Rebecca Long Bailey

The Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has policy responsibility for Civil Society, including voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs). DCMS is supporting VCSEs fulfilling local service needs in a number of ways, including:

• Support for local commissioners through the Life Chances Fund to create partnerships between public, private and VCSE sectors as a means to tackle entrenched social issues. This innovative £70m fund has co-funded 29 projects that are testing the use of social outcomes partnerships (SOPs) to provide flexible and effective local services. Since its launch in 2016 over 100,000 outcomes have been recorded by local projects. The Life Chances Fund will run to March 2025, with some projects continuing beyond this period. This government is continuing to look at how SOPs can be used to continue to support VCSEs.

• Delivery of a number of grant programmes which help VCSEs to in turn support their local communities, including the VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund and the Social Enterprise Boost Fund.

• Support through social investment which provides access to grants, repayable finance and a blend of the two. This government is continuing to look at how dormant assets can be used to support the availability of finance to facilitate VCSEs becoming more entrepreneurial and financially resilient. An estimated £350 million will flow into the Dormant Assets Scheme between 2024-28, with details on how this money will be allocated to be provided in due course.

• Through the Contract Readiness Programme, a £900,000 package of support enabling VCSEs in England to better compete for government contracts. The programme provides fully funded training for VCSEs interested in bidding for public contracts and support to public sector commissioners to increase awareness and understanding, with the aim of enabling more effective partnerships. Since launch, over 800 VCSEs have benefitted from the programme. This programme will run to March 2025. This government is continuing to look at ways VCSEs and Commissioners can be supported to develop effective partnerships.

The department does not collect data on primary schools’ provision of swimming and water safety lessons. Sport England collects some data on swimming and water safety in from their annual Children and Young People’s Survey. This includes whether and how many swimming and water safety lessons are provided by primary schools who participate in the survey. This information can be found here: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fsportengland-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fs3fs-public%2F2023-12%2FActive%2520Lives%2520CYP%252022-23%2520Tables%252041-43%2520School%2520data.xlsx%3FVersionId%3DxCNGsG7bgs5I3oTWIn4Z9fmFsmfQvEdO&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK.

This government knows that earnings for those undertaking higher apprenticeships compare well to the earnings of first-degree graduates five years on. The latest data shows the median first-degree graduate earnings five years after graduation were £29,900 compared to £33,800 for level 4 apprentices and £31,380 for level 5+ apprentices.

In addition, latest data shows that 95% of those who achieved a level 6 apprenticeship in 2020/21 moved into sustained employment or sustained employment and learning in the following academic year.

The department will work with Skills England to ensure that degree apprenticeships continue to offer good value for money and drive economic growth.

This government knows that earnings for those undertaking higher apprenticeships compare well to the earnings of first-degree graduates five years on. The latest data shows the median first-degree graduate earnings five years after graduation were £29,900 compared to £33,800 for level 4 apprentices and £31,380 for level 5+ apprentices.

In addition, latest data shows that 95% of those who achieved a level 6 apprenticeship in 2020/21 moved into sustained employment or sustained employment and learning in the following academic year.

The department will work with Skills England to ensure that degree apprenticeships continue to offer good value for money and drive economic growth.

The department recognises the financial pressures on local authorities due to rising costs in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. The Core Schools Budget Grant will provide over £140 million in additional funding for special and alternative provision schools in 2024/25 to cover increased costs from teachers' pay and support staff negotiations. This is in addition to the £10.75 billion allocated this year for high needs funding and teacher-related costs.

The department’s budget for 2025/26 is still under review, with funding allocations dependent on the upcoming Spending Review in October. The department recognises the delay and will announce allocations as soon as possible. We are acutely aware not only of the financial pressures that local authorities are facing due to the increasing cost of supporting young people with complex needs but also of the pressures on the government as a whole due to the financial situation it has inherited.

The department is committed to improving mainstream schools’ support of all their pupils with special educational needs.

The Government is committed to meeting current legal targets for air quality, including the targets recently set under the Environment Act 2021, and will review the policy measures needed to achieve them. We will deliver a comprehensive Clean Air Strategy, including a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines are intended to inform the setting of air quality standards and are not ready-made targets for direct adoption as they do not consider achievability or individual countries’ circumstances. However, we will consider WHO guidelines as part of an evidence led process when considering future targets.

Littering is a crime that blights communities and the environment. Local authorities already have a range of powers to tackle littering including the ability to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500. They must spend the income from these penalties on enforcement or clean up.

At this stage, the Government has not yet made an assessment of how it can further support local anti-littering initiatives.

There are no plans to promote activities relating to stray animals. A number of animal welfare organisations such as Cats Protection and RSPCA already support neutering through community neutering programmes.

There are also a large number of organisations that rescue and rehome stray animals. Members of the public can already check if the rescue centre they use is a member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, which has standards for animal assessments, neutering and rehoming procedures that all members adhere to.  

Local authorities already consider the needs of those with mobility problems when managing the public rights of way network for the area they are responsible for. They are required to produce rights of way improvement plans which must set out how the public rights of way network will provide a better experience for users including those with mobility problems.

The King Charles III England Coast Path and the new Coast to Coast National Trail will be made as accessible as possible where it is feasible to do so.

Bereavement Support Payment is currently only available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. A marriage or civil partnership is a legal contract associated with certain rights. including entitlement to benefits derived from another person's National Insurance contributions such as Bereavement Support Payment. In February 2023, the Government extended bereavement benefits to cohabitees with children in response to two court judgments. However, for families without children, the basic principle for only paying BSP where there was a legal union remains. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.

Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, the Department will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We can identify and target these households using DWP’s Housing Benefit data.

In order to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit, we have been running an extensive national campaign since September on a range of channels, including print and broadcast media to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. The campaign targets potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

We continue to engage with a range of external partners who can help promote Pension Credit through their own channels and networks.

We are also asking local authorities to support our Pension Credit campaign - the Secretary of State and the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authorities in August. Many already undertake their own initiatives to identify eligible households and promote take-up; and over 160 local authorities have responded positively to our ‘call for action’

Like all means-tested benefits, a person’s eligibility for Pension Credit and the amount they may get depends on their specific financial and personal household circumstances, information which DWP does not have. That’s why it is not currently possible to accurately identify people who may be entitled to Pension Credit just from DWP data.

In order to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit, we have been running an extensive national campaign since September on a range of channels, including print and broadcast media to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. The campaign targets potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.

We continue to engage with a range of external partners who can help promote Pension Credit through their own channels and networks.

Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, the Department will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We can identify and target these households using DWP’s Housing Benefit data.

We are also asking local authorities to support our Pension Credit campaign - the Secretary of State and the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authorities in August. Many already undertake their own initiatives to identify eligible households and promote take-up; and over 160 local authorities have responded positively to our ‘call for action’.

The National Health Service website does not currently display or recommend any mental health apps, as the commissioning of these digital tools is done locally. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Early Value Assessment conditionally recommends products for use in the NHS. So far five mental health topics have been assessed. These assessments have conditionally recommended a wide range of products to be used, while further evidence is generated.

The products that have been conditionally recommended within the five mental health topics can be found on the NICE website.

The 10-Year Health Plan will consider the changes needed to meet the three health mission goals, which are: a fairer system where everyone lives well for longer; a National Health Service that is there when people need it; and fewer lives lost to the biggest killers.

We will carefully be considering policies with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders, as we develop the plan.

NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare has produced modular online learning resources in relation to Tourette’s and other tic disorders within its neurodevelopmental disorder and healthy schools programme domains, which are freely accessible to all, including service providers.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and social care, including Tourette’s syndrome. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. In all areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has funded a number of research projects on Tourette’s syndrome. For example, the NIHR has funded the Online Remote Behavioural Treatment for Tics study to evaluate online behavioural interventions for children with tics and Tourette’s syndrome. Researchers at the NIHR’s Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre are also supporting the TIC Genetics programme, which aims to identify the genetic factors that cause Tourette Syndrome using a family-based approach.

NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare has produced modular online learning resources in relation to Tourette’s and other tic disorders within its neurodevelopmental disorder and healthy schools programme domains, which are freely accessible to all, including service providers.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and social care, including Tourette’s syndrome. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. In all areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has funded a number of research projects on Tourette’s syndrome. For example, the NIHR has funded the Online Remote Behavioural Treatment for Tics study to evaluate online behavioural interventions for children with tics and Tourette’s syndrome. Researchers at the NIHR’s Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre are also supporting the TIC Genetics programme, which aims to identify the genetic factors that cause Tourette Syndrome using a family-based approach.

NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare has produced modular online learning resources in relation to Tourette’s and other tic disorders within its neurodevelopmental disorder and healthy schools programme domains, which are freely accessible to all, including service providers.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and social care, including Tourette’s syndrome. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. In all areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has funded a number of research projects on Tourette’s syndrome. For example, the NIHR has funded the Online Remote Behavioural Treatment for Tics study to evaluate online behavioural interventions for children with tics and Tourette’s syndrome. Researchers at the NIHR’s Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre are also supporting the TIC Genetics programme, which aims to identify the genetic factors that cause Tourette Syndrome using a family-based approach.

The UK already works through existing UN conventions and mechanisms which require states to uphold rights that address the key risks faced by journalists. The UK also works through the Media Freedom Coalition to champion the protection of journalists. In 2022 the UK renewed our commitment to the UN Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists, and we support the Council of Europe's Journalism Matters campaign for the safety of journalists launched in 2023. The UK has contributed £2.8 million to the UNESCO Global Media Defence Fund in the last 4 years.

The Government currently has no plans to assess or pursue such a financial compensation scheme.

HM Treasury provided an extensive package of support for individuals, businesses and public services throughout the pandemic, including an estimated £98 billion through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). Together the schemes supported approximately 14.6 million employed and self-employed individuals, helping to protect jobs, businesses and livelihoods.

The previous Government provided support through the CJRS and SEISS based on two principles, a) targeting support at those who needed it most and b), guarding against error, fraud and abuse, whilst reaching as many individuals as possible. The SEISS paid out over £28 billion to nearly 3 million self-employed individuals and was one of the most generous schemes for the self-employed in the world. Those ineligible for the SEISS may have been eligible for other elements of financial support provided by the previous Government.

As the Home Secretary said in her statement to the House of Commons on the 22 July 2024, the UK will always work, along with other states, to help those fleeing war and persecution.

Our global resettlement scheme, the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) is designed in way that allows us to respond in any emergency. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) can refer cases to the UK under their standard resettlement submission categories, based on people’s needs and vulnerabilities. The UNHCR is expertly placed to help the UK authorities to identify and process vulnerable refugees who would benefit from resettlement in the UK and as such, HMG does not intervene in who the UNHCR refer for resettlement to the UK.

Immigration fees are set taking account of the charging powers provided by Section 68(9) of the Immigration Act 2014, which include the ability to set fees based on: the cost of processing the relevant application, the benefits and entitlements provided by a successful application and the wider costs of the Migration and Borders system. Full details can be reviewed via the following link: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/22/section/68.

Currently, those affected by the conflict in Israel and Palestine who wish to join family members in the UK can do so via the existing range of routes available.

Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes.

There are also routes available for dependants of those who are in the UK on a work or student route.

Individuals with protection status or settlement on a protection route may sponsor their partner or child (under 18), to join or stay with them in the UK, providing they formed part of the pre-flight family unit before the sponsor fled their country to seek protection.

When the visa application has been received consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances.

To date in financial year 2024-25, there have been three permanent Senior Civil Servant (SCS) Payband 1 or 2 recruitment campaigns, and three SCS Payband 3 or 4 campaigns that have engaged a private sector Executive Search firm. The cost of these services is commercial-in-confidence so cannot be provided at this time.

Top Level Budgets in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) hold individual commercial contracts with Executive Search firms and are responsible for monitoring performance, with the MOD also overseeing this centrally.

The consultation on introducing permitted insurance fees for landlords, freeholders and property managing agents was launched on 2 December and can be found on gov.uk here.

As per my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government will look to consult on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s provisions on service charges and on legal costs next year, bringing these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter.

We remain firmly committed to our manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.

The government funds the provision of free information and advice by the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE).

The consultation on introducing permitted insurance fees for landlords, freeholders and property managing agents was launched on 2 December and can be found on gov.uk here.

As per my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government will look to consult on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s provisions on service charges and on legal costs next year, bringing these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter.

We remain firmly committed to our manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.

The government funds the provision of free information and advice by the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE).

The consultation on introducing permitted insurance fees for landlords, freeholders and property managing agents was launched on 2 December and can be found on gov.uk here.

As per my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government will look to consult on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s provisions on service charges and on legal costs next year, bringing these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter.

We remain firmly committed to our manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.

The government funds the provision of free information and advice by the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE).

Regulation 24 in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 states that where facilities are provided in the workplace to change clothing, that these facilities are easily accessible and of sufficient capacity. Additional guidance for changing facilities in specific settings is provided by Sport England (Accessible and inclusive sports facilities) and NHS England (Health Building Note 00-02: Sanitary spaces). To meet Part M (the access to and use of buildings) of the Building Regulations 2010, guidance on providing wheelchair-accessible changing and showering facilities is provided in Approved Document M, Volume 2.

Legislation was laid in Parliament in May 2024 to update the Building Regulations 2010 by setting out toilet requirements in new non-domestic buildings in England. These changes will come into force on 1 October 2024. This followed an extensive public consultation as well as commissioned research on the inclusive design of toilet facilities. The guidance (Approved Document T) accompanying the update to the regulations sets out the dimensions and layouts of toilet arrangements that are considered appropriate to meet a range of needs. Toilets for disabled people and Changing Places toilet guidance remains in Approved Document, Volume 2.

Both the department and the Building Safety Regulator are always open to feedback on how any regulations are operating in practice.

The Government recently published the first official statistics to estimate the number of children affected by parental imprisonment using administrative government data. It's estimated that between 1 October 2021 and 1 October 2022 there were around 193,000 children with a parent in prison. These statistics take a broad view of parental responsibility and include those with caring responsibility, legal guardianship, or primary care for a child, and therefore we are unable to split the data out into separate figures for those with a parent and those with a guardian. The Department for Education who hold responsibility for children, and the Ministry of Justice both fully recognise the importance of being able to identify children with a parent in prison.

The Government recently published the first official statistics to estimate the number of children affected by parental imprisonment using administrative government data. It's estimated that between 1 October 2021 and 1 October 2022 there were around 193,000 children with a parent in prison. We fully recognise the importance of being able to identify children with a parent in prison to make sure they receive the support they need, which is why a commitment on this was included in our manifesto.

The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Department for Education who hold responsibility for children to determine how effectively identify these children and provide support for both them and for the parent in prison. The support will be informed by learnings from previous interventions and pilots, and engagement both with those with lived experience and organisations from the Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprise sector.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has recently reviewed its Child Safeguarding and Prison Public Protection policies, so as to enhance their effectiveness, notably in relation to monitoring and mitigating risks to children. HMPPS staff are required to check if prisoners received into custody have caring responsibilities for any children, to exchange information with Children’s Services and record known safeguarding concerns. There are robust arrangements for monitoring those cases where an adult in prison is identified as posing a risk to children.

HMPPS has worked with the Department for Education to review and update the Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance, which was published in December 2023. The updated guidance helps to strengthen the arrangements between HMPPS and local Children’s Services, particularly in relation to responding to child safeguarding concerns and collaborating to improve outcomes for children at risk of abuse or neglect.

In July this year we produced the first official statistics on children of prisoners, estimating that over the course of a year around 193,000 children in England and Wales may be affected by a parent being in, or going to, prison. We recognise there is more that can be done to make sure that children with a parent in prison do not fall through the cracks, which is why this Government has committed to ensuring that those young people are identified and offered the support they need.

This Government is determined to make further progress towards a safe and sustainable release for those serving the IPP sentence. We believe that it is right that these sentences were abolished, and in Opposition we supported changes made in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 to the IPP licence period and the introduction of a statutory requirement for the Government to publish an IPP annual report on the steps taken to support rehabilitation and progress towards release from prison or licence termination.

We are committed to working with all organisations who seek to ensure the appropriate course of action is taken to enhance support for those still serving IPP sentences.