COVID-19 vaccination can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/984310/Greenbook_chapter_14a_7May2021.pdf
Current guidance to individuals who are clinically extremely vulnerable, including children, can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
England’s national vaccine strategy is being refreshed to include new developments from the COVID-19 vaccine programme and the extended National Health Service flu programme. The vaccine strategy will be published in due course.
The Department is funding several studies of immune responses to COVID-19 including the SARS-CoV-2 Immunity and Reinfection EvaluatioN (SIREN) study in health care workers; the Vivaldi study in care home residents and workers; and the COVID-19 Infection Survey led by the Office for National Statistics of repeat household visits looking at those who have antibodies to COVID-19, either from vaccination or previous infection.
The National Institute for Health Research’s Health Protection Research Unit in Respiratory Infections is also looking at the size and longevity of the immune response and Public Health England is monitoring antibody levels in individuals who have received either the Pfizer or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is supporting the National Health Service to deliver clinical research through the Clinical Research Network (CRN).
The NIHR’s CRN reports that of the 92 breast cancer clinical trials that it was supporting on 21 May 2020, 36 or 39% were paused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 15 April 2021, 30 or 83% of these paused breast cancer trials have restarted and 30 new breast cancer trials have entered the portfolio since 21 May 2020.
To enable clinical research studies that have been paused to restart and recruit successfully, including breast cancer trials, plans are being developed to manage the delivery of non-COVID-19 studies to ensure successful recovery of the portfolio. Details of these plans will be published shortly.
The right of referral to research is one action aimed at increasing participation in research. NHS England and NHS Improvement have indicated that this work has been delayed and they are looking to consider it further as they work with other partners, including the Department, to develop the England specific action plan that will underpin the vision. Increasing participation in research is a key strand of the national vision for clinical research published on 23 March, The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-uk-clinical-research-delivery
The Department’s National Institute for Health Research is supporting the National Health Service to deliver life-saving research through the Clinical Research Network which provides the infrastructure that allows high-quality clinical research funded by charities, the life-sciences industry and the public sector to be undertaken throughout the health and care system.
To enable research studies that have been paused to restart, plans are being developed to transition and manage the delivery of non-COVID-19 studies to ensure successful recovery of the portfolio.
The Department’s National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network reports that of the 92 breast cancer clinical trials it was supporting on 21 May 2020, 36 or 39% were paused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 26 March 2021, 30 or 83% of these paused breast cancer trials have restarted and 25 new breast cancer trials have entered the portfolio since 21 May 2020.
The Department’s National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network reports that of the 92 breast cancer clinical trials it was supporting on 21 May 2020, 36 or 39% were paused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 26 March 2021, 30 or 83% of these paused breast cancer trials have restarted and 25 new breast cancer trials have entered the portfolio since 21 May 2020.
The United Kingdom-wide Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Cell has recently reviewed the evidence in relation to the transmission route for COVID-19 and the IPC precautions required. The IPC guidance was updated most recently on 21 January and the Cell agreed that no changes to the current personal protective equipment requirements were needed.
There is also consensus across the UK Chief Medical Officers that existing guidance regarding the use of face masks and FFP3 masks by healthcare workers is correct.
Public Health England discusses the personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance for healthcare workers with the Health and Safety Executive and other committee members as part of the decision making committee for PPE, chaired by Department. Advice has been sought from and agreed with the Health and Safety Executive in relation to type and specification for PPE required during the pandemic. These discussions are fed back to the UK-wide Infection Prevention Control Cell, who develop the PPE guidance for healthcare workers.
Following the identification of new COVID-19 variants, the United Kingdom Infection Prevention Control Cell conducted a comprehensive review of available evidence to inform any necessary changes to the guidance for health workers in England including recommended levels of personal protective equipment (PPE). Based on the evidence, they concluded that current guidance and PPE recommendations remain appropriate. Emerging evidence and data on variant strains will be continually monitored and reviewed and the guidance amended accordingly if needed.
There are no plans to extend the Cancer Recovery Plan.
From March, local systems will be expected to carry out local plans formed as part of the Cancer Services Recovery Plan and continue the progress that has already been made.
Arrangements for distributing the £1 billion funding, announced in the recent Spending Review, are still under consideration as the National Health Service continues to work through the current COVID-19 surge. In addition, the review also confirmed that there will be £325 million of new investment in NHS diagnostics equipment to improve clinical outcomes.
No specific assessment has been made. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHS in England has maintained access to urgent and emergency care, including for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). For non-urgent care, providers have been rolling out remote consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services as a priority where appropriate.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline Multiple sclerosis in adults: management, updated November 2019, sets out best practice for clinicians in the treatment of MS, which includes guidance on the usage of oral and intravenous treatments for patients with relapse remitting MS.
Full details on funding allocations towards National Health Service workforce budgets, including relating to the cancer workforce, in 2021-22 are subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and will be finalised in due course.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service in England on whether medicines represent a clinical and cost-effective use of resources.
NICE is currently developing guidance for the NHS in England on the use of ozanimod for treating relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. NICE recently consulted stakeholders on its initial draft recommendations on ozanimod and NICE will carefully consider the comments received in developing its final recommendations.
No specific assessment has been made. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Health Service in England has maintained access to urgent and emergency care, including treatments for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). For non-urgent care, remote consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services have been made available as a priority where appropriate.
On 23 December 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement outlined priorities for the remainder of 2020-2021 and into 2021-2022, including maximising the NHS’s capacity to treat non-COVID-19 patients. This capacity includes services for people with neurological conditions, including for MS treatments across their disease course, whether they are for their overall quality of life or other individual needs - for example, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy.
The vaccination strategy, published on 13 January 2021, estimated that there are 0.4 million staff working in care homes for older adults in England.
We are working with the vaccination programme in NHS England to monitor progress on the vaccination of care home staff. NHS England now publish weekly data on the vaccination of care home staff, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/
Statistics on the total number of residents and the number vaccinated in elderly care home residents are available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/
Data on the proportion of adult care home residents who have received the first dose of their vaccine by 3 January 2021 is not available. This data has been published since 4 February 2021.
NHS England publishes weekly data on the vaccination of residents and staff in older adult care homes which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/
NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with Public Health England and the Department to drive improvements in immunisation uptake and coverage in all routine childhood immunisations. The Department intends to publish a vaccination strategy in the near future to maintain and develop the United Kingdom’s immunisation programme.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is routinely administered in schools, with a target of 90% coverage for 13 to 14 year old females. Where full HPV coverage has not been attained in schools, HPV vaccination can be administered in general practice up to the age of 25 to support high levels of population coverage. A review of vaccination and immunisations in 2019 has led to reformed general practice contractual arrangements to support the delivery of vaccination activity to increase coverage. In addition, all practices are required to have a named vaccination lead, to support maximisation of uptake.
We are taking a cross-Government approach to address bereavement support and help ensure that families and friends of those deceased get the support they need – particularly during this difficult time. We are engaging with specialist bereavement organisations to assess how we can support them in doing their important work, which includes providing support to bereaved employees.
We are committed to ensuring National Health Service staff have the support and resources they need to respond to the pandemic. We established the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Coronavirus to handle pandemic claims not falling under existing state indemnity schemes and we communicated these plans in a letter of 2 April to NHS staff and providers. We have also taken steps, working with the NHS, professional regulators and across Government to ensure that claims, complaints and court processes can appropriately take into account the unprecedented context NHS staff are working within in response to COVID-19.
We have no plans to establish alternative arrangements to oversee claims, complaints and litigation against doctors as a result of the response to COVID-19.
We are committed to ensuring National Health Service staff have the support and resources they need to respond to the pandemic. We established the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Coronavirus to handle pandemic claims not falling under existing state indemnity schemes and we communicated these plans in a letter of 2 April to NHS staff and providers. We have also taken steps, working with the NHS, professional regulators and across Government to ensure that claims, complaints and court processes can appropriately take into account the unprecedented context NHS staff are working within in response to COVID-19.
We have no plans to establish alternative arrangements to oversee claims, complaints and litigation against doctors as a result of the response to COVID-19.
The rising costs of clinical negligence are unsustainable and we are committed to tackling this issue, working with the Ministry of Justice, other Government departments and NHS Resolution. This is a complex issue and the work is ongoing. We will bring forward a publication in due course.
The Government’s number one priority for adult social care is for everyone who relies on care to get the care they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are committed to bringing forward a plan for social care to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and to find long-term solutions for one of the biggest challenges we face as a society. There are complex questions to address and it is important that we give these issues our full consideration in the light of current circumstances.
The flu vaccination programme is a crucial part of preparing the United Kingdom for winter. The vaccine is already available to those most at risk of flu, children aged 2-3, all primary school aged children and all healthcare workers. In 2019/20 over 14.6 million doses of the flu vaccine were administered to these groups.
As part of our planning for this coming winter, we are seeking to increase uptake for all the cohorts who are currently eligible for flu vaccination and extend who is eligible. Information on the ambitions for flu vaccine uptake will be published in the second annual flu letter 2020/21.
General practitioners and community pharmacists are directly responsible for ordering flu vaccine from suppliers for the adult flu programme, and advice was issued to them about ordering sufficient doses of vaccine for their patient groups.
It is the Government’s long-term ambition to recruit more people into social care to meet the future needs of society. In the short term, in order to attract people into social care now, we launched a new national recruitment campaign, ‘Care for others; Make a difference’, which ran across broadcast, digital and social media. We have also launched a new online platform to fast-track recruitment into the adult social care sector, which will sit alongside the many local initiatives that have been put in place to recruit staff.
The new Health and Care visa will make it cheaper, quicker and easier for eligible social care professions such as social workers, occupational therapists and nurses from around the world to come to work the United Kingdom. In addition all social care workers will now be permanently exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge.
We are working to expand the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) from overseas and improve domestic manufacturing capability. We are expanding and improving the logistics network for delivering to the front line.
Since 25 February we have delivered over 2.3 billion items of PPE across the health and social care system within England. Almost 30 billion items of PPE have been ordered from United Kingdom-based manufacturers and international partners to provide a continuous supply in the coming months.
We continue to model future demand for PPE to cover a range of possible scenarios, working closely with the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies to ensure it is underpinned by the latest science. We are confident in the stocks and sources of supply of PPE to meet the needs of health and social care over the next seven and 90 days and are increasingly looking further ahead. We have moved from an emergency situation a few months ago to a stable situation which allows us to prepare with resilience for any second spike or a new wave in the autumn or winter.
We are making sure our stockpile is ready for any future wave of the pandemic by ensuring we use lessons learnt and are informed by expert scientific advice.
No assessment has been made at this time.
On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued a further letter of guidance to National Health Service cancer services on Second phase of NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The letter notes that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. The new guidance is based on three key principles: capacity, fairness and confidence. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide such services.
On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued a further letter of guidance to National Health Service cancer services on Second phase of NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The letter notes that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. The new guidance is based on three key principles: capacity, fairness and confidence. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide such services.
On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued further guidance to NHS cancer services on the second phase of the NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The states that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide these essential services.
This includes focussing on reducing the number of over 62-day waiters on cancer pathways, particularly rescheduling diagnostic procedures or treatment for those who have had their care delayed by the pandemic.
Data on cancer referrals and treatments is collected and published by NHS England and available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/
Latest data available is April 2020, data for May 2020 will be published on 9 July 2020.
The National Health Service has continued to provide urgent and emergency services throughout the outbreak and has run the ‘Open for Business’ media campaign to encourage people with potentially serious health issues, such as cancer, to continue to seek medical advice and attend essential appointments. Cancer Alliances and Cancer Hubs have identified surgical capacity to meet demand for cancer services and treatments at this time.
We have been clear that we will continue to be guided by the latest scientific advice and will give the National Health Service whatever it needs, as we have done throughout this unprecedented pandemic.
Thanks to the dedication of NHS staff, hospitals have not been overwhelmed and intensive care capacity continues to meet the needs of patients.
Effective local management of any outbreak is the first line of protection against a second wave. In the event the local response is not sufficient to contain outbreaks, the Government would reintroduce measures if necessary, to contain the virus and stop it spreading to the wider population.
Using data from Royal Mail the number of home tests conducted in this time frame are shown in the following table. It should be noted that the Royal Mail’s data captures when the kit is delivered at their delivery office near the laboratory. For example, if the kit is ‘scanned as delivered’ on 4 May, it will then make it to the laboratory the following morning, 5 May, at the agreed ‘drop-off’ time.
Tests returned are counted and reported only once they have been processed by the laboratory and will appear in the data for pillar 2.
Data on the number of tests processed by pillar is available at the following link:
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/testing
Information on the methodology of how testing data is compiled is available at the following link:
Date | Kits scanned as delivered |
26 April 2020 | 954 |
27 April 2020 | 2,069 |
28 April 2020 | 2,762 |
29 April 2020 | 2,377 |
30 April 2020 | 2,966 |
1 May 2020 | 4,895 |
2 May 2020 | 5,907 |
3 May 2020 | 6,906 |
4 May 2020 | 7,110 |
Total | 35,946 |
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 43048 on 16 June.
We take parliamentary scrutiny incredibly seriously and it is fundamentally important that hon. Members are provided with accurate and timely information to enable them to hold the Government to account. We are working rapidly to provide all Members with accurate answers to their questions, as well as supporting the Government’s response to the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hon. Member’s Question 43049 will be answered as soon as possible.
66,648 test samples were sent to a laboratory in the United States of America. 38,196 were successfully completed and 28,452 were void.
We worked hard to get complete tests for people under difficult circumstances. In many cases this worked and we are grateful for the team for their efforts. In some cases, it did not and the correct judgement was made to void the tests. Everyone affected was offered a new test immediately and we worked quickly to restore full capacity in the United Kingdom.
Various representations were received on the alleged omission of recommendations from Public Health England’s report entitled ‘COVID-19: review of disparities in risks and outcomes’, published on 2 June 2020. No recommendations were removed.
Alongside the epidemiological review, Professor Fenton undertook a rapid evidence review and external stakeholder engagement with a significant number of individuals and organisations within the black, Asian and minority ethnic community, to hear their views, concerns and ideas about the impact of COVID-19 on their communities. The results of that work have now been published and will inform the Government’s next steps being taken forward by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch MP).
The United Kingdom has been an international exemplar in preparedness and our pandemic stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) and vital supplies is considered a very high-quality mark in international terms. At the start of the pandemic, Public Health England already had large stockpiles of PPE as part of its ongoing contingency measures to prepare for an outbreak. There were also supplies of PPE held through the NHS Supply Chain.
The Government has massively expanded both our supply of PPE from overseas and our domestic manufacturing capability and we are confident in the stocks and sources of supply of PPE to meet the needs of health and social care staff over the next seven and 90 days.
The Government has now signed contracts for over 2 billion items of PPE through UK-based manufacturers, ensuring we build and maintain a domestic base for the future.
The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) has information on 92 breast cancer clinical trials which it was supporting in March 2020. Half (50%) of these trials paused their recruitment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 45% have continued and 5% have closed.
We have now entered a new phase of the pandemic, where the number of new cases of COVID-19 is declining so the NIHR, including the CRN, is working towards the restoration of research funded and/or supported by the NIHR - including clinical trials on breast cancer. To help initiate this process, the NIHR has developed a ‘Framework for Restart’, which provides a structure to guide the restart, while maintaining local decision-making and flexibility to respond to COVID-19. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/restart-framework/24886
As of 9 June 2020, 211 National Health Service staff deaths involving COVID-19 have been reported in England. The number of NHS worker deaths is verified from direct reports from NHS employing organisations and the number of individuals identified as deceased healthcare workers by non-NHS organisations. This information is investigated and triangulated by NHS England to give a high level of confidence of validity.
Public Health England analysis of mortality data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that at least 214 deaths involving COVID-19 among social care workers were registered 21 March to 8 May 2020 (in England, of those aged 20-64 years). The ONS will be publishing an updated figure in due course.
We introduced large-scale home testing at the end of April to make testing more accessible to individuals. Between 27 April – 5 May over 95,000 home tests were dispatched to users. In that same time period, nearly 21,000 test samples were processed by our labs. The difference in these numbers is due to the number of days between test dispatch, through to the sample being taken and then being collected by courier to be sent to the lab. This means that the 21,000 test samples processed will not correlate to tests dispatched on these dates.
Between 27 April 2020 and 5 May 2020, a total of 168,050 Home Test Kits were sent out. Between 5 May 2020 and 6 August 2020, a further 5,514,897 Home Test Kits were sent out.
Officials have been working closely with the General Medical Council (GMC) to ensure it has a plan in place to use its powers to support delivery of essential health and care services during an epidemic, if this is required. When registering professionals, the GMC Registrar has the power to add conditions that restrict the types of activities that a doctor can carry out. Additionally, any emergency registered retired doctors who are deployed, will be subject to oversight by local employing organisations to ensure the safe delivery of care.
If doctors or nurses return to the National Health Service in England for the purposes of assisting with the COVID-19 outbreak and carry out work on behalf of an NHS trust or a general practitioner (GP) practice, they would be covered for clinical negligence indemnity via one of the following state indemnity schemes:
- The Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, if they are engaged by an NHS trust to provide NHS services; and
- The Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, if they are engaged by a GP practice to provide NHS services (i.e. a GP practice, the main business of which is the provision of primary medical services for the NHS).
A full list of all trusts along with the number of hip and knee replacement procedures and the average waiting time is attached.
The data shows the number of procedures between the period April 2018 until March 2019.
It should be noted the data does not show individual patients as the same person may have been admitted into a National Health Service hospital on more than one occasion.
As of 20 April 2022, the UK has delivered over 60.2 million COVID-19 vaccines (AstraZeneca and Janssen). 53.5 million of these have gone to COVAX for allocation and distribution in line with their fair allocation model, while 6.7 million have gone bilaterally.
We have offered 100 million doses for donation but global supply has increased considerably. Many low-income countries have limited capacity to deploy COVID vaccines and face other pressing health challenges to be tackled with limited health resources. We will continue to facilitate donations, including of mRNA vaccines, where there is demand and countries have the capacity to manage them.
As a force for good in the world, through our participation in COVAX and by sharing vaccines, the UK is championing the need for access for all countries. As of 28 March the UK has delivered Adenovirus (AstraZeneca and Janssen/Johnson and Johnson) vaccines to low and middle-income countries through COVAX, who will also soon be delivering UK Protein Adjuvant (Novavax) vaccines to developing countries in line with their fair allocation model. We also have made bilateral donations, and are working on bilateral deliveries of AstraZeneca and mRNA (Moderna and Pfizer) vaccines in the coming months.
The UK was one of the earliest and largest donors to COVAX, contributing £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). Our early funding gave the COVAX AMC the purchase power to secure deals with manufacturers to supply internationally approved vaccines for up to 92 low and middle-income countries. So far, COVAX has helped deliver over 1.16 billion doses to 144 participants.
Data about departing staff is collected as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) cross government data collection, and published by the Cabinet Office. Data for FCDO leavers by government department and leaving cause can be found in Table 42 of https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1006364/Statistical_tables_-_Civil_Service_Statistics_2021.xlsx
The UK remains committed to polio eradication, and supports the work of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), to which we have provided £1.37 billion since 1995. GPEI have led efforts that have eradicated wild polio from all but 2 countries, with the African region being declared free of wild polio last year. The difficult economic situation has meant that we have had to reduce the aid budget, including for programmes such as GPEI. We will return to spending 0.7% of our Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance when the fiscal situation allows.
The UK is clear on its support to maintain polio surveillance. As demonstrated in our participation at the World Health Assembly and G7 communiques, new pandemic measures should build on existing surveillance systems from polio.
Data on demolition and displacement in the West Bank is published by The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at: https://www.ochaopt.org/publications/west-bank-demolitions-and-displacement. On the issue of confiscations and demolitions, the UK's position is clear; in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. We call on Israel to end these practices, and to allow the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid for those who have had their homes demolished or confiscated.
The UK is a longstanding supporter to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Our annual contribution to UNRWA's core programme budget helps UNRWA provide basic education to more than 533,000 children a year (half of which are girls), access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees and social safety net assistance for around 255,000 of the most vulnerable across the region. The UK Embassy in Tel Aviv also regularly raises the importance of access to essential services with the Israeli authorities.
The UK remains firmly committed to ensuring access to essential healthcare services for Palestinians. We are a longstanding supporter to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which provides core services, including healthcare to Palestinian refugees. Our future spending allocations will be set in the next Spending Review and full budgets for 2021 will be published in due course, including in our regular Statistics on International Development website and in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office Annual Report and Accounts.
Following Official Development Assistance (ODA) prioritisation exercises undertaken in March 2021, the UK no longer provides direct funding to the Palestinian Authority to support the salaries of education workers and health professionals. The UK remains firmly committed to ensuring access to essential healthcare services for Palestinians. We are a longstanding supporter to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which provides core services, including healthcare to Palestinian refugees.
Cooperation is key to tackling Covid-19. The British Embassy Tel Aviv and the British Consulate-General Jerusalem are in regular contact with both parties and continue to urge them to coordinate on vaccine access.
We have made clear our concern about the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the significant damage and destruction of civilian infrastructure, hospitals and clinics. The UK Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of access to healthcare, including critical health services, with the Israeli authorities, most recently on 1 June. We are urging the Government of Israel to ensure this access is maintained. The long-lasting movement restrictions and the serious constraints imposed by the occupation can impact the provision of medical care. The wounded and critically ill in Gaza should be able to access the urgent medical care they need.
We welcome the steps that the Israeli and Palestinian authorities have taken so far to coordinate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage further dialogue in this regard. The UK is committed to global equitable access to effective vaccines as demonstrated by our £548 million contribution to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) - the international initiative to support global equitable access to vaccines. The Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) were among the first to benefit from the COVAX scheme with its first delivery of vaccines on 17 March 2021. Since that initial shipment, we are pleased that several further deliveries have arrived in the OPTs, including most recently on 25 August 2021.
All viruses change constantly through mutation, and many thousands of variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been detected across the world. Most have little to no impact on the virus's ability to cause infections and disease, but some can pose higher risks. Variants are more likely to arise in areas of high transmission. In addition to basic public health measures, the World Health Organisation has advised that ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines will reduce virus circulation. This will ultimately lead to fewer mutations and variants.
The UK is committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. We are among the largest donors to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), committing £548 million, which leveraged $1 billion from other donors in 2020 through match funding. This support to COVAX has been critical to it supplying COVID-19 vaccines to over 120 countries, and economies. We have also committed to share the majority of our supply of any surplus vaccine doses with COVAX.
The UK remains committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, and the Prime Minister has said that we will share the majority of any doses that are surplus to UK needs with COVAX. As the multilateral mechanism set up to support international cooperation on vaccines, COVAX remains best-placed for allocating vaccines where they are most needed, and will be most effective. We have already committed £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, which specifically supports vaccine access for at least 500 million people in up to 92 low and middle income countries in 2021. Our wider support for COVAX has enabled the mechanism to reach over 120 countries.
The UK is a founding member, and one of the largest donors to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, contributing £548 million for global equitable access. This £548 million spend, and the vital work it supports, has been assessed as ODA eligible, and will be met under our commitment to spend 0.5% of UK GNI on ODA.
The UK is committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, treatments, and tests globally. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and I continue to speak to our international counterparts, discussing the shared fight against coronavirus.
For example, at the recent G7 Foreign and Development Ministerial Meeting, we agreed a statement on Equitable Access and Collaboration that recognised COVAX as "the key mechanism for global sharing of vaccines…to enable the rapid equitable deployment of vaccines." We committed to supporting access to safe, effective vaccines, with distribution guided by principles of equity and public health data.
The UK is committed to rapid equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. We are among the largest donors to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), committing £548 million, which leveraged $1 billion from other donors through match funding in 2020. This support to COVAX has been critical in supplying COVID-19 vaccines to over 120 countries and economies. The Prime Minister has also committed to sharing the majority of any surplus vaccines with COVAX.
The UK is committed to our G7 Presidency championing equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to help the world fight COVID-19, and build back better from this pandemic. We are engaging, including with our G7 partners, on COVAX's approach for 2022, and beyond, and continue to advocate for further financial contributions to COVAX to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines
As the multilateral mechanism set up to support international co-operation on vaccines, and to ensure that the most vulnerable countries have access, COVAX remains best-placed to allocate any surplus doses that the UK may have where they are most needed, and will be most effective. However, it is too early to determine how many doses of the vaccines that the UK has ordered will not be needed for the UK population. This is under constant review.
The UK is concerned by the continued demolitions of Palestinian property and infrastructure by Israeli authorities. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and is harmful to the peace process.
The UK regularly raises demolitions with the Government of Israel. I raised my concerns about demolitions of Palestinian and humanitarian structures with the Israeli Ambassador on 29 October 2020, and the UK Ambassador to Israel outlined the UK's position to the Israeli Authorities in Jerusalem on the same day. UK senior officials raised demolitions with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 10 November 2020. The UK also urged the Government of Israel to end demolitions of property in the West Bank at the UN Security council on 21 December 2020. UK officials from the British Consulate in Jerusalem have made regular visits to areas at risk of demolition and eviction to reiterate UK support for those communities, including to Khan al Ahmar on 20 November, Givat Hamatos on 22 October, the South Hebron Hills on 19 October, and Ras al Tin on 16 October. We are focused on preventing demolitions from happening in the first place through our legal aid programme, which supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.
The UK is concerned by the continued demolitions of Palestinian property and infrastructure by Israeli authorities. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and is harmful to the peace process.
The UK regularly raises demolitions with the Government of Israel. I raised my concerns about demolitions of Palestinian and humanitarian structures with the Israeli Ambassador on 29 October 2020, and the UK Ambassador to Israel outlined the UK's position to the Israeli Authorities in Jerusalem on the same day. UK senior officials raised demolitions with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 10 November 2020. The UK also urged the Government of Israel to end demolitions of property in the West Bank at the UN Security council on 21 December 2020. UK officials from the British Consulate in Jerusalem have made regular visits to areas at risk of demolition and eviction to reiterate UK support for those communities, including to Khan al Ahmar on 20 November, Givat Hamatos on 22 October, the South Hebron Hills on 19 October, and Ras al Tin on 16 October. We are focused on preventing demolitions from happening in the first place through our legal aid programme, which supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.
The UK remains concerned about the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza and the impact of COVID-19 on an already fragile healthcare system. Recognising the severity of the situation, we were one of the first donors to provide funding to support the health and humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We have provided £1.25 million funding (the World Health Organisation with £630,000 and the United Nations Children's Fund with £620,000) to purchase and co-ordinate delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline health workers and scale up laboratory testing capacity - mainly in Gaza.
In addition, we are providing £2.5 million to the World Food Programme to provide food and cash assistance for the most vulnerable Palestinians to help alleviate the humanitarian situation. We have also contributed £1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's Emergency Appeal in the OPTs which will help provide emergency food to over one million food-insecure refugees in Gaza.
The UK remains concerned about the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza, compounded by the impact of COVID-19.
We recognise the importance of tackling food insecurity. To support, we are providing £2.5 million to the World Food Programme to provide food and cash assistance to the most vulnerable Palestinians. We have also contributed £1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's Emergency Appeal in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which will help provide emergency food to over one million food-insecure refugees in Gaza.
We remain concerned about the capacity of the Palestinian health system to cope with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, especially in Gaza. We welcome the recent 30% increase in hospital beds for patients suffering critical and severe cases, and the recent procurement by World Health Organisation of two additional oxygen generators. The UK continues to monitor the situation closely.
We remain concerned about the capacity of the Palestinian health system to cope with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. We are aware of the temporary cessation of COVID-19 testing in Gaza on 6th December and welcome reports from the World Health Organisation that further testing kits arrived in Gaza on 7th December and testing resumed.
We have already delivered vital support to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Occupied Palestinian Territories through £1.25 million in funding (World Health Organisation with £630,000 and United Nations Children's Fund with £620,000). This funding helped to provide over 20,000 testing kits, mainly in Gaza.
Disability inclusion is an important issue for the FCDO, and the Ministerial team remains committed to embedding it across all our work, including as we respond to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
The UK is committed to supporting people with disabilities across our programmes in the OPTs. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, we have approved additional programming to strengthen disability inclusion across Palestinian society, which aims to ensure people with disabilities (PwD) are accounted for in the COVID-19 crisis response through reviewing laws, regulations, HR policies and bylaws in public sector to analyse barriers to PwDs' participation in decision making. This will be followed by an advocacy campaign targeting the gaps identified in the analysis. We also engage frequently with the Israelis on issues affecting ordinary Palestinians, including the impact of COVID-19.
Disability inclusion is an important issue for the FCDO, and the Ministerial team remains committed to embedding it across all our work, including as we respond to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
The UK is committed to supporting people with disabilities across our programmes in the OPTs. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, we have approved additional programming to strengthen disability inclusion across Palestinian society, which aims to ensure people with disabilities (PwD) are accounted for in the COVID-19 crisis response through reviewing laws, regulations, HR policies and bylaws in public sector to analyse barriers to PwDs' participation in decision making. This will be followed by an advocacy campaign targeting the gaps identified in the analysis. We also engage frequently with the Israelis on issues affecting ordinary Palestinians, including the impact of COVID-19.
Disability inclusion is an important issue for the FCDO, and the Ministerial team remains committed to embedding it across all our work, including as we respond to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
The UK is committed to supporting people with disabilities across our programmes in the OPTs. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, we have approved additional programming to strengthen disability inclusion across Palestinian society, which aims to ensure people with disabilities (PwD) are accounted for in the COVID-19 crisis response through reviewing laws, regulations, HR policies and bylaws in public sector to analyse barriers to PwDs' participation in decision making. This will be followed by an advocacy campaign targeting the gaps identified in the analysis. We also engage frequently with the Israelis on issues affecting ordinary Palestinians, including the impact of COVID-19.
The UK remains concerned about the capacity of an already fragile health system in Gaza. We have provided £1.25 million funding (WHO with £630,000 and UNICEF with £620,000) to purchase and co-ordinate delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline health workers and scale up laboratory testing capacity – mainly in Gaza. This funding helped to provide over 20,000 testing kits, 59,500 PPE items for around 4,900 health workers.
The British Consulate General also supported the delivery of 24 respirators to the Palestinian Ministry of Health for several hospitals across the West Bank and Gaza to help provide support for critical cases.
The UK remains concerned about the capacity of an already fragile health system in Gaza. We have provided £1.25 million funding (WHO with £630,000 and UNICEF with £620,000) to purchase and co-ordinate delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline health workers and scale up laboratory testing capacity – mainly in Gaza. This funding helped to provide over 20,000 testing kits, 59,500 PPE items for around 4,900 health workers.
The British Consulate General also supported the delivery of 24 respirators to the Palestinian Ministry of Health for several hospitals across the West Bank and Gaza to help provide support for critical cases.
The Government is committed to supporting businesses access the finance they need to achieve their full growth potential. For some companies, further debt may not be the right answer, and the private sector should be the first port of call for any business seeking new equity investment.
The aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being supported with over £9 billion support through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, grants for research and development, loan guarantees and support for aerospace exports.
The manufacturing sector has been well supported in its ability to access finance through the government loan schemes throughout the current pandemic period. Manufacturing firms have had over 7,000 CBILS loans worth over £2bn and over 74,000 BBLS loans worth over £2.3bn, bringing the total amount received through CBILS and BBLS to £4.4bn to over 80,000 manufacturing firms. These figures indicate that manufacturing firms have received a higher proportion of lending through the schemes relative to their share of the UK SME business population.
The Government will keep policy under review, and rigorously test any proposals for their value for money.
The Chancellor and the Health Secretary have discussed a wide range of health-related issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September, we announced the extension of the Infection Control Fund until March 2021, bringing the total funding for infection control measures in social care to over £1.1 billion. This funding can be used to financially support staff in line with the grant conditions. This includes paying staff who are isolating, in line with government guidance, their normal wages while doing so.
The temporary zero rate of VAT on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was an extraordinary measure to help affected sectors during the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the global supply of PPE did not meet demand. This measure will come to an end on 31 October, as new measures introduced by the Government will ensure supply of COVID-related PPE to affected sectors from 1 November.
The Government has ensured that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is available for as many people as possible. Hence, employees can be on any type of contract and be eligible to be furloughed under the CJRS.
From August 2020, the level of the grant will be tapered slowly to reflect that people will be returning to work. An employer can continue to claim for all employees furloughed for 21 days before 30 June as long as any single claim period does not exceed the maximum number of employees they claimed for under any claim before 30 June.
Further information on eligibility for the CJRS can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
The Government has provided a comprehensive economic response that is one of the most generous globally, taking unprecedented steps to support families, businesses and the most vulnerable. As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes a suite of government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays.
This comprehensive package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net, to get us through the outbreak and help those unable to access other forms of support. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor and making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access. We have also announced above £300bn of guaranteed loans for supporting businesses to access finance through The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS). On 27 April, we also announced the new Bounce Back Loans Scheme, which will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans in a matter of just days
Now, as outlined in the Summer Economic Update, our Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This plan will make available up to £30 billion to help kickstart the nation’s economic recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the upcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.
The Government has provided a comprehensive economic response that is one of the most generous of its kind in the world, taking unprecedented steps to support families, businesses and the most vulnerable. As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes Government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays.
This package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net to help those through this outbreak who are unable to access other forms of support. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor, and making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access.
Now, the Government’s new Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This plan will make available up to £30 billion to help kickstart the nation’s economic recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the forthcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.
The UK government is applying the Barnett formula in the normal way to the additional funding for charities announced by the Chancellor, with the Scottish Government receiving at least £55 million in Barnett consequentials in relation to the £750 million package.
Funding for charities is a devolved matter and it is for the Scottish Government to decide how to support charities in Scotland.
We recognise the devastating effects that VAWG crimes can have on children and young people and that home is not a safe place for all. We are absolutely clear that alcohol is no excuse for domestic abuse, violence or any other kind of abusive behaviour.
In the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 we recognised that children are victims of domestic abuse in their own right where they see, hear or experience its effects and are related to the victim or perpetrator. The Act also appointed a Domestic Abuse Commissioner, one of whose functions is to encourage good practice in the provision of protection and support for children affected by domestic abuse.
To directly support children experiencing domestic abuse this year we are providing over £3 million to services across the country providing a range of therapeutic and early intervention support to children.
We have agreed a deal with the EU which delivers for Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Our deal provides Scottish businesses with exceptional access to the EU’s market - It is the first time the EU has ever agreed a zero tariffs, zero quota deal.
This provides the right conditions for the Scottish economy to recover from the Covid pandemic and flourish in the future.