Philippa Whitford

The Minister for Women and Equalities has met with Jewish employers to discuss the impact of rising antisemitism on their staff.

The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) in the Cabinet Office is working with departments to establish the frameworks and policies to guide the responsible adoption of new technologies, including artificial intelligence.

The requested information relating to specific departmental use of artificial intelligence systems to make automated decisions is not centrally held.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made in the House on 15 December.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made in the House on 15 December.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 2nd September is attached. I have requested that a copy of the data summarising weekly home deaths is deposited in the libraries of both Houses in Parliament.

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:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021-reviews-terms-of-reference/roadmap-reviews-update.

Decisions on export licensing are based on the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

The Governments export licences are kept under careful and continual review, and can amend, suspend or revoke extant licences, or refuse new licence applications, where they are inconsistent with these criteria.

The Government respects the role and independence of the International Court of Justice. However, the Government have stated that we have considerable concerns about this case.

Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas, provided this is proportionate and within the bounds of International Humanitarian Law, as we’ve said from the outset. The Government view is that Israel’s actions in Gaza cannot be described as a genocide, which is why South Africa’s decision to bring the case was wrong and provocative.

In 2021 the Government implemented temporary tariff suspensions on a set of goods, including urine drainage bags, to support the healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has extended the majority of these suspensions until 31 December 2023.

HMRC has reviewed the classification of urine drainage bags and although these are used in conjunction with medical products (e.g. catheters), they are not considered to be medical devices. As such they are classified as articles of plastic (tariff heading 3926). This is in line with classification decisions previously issued by the World Custom Organization which member countries are expected to follow. Businesses can direct queries on classification to classification.enquiries@hmrc.gov.uk or through this link https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/customs-international-trade-and-excise-enquiries.

The Government has recently received stakeholder feedback on tariffs on urine drainage bags. We are considering the evidence provided alongside wider UK Government analysis.

The Government works with local authorities through the Local Net Zero Forum, which brings together national and local government on a regular basis to discuss policy and delivery options on net zero; this provides a way for local government to raise issues they wish to discuss.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants to encourage property owners to replace fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon systems. This includes up to £6,000 off a heat pump, in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on these technologies.

For homes off the gas grid, funding is also available through the Home Upgrade Grant. These schemes are part of a comprehensive policy package to grow the heat pump market and work with industry to bring down costs to consumers. Further details are set out in the Powering Up Britain publications (2022) and Heat and Buildings Strategy (2021).

The Government has no current plans to provide incentives for the use of renewable liquid fuels in rural households. Sustainable biomass is a limited resource and must be prioritised for use where there are the fewest options to decarbonise and the potential emissions reductions are greatest. The Biomass Strategy, which will be published later this year, will improve the Government's understanding of the supply of renewable liquid fuels. Policy decisions on the role of renewable liquid fuels in heating will need to reflect this Strategy.

The sustainability of the space environment is a priority. The 2022 Plan for Space Sustainability includes measures to improve responsibility across the sector, including regulatory and international leadership, and developing new industry-led standards. We fund important projects with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, one implementing the Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines of Outer Space Activities, and another project on Registration of Space Objects. We will consult shortly on applying variable liability limits for satellite operations to reflect mission sustainability.

The UK government will consider further the Scottish Space Sustainability Roadmap as thinking develops on how sustainability measures could be implemented.

The UK space sector is highly productive, employing almost 49,000 people. It is worth £17.5 billion in annual UK income with an average long-term growth rate of 6.4% since the turn of the millennium, outpacing growth of the wider UK economy (Size and Health of the UK Space Industry, 2022).

The recently announced Space Workforce Action Plan will build on findings of the Space Skills Survey to inform intervention by government, industry, and academia, in continuing to upskill the sector’s workforce. The UK Space Agency additionally plan to invest over £4m in the next two years, to enhance access to training for current and potential space sector workers. This supports the Department for Education’s ambition to produce 200,000 people with high quality technical skills by 2030.

As announced on 1 August 2023, the Government is working to establish the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) scheme, a potential £160 million R&D scheme to fund the next generation of satellite communications development and boost the UK’s leadership in the ever-growing global satellite market. The goal of the scheme would be to support suppliers across the UK in developing the technologies critical to the future of low Earth orbit satellite communications. These areas remain subject to change as the scheme develops but funding could go towards using AI to make data delivery faster, connecting satellites together for improved connection, and payload development.

The C-LEO programme is currently in development. Launch of the scheme and commitment of any funding would be subject to standard Government business case and other approvals.

Ensuring that people of all ages can enter the UK space sector is a whole-of-government effort. This is recognized in the UK Science and Technology Framework (March 2023), which commits to expanding participation in all STEM careers. The UK Space Agency has a strong history of ensuring children are inspired and learning about space throughout their education and as they move into potential space careers. This has included educational projects following Tim Peake’s Principia mission, which reached over 1.6 million young people nationwide (Impact Assessment: Principia Campaign, 2018).

The Agency’s Space Placements in Industry (SPIN) Programme supports university students to undertake a space-related summer internship, with over 400 participants to date. The Programme will receive a three-fold increase in funding in 2024. In July, the Department for Education launched the new Level 6 Space Systems programme, which will enable apprentices to receive quality training in the industry while earning a salary.

The Government is finalising the details of the Alternative Funding to have the process up and running for applications this winter. Further details on eligibility, timescales and method of delivery will be announced very shortly.

The Energy Bill Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Funding will provide a £400 discount from energy bills for the small percentage of domestic households who are not reached through the main EBSS fund. This includes those who do not have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, or who get their supply through a commercial intermediary. Further details on how this will affect those who live in farmhouses, as well as timescales and method of delivery, will be announced in the coming weeks.

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.

The introduction of tuition fees has not resulted in fewer people going into Higher Education (HE). The 18-year-old entry rate for disadvantaged students from England increased from 14.4% in 2011 to 25.1% in 2022, and in 2022 we saw record numbers of disadvantaged 18-years-olds going to HE.

Disadvantaged entry rate - English 18-year-olds

Notes: Disadvantage measured using POLAR, a measure of educational disadvantage.

Source: UCAS End of Cycle Resources, available at: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources-2022.

From August 2023, interest rates for new student loan borrowers will be reduced to RPI only. Under these new terms, no one will repay more than they originally borrowed when adjusted for inflation.

Degree apprenticeships also offer a unique opportunity for people to earn while they learn, achieving degrees from some of our best universities without incurring tuition fees. We’ve seen year-on-year growth of degree-level apprenticeships (Levels 6 & 7) with over 185,000 starts since their introduction in 2014/15 academic year.

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.

The United Kingdom has high standards on the information provided on food labels. Existing food labelling rules make sure that food is produced safely and labelled effectively. This means people can make informed choices about the food they buy and consume. HM Government is committed to optimising the information that is available to consumers, and the Government Food Strategy sets out work that we will be taking forward on consumer information and transparency.

On 1^st September 2022, HM Government and devolved administrations jointly launched a public consultation seeking views on proposals to update and amend the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998. These regulations cover specific rules on composition and labelling for bread and flour.

The proposals are primarily focused on the requirements relating to the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal flour. The proposals included in this consultation look at ways to make sure that the regulations lead to improved public health, support UK industry, assist enforcement authorities and protect consumers. The consultation remains live until 23^rd November 2022 and we would like to hear from anyone with an interest.

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.