Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
These initiatives were driven by Sharon Hodgson, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Sharon Hodgson has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Sharon Hodgson has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to regulate the selling of tickets for certain sporting and cultural events; and for connected purposes.
Public Sector Websites (Data Charges) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Simon Lightwood (LAB)
Brain Tumours Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Siobhain McDonagh (Lab)
Quad Bikes Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Judith Cummins (Lab)
Breast Screening Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Steve Brine (Con)
Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021
Sponsor - Mike Amesbury (Lab)
Goods and Services of UK Origin Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Gareth Thomas (LAB)
Smoking Prohibition (National Health Service Premises) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Tracy Brabin (LAB)
Reproductive Health (Access to Terminations) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Diana Johnson (Lab)
I can confirm that next steps work on covid-19 disparities will include diabetes as a factor to be considered.
The Intangible asset relates to build costs of a bespoke software solution to capture strategic information across government property. A recovery of £300,000 (incl VAT) was made from the technology supplier. This recovery is not reflected in the £1,202,000 figure (on page 123).
The project approach changed as the technology supplier was unable to deliver a solution to meet the requirements, despite multiple deadline extensions. Based on commercial advice, the contract was terminated. A new contract has now been awarded to a provider of an off-the-shelf product, which is currently being configured. Where possible, products that were developed in the previous written off solution, such as user requirements and data standard, have been recycled for the current delivery.
The Government Commercial Function has provided general guidance on handling inflationary pressures to Contracting Authorities. It would not be appropriate to comment on the content or guidance specifically as this is commercially sensitive. The interpretation and application of the guidance is wholly within the remit of a Contracting Authority. The food sector was not uniquely identified within the guidance.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ budget has not been confirmed and the Cabinet Office budget for 2021/22 will be published in due course. Support for veterans is funded through a variety of Government channels, including the OVA and individual departments delivering veterans’ services. This year, more funding than ever before has been made available to veterans’ mental health services in NHS England, and unprecedented support has been offered to the service charity sector.
The OVA works to champion veterans across government, driving new approaches and policies in areas that will improve the support the nation offers veterans over the long term, in line with the commitments made by all four nations of the Union in the Strategy for our Veterans. Examples of this are through better use of data to drive change, improved digitisation to make services easier to access and navigate, developing a coherent research strategy to improve our understanding of issues affecting veterans and to improve collaboration across the veterans sector.
Since the pilot of ‘Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans’ was launched on 5 October 2020, up to 31 December 2020, unvalidated data shows that 856 veterans have applied for jobs using the scheme (6% of total applicants), with 9 job offers made to veterans (13% of all job offers). This indicates that on participating vacancies, a higher proportion of job offers are held by veterans compared to the proportion of all applicants who are veterans. In addition to this, since the launch of the pilot in four Government departments, the Welsh Government and National Crime Agency have joined the scheme, ensuring a higher number of vacancies are made available to veterans.
Results from the study conducted by the Kings’ Centre for Military Health Research into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on veterans will be published independently by Kings’ College London. The report will be submitted for academic peer review by the end of 2020, with full publication expected in early 2021 after the review process has taken place.
The key themes examined in the report will cover veterans’ health, wellbeing and employment. The cohort surveyed has been followed by Kings’ College London since 2003, allowing for insightful comparison to previous data concerning the health and wellbeing of veterans.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
The Department's Transparency returns for the period January to February 2023 show a total cost of £6,225.20 for the visit and this represents the total cost including flights and accommodation. All hospitality is declared in quarterly returns but costs for that are not routinely recorded. In the case of this visit there was no hospitality given.
The total cost of the flights and accommodation for the Secretary of State’s visit to the World Economic Forum from 17 to 20 January 2023 is set out within the “DIT Ministers' Overseas Travel: January to February 2023” transparency data published on GOV.UK.
The Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) and the long-term Advanced Propulsion Centre R&D programme continue to support the development and commercialisation of cutting-edge automotive technologies. The ATF enabled the £1bn electric vehicle hub in Sunderland in partnership between Nissan and Envision AESC.
In October 2022 we announced a record £211m of funding for the Faraday Battery Challenge, to support battery research and innovation, bringing the overall budget of the Challenge to £541m since 2017.
The Government is taking steps to encourage businesses to discuss and agree suitable flexible working arrangements with all workers and jobseekers, including those with SEND.
In December 2022, we published our response to the “making flexible working the default” consultation. This committed to a range of measures, including making the right to request flexible working a ‘day one’ entitlement, by removing the existing 26-week qualifying period.
We are also supporting the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill, which will make further changes to improve access to flexible working.
Certain jobseekers with SEND may have the right to reasonable adjustments when applying for jobs, which businesses have a duty to consider.
I and my officials work closely with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) including a regular dialogue with its new Chair and Chief Executive to ensure the independent regulator has the tools it needs to continue to improve competition in the UK to the benefit of the UK consumer.
The Government will introduce the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill into Parliament this session. The Bill will support our goals of improving competition in the UK and ensuring consumers are protected by enhancing the CMA’s powers.
The then Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero visited Mumbai and New Delhi from 19-22 March 2023. During the visit, he opened the new British International Investment office in Mumbai and met India’s Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh. He also met India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant. He held engagements with a range of representatives from businesses and the third sector, including green investors. The total cost of the Secretary of State’s flights and accommodation was £9,346.
All projects funded through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme are on track to meet the milestones agreed through the scheme. The grants for three manufacturing facilities, provided to SeAH Wind, JDR Cables and Smulders, are expected to leverage over £600 million of private investment.
None of the listed ports received funding through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme fund.
Through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme fund, SeAH Wind received £17 million to build an XXL monopile foundation manufacturing facility in Teesside; JDR Cable Systems received £14 million to build a subsea cable factory in Northumberland; Smulders received £7 million to enable the manufacture of transition pieces at their facility in Wallsend and South Tees Development Corporation received £20 million for work at the Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre.
£58 million of the £160 million Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme budget was committed.
Medical Research Council (MRC) has invested in research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, awarding £6.6m in this area since 2012. This includes through DecodeME, the world’s largest ME/CSF study, via strategic co-funding with the National Institute of Health and Care Research, which aims to find genetic factors to better understand ME/CFS disease pathways and unlock future treatment pathways.
We continue to encourage high-quality proposals across our funding opportunities, maintaining an open highlight notice to encourage ME/CFS research. MRC also co-funded the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership to identify research priorities for ME/CFS, led by people with ME/CFS, their carers and clinicians, and facilitated by Action for M.E.
Medical Research Council (MRC) has invested in research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, awarding £6.6m in this area since 2012. This includes through DecodeME, the world’s largest ME/CSF study, via strategic co-funding with the National Institute of Health and Care Research, which aims to find genetic factors to better understand ME/CFS disease pathways and unlock future treatment pathways.
We continue to encourage high-quality proposals across our funding opportunities, maintaining an open highlight notice to encourage ME/CFS research. MRC also co-funded the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership to identify research priorities for ME/CFS, led by people with ME/CFS, their carers and clinicians, and facilitated by Action for M.E.
Medical Research Council (MRC) has invested in research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, awarding £6.6m in this area since 2012. This includes through DecodeME, the world’s largest ME/CSF study, via strategic co-funding with the National Institute of Health and Care Research, which aims to find genetic factors to better understand ME/CFS disease pathways and unlock future treatment pathways.
We continue to encourage high-quality proposals across our funding opportunities, maintaining an open highlight notice to encourage ME/CFS research. MRC also co-funded the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership to identify research priorities for ME/CFS, led by people with ME/CFS, their carers and clinicians, and facilitated by Action for M.E.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
In accordance with the code of practice for corporate governance in central government departments, the Department requires non-executive directors to declare sources of renumeration, contracts, shares and securities, non-financial interests, and related party interests that may influence, or may be perceived to influence, their judgement as a board member.
During the recruitment and onboarding process for non-executive directors my department conducts its own due diligence to make sure that office holders meet the standards set out in the code of conduct for board members. The Department reviews any real or potential conflicts of interests declared and publishes these, with any mitigating action taken, in the Department’s annual governance statement.
At the end of October 2022, there were 4,064 domestic installations of solar panels recorded in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database shows that as of 31 October 2022, 55 heat pump installations were registered in the Washington and Sunderland West constituency.
The database does not include all heat pump installations, for example, those installed without Government funding support, such as in new buildings, which are not typically recorded in the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database.
BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) Government schemes, around 1,100 cavity wall insulation measures have been installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as at end of September 2022.
The Department estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) Government schemes, around 1,000 loft insulation measures and around 100 under floor insulation measures have been installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as at end of September 2022.
Household Energy Efficiency Statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Green Homes Grant and Home Upgrade Grant statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Department estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) Government schemes, around 1,000 loft insulation measures and around 100 under floor insulation measures have been installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as at end of September 2022.
Household Energy Efficiency Statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Green Homes Grant and Home Upgrade Grant statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses, including those in Washington and Sunderland West, and is engaging with businesses across the UK to understand these challenges and explore ways to mitigate them.
The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs £4,200 on average, cut fuel duty for 12 months and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is shielding businesses across the country from soaring energy prices, saving some around half of their wholesale energy costs.
We have also announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.
BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)and Green Homes Grant (GHG)Government schemes, there have been less than 5 external wall insulation measures[1]installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency. Data for ECO covers January 2013 to September 2022. Data for the GHG schemes cover October 2020 to September 2022.
[1]Exact number suppressed to prevent disclosure
The Department is working with the Deparment for Education and local partners to ensure green skills are considered through Local Skills Improvement Plans, which will set out the key skills needs and the priority changes required to provision in an area. The North East Automotive Alliance has been designated to work with a range of employers to lead the Local Skills Improvement Plan for the area which includes Washington and Sunderland West. The Secretary of State for Education may only approve a Plan if satisfied that there has been consideration of the skills related to net zero targets, climate change adaptation, and other environmental goals.
Latest official statistics show there are already around 430,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country, and the Government is working with the Green Jobs Delivery Group to explore how central government, local government and businesses can further support local areas to deliver a successful net zero labour market transition.
The Government is committed to improving the energy performance of homes across the country, including in Washington and Sunderland West.
The Government is already investing £6.6 billion over this parliament on decarbonising heat and energy efficiency measures.
The additional £6 billion of new Government funding, announced in the Autumn Statement, will be made available from 2025 to 2028.
The Government recognises the importance of securing a competitive future for Its energy intensive industries (EIIs), and in recent years has provided them with extensive support, including more than £2 billion to help with energy costs and to protect jobs. As part of the its British Energy Security Strategy, the Government recently announced to extended the EII Compensation Scheme for a further three years. The scheme’s budget will be more than doubled. That strategy also announced plans to consider increasing support offered by the EII Exemption Scheme.
The UK Energy Supply Chain Taskforce will focus on ensuring UK supply chain companies can take advantage of clean growth opportunities in the UK and overseas. The Government will put UK at the forefront of manufacturing as opportunities grow from wind turbines to heat pumps as the Government set out the opportunity to develop the manufacturing base and expand supply chains for building efficiency.
The pandemic led to a slowdown in the delivery of the industry-managed National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels programme, with participating businesses pausing or limiting their planned business improvement activity. There has been a positive uplift in the programme’s activity in the last six months.
Following the recent conclusion of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Department is determining its future spending priorities. A decision on continued funding for the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels programme will be made alongside other Departmental programmes in the coming months.
The pandemic led to a slowdown in the delivery of the industry-managed National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels programme, with participating businesses pausing or limiting their planned business improvement activity. There has been a positive uplift in the programme’s activity in the last six months.
Following the recent conclusion of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Department is determining its future spending priorities. A decision on continued funding for the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels programme will be made alongside other Departmental programmes in the coming months.
Participating energy suppliers are obligated to pay their customers by the end of March 2021, however they are encouraged to make these payments as soon as the relevant checks on eligible customers have been completed.
Administering the Warm Home Discount is a large undertaking. We estimate that around 2.2 million households will receive a rebate this winter with around 1.2 million applying via the Broader Group. Due to the volume of rebates and the time needed for the implementation process outlined above, it would not be possible to bring forward the delivery timetable for this scheme year.
In addition, the Voluntary Agreement that BEIS negotiated in March with energy suppliers remains in force, where suppliers agreed to a set of principles to support customers impacted by Covid-19 who may be struggling with energy bills and help to keep them on supply.
The Government is providing various support measures to safeguard jobs in the aerospace sector from the impact of Covid-19, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme. The British Business Bank has also created an online Finance Hub, which details sources of business finance that may be available, as well as useful guidance.
The aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being assisted with around £9 billion of funding made available through loans, research and development grants, loan guarantees, and support for exporters. The Government continues to support the long-term competitiveness of the UK’s aerospace supply chain through the Aerospace Growth Partnership.
The Government will continue to work closely with local authorities, businesses, and business representative organisations to understand the impact of Covid-19 on the aerospace sector.
We recognise that parents of sick and premature babies are in an extremely difficult and distressing position and that Covid-19 has made it difficult for some parents to spend time with their children. The social distancing measures that we put in place have, however, been necessary to save lives – including those of new parents and their babies – and protect the NHS.
As announced in the Queen’s Speech, we intend to bring forward an Employment Bill which will include measures to allow parents of children who have spent time in neonatal care to take additional paid leave (subject to qualifying criteria). We intend to legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
The Government is committed to tackling fraudulent practices in secondary ticketing. The department works closely with National Trading Standards to ensure they have adequate funding to tackle consumer detriment in the secondary ticketing market.
As a result of this work, earlier this month two individuals from London were found guilty of fraudulently and dishonestly buying and reselling tickets for high-profile music and entertainment events. They have now been sentenced to a combined six and a half years in jail. This landmark case marks the first successful prosecution against the fraudulent reselling of tickets on a large scale. This is directly a result of the work of National Trading Standards, North Yorkshire County Council, and City of York Council.
Phase I of the Swimming Pool Support Fund was oversubscribed, with the Government receiving applications from 221 Local Authorities, on behalf of 630 facilities. After assessment against a range of criteria to target pools most at risk of closure, awards were made to 103 Local Authorities, covering 196 facilities. The full list of awards made can be found on the Sport England website here.
An additional £40 million of capital funding will be provided in Phase II, which will support local authorities to make their facilities more energy efficient and reduce future operating costs. Applications were open to local authorities from 7 September to 16 October, and are now being assessed. Awards for this phase of the fund will be announced in due course.
The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. In May, we announced over £15 billion of additional cost of living support, targeted at those with the greatest need. As a result, millions of vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of support this financial year, with the vast majority of households receiving at least £550. This package builds on the over £22 billion previously announced, meaning government support for the cost of living now totals over £37 billion this year, equivalent to 1.5% of GDP.
With regard to energy costs, while the majority of UK non-domestic customers are on fixed price energy deals, some are not. Businesses did not benefit from the Ofgem price cap and there was a risk that some would fall through the gap, unable to fix their energy price and unable to access the kind of support we are making available to households. A new 6-month scheme for businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including charities and public sector organisations like schools) will be offered support as is being provided for consumers. After this initial 6 month scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support. Further details will be published shortly.
In addition to timely, temporary and targeted support, the government is also committed to tackling the root cause of the cost of living challenge – high inflation. Through independent monetary policy, responsible management of the public finances and supply-side reforms, we will combat high inflation and reduce it over time.
More specifically in relation to local and regional news outlets, the government is committed to supporting local newspapers as vital pillars of our communities. We are in regular contact with news organisations to understand the financial pressures they face and we have taken action to support them. Our plans for a pro-competition regime for digital markets will, among many other things, help to rebalance the relationship between news publishers and online platforms. We have also delivered a £2 million pilot innovation fund, zero rated VAT on e-newspapers, extended business rates relief on local newspaper office space, and published the Online Media Literacy Strategy. In addition, the BBC Charter Mid Term Review will evaluate how the BBC and Ofcom assess the market impact and public value of the BBC in an evolving marketplace and how that relates to the wider UK media ecology, including with regard to the local news sector. We will continue to consider all possible options in the interest of promoting and sustaining the sector.
The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. In May, we announced over £15 billion of additional cost of living support, targeted at those with the greatest need. As a result, millions of vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of support this financial year, with the vast majority of households receiving at least £550. This package builds on the over £22 billion previously announced, meaning government support for the cost of living now totals over £37 billion this year, equivalent to 1.5% of GDP.
With regard to energy costs, while the majority of UK non-domestic customers are on fixed price energy deals, some are not. Businesses did not benefit from the Ofgem price cap and there was a risk that some would fall through the gap, unable to fix their energy price and unable to access the kind of support we are making available to households. A new 6-month scheme for businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including charities and public sector organisations like schools) will be offered support as is being provided for consumers. After this initial 6 month scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support. Further details will be published shortly.
In addition to timely, temporary and targeted support, the government is also committed to tackling the root cause of the cost of living challenge – high inflation. Through independent monetary policy, responsible management of the public finances and supply-side reforms, we will combat high inflation and reduce it over time.
More specifically in relation to local and regional news outlets, the government is committed to supporting local newspapers as vital pillars of our communities. We are in regular contact with news organisations to understand the financial pressures they face and we have taken action to support them. Our plans for a pro-competition regime for digital markets will, among many other things, help to rebalance the relationship between news publishers and online platforms. We have also delivered a £2 million pilot innovation fund, zero rated VAT on e-newspapers, extended business rates relief on local newspaper office space, and published the Online Media Literacy Strategy. In addition, the BBC Charter Mid Term Review will evaluate how the BBC and Ofcom assess the market impact and public value of the BBC in an evolving marketplace and how that relates to the wider UK media ecology, including with regard to the local news sector. We will continue to consider all possible options in the interest of promoting and sustaining the sector.
DCMS-sponsored museums operate at arm’s length from the Government. The specifics of projects are therefore operational matters for museums to decide independently.
The Natural History Museum has not been asked by the Government to collect any samples of algal blooms in the North Sea, nor would they have the required equipment to do so.
DCMS understands that the Algaevision project is a database and virtual collection of images of freshwater and terrestrial algae collected in Britain and Ireland. The project’s aim is to digitise the current algae species already in the Natural History Museum’s algae collection. Identifying the cause of crustacean deaths is outside the scope of the museum’s work and would be better directed to one of the marine monitoring research groups within the UK, such as the Scottish Association for Marine Science.
My department continues to work closely with other government departments, including the Home Office as the government department responsible for tackling fraud, to develop a coherent approach to online advertising that supports competition and protects consumers.
We are working with industry, regulators and consumer groups to understand the specific harms that are being linked to advertising, including online fraud and scams.
Following a call for evidence in 2020, the Online Advertising Programme will launch a public consultation later this year to examine how best to strengthen standards around the placement and content of online advertising, and to ensure they can be effectively enforced.
More information about the Programme can be found here:
Maximising the take up of free school meals is important in ensuring that as many eligible children as possible benefit from a healthy and nutritious meal. The department aims to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility.
To support this, an Eligibility Checking System has been provided to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities.
The department has looked at auto-enrolment and considers there to be merit in local authorities exploring initiatives to maximise take up and to better understand the barriers that prevent such take up, whilst ensuring adherence to legal and data protection constraints, which still remains an important consideration.
The safety of staff and pupils is paramount, and the department has been working at pace with schools to identify RAAC and support them to minimise disruption to pupils’ education.
The department is working closely with affected schools to ensure the best possible education for pupils and taking every step possible to remove any obstacles to learning through mitigations including temporary accommodation where this is needed and in some instances use of specialist facilities in off-site accommodation.
Alongside Ofqual, the department has worked with awarding organisations to help facilitate discussions with affected schools. The department has asked awarding organisations to be as flexible as possible in agreeing longer extensions for coursework and non-examined assessment, including for creative subjects, so that schools have as much time as possible to complete this important part of pupils' learning and qualifications.
If schools and colleges are experiencing difficulties in delivering particular GCSE, A level or T Level assessments, due to certain facilities being out of use due to RAAC or have any concerns about exams and assessments themselves being disrupted, they should speak to the relevant awarding organisation. Only the relevant awarding organisation will be able to confirm what can be done in any specific context and the specific options available.