Ruth Jones

The Equality Hub is in regular contact with Welsh Government officials and has held discussions covering the LGBTQ+ action plan for Wales as well as wider LGBT policy, including most recently the proposals to ban conversion therapy in England and Wales.

COP26 is a critical moment for the future of our planet. We welcome President Erdogan's announcement that Turkey plans to reach net zero by 2053 and that Turkey has ratified the Paris Agreement. The UK looks forward to hearing more on Turkey’s climate plans and working with the delegation from Turkey to bring key negotiations issues to a constructive conclusion at COP26.

Our default approach is that travel to and from Glasgow is by train or other appropriate public ground transportation. COP26 will be carbon neutral. Our principal priority is to reduce emissions from the conference with any unavoidable carbon emissions from COP26 to be offset. We are working to achieve PAS2060 Carbon Neutrality validation for COP26 to ensure this approach. We have also encouraged delegates to consider low-carbon travel options and will be offsetting the emissions associated with travel, including those of the COP President and UK officials in the run up to COP26.

Our default approach is that travel to and from Glasgow is by train or other appropriate public ground transportation. COP26 will be carbon neutral. Our principal priority is to reduce emissions from the conference with any unavoidable carbon emissions from COP26 to be offset. We are working to achieve PAS2060 Carbon Neutrality validation for COP26 to ensure this approach. We have also encouraged delegates to consider low-carbon travel options and will be offsetting the emissions associated with travel, including those of the COP President and UK officials in the run up to COP26.

Violence and intimidation will not be tolerated and have no place in public life. Government is firmly committed to the safety and security of all of those in public life.

The Government updated the House on action being taken to tackle intimidation in public life in a recent WMS (UIN HCWS833). This includes introducing a new electoral sanction of intimidation against those who participate in elections. The Local Government Association also provides comprehensive guidance and advice for councillors on personal safety.

The UN Environment Programme's Emissions Gap Report 2021 makes clear, if countries deliver on their 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and net zero commitments which have been announced by the end of September, we will be heading towards average global temperature rises of 2.2C.

In the opening days of COP26 momentum has continued to build, with new net zero commitments from the likes of India (the world’s third largest emitter), meaning that over 90% of the global economy is now covered by a net zero target.

But we know that to keep 1.5C within reach we need more, so we will continue to press leaders for more ambitious climate action.

The UK COP26 Presidency is committed to amplifying the voices of young people from across the world in the lead up to and at COP26 this November. The COP President committed to meeting with young people on international visits over the last year and has established the COP26 Civil Society and Youth Advisory Council, which he chairs together with two youth representatives.

On the road to COP26, we have worked with our COP26 partner, the Government of Italy, to deliver the ‘Youth4Climate2021: Driving Ambition’ event held in Milan in September, and we are endorsing the 16th UN Conference of Youth event held in Glasgow.

At COP26, we will host a dedicated Youth & Public Empowerment Day to elevate youth voices and demonstrate the critical role of education and empowerment to drive climate action. We have been working closely with YOUNGO (the official children’s and youth constituency to the UNFCCC) and diverse youth organisations to co-create the events programme for the day.

Whilst I cannot comment specifically on Bevis Marks Synagogue, due to the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in the planning system, the Government recognises the financial difficulties that many places of worship have faced in the last 19 months. To respond to the impact of Covid-19, we have available a package of support specifically for charities and businesses. Places of worship and faith groups that are also registered charities have been able to apply to a number of those schemes. This included the Government's £750 million package of support specifically for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSE).

I am proud to lead a country celebrated for its dynamism and diversity, where every day black Britons are making history. To mark Black History Month I shared a video message celebrating this and hosted a reception on 25^th October at Downing Street. This reception celebrated the contribution of black entrepreneurs, businesses, and professionals to the UK. I met young people, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, including members of the 10,000 Black Interns programme. I have been pleased to see events and activity taking across government to mark this important event.

This year, the Government marked Black History Month with the #TransformingToday campaign. Throughout the month, the Cabinet Office has coordinated the government-wide campaign, #TransformingToday, which has celebrated Black British talent, trailblazers and pioneers. There has been a particular focus on our Covid heroes. As Minister of State for Equalities I wrote an opinion piece for Black History Month Magazine and took part in an interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on the topic of Black History Month.

There have been numerous central events including a No10 reception celebrating the success of Black interns, entrepreneurs and others, attended by the Prime Minister. There was also an event highlighting service with school pupils from three schools and Victoria Cross recipient Johnson Beharry; as well as other events in skills and digital helping to support Black people in their ambitions.

As hosts of COP26, we strongly encourage leaders to attend given this is a critical moment for the future of our planet. The Prime Minister is looking forward to meeting all the leaders who have confirmed attendance – over 120 so far.

We look forward to working with the delegation from Russia to bring key negotiations issues to a constructive conclusion at COP26, and to ambitious announcements from Russia to help keep 1.5C in reach, in line with President Putin’s announcement last week that Russia would achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060.

As hosts of COP26, we strongly encourage leaders to attend given this is a critical moment for the future of our planet. The Prime Minister is looking forward to meeting all the leaders who have confirmed attendance – over 120 so far.

We look forward to working with the delegation from China to bring key negotiations issues to a constructive conclusion at COP26, and to ambitious announcements from China to help keep 1.5C in reach, in line with President Xi’s announcement last year that China would achieve climate neutrality by 2060.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to question UIN 58764 on 25 October.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to question UIN 58764 on 25 October.

We have recently appointed a Diversity and Inclusion lead in the Campaigns and Engagement Team to lead on inclusivity and diversity for a successful and fully inclusive COP.

For additional wider information, the Government publishes statistics on Civil Service demographics annually on March 31st via the Office for National Statistics. This can be found on the GOV.UK website at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2021.

Accelerating the global energy transition from coal to clean power is a top priority of the UK COP26 Presidency. We have engaged the EU, US, China, Australia, and African countries, amongst others, to encourage ambitious action on the transition away from fossil fuels to clean power and to increase international cooperation to speed this change.

We launched the Energy Transition Council to bring together the political, financial and technical leaders of the global power sector to ensure that clean power is the most attractive option for new power generation for all countries. The Council engages with over twenty countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. We have pushed many developed economies to end public support to fossil fuels overseas, to match UK policy.

For COP26, countries are being asked to come forward with ambitious 2030 Green House Gas emissions reduction targets that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century. To deliver on these stretching targets, countries will need to accelerate the global phase out of coal, encourage renewables deployment, curtail deforestation, and speed up the switch to electric vehicles.

By tackling the causes of climate change, we can also reduce the impacts of poor air quality on premature deaths throughout the world. As set out in its NDC the UK supports and is pushing for decarbonisation approaches that strive to improve air quality and minimise adverse impacts on human health. Our domestic policy pathway will be outlined in the UK’s Net Zero Strategy which will be published ahead of COP26.

Through our COP26 campaigns, we are seeking closer integration with public health objectives to facilitate a global green, healthy and sustainable recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic.

I am working with the Welsh Government, alongside the other devolved administrations, to ensure an inclusive and ambitious COP26 for the whole of the UK. I chair a regular COP26 Devolved Administrations (DAs) Ministerial Group which the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, attends on behalf of the Welsh Government. Our last meeting was in June and our next meeting will be later this month.

The COP26 Unit also worked with the Welsh Government and other DAs to encourage proposals from stakeholders, such as the renewables industry, across the UK via the Expression of Interest process for events or showcasing in UK Government managed spaces at COP26.

COP26 is an event of global importance where the world must work together to secure a comprehensive and ambitious set of outcomes that accelerate climate action and keep 1.5C alive. This includes finalising the Paris Rulebook, supporting the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and addressing the gaps on ambition in reducing emissions this decade, mobilising finance, and adapting to our changing world.

COP26 logistical preparations are well established and we have a robust governance structure, involving close co-operation between Scottish, wider UK and international partners to ensure we host a safe and secure event that meets our objectives. Our preparations include a thorough risk assessment and mitigation plan along with a robust testing and exercise programme.

In terms of COVID, the COP26 Unit has been working closely with public health officials, the Scottish Government, the WHO, the UNFCCC and all our partners to create a comprehensive set of COVID mitigations to ensure preparedness for the conference – the safety of participants and the local population is at the heart of all our planning. This includes a specific test, trace and protect regime, social distancing, enhanced ventilation, face coverings and vaccinations.

COP26 is an event of global importance where the world must work together to secure a comprehensive and ambitious set of outcomes that accelerate climate action and keep 1.5C alive. This includes finalising the Paris Rulebook, supporting the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and addressing the gaps on ambition in reducing emissions this decade, mobilising finance, and adapting to our changing world.

COP26 logistical preparations are well established and we have a robust governance structure, involving close co-operation between Scottish, wider UK and international partners to ensure we host a safe and secure event that meets our objectives. Our preparations include a thorough risk assessment and mitigation plan along with a robust testing and exercise programme.

In terms of COVID, the COP26 Unit has been working closely with public health officials, the Scottish Government, the WHO, the UNFCCC and all our partners to create a comprehensive set of COVID mitigations to ensure preparedness for the conference – the safety of participants and the local population is at the heart of all our planning. This includes a specific test, trace and protect regime, social distancing, enhanced ventilation, face coverings and vaccinations.

Details of my official meetings will be announced in the usual way.

Details of my official meetings will be announced in the usual way.

I have discussed Afghanistan in all of my conversations with the NATO Secretary General in 2021.

I recently wrote to Prime Minister Mottley to assure her of the UK’s commitment to tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and to thank her for her work in this area. Furthermore, my Rt Hon friend the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK Minister of State for the Caribbean, speak to Ministerial colleagues in Barbados regularly. The most recent such call was on 18 March this year. The UK High Commissioner to Barbados is also in close contact with the Government of Barbados including Prime Minister Mia Mottley. They last met on 24 August 2021.

The Equality Hub has no current plans to mark this anniversary.

The cost of energy usage for the House of Commons in 2019, 2020 and 2021 is as follows:

2019 was £5,021,736 – which comprised

Electricity £3,779,328
Gas £896,753
Water £345,655

2020 was £4,564,901 – which comprised

Electricity £3,925,822
Gas £419,870
Water £199,209

2021 estimate is £5,278,854 – comprising

Electricity £4,315,496
Gas £553,674
Water £409,684

Estimate was based on full occupation and Energy price increases.

The Equality Hub is part of the Cabinet Office, therefore I refer the hon. Member to the answer to PQ 25146.

The Government consultation on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace focussed on ensuring that laws to protect people from harassment at work are operating effectively. We received 133 responses to our technical consultation, including from the LGA and a range of trade unions.

We have considered all of the responses received and listened carefully to the experiences shared through this consultation. We will be setting out the Government’s response shortly, and officials continue to engage with a range of stakeholders as they consider next steps.

The Government consultation on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace focussed on ensuring that laws to protect people from harassment at work are operating effectively. We received 133 responses to our technical consultation, including from the LGA and a range of trade unions.

We have considered all of the responses received and listened carefully to the experiences shared through this consultation. We will be setting out the Government’s response shortly, and officials continue to engage with a range of stakeholders as they consider next steps.

The Government consultation on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace focussed on ensuring that laws to protect people from harassment at work are operating effectively. We received 133 responses to our technical consultation, including from the LGA and a range of trade unions.

We have considered all of the responses received and listened carefully to the experiences shared through this consultation. We will be setting out the Government’s response shortly, and officials continue to engage with a range of stakeholders as they consider next steps.

The independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities took an evidence-led approach, using quantitative data and qualitative research drawn from a number of sources which are referenced throughout the document. This includes statistical datasets derived from the Race Disparity Unit’s ‘Ethnicity Facts and Figures’ website, other Government sources and a range of already published analysis from within and outside Government.

The Government is currently considering the Commission’s report and the evidence it considered in shaping its recommendations, and we will respond later in the summer.

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty all public authorities are required by law to ensure that they have due regard to equality considerations when carrying out their functions. My officials in the Equality Hub provide advice to Government Departments and other public bodies where appropriate to assist with this.

Due regard can be had through documentation often referred to as an ‘equality impact assessment’ but production of an equality impact assessment, as such, is not a legal requirement, and different approaches to compliance with the duty may be appropriate depending on the circumstances.

There is no statutory requirement to publish assessments and practice varies. Decisions on publication are a matter for the public body concerned, given the particular circumstances.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.

The UK Government is working with the Welsh Government, alongside the other Devolved Administrations to ensure an inclusive and ambitious COP26 for the whole of the UK. I met with the Welsh Government Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs when I chaired the first meeting of the COP26 Devolved Administrations Ministerial Group on 6 November 2020. We discussed the UK Presidency objectives for COP26 and public and stakeholder engagement. The next meeting is scheduled this month. There is also ongoing official level engagement with the Welsh Government on COP26.

Discussions on costs for COP26 are currently ongoing, and final budgets are yet to be confirmed. After the event, spend will be reported in the usual way.

Through our COP26 Nature Campaign, we are advancing work in four core areas: tackling the drivers of deforestation, promoting sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture, mobilising increased and more targeted finance for nature, and driving political ambition on nature.

We have already made good progress. For example, the UK pioneered the ‘Leaders’ Pledge for Nature’, which now has over 80 signatories. The pledge sets out ten urgent actions to put nature on a path to recovery by 2030 and cements the links between biodiversity loss and climate change.

More recently, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will commit at least £3 billion to climate change solutions that protect and restore nature and biodiversity over five years.

We have also established the FACT (Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade) Dialogue to protect forests and biodiversity, while promoting trade.

We have seen significant momentum on climate ambition in recent months, with the likes of China, Japan and South Korea committing to net zero emissions and over 40 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) being submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to date.

However, it is clear that more needs to be done to close the gap to the Paris Agreement temperature goals. As the incoming COP President, I will continue to press all parties to increase their climate commitments to the highest level of ambition possible.

Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions across government departments, on a variety of issues, including online abuse targeted at women. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the gov.uk website. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not usually disclosed.

The full government response to the Online Harms White Paper sets out how the proposed legal duty of care on online companies will work in practice. Under the new laws, all companies will need to take swift and effective action against illegal online abuse. If any company fails to tackle illegal content, or if companies providing Category 1 services fail to enforce their terms and conditions, they could face an investigation and enforcement action.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 22 September to my Hon Friend the Hon Member for Romford and the Hon Member for Glasgow North.

The Government is taking a number of measures to improve mental health support for veterans across the UK. From the beginning of service in the Armed Forces, personnel now undergo ‘through-life’ psychological resilience training, and upon leaving they have access to the Defence Transition Service (DTS), launched in October 2019. The DTS provides support for Service leavers and families who are the most likely to face challenges during transition to civilian life, including an impact on their mental health.

Wherever they live in the UK, all veterans are able to receive specialist mental health support if they need it. As healthcare is a devolved matter, further questions regarding Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should be addressed to the relevant devolved administration.

As well as the statutory services delivered by the NHS, the Government provides funding to a range of charity and third sector organisations, through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and, most recently, a £6 million emergency COVID-19 Impact Fund. This funding has supported fantastic organisations across the four nations to deliver services to support the mental and physical wellbeing of veterans.

We are also investing in research, to improve our understanding of mental health amongst serving and ex-service personnel. This includes a recent study looking at the impact of COVID-19 on veterans and a long term veterans study examining a range of mental health and wellbeing factors; both of these are led by Kings College. A further two studies will contribute to improving the data and understanding around suicide; the first examining the cause of death, including suicide in members of the Armed Forces who have served since 2001 and a further study looking at the events in the 12 months leading up to known suicides in the last five years of anyone from the Armed Forces community.

The Government does not comment on national security matters.

We continually review the waste generated on our estate and work with our commercial colleagues on circular economy principles to reduce the amount of waste that arrives on our sites. Where we can’t avoid this we work with our suppliers to move any waste we generate up the waste hierarchy.

Further information on Greening Government Commitments can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883779/ggc-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf

We continually review the waste generated on our estate and work with our commercial colleagues on circular economy principles to reduce the amount of waste that arrives on our sites. Where we can’t avoid this we work with our suppliers to move any waste we generate up the waste hierarchy.

Further information on Greening Government Commitments can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883779/ggc-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf

The cost to the public purse of Cabinet Office's energy usage in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021 is shown below:

* Estimated.

This information mainly covers the buildings that are part of the Affiliates Cluster and where the Cabinet Office is the major occupier -

Dover House

Admiralty House

70 Whitehall

10 Downing Street

35 Great Smith Street

Information for buildings where the Cabinet Office is a minor occupier is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The cost to the public purse of Cabinet Office's energy usage in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021 is shown below:

* Estimated.

This information mainly covers the buildings that are part of the Affiliates Cluster and where the Cabinet Office is the major occupier -

Dover House

Admiralty House

70 Whitehall

10 Downing Street

35 Great Smith Street

Information for buildings where the Cabinet Office is a minor occupier is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

I refer the hon. Member to my response on 28 June 2021.

Final costs will be determined in due course.

The Prime Minister has invited his South African counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa to attend the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Cornwall as a guest.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given in Oral Questions for the Cabinet Office on 11 February. Guidance and published information are available on gov.uk. (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-02-11/debates/6E3520D6-EB1E-4576-9D40-954A467494C9/TradeUKAndEU)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given in Oral Questions for the Cabinet Office on 11 February. Guidance and published information are available on gov.uk. (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-02-11/debates/6E3520D6-EB1E-4576-9D40-954A467494C9/TradeUKAndEU)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers given in Oral Questions for the Cabinet Office on 11 February. Guidance and published information are available on gov.uk. (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-02-11/debates/6E3520D6-EB1E-4576-9D40-954A467494C9/TradeUKAndEU)

I refer the Hon Member to the response I gave to PQ132802 on 30 December 2020.

There is no central budget for unconscious bias training specifically. Instead, departments are able to access a blend of free at point of access online learning, and learning purchased through current contracts. The information requested on spend is therefore not held centrally.

Further to the statement on 15 December, standalone Unconscious Bias training has been removed from Civil Service learning platforms.

There is no central budget for unconscious bias training specifically. Instead, departments are able to access a blend of free at point of access online learning, and learning purchased through current contracts. The information requested on spend is therefore not held centrally.

Further to the statement on 15 December, standalone Unconscious Bias training has been removed from Civil Service learning platforms.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have statutory responsibility for maintaining complete and accurate registers for their areas. The Government is committed to encouraging democratic engagement amongst all electors, including young people and BAME individuals.

Since 2013/14, the Government has provided more than £27m to fund activities to promote electoral registration and democratic engagement more widely.

The Government is working with the electoral sector, including the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and Public Health England, to identify and resolve challenges involved in delivering the May 2021 elections, including ensuring polling stations are safe and COVID-secure places to vote.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have statutory responsibility for maintaining complete and accurate registers for their areas. The Government is committed to encouraging democratic engagement amongst all electors, including young people and BAME individuals.

Since 2013/14, the Government has provided more than £27m to fund activities to promote electoral registration and democratic engagement more widely.

The Government is working with the electoral sector, including the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and Public Health England, to identify and resolve challenges involved in delivering the May 2021 elections, including ensuring polling stations are safe and COVID-secure places to vote.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have statutory responsibility for maintaining complete and accurate registers for their areas. The Government is committed to encouraging democratic engagement amongst all electors, including young people and BAME individuals.

Since 2013/14, the Government has provided more than £27m to fund activities to promote electoral registration and democratic engagement more widely.

The Government is working with the electoral sector, including the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and Public Health England, to identify and resolve challenges involved in delivering the May 2021 elections, including ensuring polling stations are safe and COVID-secure places to vote.

Government advice remains that people should work from home where possible.

For civil servants whose roles require them to be in the workplace, advice has also been provided to support them in line with the government guidance on safer working during Covid-19. In addition, a Workplace Incident Framework, developed with trade unions, sets out the activity that must take place when an individual develops Covid-19.

Departments are working closely with individuals to ensure their personal circumstances are fully factored into decisions about their working arrangements. This includes supporting ethnic minority individuals based on their particular circumstances and ensuring they have the right to challenge a proposed return to the workplace if they have concerns, to have those concerns properly considered and addressed and to not return where they feel this has not been done.

Measures to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19 for temporary agency workers have been put in place, including a payment scheme to support the pay of temporary agency workers who cannot work for reasons associated with Covid-19 (up to the value of 80% of their salary to a cap of £2,500 per month) and the use of virtual pre-employment screening checks and interviews.

Government advice remains that people should work from home where possible.

For civil servants whose roles require them to be in the workplace, advice has also been provided to support them in line with the government guidance on safer working during Covid-19. In addition, a Workplace Incident Framework, developed with trade unions, sets out the activity that must take place when an individual develops Covid-19.

Departments are working closely with individuals to ensure their personal circumstances are fully factored into decisions about their working arrangements. This includes supporting ethnic minority individuals based on their particular circumstances and ensuring they have the right to challenge a proposed return to the workplace if they have concerns, to have those concerns properly considered and addressed and to not return where they feel this has not been done.

Measures to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19 for temporary agency workers have been put in place, including a payment scheme to support the pay of temporary agency workers who cannot work for reasons associated with Covid-19 (up to the value of 80% of their salary to a cap of £2,500 per month) and the use of virtual pre-employment screening checks and interviews.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 39669 on 4 May 2020.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

The transition period ends on 31 December 2020. This is enshrined in UK law. Our preparations for the end of the transition period continue as normal and remain a priority.

The Department is supporting the Government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, as well as a range of research and innovation programmes to develop technologies that will have spill-over benefits in various markets, including the shipbuilding sector.

The Department is also supporting several green shipping projects, including hydrogen ferry trials in Orkney and a hydrogen refuelling port on Teesside. Innovate UK is also facilitating the delivery of the Department for Transport’s £20 million Clean Maritime Demonstration Programme to bring forward green propulsion solutions for the maritime sector.

In addition, the Department is working closely with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to ensure that UK shipyards are aware of the organisation’s funded programmes and facilities, so that they have the opportunity to access these.

The UK has one of the best employment rights records in the world and we have made good progress in bringing forward measures that add flexibility for workers while ensuring the protection of employment rights, such as banning the use of exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts.

The Government continues to work closely with businesses, trade unions and other groups to develop options for supporting the flexibility of the labour market.

In general, terms and conditions of employment, except where they are subject to statutory minimum standards such as the national minimum wage, are a contractual matter for negotiation and agreement between employers and employees (or their representatives).

The Government is keen to see employers make long term investments in the UK domestic workforce instead of relying on labour from abroad, and businesses should be looking at how to make employment more attractive, including through wage increases and offering training.

The UK has one of the best employment rights records in the world and we have made good progress in bringing forward measures that add flexibility for workers while ensuring the protection of employment rights, such as banning the use of exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts.

An individual’s employment rights, are determined by their employment status (employee, limb (b) worker or self-employed). Employees are entitled to all rights including rights to flexible working (subject to qualifying periods) and have responsibilities towards their employer. So-called “limb (b) workers” are only entitled to some rights such as the National Minimum Wage but have increased flexibility and fewer obligations to their employer. The self-employed generally have no employment rights but have complete flexibility in their work. We believe our three-tiered employment status structure provides the right balance for the UK Labour Market.

We understand the importance of clarity around employment status and to ensure that individuals and businesses are aware of their rights and responsibilities. The Government will continue to work closely with businesses, trade unions and other groups to ensure that any options to clarify employment status are effective, preserving the flexibility of the labour market while making it easier to understand for individuals.

The Government is committed to supporting UK manufacturing businesses and recognises the vital role they play in the UK economy, by driving innovation, exports, job creation and productivity growth. We hold regular discussions with industry stakeholders to better understand the issues affecting supply chains, and recognise the significant pressures being felt by industry as a result of supply chain disruption, as well as the impact this is placing on businesses. Successful resolution of these issues will be a joint effort between industry and Government, and we will continue to engage with other departments to find practical solutions to these challenges, which are not unique to the UK.

In order to support UK manufacturing, we are investing £147 million through a Manufacturing Made Smarter Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund programme and have invested £730 million in the seven High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, supporting manufacturers in bringing new technologies to market.

Furthermore, we have introduced a Super Deduction that will cut manufacturers’ tax bill by 25p for every pound they invest in new equipment, which means they can reduce their taxable profits by 130% of the cost. In addition, the Government has a target for total R&D investment to reach 2.4% of GDP by 2027 and in our recent Innovation Strategy we have committed to increase our annual public investment in R&D to a record £22billion.

The Government has provided over £3.4 billion in direct support to businesses in Wales throughout the pandemic. This is on top of our support for the manufacturing sector through our £4.8m commitment to the development of Holyhead Hydrogen Hub, £30m for the Global Centre of Rail Excellence and £30m for Celsa Steel.

The Government is committed to supporting UK manufacturing businesses and recognises the vital role they play in the UK economy, by driving innovation, exports, job creation and productivity growth. We hold regular discussions with industry stakeholders to better understand the issues affecting supply chains, and recognise the significant pressures being felt by industry as a result of supply chain disruption, as well as the impact this is placing on businesses. Successful resolution of these issues will be a joint effort between industry and Government, and we will continue to engage with other departments to find practical solutions to these challenges, which are not unique to the UK.

In order to support UK manufacturing, we are investing £147 million through a Manufacturing Made Smarter Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund programme and have invested £730 million in the seven High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, supporting manufacturers in bringing new technologies to market.

Furthermore, we have introduced a Super Deduction that will cut manufacturers’ tax bill by 25p for every pound they invest in new equipment, which means they can reduce their taxable profits by 130% of the cost. In addition, the Government has a target for total R&D investment to reach 2.4% of GDP by 2027 and in our recent Innovation Strategy we have committed to increase our annual public investment in R&D to a record £22billion.

The Government has provided over £3.4 billion in direct support to businesses in Wales throughout the pandemic. This is on top of our support for the manufacturing sector through our £4.8m commitment to the development of Holyhead Hydrogen Hub, £30m for the Global Centre of Rail Excellence and £30m for Celsa Steel.

The Government is committed to supporting UK manufacturing businesses and recognises the vital role they play in the UK economy, by driving innovation, exports, job creation and productivity growth. We hold regular discussions with industry stakeholders to better understand the issues affecting supply chains, and recognise the significant pressures being felt by industry as a result of supply chain disruption, as well as the impact this is placing on businesses. Successful resolution of these issues will be a joint effort between industry and Government, and we will continue to engage with other departments to find practical solutions to these challenges, which are not unique to the UK.

In order to support UK manufacturing, we are investing £147 million through a Manufacturing Made Smarter Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund programme and have invested £730 million in the seven High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, supporting manufacturers in bringing new technologies to market.

Furthermore, we have introduced a Super Deduction that will cut manufacturers’ tax bill by 25p for every pound they invest in new equipment, which means they can reduce their taxable profits by 130% of the cost. In addition, the Government has a target for total R&D investment to reach 2.4% of GDP by 2027 and in our recent Innovation Strategy we have committed to increase our annual public investment in R&D to a record £22billion.

The Government has provided over £3.4 billion in direct support to businesses in Wales throughout the pandemic. This is on top of our support for the manufacturing sector through our £4.8m commitment to the development of Holyhead Hydrogen Hub, £30m for the Global Centre of Rail Excellence and £30m for Celsa Steel.

This August, the UK published the first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy, alongside key policy detail on how the Government will support new low carbon hydrogen production and ensure standards are in place to deliver the carbon emissions savings, government need to meet net zero. This is the most substantive hydrogen strategy and policy package of its kind in the world and one that places the UK firmly at the forefront of the race to develop hydrogen as a promising replacement for fossil fuels in the global transition to net zero.

The UK Hydrogen Strategy sets out the Government’s ‘twin-track’ approach to supporting both electrolytic ‘green’ and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)-enabled ‘blue’ hydrogen production. The UK has expertise and assets to support these and other low carbon production routes, helping us drive cost effective supply volumes in the 2020s in line with our 2030 5GW ambition, whilst scaling up electrolytic hydrogen.

The Government are currently consulting on new policy interventions to support low carbon hydrogen, including the £240m Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, a hydrogen business model to incentivise the production and use of low carbon hydrogen, and a UK standard to ensure hydrogen production the government support is sufficiently low carbon.

As we move towards net-zero, oil and gas will play a smaller role, but still important in meeting UK energy demand. All scenarios proposed by the Climate Change Committee setting out how we could meet our 2050 net zero emissions target include demand for oil and natural gas.

The Government is determined to seize the once-in-a-generation economic opportunities of the net zero transition by creating new business opportunities and, by one estimate, supporting up to 2 million green jobs by 2030 across all regions of the UK. The UK has a strong base to build upon, in 2019 there were already over 410,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country.

The Ten Point Plan is part of my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s mission to level up across the country, mobilising £12 billion of Government investment to create and support a further 90,000 green collar jobs across the UK by 2024, and up to 250,000 by 2030.

Many of the initiatives and funding announced within the Ten Point Plan will apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For example, the Government will invest up to £1 billion to support the establishment of Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage in at least four industrial clusters, creating ‘SuperPlaces’ in areas such as central and north-eastern Scotland, south Wales, the Humber, Teesside and Merseyside.

Ahead of COP26, the Government will bring forward further bold proposals, including a Net Zero Strategy, to cut emissions and create new jobs and industries across the whole country, going further and faster towards building a stronger, more resilient future and protecting our planet for this generation and those to come.

We recognise the need to take a comprehensive place-based approach to economic growth, that responds to the varying needs of places. We will publish a detailed approach for levelling up through R&D as part of the forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper.

Ahead of then, UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund (SIPF) is the first major national competitive R&D fund that takes a place-based approach contributing to the Government’s wider levelling up ambitions. In June 2020, BEIS announced an award of £25m to the CS Connected project in the first wave of SIPF, to develop South Wales’ compound semiconductor cluster. Project partners are from across the region including Newport. This summer, BEIS announced a £22m award to the media.cymru project to develop Cardiff’s media cluster.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy last met the Minister for the Economy in the Welsh Government on 14^th July 2021.

I have also met the Welsh Minister for the Economy to discuss policies on innovation and space, most recently on 22^nd June and 30^th June.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy last met the Minister for the Economy in the Welsh Government on 14^th July 2021.

BEIS Ministers meet Ministers from the Devolved Administrations regularly through the Net Zero and Business and Industry Inter-ministerial Groups. These last met on 30^th June and 28^th July respectively.

Following Honda’s announcement in February 2019 that it would close its Swindon plant in 2021, the company has worked closely with Government, Local Authorities and other stakeholders to support affected employees. The Government-led Honda Taskforce was instrumental in securing a new future for the Swindon site and attracting investment into Swindon, including over £44 million to regenerate the town centre. The sale of the site to Panattoni that Honda announced on 26 March represents £400million of private investment for the region and will create around 2,000 new jobs.

The UK Government is committed to building back better from the pandemic as one United Kingdom. Ministers and officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy engage regularly with the trade unions on a variety of issues.

On Monday 5 July, my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister set out the Covid-19 Response: Summer 2021 plan for living with Covid from 19 July. Lifting restrictions does not mean the risks from Covid-19 have disappeared. However, at this new phase of the pandemic response, we are moving to an approach that enables personal risk-based judgments. The Working Safely guidance is clear that wearing a face covering can still help to reduce risk of transmission of the virus. Therefore, we recommend people to continue to wear face coverings once the legal restrictions are lifted, particularly in crowded and enclosed places, when they are likely to come into contact with people they do not normally meet.

Businesses are free to determine their own face coverings policy based on a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks of Covid-19 in the workplace and identify control measures to manage that risk. Businesses must take equalities law into account when determining their entry policies. Employees and customers who wish to wear a face covering should be supported to do so.

Ministers engage regularly with their colleagues on a range of issues, such as the takeover of Newport Wafer Fab. The Government does not comment on the content of these conversations.

The Government does not comment on the detail of commercial transactions or of national security assessments.

Ministers engage regularly with their colleagues on a range of issues, such as the takeover of Newport Wafer Fab. The Government does not comment on the content of these conversations.

The Government does not comment on the detail of commercial transactions or of national security assessments.

Ministers engage regularly with their colleagues on a range of issues, such as the takeover of Newport Wafer Fab. The Government does not comment on the content of these conversations.

The Government does not comment on the detail of commercial transactions or of national security assessments.

Ministers engage regularly with their colleagues on a range of issues, such as the takeover of Newport Wafer Fab. The Government does not comment on the content of these conversations.

The Government does not comment on the detail of commercial transactions or of national security assessments.

Ministers engage regularly with their colleagues on a range of issues, such as the takeover of Newport Wafer Fab. The Government does not comment on the content of these conversations.

The Government does not comment on the detail of commercial transactions or of national security assessments.

The Department regularly meets with the Northern Ireland Executive to discuss a range of issues.

The Department regularly meets with the Scottish Government to discuss a range of issues.

The Department regularly meets with the Welsh Government to discuss a range of issues.

BEIS is committed to reducing our waste and increasing recycling, and has a zero waste to landfill policy. Between 2009/10 and 2019/20 we reduced waste by 30% and increased recycling by 44% at the Department’s headquarters building at 1 Victoria Street, London. Our departmental target is to reduce our overall waste by a further 25% and increase recycling to 70% of total waste by 2024/25.

The table below shows the cost of energy usage at the Department’s headquarters building at 1 Victoria Street, London.

The increase in the cost of gas in 2020 reflects a requirement to increase the flow of fresh air into the building as part of our COVID measures.

The increase in fresh air circulation lowered temperatures in the building, which had to be balanced by increased heating.

^a 2021 includes energy costs from January to May inclusive

^b 2019 gas cost includes an estimate for February

As we transition to net zero emissions by 2050, our record levels of investment in renewables will meet a large part of the energy demand. Unabated natural gas will continue to provide a reliable and flexible source of energy, ensuring security of supply whilst we develop and deploy low carbon alternatives that can replicate its role in the electricity system.

In order to meet our ambitious decarbonisation targets for the electricity system, we are taking steps to bring forward alternative low carbon technologies which will help us to reduce the reliance on unabated gas-powered electricity generation steadily. For example, in the Energy White Paper (published last year), government announced that it will support the deployment of at least one power plant with carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) to be operational by 2030, and that it will also consult in 2021 on its Carbon Capture and Readiness requirements to ensure that new thermal plants can convert to low-carbon alternatives. Government is developing business models to incentivise the deployment of CCUS in the UK.

Additionally, we are exploring policy frameworks to support the deployment of low carbon hydrogen, as well flexibility tools such as demand reduction, demand side response, and storage, which likewise have the potential to reduce reliance on unabated natural gas in the power sector.

We are keen to ensure we build back better in a way that supports the whole economy and delivers for all parts of the UK. Our Plan for Growth sets out the opportunities we will seize across the UK to drive economic growth, create jobs and support British industry as we level-up and build back better out of this pandemic – succeeding the Industrial Strategy published over four years ago.

We want to understand the ideas and priorities of the Devolved Administrations in relation to driving long-term growth and recovery. The Plan for Growth will support our efforts to unite and level up the country: tackling geographic disparities; supporting struggling towns to regenerate; ensuring every region and nation of the UK has at least one globally competitive city; and strengthening the Union.

Over the next 12 months BEIS will follow up the plan for growth with an Innovation Strategy, as well as strategies for net zero, hydrogen and space. We will also develop a vision for high-growth sectors and technologies, putting the UK at the forefront of opportunities and giving businesses the confidence to invest, boost productivity across the UK and enable our transition to net zero.

We are working across government and with our Innovation Expert Group to develop the Innovation Strategy. It will outline our ambitions in innovation and where we want to focus our efforts over the next decade; and the importance of research and innovation to levelling up and the Government’s commitment to ensuring that R&D benefits the economy and society in nations, regions and local areas across the UK. Following the publication of the Strategy, the government will continue engaging in detail with businesses of all types to build our ambitious innovation agenda.

We are working to strengthen the Union to ensure that the institutions and the power of the United Kingdom are used in a way that benefits people in every part of our country. Levelling up represents an important part of the government’s ambitions for R&D and innovation, building on the approach set out in the R&D Roadmap.

The Government is committed to a UK steel industry and a decarbonised future, supporting local economic growth and our levelling-up agenda. That is why the Government has provided over £500 million to the sector in recent years to help with the costs of electricity as well as announced a £250m Clean Steel Fund to support the sector’s transition to lower carbon iron and steel production. Moreover, our unprecedented package of COVID-19 support remains available to protect jobs and ensure that the industry has the right support during this challenging time.

The Government fully recognises the importance of steelmaking in Wales. In July 2020, the Government provided Celsa with a commercial loan, which secured over 1000 jobs, including more than 800 positions at the company’s main sites in South Wales. We also continue to work closely with Tata as it shapes its business strategy to support the future of high-quality steelmaking in Port Talbot.

The UK Government and the devolved administrations have established an Inter-ministerial Group that covers Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change. This meets at least bi-monthly and brings together Ministers from the four administrations to discuss emission reduction efforts across the UK. The most recent meeting of the Group was in April.

This intergovernmental engagement on net zero will continue to facilitate collaboration and coordination across devolved and reserved competence, ensuring we are delivering effectively for all parts of the UK.

The UK Government and the devolved administrations have established an Inter-ministerial Group that covers Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change. This meets at least bi-monthly and brings together Ministers from the four administrations to discuss emission reduction efforts across the UK. The most recent meeting of the Group was in April.

This intergovernmental engagement on net zero will continue to facilitate collaboration and coordination across devolved and reserved competence, ensuring we are delivering effectively for all parts of the UK.

The UK Government and the devolved administrations have established an Inter-ministerial Group that covers Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change. This meets at least bi-monthly and brings together Ministers from the four administrations to discuss emission reduction efforts across the UK. The most recent meeting of the Group in April.

This intergovernmental engagement on net zero will continue to facilitate collaboration and coordination across devolved and reserved competence, ensuring we are delivering effectively for all parts of the UK.

The UK has achieved record clean growth - between 1990 and 2019, our economy grew by 78% while our emissions decreased by 44%, this is the fastest rate in the G7. We have built on this, setting out concrete steps to reach net zero by 2050, for instance through my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan which brought together £12 billion of government investment, our Energy White Paper and Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy.

The Government has also laid legislation for the UK’s sixth carbon budget, proposing a target which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, marking a decisive step towards net zero by 2050.

Ahead of COP26, we will bring forward further bold proposals, including a Net Zero Strategy, to cut emissions and create new jobs and industries across the whole country – going further and faster towards building a stronger, more resilient future and protecting our planet for this generation and those to come.

At last year’s Spending Review, we set out plans for Government spending for 2021/22, to prioritise the Government’s response to Covid-19, and our focus on supporting jobs.

The Government recognises the importance of research and innovation in helping to transform the steel sector so that it can play a vital role in developing the UK’s economy. Our on-going support to the sector includes announcing £22m to the Materials Processing Institute in Teesside to deliver a R&D programme of transformative manufacturing, announcing a £250m Clean Steel Fund that to support the transition of the steel sector to new low carbon technologies, providing up to £66m through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help steel and other foundation industries develop radical new technologies and establish innovation centres of excellence in these sectors, and the £315m  Industrial Energy Transformation Fund which supports the development and deployment of technologies to transition to a low carbon future.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides for zero tariff zero quota trade, with modern rules of origin for the automotive sector that reflect UK manufacturing and are designed to support the industry through its transition to electrification. The phased approach to rules of origin for batteries gives industry time to localise supply chains for electrified vehicles.

The Government has prioritised securing investment in battery cell gigafactories, which is key for anchoring the mass manufacture of electric vehicles, safeguarding and creating high quality jobs across the UK, and driving emissions to net zero by 2050.

As part of my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution, nearly £500m of funding for the Automotive Transformation Fund will be made available in the next four years to build an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain. This is a UK-wide programme, and we are welcoming applications for support from businesses and investors across the country.

We continue to work closely with investors to progress plans for manufacturing the batteries that we will need for the next generation of electric vehicles here in the UK.

The Government is also investing £318m, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund in the Faraday Battery Challenge, to put the UK at the global forefront of the design, development, manufacturing, and recycling of electric batteries.

The UK has decarbonised its economy at the fastest rate amongst G20 countries since 2000. My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution will build on this success and accelerate our path to net zero. Spanning clean energy, buildings, transport, nature and innovative technologies, the Plan will mobilise £12 billion of government investment to unlock three times as much private sector investment by 2030, level up regions across the UK, and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs.

Ahead of COP26, we will set out ambitious plans across key sectors of the economy to meet our carbon budgets and net zero. We have recently published the Energy White Paper and the first phase of our Transport Decarbonisation Plan, and will publish the Heat and Building Strategy in due course. We will also publish a comprehensive Net Zero Strategy setting out the government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy.

The Government has provided an unprecedented business support package totalling over £280 billion. This includes billions in loans, grants, and business rates relief. As of 21 February 2021, businesses across the UK have benefitted from over 1.5 million Government-guaranteed loans worth over £72 billion to support their cashflow through the pandemic.

We recognise that some borrowers will benefit from repayment flexibility, that is why we announced the Pay As You Grow measures, which give Bounce Back Loan borrowers more time and greater flexibility to repay their loans.

We have also enabled lenders to extend the repayment period for Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) facilities beyond 6 years (up to a maximum of 10 years), where this is needed in connection with the provision of forbearance. CBILS term extensions are offered at the discretion of lenders. This measure is designed to help businesses that would struggle to repay their CBILS facility on their existing terms, by reducing monthly repayments.

Grant funding has also been made available via Local Authorities to help businesses forced to close due to national and localised restrictions, and for businesses severely impacted by restrictions even if not required to close. This includes the Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment (CBLP), the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), and the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) schemes.

Businesses can also access tailored advice through the Business Support Helpline, online via the Business Support website or through local Growth Hubs in England.

The UK Government is committed to supporting people, businesses and individuals across the devolved administrations. This includes a total of £19 billion in funding for the devolved administrations since the start of the pandemic, meaning at least £5.9 billion for the Welsh Government. Following discussions with the devolved administrations, additional funding totalling £729m has been provided to allow each of the devolved administrations to provide further support to businesses on a discretionary basis.

The devolved administrations have also benefitted from UK-wide support programmes, including through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and business lending schemes.

As of 21 February 2021, the Government’s UK-wide lending schemes have approved over 1.5 million Government-guaranteed loans worth over £72 billion to support cashflow for businesses across the UK affected by COVID-19.

We recognise that some borrowers will benefit from repayment flexibility, and that is why we announced the Pay As You Grow measures, which give Bounce Back Loan borrowers more time and greater flexibility to repay their loans.

We have also enabled lenders to extend the repayment period for Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) facilities beyond 6 years (up to a maximum of 10 years) where this is needed in connection with the provision of forbearance. CBILS term extensions are offered at the discretion of lenders. This measure is designed to help businesses that would struggle to repay their CBILS facility on their existing terms, by reducing monthly repayments.

The Government is undertaking laboratory work as a priority to better understand the impact of the new Covid-19 variants on the vaccines currently in deployment, in particular the risk of vaccine resistance. We maintain close contact with vaccine developers to understand their efficacy studies of their vaccines on variants and the impact on current supply chain arrangements for their manufacture.

We continue to take a portfolio-based approach that monitors the landscape of Covid-19 vaccine development and we remain confident that the three vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford University/AstraZeneca, and Moderna) that we have purchased, which have been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, will continue to be effective against the virus.

The Government has also established a new partnership with the vaccine manufacturer, CureVac, to rapidly develop new vaccines in response to new Covid-19 variants, should this be needed. The new agreement will utilise UK expertise on genomics and virus sequencing to allow new varieties of vaccines based on messenger RNA technology to be developed quickly against new strains of Covid-19 if they are needed. An initial order has been made for 50 million doses.

This information is available on the gov.uk website.

The Government recognises that it is important to tackle bias in workplaces and in wider society. The Government Equalities Office commissioned a review of the evidence on unconscious bias and diversity training. The review showed that there is currently no evidence that this training changes behaviour in the long term or improves workplace equality. In 2018 GEO published evidence-based advice for employers on actions they could take to reduce bias within their organisations. The issue has not recently been discussed with the Devolved Administrations.

An internal review decided in January 2020 that unconscious bias training would be phased out in Civil Service departments. The Civil Service will instead integrate principles for inclusion and diversity into mainstream core training and leadership modules in a manner which facilitates positive behaviour change.

The government is making progress in understanding what works to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The Commission for Race and Ethnic Disparities demonstrates this government’s commitment to level up opportunity for everyone, to better understand disparities and their causes, and will be making evidence-based recommendations to address them. Employment and Enterprise is one of the four priority areas for the Commission. Further, our recent work with the large insurer, Zurich, demonstrated a 16% rise in female applicants for all jobs when advertising all jobs available as flexible. This is one of many trials in our Gender and Behavioural Insights Programme that is at the heart of our commitment to build workplace equality through insights and evidence.

We understand this will be deeply worrying news for Arcadia’s employees and their families in the Newport West constituency, and the Government stands ready to support them. BEIS officials met with their counterparts from the Welsh Government on 4th December when the situation at Arcadia was discussed. I want to pay particular tribute to the hard-working staff across the country who have kept these well recognised brands going in difficult times for so long.

Whilst no redundancies were announced as a result of the appointment of administrators and stores will continue to trade, we stand ready to support anyone affected by redundancies. If people need financial support quickly, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance or New Style Employment and Support Allowance. We are also doubling the number of frontline Work Coaches across our network of jobcentres to ensure people have access to bespoke support and have launched the £2bn Kickstart scheme to create opportunities for young people.

The Government has published extensive guidance on employment and safer working throughout the Covid-19 outbreak. This can be found on GOV.UK and through the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Further guidance on employment rights and aspects of good practice has been published by other bodies such as ACAS and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Government has also produced guidance around some new situations which have arisen from the Covid-19 outbreak, for example for those identified as clinically extremely vulnerable and on self-isolation. This suite of guidance covers the employment rights of disabled people alongside other groups in the workforce.

The Government continues to support disabled employees to access assistive technology and other forms of support they need to remain in work, including during the Covid-19 outbreak. Through the Disability Confident scheme, we are engaging employers and providing them with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.? Our new Employer Help site provides advice on recruitment and employment of disabled people, explaining how Disability Confident and Access to Work can help businesses to ensure their practices are fair and inclusive.

The Government has published extensive guidance on employment and safer working throughout the Covid-19 outbreak. This can be found on GOV.UK and through the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Further guidance on employment rights and aspects of good practice has been published by other bodies such as ACAS and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Government has also produced guidance around some new situations which have arisen from the Covid-19 outbreak, for example for those identified as clinically extremely vulnerable and on self-isolation. This suite of guidance covers the employment rights of disabled people alongside other groups in the workforce.

The Government continues to support disabled employees to access assistive technology and other forms of support they need to remain in work, including during the Covid-19 outbreak. Through the Disability Confident scheme, we are engaging employers and providing them with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.? Our new Employer Help site provides advice on recruitment and employment of disabled people, explaining how Disability Confident and Access to Work can help businesses to ensure their practices are fair and inclusive.

As set out in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the government will unlock private sector investment to accelerate the deployment of existing technology, such as retrofitting the UK’s building stock and electrification of vehicles, while advancing newer technologies such as carbon capture and low-carbon hydrogen.

Key measures include making significant investment in offshore wind and modern ports and manufacturing infrastructure to expand the share of generation from renewables; providing up to £525 million to bring forward both large-scale nuclear and invest in the development of advanced nuclear technologies; £1 billion to support the establishment of carbon capture and storage in four industrial clusters; and investing £1.3 billion in charging infrastructure to accelerate the mass adoption of electric vehicles ahead of ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

The Government is determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for the automotive sector.

We have provided comprehensive support during the pandemic, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the trade credit insurance guarantee, and tax deferrals. In total, we have provided almost £2.5 billion in COVID Corporate Financing Facility support to the automotive sector.

The Government has invested around £1.5 billon to support the research, development, and manufacture of zero and low-emission vehicles to date. This investment has created thousands of jobs in the sector and its supply chain, saved millions of tonnes of CO2, and has helped the UK to lead the charge towards a low carbon automotive future.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister recently announced in his 10 Point Plan nearly £500 million through the Automotive Transformation Fund over the next four years in order to develop and embed the next generation of cutting-edge automotive technologies in the UK.

We are also investing around £2.5 billion? to support the roll-out of ultra-low and zero emission vehicles through grants for plug-in cars, vans, HGVs, taxis, and motorcycles. In addition, we are investing in schemes to support the delivery of chargepoint infrastructure to homes, workplaces, on residential streets, and across the wider roads network.

The Government is committed to cracking down on employers who fail to pay the minimum wage. We are clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it.

We set out our assessment of non-compliance with the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) in BEIS’ NMW Enforcement and Compliance Report. In 2019, approximately 1.5% of all UK employee jobs were paid below the relevant minimum wage rate. Updated estimates for 2020 will be provided in our next iteration of the report, which will be published in due course.

The Government remains committed to enforcing the minimum wage. We have more than doubled the budget for the minimum wage enforcement and compliance (rising to £27.5 million for 2020/21, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16), and continue to demonstrate good progress in enforcing workers’ entitlement to the minimum wage.

Ministerial colleagues and I have engaged closely with business representative organisations throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and we continue to do so.

Ministers hold regular sector calls with all the industries that BEIS covers, including but not limited to manufacturing, energy, construction, life sciences, professional services, retail and hospitality. Attendees include business representative organisations, trade associations and trade unions. We use these on-going engagements to collect direct intelligence on the impact of Covid-19 on industries and sectors that informs the response from BEIS and other Government departments and ensures the effectiveness of the Government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Planning for COP26 is ongoing and we are continuing to work closely with the venues and our delivery partners to ensure that we deliver the facilities and logistics needed for the event, in line with the requirements outlined by the UNFCCC.

Alongside summit preparations, the COP26 President, ministers and senior officials have been engaging with a wide range of UK and international partners.

The UK, UN and France will co-host a Climate Ambition Summit alongside our partners Italy and Chile, on 12th December 2020 on the fifth anniversary of the landmark Paris Agreement. This will be an opportunity for countries to announce ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and net zero, finance and adaptation commitments.

The recent net zero commitments from China, Japan and South Korea have provided welcome momentum, and we hope that the Ambition Summit provides impetus for further commitments by the end of the year.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear our intention to build back greener. We are taking action in every sector of the economy: we announced over £3 billion for decarbonising the UK’s buildings and delivering green jobs; £1 billion for charging infrastructure and extending Plug in-Grants to 2023 for ultra-low emission vehicles; £800 million to capture carbon from power stations and industry; £640 million Nature for Climate Fund; and £100 million R&D into Direct Air Capture.

In March, we published the first phase of our transport decarbonisation plan and will be setting our further plans on energy, heat and buildings and the natural environment later this year and early next year, in the run up to COP26.

We will continue to build on these steps and deliver a stronger, greener, more sustainable economy after this pandemic.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear our intention to build back greener. We are taking action in every sector of the economy: we announced over £3 billion for decarbonising the UK’s buildings and delivering green jobs; £1 billion for charging infrastructure and extending Plug in-Grants to 2023 for ultra-low emission vehicles; £800 million to capture carbon from power stations and industry; £640 million Nature for Climate Fund; and £100 million R&D into Direct Air Capture.

In March, we published the first phase of our transport decarbonisation plan and will be setting our further plans on energy, heat and buildings and the natural environment later this year and early next year, in the run up to COP26.

We will continue to build on these steps and deliver a stronger, greener, more sustainable economy after this pandemic.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) have announced an £8.4 million project that will investigate the physical and mental health impacts of hospitalised patients. The Post-HOSPitalisation COVID-19 (PHOSP-COVID) study, led by Professor Chris Brightling from the University of Leicester, aims to recruit 10,000 patients from across the UK. This will make it one of the world’s largest studies into the long-term health consequences of COVID-19. Results from the study will inform the development of new and better measures to treat and rehabilitate patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

It is our ambition to fully associate to Horizon Europe if we can agree a fair and balanced deal, but we will make a final decision once it is clear whether such terms can be reached. The Horizon Europe Programme is currently being negotiated in the EU institutions and has not yet been finalised. The Programme must be adopted by the EU before arrangements for potential UK participation could be finalised.

In tandem with our negotiations, as a responsible government, we are also developing alternative schemes to support international research and innovation collaboration.

If we do not formally associate to Horizon Europe, we will implement ambitious alternatives as quickly as possible from January 2021 and address the funding gap. This includes making funding available to allow UK partners to participate in European schemes open to third countries.

BEIS Ministers and Officials have regular discussions with Post Office Ltd to discuss a range of issues, including the impact of Covid-19 on the operation of the Post Office.

The Government announcement on 23 March made it clear that the Government views the services provided by the Post Office as essential and, subject to social distancing guidelines, post offices have been allowed to remain open throughout lockdown. However, for those post offices co-located in a non-essential retailer which therefore had to close for a period, the easing of lockdown measures mean that they can re-start trading. Postmasters, as self-employed businesspeople, will need to consider how best to maintain social distancing at their workplace in line with the latest Government guidance which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/shops-and-branches.

This may include restricting the number of customers in a shop at any one time and making this clear to customers and other visitors. Post Office workers who cannot work from home should go to work as soon as it is practical if their workplace is open and follows the safer working guidelines.

The Chancellor has outlined an unprecedented package of measures to protect millions of people’s jobs and incomes as part of the national effort in response to coronavirus.

If infected, many people who are on Zero-Hour Contracts will be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. Those who are not eligible to receive sick pay are able to claim Universal Credit (UC) and/or new style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), where they qualify.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is being set up to help pay people’s wages. Employers will be able to contact HMRC for a grant to cover 80% of the wages, up to a monthly cap of £2,500, for their workforce who remain on payroll but are temporarily not working during the coronavirus outbreak. This scheme aims to support all those employed through the PAYE system regardless of their employment contract, including those on zero-hour contracts.

Businesses and Employees can get advice on individual employment issues by visiting the Acas website.

The CDEI is an expert government body within the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport. The CDEI is a team of civil servants supported by an expert advisory board which includes globally recognised practitioners from industry, civil society and academia.

The CDEI’s current remit, as announced publicly and in Parliament on 10 September 2021, focuses on enabling trustworthy innovation in data and AI in the real-world by developing, testing and refining approaches to data and AI governance. Given this role, and after conducting a consultation on the CDEI’s future functions and statutory status as part of the National Data Strategy, the CDEI’s current governance framework as a team of civil servants supported by an expert advisory board is effective.

The CDEI is already working on some of the most pressing issues in the field, from helping the Ministry of Defence to develop ethical principles for the use of AI, to partnering with the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles to embed ethical due diligence in the future regulatory framework for self-driving vehicles.

Government recognises the dedicated charities and volunteers who have played a huge role in the national effort against coronavirus. From supporting the NHS, delivering food, tackling loneliness and social isolation and much more, they have delivered vital work throughout this pandemic.

That is why we provided an unprecedented multi-billion-pound package of support for charities and other civil society organisations and secured an exemption from the Covid-19 restrictions for essential volunteering.

Examples of DCMS funding awarded to registered charities in Newport West include:

• £1,900 to St David’s Foundation Hospice Care

• £2,934 to Sparkle (South Wales) Limited

• £2,000 to Pillgwenlly Millennium Trust Limited

• £20,000 to Faith Christian Center UK

For more information on grants awarded, please see the COVID-19 Grants Tracker published by 360 Giving.

The government understands that the tourism sector is currently facing significant skills gaps in some of England's most popular destinations. As stated in the Tourism Recovery Plan, we recognise the importance of building back better post-Covid with a more resilient tourism industry, employing more UK nationals in year-round quality jobs.

There is a significant amount of activity being undertaken by the government on skills which benefits the tourism industry. For example, the National Skills Fund represents a £2.5 billion investment in helping adults to gain the skills they need to improve their job prospects, while the Kickstart Scheme is providing funding to create hundreds of thousands of new job opportunities for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit.

We will continue to work closely with the industry-led Hospitality and Tourism Skills Board on a coordinated approach towards recruitment, retention and upskilling of the workforce.

This government recognises the importance of the UK’s creative and cultural industries, not only to the economy and international reputation of the United Kingdom, but also to the wellbeing and enrichment of its people. We want musicians and performers to be able to tour abroad easily.

In order to support this, our focus is now on bilateral engagement with Member States, who are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in the EU. This is why we have spoken to every Member State. From those extensive discussions,19 out of 27 Member States have confirmed that UK musicians and performers do not require visas or work permits for some short term touring. Travellers should always check what requirements they need to fulfil with the EU Member State they are travelling to, and that is why we are working closely with Member States to ensure their guidance is clear and accessible.

We have also developed sector specific ‘landing pages’ for GOV.UK, aimed at the creative sectors, which will allow cultural and creative professionals to easily locate and access guidance that is relevant to them. From these pages, general business traveller summaries can be accessed, which provide enhanced guidance on EU Member State immigration systems for GOV.UK, and include sector-specific rules that feature on Member State websites.

We are now actively engaging with those remaining EU Member States that do not allow visas or work permit free touring, and calling on them to align their arrangements with the UK’s generous rules, which allow creative professionals to tour here easily. Formal approaches have been made, DCMS ministers will be actively involved, and we are working closely with the sector to amplify each other’s lobbying efforts.

We recognise challenges remain around touring, and we are continuing to work closely with the industry. We want to ensure that as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, touring can resume and our world-leading creative and cultural artists can continue to travel widely, learning their craft, growing their audiences and showing the best of British creativity to the world.

Having only just been appointed Secretary of State at DCMS I look forward to meeting with Ministers in the Welsh Government in due course, and hope to develop an excellent working relationship with devolved administrations.

The Government was extremely disappointed by the decision to postpone this year’s Rugby League World Cup, but recognises that this was the inevitable result of a number of factors outside of the organisers’ control, including the decision of the Australian and New Zealand teams not to participate. DCMS continues to work closely with the Rugby League World Cup organisers, as they now work towards the rescheduled tournament which will be held between Saturday 15 October – Saturday 19 November 2022.

As of 01/08/2021 367 of 1917 employed Civil Servants in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport identify as black or another ethnic minority (19.1%). The percentage of staff who declare their ethnicity in the organisation is 91.2% so the actual number may be higher.

We continually review the waste generated on our estate and work with our commercial colleagues on circular economy principles to reduce the amount of waste that arrives on our sites. Where we can’t avoid this we work with our suppliers to move any waste we generate up the waste hierarchy.

Further information on Greening Government Commitments can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883779/ggc-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf

The Department’s energy is supplied by HMRC, from whom DCMS leases office space. The department has no buildings of its own.

The government has now published the draft Online Safety Bill. The new regulatory framework will hold platforms to account for tackling harmful content and behaviours online. Platforms will need to remove and limit the spread of illegal content, and do more to protect children from being exposed to harmful content. The biggest social media companies will need to set out in clear terms and conditions what is acceptable on their services and enforce those terms and conditions consistently and transparently.

The Bill will also require companies to prevent the proliferation of illegal disinformation and misinformation online, and the biggest tech companies will have duties on legal disinformation and misinformation content that may cause significant physical or psychological harm to adults, such as anti-vaccination content and falsehoods about COVID-19.

Internet law and regulation is a reserved policy area, and we intend for this law to apply across the UK. My officials have been working closely with officials in the Devolved Administrations, including in the Welsh Government, throughout the development of our proposals, and will continue to engage throughout the legislative process.

As the UK is no longer a member of the EU, and therefore no longer part of the Roam Like At Home arrangement, UK mobile operators are able to reintroduce roaming surcharges for travel to the EU.

The Government will consider any announcements made by mobile operators where changes are being made to their current EU roaming charges and will consider all available steps to ensure British consumers are treated fairly when travelling. We advise that consumers check with their operators before travelling.

Ministers have regular discussions with senior representatives of mobile operators on a range of issues, including on the issue of mobile roaming.

This Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians, performers, other cultural and creative practitioners, and their support staff.

Leaving the EU has always meant that there would be changes to how touring musicians and performers operate in the EU. UK performers and artists are of course still able to tour and perform in the EU, and vice versa. However, they will be required to check domestic immigration rules for each Member State in which they intend to tour.

We understand the concerns about the new arrangements and we are committed to supporting the sectors as they get to grips with the changes to systems and processes. The DCMS-led Working Group on Creative and Cultural Touring brings together sector representatives, other key government departments, and representatives from each of the devolved administrations. The Group is working together to provide clarity regarding the practical steps that need to be taken by touring professionals when touring the EU, and it will explore how these sectors can be supported to work and tour in the EU with confidence when it is safe to do so.

We know that while leaving the EU will bring changes and new processes to touring and working in the EU, it will also bring new opportunities. In all circumstances, we expect our creative industries to continue to be as highly valued in the European Union as they are across the world.

This Government recognises the importance of touring for UK musicians, performers, other cultural and creative practitioners, and their support staff.

Leaving the EU has always meant that there would be changes to how touring musicians and performers operate in the EU. UK performers and artists are of course still able to tour and perform in the EU, and vice versa. However, they will be required to check domestic immigration rules for each Member State in which they intend to tour.

We understand the concerns about the new arrangements and we are committed to supporting the sectors as they get to grips with the changes to systems and processes. The DCMS-led Working Group on Creative and Cultural Touring brings together sector representatives, other key government departments, and representatives from each of the devolved administrations. The Group is working together to provide clarity regarding the practical steps that need to be taken by touring professionals when touring the EU, and it will explore how these sectors can be supported to work and tour in the EU with confidence when it is safe to do so.

We know that while leaving the EU will bring changes and new processes to touring and working in the EU, it will also bring new opportunities. In all circumstances, we expect our creative industries to continue to be as highly valued in the European Union as they are across the world.

The UK Safer Internet Centre plays an important role in improving online safety in the UK, particularly for children. Officials engage regularly with the Centre on its funding position following the UK’s exit from the EU.

The Centre has applied for further funding from the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility programme for the calendar year of 2021, for which the government provided a letter of support. We understand the Centre has been successful in its bid for funding but we await formal confirmation from the Centre regarding its outcome.

The DCMS Taking Part Web Panel COVID-19 Report, published in September 2020, asked adults about their participation in arts and creative activities in the home. In May 2020, 49% of respondents reported doing creative activities in the home in the previous four weeks, though this dropped to 42% of respondents by July.

Between May -July watching a pre-recorded music or dance performance online was the most popular activity.Watching a live music/dance performance online decreased in popularity from 15% in May to 10% in July.

Since 5 January, restrictions have been in force to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Professionals may continue to rehearse, train and perform for live streaming, broadcast and recording. Venues must close for any other purpose, no performances with an audience can go ahead either indoor or outdoor. Unfortunately non-professional activity, such as amateur choirs and orchestra, cannot take place at this time.

We are in regular dialogue with the relevant sectors and public health experts to agree a realistic return date for festivals and other large events. However, protecting the public is our first priority. We continue to explore all barriers to reopening, working closely with the industry to understand the challenges they face and support them in developing planning guidance to reopen in a safe way.

This Government recognises the importance of the UK’s thriving cultural industries, and that is why it pushed for ambitious arrangements to make it easier for performers and artists to perform across Europe as part of the negotiations on our future relationship with the EU.

This Government proposed to the EU that UK cultural professionals, and their technical staff, be added to the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors in the entry and temporary stay chapter of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. This would have allowed UK cultural professionals and their staff to travel and perform in the EU more easily, without needing work-permits. These proposals were rejected by the EU.

Whilst both sides published their draft proposals for the future relationship, with the UK’s available here, neither side published their draft schedules for the services and investment title – which included the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors – prior to the agreement’s conclusion. Publishing correspondence and details exchanged between parties related to the development of legal text for trade agreements during the course of the negotiation would not be appropriate, as both parties exchanged this information in confidence.

The UK Safer Internet Centre plays an important role in improving online safety in the UK, particularly for children. We are very supportive of the work of the Centre and they are a valued member of the UK Council for Internet Safety, which provides guidance to the government on child safety online.

The Centre has applied for further funding from the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility programme for the calendar year of 2021 and we await formal confirmation from the Centre regarding its outcome.

The Government is committed to the self-regulation of the press, independent of government. This is vital to protecting a free press, crucial to a strong and fully functioning democracy where the powerful can be held to account without fear.

There now exists two press regulators, IPSO and IMPRESS. Both regulators are independent of government and we do not intervene in the work of either regulator.

The Government takes the issue of misinformation and disinformation very seriously. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it continues to be vitally important that the public has accurate information about the virus, and DCMS is leading work across Government to tackle misinformation and disinformation.

That is why we stood up the Counter Disinformation Unit up on 5 March to bring together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities. The Unit’s primary function is to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope and impact of misinformation and disinformation regarding COVID-19 and to work with partners to ensure appropriate action is taken.

Throughout the pandemic, we have been working closely with social media platforms to quickly identify and help them respond to potentially harmful content on their platforms, including removing harmful content in line with their terms and conditions, and promoting authoritative sources of information.

DCMS Secretary of State and DHSC Secretary of State hosted a joint roundtable in November to ask social media platforms to reduce the spread of harmful and misleading narratives, particularly around the potential COVID-19 vaccine. Social media platforms agreed to continue to work with public health bodies to ensure that authoritative messages about vaccine safety reach as many people as possible; to commit to swifter responses to flagged content and to commit to the principle that no user or company should directly profit from COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation.

The government is deeply disappointed with the BBC’s decision to restrict the over 75 licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC.

In the 2015 funding settlement, the government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC in June 2020. This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament. This legislation provides that the future of the concession is the responsibility of the BBC, not of the government.

The BBC must look urgently at how it can use its substantial licence fee income to support older people and deliver for UK audiences of all ages.

The government is deeply disappointed that the BBC has chosen not to extend the over 75 licence fee concession. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC.

However, the Digital Economy Act, 2017, provides the BBC is responsible for the concession, not the Government. The BBC must look urgently at how it can use its substantial licence fee income to support older people and deliver for UK audiences of all ages.

The Government is committed to delivering nationwide coverage of gigabit capable broadband as soon as possible. This will be done through promoting network competition and commercial investment wherever possible and by intervening with public subsidy where necessary.

To deliver this we are taking action to reduce barriers to commercial deployment including through the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill currently before Parliament. This will make it easier to connect tenanted properties with an unresponsive landlord. At Budget 2020, we also committed to invest £5 billion to deliver gigabit capable deployment to the hardest to reach areas across the UK.

This investment is on top of our existing funding for gigabit broadband, including the £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme. In addition in March 2020 the Government’s broadband Universal Service Obligation went live. This provides everyone in the UK with the legal right to request an upgraded broadband connection that provides a minimum download speed of 10 Mbps and upload speed of 1 Mbps.

With regards to mobile connectivity, the Government announced in March 2020 that it had agreed a £1 billion deal with the mobile network operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network. This will see operators collectively increase mobile phone coverage throughout the UK to 95% by the end of 2025, underpinned by legally binding coverage commitments.

The Government is also committed to being a world leader in 5G technology and providing a 5G signal to a majority of the population by 2027. As a part of this, we have invested millions in a programme of 5G Testbeds and Trials, including the recent £30 million 5G Create competition.

The government recognises that the media and telecommunications sectors play a vital role in British society and therefore have an important responsibility to reflect the reality of modern Britain.

Promoting greater diversity is a priority for the government and therefore we welcome the work Ofcom has undertaken - as the independent communications regulator - through their annual diversity reports on broadcasting; as well as the work of Project Diamond, an initiative supported by the broadcasters, which captures diversity data.

The government is committed to working together with industry to support greater diversity and to ensure that everyone regardless of their background should have the same opportunity to be successful and to go as far as their talents and hard work take them.

The Government recognises the importance of diversity within the charity sector at all levels, whether that be trustees, chief executives, staff members or volunteers, in order to meet the needs of the communities the sector serves and it is committed to working with our civil society partners to address this. We welcome the work that sector representative bodies are doing to improve diversity within the sector.

Appointing trustees is a matter for individual charities, but is something the Government takes very seriously. The Government has held a number of conversations with civil society partners to improve understanding of the opportunities and challenges around enabling people from different backgrounds to become involved in trusteeship. The Charity Commission has published resources for charities to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to get involved and make a difference. The Charity Commission also assisted in the creation of the Charity Governance Code, which sets out recommended practice for all charities registered in England and Wales. The Charity Governance Code makes clear the importance of diversity and resulting positive outcomes. We are fully committed to continue working with the charity sector to take action on this issue.

In responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, officials and Ministers have met with a wide range of groups, including women-led organisations and BAME-led civil society organisations to discuss how the Government can engage more with a variety of groups in the sector as we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator. The regulator will have strong enforcement powers to deal with non-compliance. Our proposals assume a higher level of protection for children than for the typical adult user.

We expect companies to use a proportionate range of tools, including age assurance and age verification technologies, to prevent children accessing age-inappropriate content and to protect them from other harms.

The UK continues to take a leading role working with global partners to halt and reverse deforestation. At COP26, the UK led the way on securing agreement from 128 world leaders to work together to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030 under the Glasgow Leader's Declaration on Forests and Land Use. Signatory countries account for almost 90% of the world’s forests, including first-time commitments from Brazil and China.

Unlocking finance is a crucial element in delivering shared global objectives for preventing deforestation. This is why Defra, along with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has secured strong financial commitments at COP26 from partner states and philanthropic organisations in the fight against deforestation. This total includes a commitment of $12 billion from 12 countries for a new Global Forest Finance Pledge for the protection, restoration and sustainable management of forests; $7.2 billion of private sector funding was mobilised for protecting forests and nature and CEOs from more than 30 financial institutions representing $8.7 trillion of global assets committed to eliminate investment in activities linked to agricultural commodity-driven deforestation.

Defra supports several programmes which protect and restore diverse types of forests. This includes the 'Blue Forests' project in Madagascar and Indonesia, which has protected and restored over 180,000 hectares of mangrove forests and avoided 487 hectares of deforestation to date; and an investment of over £62 million to promote sustainable agriculture in Brazil, through low carbon technology, agroforestry and recovery of degraded lands with forests or pastures.

Defra and BEIS established the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Dialogue at COP26, where we are working with other producer and consumer governments to develop a joint approach to protect forests and other ecosystems while promoting sustainable development and trade.

The UK Government has doubled its international climate finance to £11.6 billion for the period from 2021-26, of which at least £3 billion will be spent on nature and nature-based solutions, including protecting and restoring forests.

Defra has introduced due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. This law will help us ensure there is no place on our supermarket shelves for commodities that have been grown on land that is illegally owned or used, and to support other countries to strengthen and enforce their forest protection measures. To maintain pace, we plan to launch a consultation to further inform the design of the law in late 2021. This is one part of a wider package of measures to improve the sustainability of our supply chains and will contribute to global efforts to protect forests and other ecosystems.

All delegates have been encouraged to consider low-carbon travel options to attend COP26. The Secretary of State travelled by train.

The UK will be offsetting carbon emissions associated with running the event, including the emissions associated with travel.

As the IPCC report underlines, COP26 is vital this November to allow world leaders to come together and set out decisive commitments to tackle climate change.

The ministerial responsibilities of the hon. Member for Bury St Edmonds have been published on gov.uk. External meetings will be published in the usual way on the transparency data publications, available on gov.uk in due course.

I can confirm the hon. Member for Bury St Edmonds is a paid member of the Government.

The ministerial responsibilities of the hon. Member for Bury St Edmonds have been published on gov.uk. External meetings will be published in the usual way on the transparency data publications, available on gov.uk in due course.

I can confirm the hon. Member for Bury St Edmonds is a paid member of the Government.

The ministerial responsibilities of the hon. Member for Bury St Edmonds have been published on gov.uk. External meetings will be published in the usual way on the transparency data publications, available on gov.uk in due course.

I can confirm the hon. Member for Bury St Edmonds is a paid member of the Government.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain which has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges. Defra works closely with businesses and other stakeholders to monitor and assess food supply.

We have listened to concerns from the sector and we know that the run-up to Christmas is a particularly important time for farmers and food producers, who need more workers on their farms to meet seasonal demand and more HGV drivers on the roads to deliver food across the country in this period.

In response to these exceptional circumstances, Defra has announced that up to 5,500 poultry workers and 5,000 HGV drivers transporting food and fuel will be able to enter the UK on temporary visas for work in the lead up to Christmas 2021. These are temporary, emergency measures.

The Government also took decisive action to support the CO2 industry to reach a deal which will continue the supply of CO2 to UK businesses, including those in the poultry processing sector. The deal will run until January 2022 ensuring the CO2 supply over Christmas.

The actions we have taken will ensure that poultry businesses have access to the necessary workforce and materials to mitigate any potential risks to food supply in the run up to Christmas.

The Northern Ireland Protocol has led to considerable disruption in the movement of goods. There has been clear diversion of trade. Supply chains have been disrupted and costs increased due to new bureaucracy.

Therefore, we put forward proposals to fix the problems in our Command Paper in July. The Government is now in intensive discussions with the EU with the aim of delivering significant changes to the NI Protocol.

A recent survey (4-19 October) of the members of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) found that the sales volumes from GB to NI had fallen by an average of 13% since the Northern Ireland Protocol came into effect on 1 January 2021. This was across the 83 businesses surveyed. It should be noted that this is a sub sample of FDF’s over 300 members and not necessarily representative.

We welcome the UN Environment Programme's Emissions Gap Report 2021. As this report makes clear, it is important that each country delivers on their 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions and net zero commitments. The UK’s pledge to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030 is one of the most ambitious in the world.

The UK has been pressing all leaders to commit to ambitious climate action ahead of COP26 to help keep 1.5°C in reach. We will continue to do this, at COP and throughout our Presidency year.

Domestically, we are taking vital steps through our recently published Net Zero Strategy to play our part. My department has a crucial role to play in helping this government achieve its net zero target. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, we will support our agriculture and land use sectors to reduce emissions, restore huge swathes of peat, create vast woodlands, and take action to reduce harmful waste and gases. This is central to our ambition to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

Improving air quality is a priority for this Government. We are committed to tackling a diversity of pollutants which harm human health and the environment. My department is taking urgent action through our ambitious Clean Air Strategy, our landmark Environment Bill and delivery of our £3.8 billion programme to clean up transport and tackle roadside NO₂ pollution.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Prime Minister on all Defra matters, including air quality.

Air pollution poses the biggest environmental threat to public health and children are particularly vulnerable to its effects. I and my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs work closely with our counterparts in other Departments on issues related to air pollution, including on understanding and reducing the harms it causes.

The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) provides independent advice to Government departments and agencies on how air pollution impacts on health, including the health of children (published reports). Defra continues to work across Government, including with DHSC and the new UK Health Security Agency, to understand the relationship between air quality and health.

The improvement of air quality and reduction in associated health harms remains a top priority for the Government. The Government is therefore taking a range of actions to tackle air pollution, including through the landmark Environment Bill and by implementing the Clean Air Strategy.

Defra’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities, for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions affecting schools, businesses and residents. This year we have awarded over £5 million, of which over £1 million has been awarded to projects specifically targeted at making improvements for children. Next year £9 million of funding will be awarded, of which at least £1 million will be dedicated to projects to improve public awareness in local communities about the risks of air pollution. Particular focus will be given to projects that deliver measures that focus on vulnerable groups, including children.

Our food security depends on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable export routes. Overall we produce 60% of all the food we need. That figure increases to 74% as a percentage of the food which UK conditions allow us to grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year. These figures have changed little over the last 20 years. UK consumers have almost constant access through international trade to food products that we cannot produce here, or can only produce for some of the year; this also supplements our excellent domestic production. Importantly, this also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.

The Government has committed in the Agriculture Act 2020 to publishing a triennial report on subject of food security which will provide detailed analysis of relevant statistical data. The food security report will be a significant body of work that will cover both global and domestic food security, including global food availability, supply sources for food, supply chain resilience, food safety, and household food security. The first report will be published prior to the House rising for Christmas recess in 2021.

The Ministerial responsibilities of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in my Department, the hon. Member for Bury St Edmonds, will be published on gov.uk in due course.

In our second consultation on 'Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England' we consulted on proposals to require plastic films and flexible packaging be included in household and business recycling collections. We also asked for views on how plastic films should be collected to avoid contamination of other recyclables, contamination with food and to make sorting easier. The consultation closed on 4th July and we will publish our response in due course.

Through consistent household collections and extended producer responsibility in the Environment Bill, alongside measures such as the plastic packaging tax, we will significantly support the market for all plastics recycling, including flexibles, giving businesses the confidence to invest in enhanced domestic capacity. In pursuit of this, the government, through the UK Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge, has also invested £20m into four plastics reprocessing facilities to develop new technologies in this area.

In our second consultation on 'Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England' we consulted on proposals to require plastic films and flexible packaging be included in household and business recycling collections. We also asked for views on how plastic films should be collected to avoid contamination of other recyclables, contamination with food and to make sorting easier. The consultation closed on 4th July and we will publish our response in due course.

Through consistent household collections and extended producer responsibility in the Environment Bill, alongside measures such as the plastic packaging tax, we will significantly support the market for all plastics recycling, including flexibles, giving businesses the confidence to invest in enhanced domestic capacity. In pursuit of this, the government, through the UK Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge, has also invested £20m into four plastics reprocessing facilities to develop new technologies in this area.

The Secretary of State and Defra Ministers regularly meet with colleagues and stakeholders to discuss flooding and coastal erosion.

I want to praise the work of the Environment Agency, local authorities, and our blue light services for the response they provided to all the areas which experienced flooding in the summer, and earlier this month.

Policy and funding for flood and coastal erosion is a devolved matter. In England, this Government has doubled investment to £5.2 billion in flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes between now and 2027. This will better protect 336,000 properties, benefiting urban areas as well as coastal and rural communities.

Surface water is one of the sources of flooding in urban areas and the Government is taking action to tackle this. In July we published our update and progress report on our surface water management action plan.

We have already changed our flood defence partnership funding rules to enable more surface water schemes and launched a £200 million innovation fund which includes actions to support surface water flood risk actions. We are putting water company Drainage and Wastewater Plans on a statutory footing through the Environment Bill, to ensure drainage and sewerage systems are resilient to withstand the current and future pressures on them.

In England, Lead Local Flood Authorities (county and unitary authorities) have the leadership role on surface water flood risk management, and are working with those impacted by the recent flooding to help them return to their homes and businesses as quickly as possible.

We have now consulted twice on introducing a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are analysing the responses to the second consultation, including those on scope and materials.

In developing proposals, the government have considered the inclusion of cartons in the scheme. However, the recent consultation proposed that cartons would not be captured by DRS and instead could be collected through kerbside collections. Cartons could be included in the core list of materials to be collected in the dry recyclable waste streams, and producers could pay for disposal of the packaging through the reformed packaging producer responsibility regime.

Final details of the scope of the DRS will be presented in a government response which will be published in due course. An impact assessment to support final proposals for the introduction of the scheme will also be published alongside the government response.

We have now consulted twice on introducing a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are analysing the responses to the second consultation, including those on scope and materials.

In developing proposals, the government have considered the inclusion of cartons in the scheme. However, the recent consultation proposed that cartons would not be captured by DRS and instead could be collected through kerbside collections. Cartons could be included in the core list of materials to be collected in the dry recyclable waste streams, and producers could pay for disposal of the packaging through the reformed packaging producer responsibility regime.

Final details of the scope of the DRS will be presented in a government response which will be published in due course. An impact assessment to support final proposals for the introduction of the scheme will also be published alongside the government response.

We have now consulted twice on introducing a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are analysing the responses to the second consultation, including those on scope and materials.

In developing proposals, the government have considered the inclusion of cartons in the scheme. However, the recent consultation proposed that cartons would not be captured by DRS and instead could be collected through kerbside collections. Cartons could be included in the core list of materials to be collected in the dry recyclable waste streams, and producers could pay for disposal of the packaging through the reformed packaging producer responsibility regime.

Final details of the scope of the DRS will be presented in a government response which will be published in due course. An impact assessment to support final proposals for the introduction of the scheme will also be published alongside the government response.

Our impact assessment, published alongside the second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme, showed that the currently available reverse vending machines will be readily capable of compacting glass into suitably sized pieces for recycling. Our engagement with industry has been important in informing this assessment. The compaction can involve breaking glass bottles into 4, 5, or 6 separate parts and is to be clearly distinguished from crushing glass. The advantage of such compaction is that it substantially reduces the volume and thereby the storage and transport costs compared to whole, “soft drop”, bottles whilst still fulfilling the principles of the circular economy. It also avoids the difficulties involved with crushing glass on collection which results in material loss.

The impact assessment which accompanies the second consultation assumed that the glass collected would be of high quality and therefore able to be sent on for recycling. We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and further details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an impact assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

Our impact assessment, published alongside the second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme, showed that the currently available reverse vending machines will be readily capable of compacting glass into suitably sized pieces for recycling. Our engagement with industry has been important in informing this assessment. The compaction can involve breaking glass bottles into 4, 5, or 6 separate parts and is to be clearly distinguished from crushing glass. The advantage of such compaction is that it substantially reduces the volume and thereby the storage and transport costs compared to whole, “soft drop”, bottles whilst still fulfilling the principles of the circular economy. It also avoids the difficulties involved with crushing glass on collection which results in material loss.

The impact assessment which accompanies the second consultation assumed that the glass collected would be of high quality and therefore able to be sent on for recycling. We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and further details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an impact assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

Our impact assessment, published alongside the second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme, showed that the currently available reverse vending machines will be readily capable of compacting glass into suitably sized pieces for recycling. Our engagement with industry has been important in informing this assessment. The compaction can involve breaking glass bottles into 4, 5, or 6 separate parts and is to be clearly distinguished from crushing glass. The advantage of such compaction is that it substantially reduces the volume and thereby the storage and transport costs compared to whole, “soft drop”, bottles whilst still fulfilling the principles of the circular economy. It also avoids the difficulties involved with crushing glass on collection which results in material loss.

The impact assessment which accompanies the second consultation assumed that the glass collected would be of high quality and therefore able to be sent on for recycling. We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and further details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an impact assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

Our impact assessment, published alongside the second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme, showed that the currently available reverse vending machines will be readily capable of compacting glass into suitably sized pieces for recycling. Our engagement with industry has been important in informing this assessment. The compaction can involve breaking glass bottles into 4, 5, or 6 separate parts and is to be clearly distinguished from crushing glass. The advantage of such compaction is that it substantially reduces the volume and thereby the storage and transport costs compared to whole, “soft drop”, bottles whilst still fulfilling the principles of the circular economy. It also avoids the difficulties involved with crushing glass on collection which results in material loss.

The impact assessment which accompanies the second consultation assumed that the glass collected would be of high quality and therefore able to be sent on for recycling. We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and further details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an impact assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

Our impact assessment, published alongside the second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme, showed that the currently available reverse vending machines will be readily capable of compacting glass into suitably sized pieces for recycling. Our engagement with industry has been important in informing this assessment. The compaction can involve breaking glass bottles into 4, 5, or 6 separate parts and is to be clearly distinguished from crushing glass. The advantage of such compaction is that it substantially reduces the volume and thereby the storage and transport costs compared to whole, “soft drop”, bottles whilst still fulfilling the principles of the circular economy. It also avoids the difficulties involved with crushing glass on collection which results in material loss.

The impact assessment which accompanies the second consultation assumed that the glass collected would be of high quality and therefore able to be sent on for recycling. We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and further details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an impact assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

The Secretary of State last met representatives of the Chemical Business Association on 21 July 2021.

The amount of chemicals required for the effective treatment of waste water varies from site to site. Chemicals used include coagulants, antifoamers and waste odour limiters, for example. There is currently no shortage of chemicals required for waste water treatment.

England has an adequate supply of water chemicals, including ferric sulphate.

The Secretary of State met the Mayor of London on 5 July. Air quality was one of the topics that were discussed.

We published a report on 1 July 2020 outlining the findings from the recent rapid Call for Evidence we ran with our Air Quality Expert Group, to ensure we can more fully understand the impact the pandemic had on air pollutant emissions, concentrations and human exposure: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/reports.php?report_id=1005.

In August 2020, we also published the findings of a study done by the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in collaboration with Defra, Public Health England and both air quality expert groups (Defra’s Air Quality Expert Group and DHSC’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants).

This research did not suggest a strong link between exposure to air pollution and mortality rates from Covid-19:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/methodologies/coronaviruscovid19relatedmortalityratesandtheeffectsofairpollutioninengland

In line with previous studies, this report shows that people who are at greater risk of severe illness from Covid-19 are also at most risk of exposure to air pollution, but the evidence is not strong enough to suggest that air pollution is having a direct link to the spread or severity of Covid-19. Nevertheless, it is clear, that improved air quality is an important measure in helping us to reduce the burden placed on people’s health.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with Ministers from the Welsh Government at the Inter-Ministerial Group EFRA meetings. He met the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd; and the Minister for Climate Change at the last meeting on 13 September and they are due to meet again on 25 October.

Protecting insects is a priority, and we are taking action to support them and the wider natural environment of which they are a vital component. Our commitment to setting a legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 underlines our ambition.

Defra has published or contributed to a range of national and global assessments of the pressures on insects and wider biodiversity, including on the impacts of artificial light. We welcome recently published research on the impacts of sodium and LED lighting on the local abundance and distribution of caterpillars. We will continue to work closely with researchers, NGOs and across the Government to improve our understanding of the impacts of light pollution.

The Government is taking action to ensure that light pollution is managed for wildlife and for people, through controls in the planning system, the statutory nuisance regime and improvements in street lighting.

Defra Ministers and officials meet regularly with the chief executive of the Environment Agency.

The UK does not undertake its own assessment. Global assessments of poaching and illegal trade in elephants and their ivory are carried out through two programmes operated through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) system monitors trends in levels of illegal killing of elephants and ETIS (Elephant Trade Information System) monitors the pattern and scale of illegal trade in ivory and other elephant specimens.

The IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group also carries out African elephant population assessments and trends by country and published the African Elephant Status Report in 2016. This report includes elephant numbers at a national level.

The UK does not undertake its own assessment. Global assessments of poaching and illegal trade in elephants and their ivory are carried out through two programmes operated through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) system monitors trends in levels of illegal killing of elephants and ETIS (Elephant Trade Information System) monitors the pattern and scale of illegal trade in ivory and other elephant specimens.

The IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group also carries out African elephant population assessments and trends by country and published the African Elephant Status Report in 2016. This report includes elephant numbers at a national level.

The UK is committed to protecting endangered animals and plants from poaching and illegal trade to benefit nature, people, the economy and protect global security.

The UK Government engages regularly with key counterparts across Africa on the illegal wildlife trade, including through our overseas missions. We are mobilising the expertise of the British military to provide professional training to Zambian park rangers in more effective and safer counter-poaching techniques. Furthermore, we engage regularly in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) to support the delivery of the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, a new £100 million programme, that will deliver conservation, poverty reduction and climate outcomes, including tackling the illegal wildlife trade and poaching. KAZA is an area spanning five countries in southern Africa and hosting fifty percent of Africa's savannah elephants.

I am satisfied that the Interim Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is fulfilling its interim functions and undertaking all necessary preparations to establish the OEP as a body corporate, ready to meet its objectives by the time the Environment Bill provisions relevant to the OEP are commenced

The Secretary of State met with senior management of water companies, including Thames Water, on 20 March 2020 to discuss the industry’s response to the COVID pandemic.

I have met with Thames Water management at the Thames Tideway Roundtable on 13 July 2021.

Walley’s Quarry was discussed during the most recent meeting between the Secretary of State and the Environment Agency (EA) Chief Executive and Chair. The EA and central Government are committed to finding a long-term solution to the issue of odour at the site as quickly as possible to protect the health and wellbeing of local communities and are working together to deliver this.

We have a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption.

The UK's high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources, including robust supply chains domestically, and from other countries. Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to ensure that we maintain close ties internationally and monitor any risks that may arise.

The Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) announced on 18 August that CBD COP15 will now be scheduled to take place as a two-part Summit. In August, China announced that there will be a virtual, High-Level Segment from the 11 to 15 October 2021 followed by an in-person event in Kunming, China, from 25 April to 8 May 2022.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for representing the UK at meetings of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and is committed to playing a leading role in developing an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. As part of this framework the UK is advocating ambitious global targets to bend the curve of biodiversity loss by 2030, including targets to ensure more ocean and land is protected, ecosystems are restored, species population sizes are recovering and, that by 2050 extinctions are halted. This ambitious set of targets must be supported by increased finance for nature and strengthened reporting and review mechanisms to facilitate the achievement of them.

To secure this ambition, the UK has participated fully in each of the virtual negotiations sessions which have taken place this year. In addition, the UK, in partnership with Norway, is leading a programme of workshops for Parties to enhance planning, reporting and review mechanisms to strengthen the implementation mechanisms of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the CBD. We are working internationally, including through the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature; the UK-led Global Ocean Alliance; in our role as Ocean Co-Chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and bilaterally with priority countries to secure a successful CBD outcome.

We must tackle the biodiversity crisis head on, and the delay to these important negotiations is no excuse for taking our foot off the pedal. We hope more countries will use the extra time to join us in safeguarding and financing nature conservation to ensure the adoption of a truly ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

As at 30 July, the Defra Ministerial department had 660 staff who had declared they were from a Black or Ethnic Minority background. This equates to 14% of staff who had made a declaration.

Each year as at 31 March and in line with all departments, Defra contributes to the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey which covers key Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Data. These statistics can be found here: Annual Civil Service statistics 2021. This shows the Department had 600 staff who had declared they were from a Black or Ethnic Minority background.

Defra continues to hold extensive discussions with the Department for Health and Social Care on the relationship between air quality and health. These have included the specific relationship between air quality and covid-19 transmission, infections and deaths.

In response to Defra's call for evidence on COVID-19 and air quality (April 2020 and published in June 2020), the scientific community and appointed experts from Defra and Public Health England (PHE) considered the possible link between air quality and COVID-19 infection. They concluded that there was no clear empirical evidence of a link at that stage:

2007010844_Estimation_of_Changes_in_Air_Pollution_During_COVID-19_outbreak_in_the_UK.pdf (defra.gov.uk)

Officials and appointed experts from Defra, PHE and the Office for National Statistics delivered a project to describe the relationship between air pollution exposure and COVID-19 deaths. The results and methodology were shared with the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), and a summary of the findings were published in August 2020 at the following URL:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ons-air-pollution-and-covid-19-mortality-rates-in-england-6-august-2020

The methodology used in this analysis project was also published at the following URL:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/methodologies/coronaviruscovid19relatedmortalityratesandtheeffectsofairpollutioninengland

The Departments continue to actively engage on a regular basis.

Ideally we want to tackle litter of all kinds, including plastics, to stop them from being released in the natural environment in the first place. Furthermore, when littered in the open environment, compostable plastics will typically behave similarly to conventional plastics. Indeed, a plastic product that is designed to degrade or disintegrate more rapidly may accelerate the production of microplastic fragments. This is because the existing standard that applies to industrial composting, BS EN 13432, is only effective if the compostable plastic is collected and sent to an appropriate treatment facility.

Therefore, until the appropriate infrastructure is in place across the country to accept compostable plastics, the government's preference is that they are used in closed loop systems where no reusable or recyclable options are available; and with appropriate collection and disposal arrangements in place. We recommend that businesses consult available guidance and evidence summaries on this to help assess if this may be the case for their intended purpose. In accordance with the waste hierarchy, our current preference remains that most plastics are reusable or recyclable.

As set out in our response to the call for evidence on Standards for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics, published in April 2021, we want to ensure that innovation in the plastics industry continues but it is vital to ensure that new materials really are more sustainable than conventional plastics and other alternatives. As already highlighted, concerns persist that plastics which are claimed to be biodegradable, if littered or otherwise released into the environment in an uncontrolled way, may not degrade quickly or even at all.

The Government has invested nearly £100 million into research and innovation to tackle the issues that arise from plastic waste. £20 million was set aside through the Plastics Research and Innovation Fund, the last funding competition of which opened in June 2020. The Resource Action Fund included £10 million specifically to pioneer innovative approaches to boosting recycling and reducing litter. The Government has also announced £60 million of funding through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, alongside a £150 million investment from industry, towards the development of smart, sustainable plastic packaging (SSPP), which will aim to make the UK a world leader in sustainable packaging for consumer products. Two SSPP funding opportunities have been open for bids in 2021: the SSPP Demonstrator Round 2 and the SSPP business-led research and development competition.

Additionally, the UK Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge funded by the Government has recently invested £20 million into four plastic reprocessing facilities in the UK to support the development of new technologies to recycle plastic waste. These projects will increase domestic reprocessing capacity. Three of these projects include the development of chemical recycling plants which turn plastic waste back into oil which can be used to replace virgin oil for use in new plastic products.

Ideally we want to tackle litter of all kinds, including plastics, to stop them from being released in the natural environment in the first place. Furthermore, when littered in the open environment, compostable plastics will typically behave similarly to conventional plastics. Indeed, a plastic product that is designed to degrade or disintegrate more rapidly may accelerate the production of microplastic fragments. This is because the existing standard that applies to industrial composting, BS EN 13432, is only effective if the compostable plastic is collected and sent to an appropriate treatment facility.

Therefore, until the appropriate infrastructure is in place across the country to accept compostable plastics, the government's preference is that they are used in closed loop systems where no reusable or recyclable options are available; and with appropriate collection and disposal arrangements in place. We recommend that businesses consult available guidance and evidence summaries on this to help assess if this may be the case for their intended purpose. In accordance with the waste hierarchy, our current preference remains that most plastics are reusable or recyclable.

As set out in our response to the call for evidence on Standards for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics, published in April 2021, we want to ensure that innovation in the plastics industry continues but it is vital to ensure that new materials really are more sustainable than conventional plastics and other alternatives. As already highlighted, concerns persist that plastics which are claimed to be biodegradable, if littered or otherwise released into the environment in an uncontrolled way, may not degrade quickly or even at all.

The Government has invested nearly £100 million into research and innovation to tackle the issues that arise from plastic waste. £20 million was set aside through the Plastics Research and Innovation Fund, the last funding competition of which opened in June 2020. The Resource Action Fund included £10 million specifically to pioneer innovative approaches to boosting recycling and reducing litter. The Government has also announced £60 million of funding through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, alongside a £150 million investment from industry, towards the development of smart, sustainable plastic packaging (SSPP), which will aim to make the UK a world leader in sustainable packaging for consumer products. Two SSPP funding opportunities have been open for bids in 2021: the SSPP Demonstrator Round 2 and the SSPP business-led research and development competition.

Additionally, the UK Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge funded by the Government has recently invested £20 million into four plastic reprocessing facilities in the UK to support the development of new technologies to recycle plastic waste. These projects will increase domestic reprocessing capacity. Three of these projects include the development of chemical recycling plants which turn plastic waste back into oil which can be used to replace virgin oil for use in new plastic products.

The Government wants to see the reduction in plastic waste, and where plastic waste still exists, to increase the recycling of plastic film and flexibles. In our 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, we outlined out intention to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste throughout the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan (by 2042).

We have recently undertaken a second consultation on introducing extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging. This would see producers required to pay the costs of managing the packaging they place on the market including when it becomes waste. It also proposed that producers' fees will be varied so that those who use unrecyclable or difficult to recycle packaging such as flexible plastics would be required to pay higher fees. This will incentivise producers to consider their packaging choice.

In addition, we proposed that where producers see a need for additional investment to increase recycling and meet recycling targets under Packaging EPR, they could choose to raise further funding through the scheme. For example, to upgrade sorting and recycling infrastructure so that more types of film plastics can be recycled.

In our recently published second consultation on 'Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England,' we consulted on proposals to include plastic films and flexible packaging in household collection services by the end of the financial year 2026/27. We also consulted on proposals to introduce plastic films and flexible packaging into business collection services by the end of the financial year 2024/25.

We are now analysing the responses that were received in response to these consultations and will publish our response in due course.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has produced guidance for local authorities to tackle the problems of contamination in recycling, which can be found here: wrap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-05/WRAP-Tackling-contamination-dry-recycling-May2021.pdf. WRAP also produces the Recycling Tracker which is the largest and longest running survey on recycling attitudes, values and behaviours. The surveys can be found at this link: https://wrap.org.uk/resources/report/recycling-tracker-report-2020-behaviours-attitudes-and-awareness-around-recycling.

The Government wants to see the recycling of plastic film increased and plastic films included into the plastic recyclable waste stream for consistent collections. We have worked with stakeholders across the plastic packaging value chain to gather evidence on the issues related to introducing plastic films into kerbside collections, including food contamination. In our recent consultation on 'Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England, we sought views on best practice around the separate collection of plastic films, to include guidance on this recognising that ideally plastic films would be segregated from other recyclable materials within the plastics waste stream to facilitate easier sorting and reduce contamination. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and gathering further evidence around issues relating to material quality, sorting, reprocessing and contamination to include in best practice guidance.

The Department’s energy costs over the last three years are detailed below.

This information will be available in our Annual report and Accounts which will be published shortly.

The Department is defined as comprising the following bodies:

Defra Core Department

Executive Agencies

• Animal and Plant Health Agency
• Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Rural Payments Agency
• Veterinary Medicines Directorate

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

• Environment Agency
• Marine Management Organisation
• Natural England
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• Forestry Commission

We continually review the waste generated on our estate and work with our commercial colleagues on circular economy principles to reduce the amount of waste that arrives on our sites. Where we cannot avoid this, we work with our suppliers to move any waste we generate up the waste hierarchy.

Further information on Greening Government Commitments can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/883779/ggc-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf.

Our plans for reducing resource consumption and preventing waste in England were set out in our draft Waste Prevention Programme for England - Towards a Resource Efficient Economy, which we consulted on between March and June this year. This builds on the measures set out in the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy and includes designing products which last longer and that can be reused, repaired or remanufactured, coupled with supporting systems and business models to keep goods and materials in circulation for longer.

As part of this we are exploring ways to help consumers and producers make more sustainable decisions for instance through information and labelling, incentives such as the carrier bag charge, introducing producer responsibility schemes, and looking at how the Government and local authorities can support reuse and repair as well as alternative models such as renting and sharing.

The devolved administrations were aware of our consultation on a new Waste Prevention Programme, and the policy proposals it contains are being discussed at official level.

The responses to the public consultation are now being analysed and we plan to publish a new Waste Prevention Programme for England in the autumn.

The Government has carefully considered the three matters of concern set out by the Coroner in the Prevention of Future Deaths report for Ella Kissi-Debrah and sent its response to the Coroner on the 17th of June 2021.

The Government will launch a public consultation on new legal targets for PM2.5 early next year with the aim of setting new targets in legislation by October 2022. As well as a simple concentration target, the Government is also developing a population exposure reduction target, aiming to drive reductions not just in pollution "hotspots", but in all areas. In setting these new targets, there will also be a commitment to significantly increase the monitoring network to capture more detailed air quality information across the country.

We will also take action to increase public awareness about air pollution. This will include a review of existing sources of information, encompassing the UK Air website and the Daily Air Quality Index, and an expansion of the funding available to local authorities as part of the Air Quality Grant Scheme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 23 June 2020, PQ UIN 16219.

The Government has carefully considered the three matters of concern set out by the Coroner in the Prevention of Future Deaths report and sent its response to the Coroner on 17 June 2021. In the course of developing our response, Defra has worked closely with a range of departments including the Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Transport.

Defra's annual Air Quality Grant scheme provides funding to local authorities to carry out projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions affecting schools, businesses and residents. It has awarded nearly £70 million in funding to a variety of projects since it started in 1997, which has helped local authorities make air quality improvements. This year additional funding of £9 million has been allocated for the grant scheme.

Air pollution has reduced significantly since 2010 – emissions of nitrogen oxides have fallen by 32% and are at their lowest level since records began, and we know we must do more to continue this trend. Local authorities have a key role to play delivering targeted pollution reduction measures at a local level. They are best placed to understand the diverse needs of their local area so the grant is designed to enable flexibility. Applicants are required to demonstrate deliverability, policy alignment, value for money and have in place plans to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions; these elements are evaluated as part of the competitive award process.

The objectives of the grant are reviewed annually to encourage applications for measures that will be most effective in delivering air quality improvements or positive behaviour change. This autumn, applications will be encouraged for measures that deliver air quality improvements, measures that deal with particulate matter; the pollutant most harmful to human health, and measures that improve air quality information and public awareness and accessibility to sources of information.

In the 2019 Clean Air Strategy we outlined our plans to bring forward new primary legislation on air quality and the Environment Bill delivers on this commitment.

The Bill makes a clear commitment to set a new target for fine particulate matter, the pollutant of most harm to health, alongside at least one further long-term air quality target. It also ensures that local authorities have a clear framework and simple to use powers for tackling air pollution in their areas, and it addresses a crucial regulation gap by providing the Government with new powers to enforce environmental standards for vehicles and non-road mobile machinery.

Alongside this, we have brought forward secondary legislation - the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) Regulations 2020 to phase out the sale of the most polluting fuels starting 1 May 2021, helping to tackle a major source of fine particulate matter emissions in the UK. We have also recently brought forward the Air Quality (Legislative Functions) (Amendment) Regulations 2021, which will enable us to keep our Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) legislation up to date with any technical, scientific or international Protocol advances.

Air pollution has reduced significantly since 2010 – emissions of nitrogen oxides are at their lowest level since records began. However, we know that we must continue to work to tackle air pollution. The Environment Bill also establishes a new statutory cycle of monitoring, planning and reporting, which comprises annual reports by the Government to Parliament on progress against targets, including those on air quality, regular scrutiny from the Office for Environmental Protection, and five-yearly reviews and updates of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). An EIP must set out the steps the Government intends to take to improve the natural environment, which we would expect to include measures needed to meet its long term and interim targets.

My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care work closely together on issues related to air pollution, which poses the biggest environmental threat to public health. Children are particularly vulnerable to its effects.

Defra officials have also had extensive discussions with their counterparts at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE) on the relationship between air quality and health, including child health.

Defra officials will continue to engage regularly with DHSC, PHE, the research community and others on this matter. The improvement of air quality remains a top priority for the government.

On 10 June 2021, Defra published its latest research on the needs for air quality data and information. The research found that the majority of the public do not actively seek air quality information, but those who do so are more likely to have health vulnerabilities. When prompted, the public identified a need for clear, actionable information to be available regularly and at a local level. A need for tailored health advice to help manage the effects of poor air quality on health was also identified. Those surveyed also expressed an interest in receiving information as part of a weather forecast and being able to access health advice online.

The findings from this research have already been used to influence the design and content of the Clean Air Hub website and as part our continued work with media organisations to make air quality information more readily accessible.

The Government is committed to doing much more to improve public awareness of air pollution and in our response to the Coroners Prevention of Future Deaths report, following the inquest related to Ella Adoo Kissi-Debrah, we have set out the immediate actions we will take to improve the provision of air quality data and information. This includes a comprehensive review of the UK-Air website and the Daily Air Quality Index. We will be increasing the funding pot available to local authorities in this years Local Authority Air Quality Grant by £6M. A large proportion of this additional funding will be targeted to support further action to improve public awareness in their communities.

Alongside this, we will continue to engage with broadcasters, social media companies, and other media outlets, to look at ways to improve communication on air quality. We will also continue to work with a range of stakeholders and partners, including Global Action Plan, the Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership, and the British Heart Foundation to provide clear messages about the risks of air pollution and the actions people can take in response to high levels of air pollution.

The UK is a Party to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and regularly engages with other parties, including the EU, on tackling air pollution.

At this stage we have not carried out a specific assessment of the potential to use Schedule 6 of the Environment Bill to address the environmental impact of single-use nappies or the uptake of reusable alternatives. The powers being sought through the Environment Bill would enable us to introduce eco-design and consumer information requirements for a range of products, including nappies, to drive the market towards more sustainable goods. However, we have not considered to date whether there are strong grounds for using those powers in relation to nappies. As with any new policy, if a proposal were to be developed, this would be subject to consultation and a full assessment of the costs and benefits.

In line with the 25 Year Environment Plan, and our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies, taking on board the environmental and social impacts of the options available.

Potential additional policy measures include standards, consumer information and encouraging voluntary action by business. We are seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us to, where appropriate and subject to consultation, introduce eco-design and consumer information requirements. This could include labelling schemes that provide accurate information to consumers, to drive the market towards more sustainable products.

We are also funding an environmental assessment of disposable and washable absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) with the primary focus on nappies. This is looking at the waste and energy impacts of washable and disposable products, disposal to landfill or incineration, and recycling options. The research will be published later this year, following peer review, and will help inform possible future action on nappies by Government and industry.

In line with the 25 Year Environment Plan, and our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are considering the best approach to minimise the environmental impact of a range of products, including nappies, taking on board the environmental and social impacts of the options available.

Potential additional policy measures include standards, consumer information and encouraging voluntary action by business. We are seeking powers, through the Environment Bill, that will enable us to, where appropriate and subject to consultation, introduce eco-design and consumer information requirements. This could include labelling schemes that provide accurate information to consumers, to drive the market towards more sustainable products.

We are also funding an environmental assessment of disposable and washable absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) with the primary focus on nappies. This is looking at the waste and energy impacts of washable and disposable products, disposal to landfill or incineration, and recycling options. The research will be published later this year, following peer review, and will help inform possible future action on nappies by Government and industry.

In the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy we set out our ambitions of doubling resource productivity and eliminating avoidable waste by 2050. Extended Producer Responsibility is an established policy approach adopted in many countries around the world. It gives producers an incentive to make better, more sustainable decisions at the product design stage, as well as placing the financial cost for managing these products once they become waste, on producers. To be more efficient in the way we use our stock of natural resources we need to rethink how we design and make products and invoke the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

The implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging will see the introduction of modulated fees for producers placing packaging on the market. These fees will be varied, with higher costs placed on producers using packaging that is less easily recycled, helping to ensure more circularity within the system, more recycling, and less waste going to the residual waste stream. The shift in the cost of managing packaging waste produced by households from the public purse onto producers will also incentivise producers to consider if a packaging item is necessary, encouraging packaging reduction and a more efficient use of resources. Producers will also be required to meet ambitious recycling targets.

In certain circumstances, fees could be modulated to deliver funding to support additional collections and upgrading of infrastructure to allow recycling of currently unrecyclable materials. To meet ambitious recycling targets across all materials, producers will need to invest in the infrastructure required to enable these targets to be met. We also consulted on the introduction of reuse targets within Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, which will help encourage circularity, a more efficient use of resources, and prevent waste entering the residual waste stream.

The second consultation on the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging closed on 4 June 2021 and we are currently analysing the responses.

As set out in our recent consultation on extended producer responsibility for packaging (which closed on 4 June 2021), our preferred approach to implement mandatory recyclability labelling for packaging includes that labels must meet criteria set in regulations and will have to be approved by the Government or the regulator prior to use. This will ensure a clear and consistent approach to mandatory recyclability labelling for packaging. Our preferred approach provides flexibility for existing recycling labels to continue to be used subject to meeting the criteria set in regulations and approved by the Government or the regulator.

The Government recognises that a variety of labels can cause consumer confusion. However, alongside mandatory recyclability labelling there will be producer-led communication campaigns which will help to raise consumer awareness regarding what packaging can and cannot be recycled.

Last year, Defra commissioned the Waste and Resources Action Programme to review the available evidence regarding the social impact of labelling in the context of extended producer responsibility schemes and to provide an analysis of the current available evidence of on-pack labelling on consumer disposal behaviour. Key findings of the review include that consumer recycling behaviour can be influenced by a well-designed label along with recommendations regarding what the best performing label would look like. Findings in this review will be taken into consideration when developing and implementing mandatory recycling labelling as part of extended producer responsibility for packaging.

In addition, the Competition and Markets Authority is currently consulting on draft guidance on environmental claims on goods and services. This includes guidance on recyclability claims made on labels.

As set out in our recent consultation on extended producer responsibility for packaging (which closed on 4 June 2021), our preferred approach to implement mandatory recyclability labelling for packaging includes that labels must meet criteria set in regulations and will have to be approved by the Government or the regulator prior to use. This will ensure a clear and consistent approach to mandatory recyclability labelling for packaging. Our preferred approach provides flexibility for existing recycling labels to continue to be used subject to meeting the criteria set in regulations and approved by the Government or the regulator.

The Government recognises that a variety of labels can cause consumer confusion. However, alongside mandatory recyclability labelling there will be producer-led communication campaigns which will help to raise consumer awareness regarding what packaging can and cannot be recycled.

Last year, Defra commissioned the Waste and Resources Action Programme to review the available evidence regarding the social impact of labelling in the context of extended producer responsibility schemes and to provide an analysis of the current available evidence of on-pack labelling on consumer disposal behaviour. Key findings of the review include that consumer recycling behaviour can be influenced by a well-designed label along with recommendations regarding what the best performing label would look like. Findings in this review will be taken into consideration when developing and implementing mandatory recycling labelling as part of extended producer responsibility for packaging.

In addition, the Competition and Markets Authority is currently consulting on draft guidance on environmental claims on goods and services. This includes guidance on recyclability claims made on labels.

The UK Government, the Devolved Administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and three industry trade bodies are jointly running a project to look at how producer fees for the packaging extended producer responsibility scheme could be modulated (varied) depending on the recyclability of packaging. At the core of this project is stakeholder engagement and stakeholders have expressed their views on, and discussed, the role of recyclability assessments in informing modulated fees and labelling. This project is due to complete by the end of 2021.

There has also been direct engagement with bodies who have developed or are developing recyclability assessment methodologies.

In the recent consultation on the introduction of packaging extended producer responsibility, the Government set out its proposal that the Scheme Administrator should develop or procure the recyclability assessment methodology on behalf of its members. This to provide producers with a common methodology to determine whether for individual items of packaging the combination of components, materials, and design, meets the recyclability criteria. This approach would also underpin labelling for recyclability.

I understand the need for businesses to gain clarity about the new packaging extended producer responsibility scheme as early as possible. We want to be transparent and to provide clarity as soon as we can for each element of the scheme as this will help producers with the design decisions they need to make. However, it will not be for Government to advise businesses on specific packaging design decisions. In the recent consultation the Government set out proposed timelines, including for labelling and invited feedback. We will consider these responses as we finalise our proposals.

The UK Government, the Devolved Administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and three industry trade bodies are jointly running a project to look at how producer fees for the packaging extended producer responsibility scheme could be modulated (varied) depending on the recyclability of packaging. At the core of this project is stakeholder engagement and stakeholders have expressed their views on, and discussed, the role of recyclability assessments in informing modulated fees and labelling. This project is due to complete by the end of 2021.

There has also been direct engagement with bodies who have developed or are developing recyclability assessment methodologies.

In the recent consultation on the introduction of packaging extended producer responsibility, the Government set out its proposal that the Scheme Administrator should develop or procure the recyclability assessment methodology on behalf of its members. This to provide producers with a common methodology to determine whether for individual items of packaging the combination of components, materials, and design, meets the recyclability criteria. This approach would also underpin labelling for recyclability.

I understand the need for businesses to gain clarity about the new packaging extended producer responsibility scheme as early as possible. We want to be transparent and to provide clarity as soon as we can for each element of the scheme as this will help producers with the design decisions they need to make. However, it will not be for Government to advise businesses on specific packaging design decisions. In the recent consultation the Government set out proposed timelines, including for labelling and invited feedback. We will consider these responses as we finalise our proposals.

One of the key commitments in our Clean Air Strategy was to bring forward new legislation on air quality, and the Environment Bill – the first Environment Bill in over 20 years - is a key part of delivering this.

The air quality chapter in the Bill makes a clear commitment to set a new target for fine particulate matter, the pollutant of most harm to health, alongside at least one further long-term air quality target. It also ensures that local authorities have a clear framework and simple to use powers for tackling air pollution in their areas, and it addresses a crucial regulation gap by providing government with new powers to enforce environmental standards for vehicles and non-road mobile machinery.

Alongside this, we recently passed legislation to phase out the sale of the most polluting fuels, helping to tackle a major source of fine particulate matter emissions in the UK. We have also recently brought forward the Air Quality (Legislative Functions) (Amendment) Regulations 2021, which will enable us to keep our Pollutant Release and Transfer Register legislation up to date with any technical, scientific or international Protocol advances.

Local authorities receive grant in aid funding to carry out their statutory local air quality duties. Any new burdens placed on local authorities through the air quality measures in the Environment Bill will be funded by Defra as per the new burdens principle.

In addition, Defra’s Air Quality Grant programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution. The Government has awarded nearly £70 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997.

To tackle local nitrogen dioxide exceedances, we are providing £880 million to help local authorities develop and implement local air quality plans and to support those impacted by these plans. We have supported the retrofit of over 3,000 buses with cleaner engines and recently oversaw the launch of the first clean air zone in Bath. We are committed to ensuring that local authorities have access to a wide range of options as they develop plans to address roadside pollution in a way that meets the needs of their communities.

A £2 billion package of funding for active travel, which is the largest amount of funding ever committed to increasing cycling and walking in this country, was announced by the Secretary of State for Transport on 9 May 2020. The first £250 million of the £2 billion was allocated in 2020/21 to “quick wins” including the Active Travel Fund and the Fix your Bike voucher scheme.

My department is committed to working closely with our counterparts in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and there are regular discussions between the Secretary of State and his counterpart in the Executive covering issues of mutual interest to them both.

Our thoughts continue to be with Ella’s family and friends. We will carefully consider the recommendations in the Prevention of Future Deaths report and respond in due course.

We know that air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health, and although air pollution has reduced significantly over the last decade, there is more to do. The World Health Organization has praised our Clean Air Strategy as "an example for the rest of the world to follow". We know there is a strong case for taking ambitious action on PM2.5 as it is the pollutant that has the most significant impact on health. That is why we are introducing a duty to set a PM2.5 target – alongside at least one additional long-term air quality target - in the Environment Bill. We have always been clear that we will consider the World Health Organization’s guidelines for PM2.5 at part of this process.

Defra provides a wide range of air quality data and air quality information on the online UK Air Information Resource, known as UK-AIR, including a five-day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels, allowing members of the public, particularly those who are most likely to be affected by such pollution, to take action. UK-AIR also provides the most up-to-date information on measured pollution levels via the national network of air pollution monitors and provides Public Health England advice on practical actions and steps people can take to minimise the impact of these events. However, it is clear that there is a lack of awareness about the availability of this information and we need to consider how to address this.

Evidence submitted to the Coroner to assist his inquiry cannot be disclosed without his permission. We will work with the Coroner to consider what evidence can be published with the Government’s response to the Prevention of Future Deaths Report.

We welcome Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation’s (BLF) report and senior officers recently met with Asthma UK and the BLF to discuss its findings and wider air quality issues.

Our thoughts continue to be with Ella’s family and friends. We will carefully consider the recommendations in the Prevention of Future Deaths report and respond in due course.

We know that air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health, and although air pollution has reduced significantly over the last decade, there is more to do. The World Health Organization has praised our Clean Air Strategy as "an example for the rest of the world to follow". We know there is a strong case for taking ambitious action on PM2.5 as it is the pollutant that has the most significant impact on health. That is why we are introducing a duty to set a PM2.5 target – alongside at least one additional long-term air quality target - in the Environment Bill. We have always been clear that we will consider the World Health Organization’s guidelines for PM2.5 at part of this process.

Defra provides a wide range of air quality data and air quality information on the online UK Air Information Resource, known as UK-AIR, including a five-day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels, allowing members of the public, particularly those who are most likely to be affected by such pollution, to take action. UK-AIR also provides the most up-to-date information on measured pollution levels via the national network of air pollution monitors and provides Public Health England advice on practical actions and steps people can take to minimise the impact of these events. However, it is clear that there is a lack of awareness about the availability of this information and we need to consider how to address this.

Evidence submitted to the Coroner to assist his inquiry cannot be disclosed without his permission. We will work with the Coroner to consider what evidence can be published with the Government’s response to the Prevention of Future Deaths Report.

We welcome Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation’s (BLF) report and senior officers recently met with Asthma UK and the BLF to discuss its findings and wider air quality issues.

Our thoughts continue to be with Ella’s family and friends. We will carefully consider the recommendations in the Prevention of Future Deaths report and respond in due course.

We know that air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health, and although air pollution has reduced significantly over the last decade, there is more to do. The World Health Organization has praised our Clean Air Strategy as "an example for the rest of the world to follow". We know there is a strong case for taking ambitious action on PM2.5 as it is the pollutant that has the most significant impact on health. That is why we are introducing a duty to set a PM2.5 target – alongside at least one additional long-term air quality target - in the Environment Bill. We have always been clear that we will consider the World Health Organization’s guidelines for PM2.5 at part of this process.

Defra provides a wide range of air quality data and air quality information on the online UK Air Information Resource, known as UK-AIR, including a five-day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels, allowing members of the public, particularly those who are most likely to be affected by such pollution, to take action. UK-AIR also provides the most up-to-date information on measured pollution levels via the national network of air pollution monitors and provides Public Health England advice on practical actions and steps people can take to minimise the impact of these events. However, it is clear that there is a lack of awareness about the availability of this information and we need to consider how to address this.

Evidence submitted to the Coroner to assist his inquiry cannot be disclosed without his permission. We will work with the Coroner to consider what evidence can be published with the Government’s response to the Prevention of Future Deaths Report.

We welcome Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation’s (BLF) report and senior officers recently met with Asthma UK and the BLF to discuss its findings and wider air quality issues.

Our thoughts continue to be with Ella’s family and friends. We will carefully consider the recommendations in the Prevention of Future Deaths report and respond in due course.

We know that air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health, and although air pollution has reduced significantly over the last decade, there is more to do. The World Health Organization has praised our Clean Air Strategy as "an example for the rest of the world to follow". We know there is a strong case for taking ambitious action on PM2.5 as it is the pollutant that has the most significant impact on health. That is why we are introducing a duty to set a PM2.5 target – alongside at least one additional long-term air quality target - in the Environment Bill. We have always been clear that we will consider the World Health Organization’s guidelines for PM2.5 at part of this process.

Defra provides a wide range of air quality data and air quality information on the online UK Air Information Resource, known as UK-AIR, including a five-day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels, allowing members of the public, particularly those who are most likely to be affected by such pollution, to take action. UK-AIR also provides the most up-to-date information on measured pollution levels via the national network of air pollution monitors and provides Public Health England advice on practical actions and steps people can take to minimise the impact of these events. However, it is clear that there is a lack of awareness about the availability of this information and we need to consider how to address this.

Evidence submitted to the Coroner to assist his inquiry cannot be disclosed without his permission. We will work with the Coroner to consider what evidence can be published with the Government’s response to the Prevention of Future Deaths Report.

We welcome Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation’s (BLF) report and senior officers recently met with Asthma UK and the BLF to discuss its findings and wider air quality issues.

Our thoughts continue to be with Ella’s family and friends. We will carefully consider the recommendations in the Prevention of Future Deaths report and respond in due course.

We know that air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health, and although air pollution has reduced significantly over the last decade, there is more to do. The World Health Organization has praised our Clean Air Strategy as "an example for the rest of the world to follow". We know there is a strong case for taking ambitious action on PM2.5 as it is the pollutant that has the most significant impact on health. That is why we are introducing a duty to set a PM2.5 target – alongside at least one additional long-term air quality target - in the Environment Bill. We have always been clear that we will consider the World Health Organization’s guidelines for PM2.5 at part of this process.

Defra provides a wide range of air quality data and air quality information on the online UK Air Information Resource, known as UK-AIR, including a five-day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels, allowing members of the public, particularly those who are most likely to be affected by such pollution, to take action. UK-AIR also provides the most up-to-date information on measured pollution levels via the national network of air pollution monitors and provides Public Health England advice on practical actions and steps people can take to minimise the impact of these events. However, it is clear that there is a lack of awareness about the availability of this information and we need to consider how to address this.

Evidence submitted to the Coroner to assist his inquiry cannot be disclosed without his permission. We will work with the Coroner to consider what evidence can be published with the Government’s response to the Prevention of Future Deaths Report.

We welcome Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation’s (BLF) report and senior officers recently met with Asthma UK and the BLF to discuss its findings and wider air quality issues.

Our thoughts continue to be with Ella’s family and friends. We will carefully consider the recommendations in the Prevention of Future Deaths report and respond in due course.

We know that air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health, and although air pollution has reduced significantly over the last decade, there is more to do. The World Health Organization has praised our Clean Air Strategy as "an example for the rest of the world to follow". We know there is a strong case for taking ambitious action on PM2.5 as it is the pollutant that has the most significant impact on health. That is why we are introducing a duty to set a PM2.5 target – alongside at least one additional long-term air quality target - in the Environment Bill. We have always been clear that we will consider the World Health Organization’s guidelines for PM2.5 at part of this process.

Defra provides a wide range of air quality data and air quality information on the online UK Air Information Resource, known as UK-AIR, including a five-day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels, allowing members of the public, particularly those who are most likely to be affected by such pollution, to take action. UK-AIR also provides the most up-to-date information on measured pollution levels via the national network of air pollution monitors and provides Public Health England advice on practical actions and steps people can take to minimise the impact of these events. However, it is clear that there is a lack of awareness about the availability of this information and we need to consider how to address this.

Evidence submitted to the Coroner to assist his inquiry cannot be disclosed without his permission. We will work with the Coroner to consider what evidence can be published with the Government’s response to the Prevention of Future Deaths Report.

We welcome Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation’s (BLF) report and senior officers recently met with Asthma UK and the BLF to discuss its findings and wider air quality issues.

We have not made such estimations. However, we recognise that air pollution poses the biggest environmental risk to public health and is a particular threat to vulnerable groups, including the elderly, the very young, and those with existing health issues.

That is why through the Environment Bill we are committing to set new air quality targets, including a new concentration target for PM_2.5 which will act as a minimum standard across the country. Setting and subsequently meeting these ambitious targets will deliver very significant public health benefits.

Additionally, as we review our Local Air Quality Management Framework, we will outline specific measures to protect those most vulnerable to the effects of air pollutants.

We have not made such estimations. However, we recognise that air pollution poses the biggest environmental risk to public health and is a particular threat to vulnerable groups, including the elderly, the very young, and those with existing health issues.

That is why through the Environment Bill we are committing to set new air quality targets, including a new concentration target for PM_2.5 which will act as a minimum standard across the country. Setting and subsequently meeting these ambitious targets will deliver very significant public health benefits.

Additionally, as we review our Local Air Quality Management Framework, we will outline specific measures to protect those most vulnerable to the effects of air pollutants.

We are committed to increasing tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this parliament.

Through new funding and policy changes we are working hard to ensure our ambitious planting programme is a success. An England Trees Action Plan will be published this spring and set out plans for achieving an unprecedented increase in woodland creation in England, supported over this Parliament by the £640 million Nature for Climate Fund.

The England Trees Action Plan has been developed through significant engagement with the public, businesses, experts and charities, and responses to the England Tree Strategy Consultation, ministerial roundtables and stakeholder webinars. We will work with partners to monitor and evaluate effective delivery of the actions it contains over this parliament and beyond.

HSE and the Environment Agency used a wide range of sources of information to identify priorities for initial restriction proposals under UK REACH. They will continue to keep this analysis under review in considering priorities for future years.

The UK REACH Work Programme will be published annually, setting out the Health & Safety Executive’s priorities, including work on restrictions. We will continue to identify further measures to safeguard human health and the environment based on robust science and the best available evidence, including considering evidence developed by the European Chemicals Agency. Restriction dossiers that we ask the Health & Safety Executive to prepare in future Work Programmes will address issues that we consider to be most pressing in Great Britain.

Emergency authorisation applications for pesticides are considered based on a scientific assessment by the Health and Safety Executive and the independent UK Expert Committee on Pesticides following established procedures. The emergency authorisation decision considers the need for authorisation, the risks to human and animal health and the environment from use of the product. Applicants must also demonstrate that use will be limited and controlled and that there are special circumstances, which may include work that is being undertaken to find alternative solutions to use of the requested product.

In the case of the emergency authorisation this year for Cruiser SB (containing thiamethoxam) on sugar beet, strict conditions were attached to ensure that potential risks to pollinators and the environment would be minimised. One of these was to ensure that the product would only be used if the pest pressure was predicted to pass a certain threshold. Ultimately, the threshold for usage was not met and so the neonicotinoid will not be used on sugar beet crops planted in 2021.

The UK is a world leader in developing greener farming practices and upholds the highest standards of environmental and health protection. The Government is developing the revised National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides, which sets out the ambition to further minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides on human health and the environment. We are equally committed to protecting pollinators, and our National Pollinator Strategy sets out how the Government, conservation groups, farmers, beekeepers and researchers can work together to improve the status of pollinating insect species in England.

We have always been clear of the need to phase out rotational burning of protected blanket bog to conserve these vulnerable habitats. There is an established scientific consensus that burning of vegetation on such sites is damaging and that is why we are taking action to prevent further damage by bringing forward legislation that will limit burning of vegetation on protected deep peat.

This legislation represents a crucial step in meeting the Government’s nature and climate change mitigation and adaptation targets, including the legally binding commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

We will be setting out further measures to restore, protect and manage England’s peatlands this year as part of a package of measures to protect England’s landscapes and nature-based solutions.

The domestic legislation we have put in place since leaving the EU provides for the safe management and control of chemicals, and enables us to respond to emerging risks. The UK is committed to maintaining an effective regulatory system which safeguards human health and the environment. This commitment is supported by the Environment Bill and the Government's ambition to leave our environment in a better state than when we inherited it.

The action we are taking at a domestic level will be underpinned by our continued commitment to international agreements concerning chemicals, including the Rotterdam, Basel, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions.

The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) celebrated its first anniversary in January. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic limiting some of its activities, it has delivered significant benefits in taking a UK-wide approach with its partners to tackle serious and organised criminality affecting the waste sector. Regulators from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are fully integrated into the Unit and are members of its Oversight Board and Defra is also represented. Defra officials hold discussions with colleagues in other Government departments as needed on tackling serious and organised crime in the waste sector.

In its first year, across the UK, it has led 28 multi-agency investigations and taken part in 34 days of action and raids with other partners, including the Metropolitan Police's largest ever armed raid. The Unit has developed intelligence links and sharing arrangements with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors including law enforcement agencies, infrastructure providers and the financial services sector. The coordination that has been brought to dealing with this aspect of serious criminality in society has proved its worth and helped law enforcement agencies arrest a number of suspects and disrupt criminal activity that damages the environment, the economy and communities.

The business planning round for 2021-22 included an assessment of the funding required by each of the department’s arms-length bodies, including the Environment Agency, to deliver its priorities and statutory obligations.

The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) celebrated its first anniversary in January. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic limiting some of its activities, it has delivered significant benefits in taking a UK-wide approach with its partners to tackle serious and organised criminality affecting the waste sector. Regulators from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are fully integrated into the Unit and are members of its Oversight Board and Defra is also represented. Defra officials hold discussions with colleagues in other Government departments as needed on tackling serious and organised crime in the waste sector.

In its first year, across the UK, it has led 28 multi-agency investigations and taken part in 34 days of action and raids with other partners, including the Metropolitan Police's largest ever armed raid. The Unit has developed intelligence links and sharing arrangements with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors including law enforcement agencies, infrastructure providers and the financial services sector. The coordination that has been brought to dealing with this aspect of serious criminality in society has proved its worth and helped law enforcement agencies arrest a number of suspects and disrupt criminal activity that damages the environment, the economy and communities.

The business planning round for 2021-22 included an assessment of the funding required by each of the department’s arms-length bodies, including the Environment Agency, to deliver its priorities and statutory obligations.

The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) celebrated its first anniversary in January. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic limiting some of its activities, it has delivered significant benefits in taking a UK-wide approach with its partners to tackle serious and organised criminality affecting the waste sector. Regulators from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are fully integrated into the Unit and are members of its Oversight Board and Defra is also represented. Defra officials hold discussions with colleagues in other Government departments as needed on tackling serious and organised crime in the waste sector.

In its first year, across the UK, it has led 28 multi-agency investigations and taken part in 34 days of action and raids with other partners, including the Metropolitan Police's largest ever armed raid. The Unit has developed intelligence links and sharing arrangements with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors including law enforcement agencies, infrastructure providers and the financial services sector. The coordination that has been brought to dealing with this aspect of serious criminality in society has proved its worth and helped law enforcement agencies arrest a number of suspects and disrupt criminal activity that damages the environment, the economy and communities.

The business planning round for 2021-22 included an assessment of the funding required by each of the department’s arms-length bodies, including the Environment Agency, to deliver its priorities and statutory obligations.

The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) celebrated its first anniversary in January. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic limiting some of its activities, it has delivered significant benefits in taking a UK-wide approach with its partners to tackle serious and organised criminality affecting the waste sector. Regulators from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are fully integrated into the Unit and are members of its Oversight Board and Defra is also represented. Defra officials hold discussions with colleagues in other Government departments as needed on tackling serious and organised crime in the waste sector.

In its first year, across the UK, it has led 28 multi-agency investigations and taken part in 34 days of action and raids with other partners, including the Metropolitan Police's largest ever armed raid. The Unit has developed intelligence links and sharing arrangements with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors including law enforcement agencies, infrastructure providers and the financial services sector. The coordination that has been brought to dealing with this aspect of serious criminality in society has proved its worth and helped law enforcement agencies arrest a number of suspects and disrupt criminal activity that damages the environment, the economy and communities.

The business planning round for 2021-22 included an assessment of the funding required by each of the department’s arms-length bodies, including the Environment Agency, to deliver its priorities and statutory obligations.

The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) celebrated its first anniversary in January. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic limiting some of its activities, it has delivered significant benefits in taking a UK-wide approach with its partners to tackle serious and organised criminality affecting the waste sector. Regulators from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are fully integrated into the Unit and are members of its Oversight Board and Defra is also represented. Defra officials hold discussions with colleagues in other Government departments as needed on tackling serious and organised crime in the waste sector.

In its first year, across the UK, it has led 28 multi-agency investigations and taken part in 34 days of action and raids with other partners, including the Metropolitan Police's largest ever armed raid. The Unit has developed intelligence links and sharing arrangements with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors including law enforcement agencies, infrastructure providers and the financial services sector. The coordination that has been brought to dealing with this aspect of serious criminality in society has proved its worth and helped law enforcement agencies arrest a number of suspects and disrupt criminal activity that damages the environment, the economy and communities.

The business planning round for 2021-22 included an assessment of the funding required by each of the department’s arms-length bodies, including the Environment Agency, to deliver its priorities and statutory obligations.

The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) celebrated its first anniversary in January. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic limiting some of its activities, it has delivered significant benefits in taking a UK-wide approach with its partners to tackle serious and organised criminality affecting the waste sector. Regulators from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are fully integrated into the Unit and are members of its Oversight Board and Defra is also represented. Defra officials hold discussions with colleagues in other Government departments as needed on tackling serious and organised crime in the waste sector.

In its first year, across the UK, it has led 28 multi-agency investigations and taken part in 34 days of action and raids with other partners, including the Metropolitan Police's largest ever armed raid. The Unit has developed intelligence links and sharing arrangements with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors including law enforcement agencies, infrastructure providers and the financial services sector. The coordination that has been brought to dealing with this aspect of serious criminality in society has proved its worth and helped law enforcement agencies arrest a number of suspects and disrupt criminal activity that damages the environment, the economy and communities.

The business planning round for 2021-22 included an assessment of the funding required by each of the department’s arms-length bodies, including the Environment Agency, to deliver its priorities and statutory obligations.

Most recent figures estimate that there are in the region of 32,000km of bridleway in England although horse riders can also use over 6,000km of byways (restricted byways and Byways Open to All Traffic). These figures are not fully confirmed by the Government.

Local authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of public rights of way. They are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) to plan improvements to the rights of way network in their area to provide a better experience for a range of users including horse riders.

Consideration is being given to how the Environmental Land Management scheme could fund the creation of new paths, such as footpaths and bridleways, providing greater access for horse riders.

The Government is committed to setting targets through a robust, evidence-led process that seeks independent expert advice, provides a role for stakeholders and the public, as well as scrutiny from Parliament. We are working with stakeholders and will keep them appraised of the work of the independent experts as proposed targets develop.

We have recently set up groups of independent experts, where they did not already exist for the priority areas set out in the Bill, to provide impartial advice on the analytical methods and evidence base being used to develop targets. We plan to publish the full list of independent experts, along with high level details of their work, such as terms of references and information on meetings in due course. Defra’s Science Advisory Committee and Economic Advisory Panel also play a part in advising on the target-setting process.

The Government is in regular discussion with its independent expert groups, and some independent expert groups have met with stakeholders.

The Government is committed to setting targets through a robust, evidence-led process that seeks independent expert advice, provides a role for stakeholders and the public, as well as scrutiny from Parliament. We are working with stakeholders and will keep them appraised of the work of the independent experts as proposed targets develop.

We have recently set up groups of independent experts, where they did not already exist for the priority areas set out in the Bill, to provide impartial advice on the analytical methods and evidence base being used to develop targets. We plan to publish the full list of independent experts, along with high level details of their work, such as terms of references and information on meetings in due course. Defra’s Science Advisory Committee and Economic Advisory Panel also play a part in advising on the target-setting process.

The Government is in regular discussion with its independent expert groups, and some independent expert groups have met with stakeholders.

The requirements for the significant improvement test are laid out in Clause 6 of the Environment Bill. The Government must periodically review its targets by carrying out the significant improvement test at least every five years. The Secretary of State must consider whether meeting the long-term targets and the PM _2.5 target set under the Environment Bill, together with any other relevant statutory environmental targets, would significantly improve the natural environment in England. The Secretary of State must lay before Parliament, and publish, a report on its conclusions and, if it considers that the test is not met, set out how it plans to use its target-setting powers to close the gap.

The Government is considering how to implement the significant improvement test and the first iteration will be conducted by 31 January 2023. In our policy paper published in August 2020, we outlined that, when we are developing targets, we will consider how they will inform the Significant Improvement Test.

We expect to carry out a public consultation on proposed targets set under the Environment Bill in early 2022. This consultation will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to share their views on the ambition, evidence and achievability of target proposals. The Government will then decide the final targets to be set. Target statutory instruments will be laid before Parliament by 31 October 2022 and come into force once approved.

In our 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy we committed to taking actions to help stimulate private investment in reprocessing and recycling infrastructure, as this will help to meet the target of 65% of municipal waste to be recycled by 2035.

In 2019 we consulted on such actions. Namely, a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and consistency in recycling collections, which will be legislated for using primary powers granted by the Environment Bill. These measures will stimulate investment in improved collection and sorting, increasing the supply of higher quality materials needed to support investment in domestic reprocessing infrastructure. In addition, HM Treasury's Plastic Packaging Tax will increase the demand for recycled plastic, further stimulating investment in domestic reprocessing.

We plan to undertake second consultations on a DRS for drinks containers, packaging EPR, and consistency in recycling collections this spring.

Flexible packaging will be considered as part of EPR and consistency consultations. Initial analysis suggests flexible packaging could make an important contribution to plastic packaging recycling rates, and therefore reduce the amount of this material that would otherwise be sent to landfill or energy from waste facilities. We will be setting out our policy proposals and supporting analysis in relation to flexible packaging in these consultations.

In our 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy we committed to taking actions to help stimulate private investment in reprocessing and recycling infrastructure, as this will help to meet the target of 65% of municipal waste to be recycled by 2035.

In 2019 we consulted on such actions. Namely, a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and consistency in recycling collections, which will be legislated for using primary powers granted by the Environment Bill. These measures will stimulate investment in improved collection and sorting, increasing the supply of higher quality materials needed to support investment in domestic reprocessing infrastructure. In addition, HM Treasury's Plastic Packaging Tax will increase the demand for recycled plastic, further stimulating investment in domestic reprocessing.

We plan to undertake second consultations on a DRS for drinks containers, packaging EPR, and consistency in recycling collections this spring.

Flexible packaging will be considered as part of EPR and consistency consultations. Initial analysis suggests flexible packaging could make an important contribution to plastic packaging recycling rates, and therefore reduce the amount of this material that would otherwise be sent to landfill or energy from waste facilities. We will be setting out our policy proposals and supporting analysis in relation to flexible packaging in these consultations.

We want to see recycling of plastic film increased. The Environment Bill states that waste collection authorities in England must arrange for the collection of a core set of materials, including plastics, from households and businesses.

We are launching a consultation in Spring 2021 on proposals to introduce plastic films into kerbside collections as part of the plastic recyclable waste stream. The inclusion of plastic films will simplify recycling for householders and will contribute to achieving the ambitious plastic packaging targets that will be placed on producers through our proposal for Extended Producer Responsibility.

In response to the 50 enforcement undertakings that Natural England has accepted relating to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Natural England has issued 2 completion certificates.

In response to non-compliance with enforcement undertakings relating to SSSIs, Natural England has not served any civil sanctions or undertaken any criminal proceedings. Natural England is nevertheless planning to undertake comprehensive compliance/success monitoring of their enforcement undertaking outcomes in the forthcoming field season. COVID-19 restrictions may impact this work but where necessary enforcement visits will continue to ensure that our protected sites are looked after in an appropriate manner.

In monitoring compliance with stop notices, Natural England takes a risk based approach. Where non-compliance has been suspected this has been subject to further investigation. In regard to the five Stop Notices in respect of which completion certificates have not been issued, further enforcement action was not found to be necessary. In the one case where non-compliance was discovered, the offender was able to be swiftly brought back into compliance through advice.

Information on Natural England enforcement action is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-enforcement-action-taken-by-natural-england).

In response to the 50 enforcement undertakings that Natural England has accepted relating to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Natural England has issued 2 completion certificates.

In response to non-compliance with enforcement undertakings relating to SSSIs, Natural England has not served any civil sanctions or undertaken any criminal proceedings. Natural England is nevertheless planning to undertake comprehensive compliance/success monitoring of their enforcement undertaking outcomes in the forthcoming field season. COVID-19 restrictions may impact this work but where necessary enforcement visits will continue to ensure that our protected sites are looked after in an appropriate manner.

In monitoring compliance with stop notices, Natural England takes a risk based approach. Where non-compliance has been suspected this has been subject to further investigation. In regard to the five Stop Notices in respect of which completion certificates have not been issued, further enforcement action was not found to be necessary. In the one case where non-compliance was discovered, the offender was able to be swiftly brought back into compliance through advice.

Information on Natural England enforcement action is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-enforcement-action-taken-by-natural-england).

In response to the 50 enforcement undertakings that Natural England has accepted relating to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Natural England has issued 2 completion certificates.

In response to non-compliance with enforcement undertakings relating to SSSIs, Natural England has not served any civil sanctions or undertaken any criminal proceedings. Natural England is nevertheless planning to undertake comprehensive compliance/success monitoring of their enforcement undertaking outcomes in the forthcoming field season. COVID-19 restrictions may impact this work but where necessary enforcement visits will continue to ensure that our protected sites are looked after in an appropriate manner.

In monitoring compliance with stop notices, Natural England takes a risk based approach. Where non-compliance has been suspected this has been subject to further investigation. In regard to the five Stop Notices in respect of which completion certificates have not been issued, further enforcement action was not found to be necessary. In the one case where non-compliance was discovered, the offender was able to be swiftly brought back into compliance through advice.

Information on Natural England enforcement action is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-enforcement-action-taken-by-natural-england).

3,230 Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) (78% of the total number) have not had a visit to determine their condition in the last six years (since 11 February 2015), recorded on Natural England’s internal systems. Sites are visited for other purposes, such as agri-environment scheme management and to agree onsite activities such as necessary management.

In 2010 Natural England adopted a risk-based approach rather than a fixed six-year cycle. Natural England is also developing an approach to the monitoring of SSSIs which will make better use of new technologies, such as remote sensing, and greater partnership involvement, including supporting and encouraging partners in the work they themselves do to undertake SSSI condition assessments.

Since the 31 January 2001, Natural England has used the statutory powers provided by management schemes under section 28J of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (the Act) on nine occasions; management notices under section 28K of the Act have been used on one occasion; compulsory purchase under section 28N and byelaws under section 28R of the Act have not been used.

186 applications were received for the 18 National Park Authorities and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Conservation Board public appointments made in July 2020. The candidate field is summarised in the table below.

* Where the numbers are less than five, data is withheld, since with small numbers individuals could be identified. This is in line with the Data Protection Act 2018. Applicants that identified as BAME and declared a disability were shortlisted for the Secretary of State’s consideration. No BAME candidates were appointed.

Defra encourages all keepers to register their birds with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and keep contact details up to date, so APHA can contact them quickly if there is a disease outbreak in their area and they need to take action.

If keepers have more than 50 birds, they are legally required to register their flock within one month of their arrival at their premises. If the keeper has less than 50 birds, including pet birds, they are still strongly encouraged to register.

Mandatory requirements to register kept gamebirds can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/poultry-including-game-birds-registration-rules-and-forms.