Stephanie Peacock

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a privately-owned telecommunications network. Communications providers are in the process of upgrading the old PSTN to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. Consumers can expect to be upgraded by 2025. The migration is industry-led and does not result from any government decision or form part of any government programme.

Ofcom is responsible for ensuring telecoms providers adhere to their regulatory obligations throughout the migration process, such as ensuring uninterrupted access to the emergency services and protecting vulnerable consumers. Ofcom has published guidance which states that providers must take steps to identify and protect at-risk consumers who are dependent on their landline. Providers have a range of solutions to ensure vulnerable consumers receive additional support. These options include, among others, free battery back-up units to engineer supported installations or hybrid landline phones.

We are working together with Ofcom to ensure customers receive appropriate levels of communication and vulnerable consumers are protected. Ofcom requires that providers must engage in effective communications. In January 2023, we published a webpage on GOV.UK to provide information to consumers about the PSTN migration.

As this is an industry-led migration, Communications Providers will contact their customers with information ahead of their line being upgraded. The exact migration process will depend on the provider and the type of equipment the customer has at their premises.

The Department meets regularly with Communications Providers to discuss the progress they have made in migrating their customers, and to ensure they have adequate plans in place to inform their customers and protect vulnerable consumers. This includes, but is not limited to, quarterly progress meetings with individual providers, quarterly meetings with Communications Providers and all government departments, and quarterly meetings with Ofcom. The Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure also convened a roundtable with the largest providers in January 2023 to discuss their communications plans.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a privately-owned telecommunications network. Communications providers are in the process of upgrading the old PSTN to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. Consumers can expect to be upgraded by 2025. The migration is industry-led and does not result from any government decision or form part of any government programme.

Ofcom is responsible for ensuring telecoms providers adhere to their regulatory obligations throughout the migration process, such as ensuring uninterrupted access to the emergency services and protecting vulnerable consumers. Ofcom has published guidance which states that providers must take steps to identify and protect at-risk consumers who are dependent on their landline. Providers have a range of solutions to ensure vulnerable consumers receive additional support. These options include, among others, free battery back-up units to engineer supported installations or hybrid landline phones.

We are working together with Ofcom to ensure customers receive appropriate levels of communication and vulnerable consumers are protected. Ofcom requires that providers must engage in effective communications. In January 2023, we published a webpage on GOV.UK to provide information to consumers about the PSTN migration.

As this is an industry-led migration, Communications Providers will contact their customers with information ahead of their line being upgraded. The exact migration process will depend on the provider and the type of equipment the customer has at their premises.

The Department meets regularly with Communications Providers to discuss the progress they have made in migrating their customers, and to ensure they have adequate plans in place to inform their customers and protect vulnerable consumers. This includes, but is not limited to, quarterly progress meetings with individual providers, quarterly meetings with Communications Providers and all government departments, and quarterly meetings with Ofcom. The Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure also convened a roundtable with the largest providers in January 2023 to discuss their communications plans.

There were over 3,000 responses from stakeholders to our consultation, “Data: A New Direction”. We continue to engage with stakeholders about these reforms, including through our business advisory group and in dedicated meetings with interested organisations. I encourage stakeholders to write to me, as the Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, if they would like to share further views.

The government is committed to ensuring that the benefits that connectable technologies offer to individuals and the economy, are not at the expense of consumer security. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act, which received Royal Assent in December 2022, will ensure that security requirements are met for consumer connectable products, including smart doorbells, sold to UK customers.

Regulations will be made shortly to implement the new Act, making the UK market the first in the world to benefit from these new protections. Manufacturers of consumer connectable products sold to UK consumers will be required to stop using universal default and easily-guessable default passwords. Regulations will also require these manufacturers to publish a vulnerability disclosure policy on how security issues affecting their products can be reported to them, as well as information on the minimum length of time for which the manufacturer will provide security updates covering the product.

The government is committed to ensuring that the benefits that connectable technologies offer to individuals and the economy, are not at the expense of consumer security. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act, which received Royal Assent in December 2022, will ensure that security requirements are met for consumer connectable products, including smart doorbells, sold to UK customers.

Regulations will be made shortly to implement the new Act, making the UK market the first in the world to benefit from these new protections. Manufacturers of consumer connectable products sold to UK consumers will be required to stop using universal default and easily-guessable default passwords. Regulations will also require these manufacturers to publish a vulnerability disclosure policy on how security issues affecting their products can be reported to them, as well as information on the minimum length of time for which the manufacturer will provide security updates covering the product.

The government is committed to ensuring that the benefits that connectable technologies offer to individuals and the economy, are not at the expense of consumer security. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act, which received Royal Assent in December 2022, will ensure that security requirements are met for consumer connectable products, including smart doorbells, sold to UK customers.

Regulations will be made shortly to implement the new Act, making the UK market the first in the world to benefit from these new protections. Manufacturers of consumer connectable products sold to UK consumers will be required to stop using universal default and easily-guessable default passwords. Regulations will also require these manufacturers to publish a vulnerability disclosure policy on how security issues affecting their products can be reported to them, as well as information on the minimum length of time for which the manufacturer will provide security updates covering the product.

The government is committed to ensuring that the benefits that connectable technologies offer to individuals and the economy, are not at the expense of consumer security. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act, which received Royal Assent in December 2022, will ensure that security requirements are met for consumer connectable products, including smart doorbells, sold to UK customers.

Regulations will be made shortly to implement the new Act, making the UK market the first in the world to benefit from these new protections. Manufacturers of consumer connectable products sold to UK consumers will be required to stop using universal default and easily-guessable default passwords. Regulations will also require these manufacturers to publish a vulnerability disclosure policy on how security issues affecting their products can be reported to them, as well as information on the minimum length of time for which the manufacturer will provide security updates covering the product.

Through the 2019 Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP), the Government gave Ofcom a strategic priority to incentivise market competition. Ofcom must have regard to this SSP when taking regulatory decisions and has introduced a number of pro-competition measures both in its 2021 Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review (WFTMR) and beyond. We meet regularly with Ofcom at all levels to monitor how the regulator delivers on its strategic priorities.

In relation to volume-based pricing discounts, the remedies set out by Ofcom in the WFTMR for downstream markets promote competition and investment in gigabit-capable networks. In all areas, Ofcom prohibits Openreach from using wholesale pricing structures to deter new network build by competing network operators by prohibiting certain geographic discounts and providing transparency of other commercial terms that may distort competition.

Given Ofcom’s statutory independence, it would otherwise not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its regulatory decisions, which are taken independent of the government.

Increasing competition in the fixed telecoms market is integral to the Government’s strategy to deliver nationwide coverage of gigabit-capable broadband. Competition keeps prices low and standards high for consumers, whilst encouraging companies to build quickly. Through the 2018 Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review (FTIR) and the 2019 Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP), we brought forward substantive proposals to make it easier for new firms to enter the market and compete with the incumbent provider, such as granting competitors access to Openreach’s national network of ducts and poles. The SSP gives Ofcom a strategic priority to incentivise market competition.

Ofcom must have regard to this SSP when taking regulatory decisions and has introduced a number of pro-competition measures both in its 2021 Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review (WFTMR) and beyond. These measures include introducing the ‘fair bet’ principle to ensure firms have the opportunity to make higher returns when a risky investment is successful, and the introduction of ‘One Touch Switching’ to make it easier for consumers to switch broadband providers.

As a result of our pro-competition policies, there is now a thriving market of over 80 providers investing nearly £35bn rolling out gigabit broadband all over the UK. 74% of premises can access gigabit-capable networks, up from just one in ten in November 2019.

As a result of our pro-competition policies, there is now a thriving market of over 80 providers investing nearly £35bn rolling out gigabit broadband all over the UK. Whilst we are in favour of sustainable long term competition, the Government does not have a view on the specific number of providers we would like to see. In the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, published in 2018, we estimated that at least a third of UK premises are likely to be able to support three or more competing gigabit-capable networks, with up to half likely to be able to support competition between two gigabit-capable networks.

The 555 subposmasters involved in the Group Litigation Order (GLO) agreed a settlement of £42.75m plus costs. In bringing this case they performed a public service; I understand their frustration that they have received less compensation than others. My officials have recently met their representatives to understand the harms which they have experienced.

As of November 2021, there are 127,876 Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme members, of whom 118,154 are in receipt of their pension.

In May 2020, there were 136,886 Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme members of whom 125,355 were in receipt of pension. Equivalent numbers in November 2020 were 134,391 and 123,516 and in May 2021, 131,534 and 121,262.

Under the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency fuel poverty metric, approximately 20,000 (18.6%) of households in the Barnsley Local Authority area are fuel poor, according to the latest data from 2019.

In order to tackle fuel poverty, the Government have committed £1.3 billion to improving the efficiency of fuel-poor and other low-income homes through stimulus schemes such as the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation fund and the Home Upgrade Grant. The energy price cap is set by Ofgem, the independent energy regulator.

The Government is committed to ensuring fair energy prices for consumers. We therefore introduced the energy price cap in 2019, which saves 15 million households on default tariffs up to £100 a year on average.

Alongside this support, eligible low income and vulnerable households will have access to energy bill support through the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment. Energy efficiency schemes are also available, including the Energy Company Obligation, the Local Authority Delivery scheme and the Home Upgrade Grant.

Achieving our net zero goal requires all businesses to take action. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has set out his Ten Point Plan for the UK to lead the world into a Green Industrial Revolution. This innovative programme sets out ambitious policies and £12 billion government investment to support up to 250,000 green jobs. It will accelerate our path to reaching net zero by 2050, and could unlock three times as much private sector investment by 2030.

The Prime Minister has also appointed my Hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs as the UK’s Net Zero Business Champion ahead of COP26. My Hon. Friend’s role is to encourage UK business to sign up to climate action via the Race to Zero science-based targets initiative, to champion the actions that UK businesses are already taking and to help UK businesses exploit the many opportunities of the transition to a low carbon economy.

As a result of my Hon. Friend’s campaign, 30 of the UK’s FTSE 100 companies have signed up to Race to Zero, and he is about to launch a national small business mass mobilisation campaign.

The Government is working with stakeholders to drive the ambitious action needed from UK businesses to help tackle climate change and reduce their impact on the environment.

Significant financial savings are available to businesses taking steps to improve their energy efficiency and decarbonise to achieve Net Zero. We are working to encourage as many UK businesses to pledge to join the Race to Zero campaign and set climate targets. The UK’s Net Zero Business Champion, my Hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs, will also be launching a small and micro business campaign ahead of COP26, which is aimed at mass mobilising local businesses and getting as many as possible to sign up to the Race to Zero via a new UK landing page on the SME Climate Hub.

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting Regulations (SECR) came into force on 1 April 2019 and have been introduced to simplify requirements for businesses to report on their energy use and carbon emissions. This provides greater levels of transparency, helping to stimulate demand for low carbon energy supplies.

We are supporting small-scale renewable electricity through the Smart Export Guarantee scheme (SEG). The SEG provides small-scale renewable generators the right to be paid for the excess energy they export to the grid.

The Clean Heat Grant (CHG) will be targeted at households and small non-domestic buildings, to enable the installation of heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass, to provide space and water heating.

The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) will follow on from support for biomethane under the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive, which is due to close to new applicants on 31 March 2021. The GGSS will provide tariff support for biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion. It will launch in autumn 2021 and will be open to applicants for four years.

During the new national restrictions in place from 5 November, hospitality venues are permitted to sell alcohol through delivery or via click and collect where remote ordering has been utilised. Off licenses and licensed shops selling alcohol, including breweries, are permitted to remain open.

The Government is providing an unprecedented package of support for hospitality businesses including an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until 31 March 2021 and grants of up to £3000 per month in addition to loans, business rate holidays and VAT cuts.

Yes. We set out in guidance to local authorities on 3^rd November what additional support will be available to make grants to business. This covers both during the period of national restrictions and for the prior period where some areas were in High and Very High Local Covid Alert Levels.

Where local authority areas were previously in Local Covid Alert Level 3 (Very High) they may have accessed additional enhanced business support settlements. These settlements are now part of the Additional Restrictions Grant and they will still receive the agreed funding.

As at 30 September 2020, the Investment Reserve stood at £1,216m.

In 2018-19, the Government received £142.4m as its share of surplus and £475m from the Investment Reserve. In each of 2019-20 and 2020-21, the Government received £142.4m as its share of surplus. The presence of the Guarantee has given the Trustees the freedom to invest in a way that targets surpluses and, as a consequence, bonuses to members. Bonuses paid to date mean that the typical member’s pension today is around 33% higher in real terms than it would otherwise have been.

No such payments have been made.

Since the agreement was reached in 1994, the Government has received £3,111.8m as its share of surpluses. This is in return for the provision of the guarantee that ensures pensions are paid. The guarantee has enabled an investment strategy that has resulted in scheme members receiving payments 33% higher than they would have been if they received only their actual earned pension up to privatisation.

As of 22 April, over £2.8bn worth of loans have been issued under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme across all sectors, to over 16,600 businesses. At this time we cannot provide a breakdown of funding by sector, as we have given lenders a temporary dispensation from uploading their data to the British Business Bank’s system in order to let them focus on issuing new loans. This is a pragmatic step that reflects the urgency of getting loans issued. We are working with the British Business Bank, HM Treasury and lenders on regular and transparent data publication going forward.

As of 22 April, over £2.8bn worth of loans have been issued under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme across all sectors, to over 16,600 businesses. At this time we cannot provide a breakdown of funding by sector, as we have given lenders a temporary dispensation from uploading their data to the British Business Bank’s system in order to let them focus on issuing new loans. This is a pragmatic step that reflects the urgency of getting loans issued. We are working with the British Business Bank, HM Treasury and lenders on regular and transparent data publication going forward.

Applications for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) opened on Monday 20^th April. As of Thursday 23^rd April HMRC had received about 512,000 claims with a total value of about £4.5bn. This is a new scheme and HMRC are currently working through the analysis they will be able to provide based on the data available. HMRC will make the timescales for publication and the types of data available in due course.

The Government is committed to supporting individuals through this difficult time, that is why the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a substantial package of measures to support businesses and individuals as part of the national effort in response to coronavirus.

Employees are entitled to time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependent, This would apply to situations related to coronavirus (COVID-19), including if they have children they need to look after or arrange childcare for because their school has closed. We encourage employers to support parents who choose to take leave, and those who choose to work flexibly. Parents’ employment rights are protected whilst taking existing leave entitlements or sick pay.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent on 15 January 2020 to Question 1709.

The football governance white paper set out how we will put fans back at the heart of football.

The Independent Football Regulator will introduce strong new legal protections to safeguard the heritage of clubs and ensure fans’ voices are heard. Clubs will not be able to make changes to their badge or home shirt colours without explicit fan approval. The Government has worked with the FA to ensure these protections are in place now, and the Regulator will act as a statutory backstop to ensure this cannot change.

The Regulator must approve any proposal to move or sell the stadium, and must consider the views of fans and impact on club heritage where a relocation is sought. Clubs can only participate in competitions which are approved by the Regulator against a set of published criteria. This will prevent English clubs from joining unapproved breakaway leagues such as the European Super League.

This will provide fans with irreversible, strong legal protections to prevent damage to the most important aspects of their clubs.

The Government is committed to delivering on the Football Governance White Paper and will legislate where parliamentary time allows.

The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is paramount. My department is committed to working alongside the Department for Health and Social Care on issues relating to head injuries in sport, and have ongoing official level engagement on this issue.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has worked with sporting bodies and others to develop a single set of shared concussion guidelines for grassroots sport across the UK, which were published on 28 April 2023. We continue to encourage sports governing bodies to adapt the guidelines to their own sport where appropriate.

Further research on the links between health, dementia and contact sport is needed to better understand the issue. My department has established a new Sports Concussion Research Forum to identify key research questions that need answering in this important area.

It has been well documented that female football players are around three times more likely to suffer an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury than their male counterparts.

The Review of Women’s Football, published in July this year, examined the strategic priorities for the development of women's football and made recommendations on the future direction of the women's game. It highlighted the lack of sport exercise and scientific research which currently exists in women’s sport and that only 6% of sport exercise and science research involves only women. This lack of awareness means female athletes are often not being given the protection, expertise and support they need.

The Government has been speaking to the football authorities on all matters within the review, and is due to respond to the review in the autumn. We will address ACL injuries directly in that response, holding relevant stakeholders to account for action around player welfare.

The Government supports calls for further action to be taken on a range of issues in the domestic game, including equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome the industry’s ongoing efforts to improve transparency and its commitment to provide equity and fair opportunities for all. Since the publication of the Fan-Led Review, the football leagues and the FA have introduced enhanced equality requirements for football clubs.

The Government acknowledges that there is still more progress to be made and will continue to work with the leagues, the FA, and other organisations to encourage reform where appropriate.

However, as set out in the White Paper and the government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee consultation, the primary strategic purpose of the Regulator will be to ensure that English football is sustainable and resilient for the benefit of fans and the local communities that football clubs serve. As such, the Regulator will focus on the financial sustainability of clubs, the systemic stability of the football pyramid and protecting club heritage.

Action on wider issues, including equality, diversity and inclusion, is best led by industry.

The Government recognises the importance of society lotteries as a fundraising tool for charities and other organisations. Society lotteries are a vital source of funds for these organisations, raising over £400 million a year.

In 2020, we legislated to raise the annual sales limit for large society lotteries from £10 million to £50 million. Each organisation with a society lottery licence is therefore able to sell up to £50 million of tickets per year. Most society lottery operators have sales well within this annual limit, meaning there is plenty of scope for them to continue to grow.

The limits were reviewed 12 months after the reforms implemented in 2020, which concluded it was too soon to reach any firm view on its impact, and that more data on the growth of the sector is needed before considering any further changes.

Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code sets out rules to ensure that broadcast material which contains abusive or derogatory treatment of individuals or groups must not be included except where it is justified by the context.

As the UK’s independent regulator, it is for Ofcom to determine whether there has been a breach of the Broadcasting Code, and whether to take action. In making any decision, Ofcom is required by the Communications Act 2003 to strike a balance between ensuring an appropriate level of freedom of expression and adequate protection from harmful material.

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with Ofcom on a range of issues, but it is for Ofcom to determine any breaches of the Broadcasting Code.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is the government lead for treatment of gambling-related harms and commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop a new clinical guideline on gambling which is currently out for consultation and will close on 15 November. Following the gambling white paper published in April, DCMS has launched a public consultation on the statutory levy charged to gambling operators which proposes clear, ringfenced investment for the NHS to lead the commissioning of treatment services for gambling-related harm.

The Secretary of State has not recently had any such discussions, but DCMS officials will continue to work closely with DHSC to ensure that the latest evidence on the health harms associated with gambling and effective treatment resulting from that consultation is closely considered.

We recognise the need to balance the potential commercial benefits of alcohol sales in the lower leagues with concerns around safety and disorder. We will keep this matter under review in conjunction with the Home Office.

Following the Government’s publication of the white paper on gambling earlier this year, the Gambling Commission has been consulting on a series of proposed changes to requirements on gambling businesses, including on financial vulnerability checks and financial risk assessments. We understand that the Gambling Commission will publish information about both the call for evidence and the current consultation as part of their formal consultation response.

The Government recognises the crucial role that linear broadcast services, including digital terrestrial television services, play in the wider UK broadcasting system, in particular in helping ensure that public service content continues to be widely available free-to-air to all audiences.

All of the UK’s public service broadcasters (PSBs) are required by law to operate at least one linear television service and must offer those service(s) to digital terrestrial, satellite and cable television providers.

In addition, the Government’s draft Media Bill, published on 29 March 2023, will amend the public service remit for television to make explicit in law the requirement on our PSBs to make their public service content available to as many members of the public in the United Kingdom as reasonably practicable.

The draft Media Bill set out our intention to make qualification for listed events a Public Service Broadcaster-specific benefit.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in the process of commissioning independent research which will look at a wide range of themes, including changing audience viewing habits and technologies that will impact how shows are brought to our screens, both now, and in the decades to come. The research will inform wider work looking at the future of television distribution.

In accordance with Government Social Research guidelines, the research will be published in due course.

The Government remains committed to introducing the Media Bill when Parliamentary time allows.

The Department is engaging with representatives of the betting and racing industries and other interested parties as part of our review of the Horserace Betting Levy, which we have committed to undertake by April 2024. The engagement with racing has been channelled through the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in line with racing’s agreed industry strategy and the engagement with betting has been channelled through the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) as the industry body for UK betting and gaming.

In addition to those organisations, I have also met the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the Horse Racing Bettors Forum and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Racing and Bloodstock; and officials have met the UK Tote, the Federation of Racecourse Bookmakers and the British Association of Racecourse Bookmakers in the past six months.

The Government is working with the Gambling Commission, gambling industry and others to implement all the measures set out in the gambling white paper as soon as possible. A number of proposals are already complete, at consultation stage, or being trialled ahead of implementation.

We launched the consultation on the details of the statutory levy, including rates for different sectors and governance arrangements, on 17 October. We are also continuing work with the industry and Gambling Commission to scope and design an ombudsman, and remain on track for it to be established next summer.

The cross department group of officials working on informational messaging on the risks associated with gambling has met a number of times since the white paper was published.

The Government is working with the Gambling Commission, gambling industry and others to implement all the measures set out in the gambling white paper as soon as possible. A number of proposals are already complete, at consultation stage, or being trialled ahead of implementation.

We launched the consultation on the details of the statutory levy, including rates for different sectors and governance arrangements, on 17 October. We are also continuing work with the industry and Gambling Commission to scope and design an ombudsman, and remain on track for it to be established next summer.

The cross department group of officials working on informational messaging on the risks associated with gambling has met a number of times since the white paper was published.

The Government is working with the Gambling Commission, gambling industry and others to implement all the measures set out in the gambling white paper as soon as possible. A number of proposals are already complete, at consultation stage, or being trialled ahead of implementation.

We launched the consultation on the details of the statutory levy, including rates for different sectors and governance arrangements, on 17 October. We are also continuing work with the industry and Gambling Commission to scope and design an ombudsman, and remain on track for it to be established next summer.

The cross department group of officials working on informational messaging on the risks associated with gambling has met a number of times since the white paper was published.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its consultation, Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector, on July 26 2023.

The specific measures consulted on included the introduction of an age limit on ‘cash-out’ category D slot-style gaming machines, gaming machine allowances in casinos, the ratio of Category B to Category C/D gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls, and a review of licensing authority fees. The consultation closed on 4 October 2023 and we will publish the government’s response in due course.

The white paper also proposed to introduce cumulative impact assessments to align the gambling and alcohol licensing systems. This measure is not currently being consulted on. However, we plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its consultation, Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector, on July 26 2023.

The specific measures consulted on included the introduction of an age limit on ‘cash-out’ category D slot-style gaming machines, gaming machine allowances in casinos, the ratio of Category B to Category C/D gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls, and a review of licensing authority fees. The consultation closed on 4 October 2023 and we will publish the government’s response in due course.

The white paper also proposed to introduce cumulative impact assessments to align the gambling and alcohol licensing systems. This measure is not currently being consulted on. However, we plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its consultation, Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector, on July 26 2023.

The specific measures consulted on included the introduction of an age limit on ‘cash-out’ category D slot-style gaming machines, gaming machine allowances in casinos, the ratio of Category B to Category C/D gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls, and a review of licensing authority fees. The consultation closed on 4 October 2023 and we will publish the government’s response in due course.

The white paper also proposed to introduce cumulative impact assessments to align the gambling and alcohol licensing systems. This measure is not currently being consulted on. However, we plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its consultation, Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector, on July 26 2023.

The specific measures consulted on included the introduction of an age limit on ‘cash-out’ category D slot-style gaming machines, gaming machine allowances in casinos, the ratio of Category B to Category C/D gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls, and a review of licensing authority fees. The consultation closed on 4 October 2023 and we will publish the government’s response in due course.

The white paper also proposed to introduce cumulative impact assessments to align the gambling and alcohol licensing systems. This measure is not currently being consulted on. However, we plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.

Although I have discussed pitch safety with the PFA, I have not had any specific discussions with the PFA or Premier League on concussion substitutes or heading restrictions.

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount, and I encourage sports organisations to do all they can to protect their players from harm.

My department has recently worked with sporting bodies and health experts to develop a single set of shared concussion guidelines for grassroots sport across the UK, published in April 2023. We continue to encourage sports governing bodies to adapt the guidelines to their own sport where appropriate.

Although I have discussed pitch safety with the PFA, I have not had any specific discussions with the PFA or Premier League on concussion substitutes or heading restrictions.

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount, and I encourage sports organisations to do all they can to protect their players from harm.

My department has recently worked with sporting bodies and health experts to develop a single set of shared concussion guidelines for grassroots sport across the UK, published in April 2023. We continue to encourage sports governing bodies to adapt the guidelines to their own sport where appropriate.

The National Physical Activity Taskforce has been set up to connect relevant organisations across government and the sport sector to ensure that the government continues to make progress and deliver on the targets set out in the Sport Strategy. The taskforce will endeavour to meet quarterly and run for 18 months in the first instance. The first meeting will take place shortly.

The government is committed to supporting women's sport at every opportunity including pushing for greater participation.

In March this year, the government announced a significant package of over £600 million to boost school sport, including confirmation of funding for the PE and School Sport Premium and the School Games Organisers network until the end of the summer term 2025. These programmes will improve the quality of PE and sports in primary schools to help children benefit from regular activity and ensure girls and boys have equal opportunity to play sport in school. The Department for Education will be introducing a new digital tool to hold schools accountable for how they use their PE and sport premium funding allocation to monitor and improve the quality of PE and sport they provide.

We are also investing over £300 million in grassroots football and multi-sport facilities across the UK by 2025 which will further support women and girls accessing sport. Projects in England will need to have a clear women and girls plan to receive this funding. Projects are monitored regularly to ensure the objectives are met.

We recently published our first sports strategy in eight years. This includes our ambition to provide the infrastructure and conditions needed to get as many women and girls involved in sport. The government will work with Sport England to monitor the impact of this ambition including measuring the progress made in tackling inactivity annually through the Active Lives Children survey, and in real time by seeking new sources of data that allow us to monitor progress.

We know that active people are fitter, happier and healthier - which is why in our new Sport Strategy - 'Get Active’ - we set out an ambitious strategy to boost our national health by getting 3.5 million extra active people by 2030. This includes bold targets to reach communities with the lowest levels of physical activity.

As part of this strategy, we have set up a new National Physical Activity Taskforce to ensure we meet these targets, and will work closely with Sport England to track and measure the impact of our interventions. This will include measuring the progress made in tackling inactivity annually through the Active Lives Children survey, and in real time by seeking new sources of data that allow us to monitor progress.

We know that active people are fitter, happier and healthier - which is why in our new Sport Strategy - 'Get Active’ - we set out an ambitious strategy to boost our national health by getting 3.5 million extra active people by 2030. This includes bold targets to reach communities with the lowest levels of physical activity.

As part of this strategy, we have set up a new National Physical Activity Taskforce to ensure we meet these targets, and will work closely with Sport England to track and measure the impact of our interventions. This will include measuring the progress made in tackling inactivity annually through the Active Lives Children survey, and in real time by seeking new sources of data that allow us to monitor progress.

Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport. In July we published an update to the School Sport and Activity Action Plan. This builds on the announcement we made in March that set out new ambitions for equal access to PE and sport and guidance on how to deliver 2 hours of quality PE a week, alongside over £600 million funding for the Primary PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser network.

The Department for Education will be introducing a new digital tool to support schools with their reporting requirements for their PE and sport premium spend. This will hold schools accountable for how they use their PE and sport premium funding allocation to measure and improve the quality of PE and sport they provide.

The government is committed to supporting economic growth in the sector, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance. In turn, this can help stimulate the contribution sport makes to growing the national economy.

The government’s previous Sport Satellite Account estimated that the gross value added (GVA) of the sport sector in 2019 was £48.9 billion. This marked an increase of 2.9% between 2018 and 2019, and of 20.4% between 2010 and 2019, in real terms. In addition, major sporting events have significant benefits for the national economy and for attracting investment to the UK. The hosting of the 2022 events (excluding Commonwealth Games), had a direct economic impact of £132 million, supported 1,600 jobs and had a 6:1 return on investment. The short-term impact alone of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games contributed almost £871 million GVA to the UK economy.

In our new sport strategy, Get Active, we have set out our ambition to deliver a new economic snapshot that articulates the economic value and growth opportunities that exist within sport in the UK. This will replace the previous government Sport Satellite reporting mechanism.

The government recognises the contribution that the betting and gaming industry makes to the economy. The sector pays approximately £2 billion per year to the government in duties (excluding Lottery Duty), accounted for £5.7 billion or 0.3% of UK Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2019, and employed approximately 98,000 people in Great Britain in 2019. While many gambling companies do operate overseas hubs, the jobs in this country are geographically dispersed, with hubs of high skill work in areas like Stoke-on-Trent and Leeds.

The government does not collect affirmative data on the costs of gambling and betting addiction to the UK economy specifically.

The government recognises the contribution that the betting and gaming industry makes to the economy. The sector pays approximately £2 billion per year to the government in duties (excluding Lottery Duty), accounted for £5.7 billion or 0.3% of UK Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2019, and employed approximately 98,000 people in Great Britain in 2019. While many gambling companies do operate overseas hubs, the jobs in this country are geographically dispersed, with hubs of high skill work in areas like Stoke-on-Trent and Leeds.

The government does not collect affirmative data on the costs of gambling and betting addiction to the UK economy specifically.

Since publication of the government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games in July 2022, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has facilitated engagement between the games industry and players, parents, government departments, independent bodies, regulators, academics and other external organisations. The output of this work was new industry-led guidance on loot boxes published by the industry trade body Ukie in July 2023, and a Video Games Research Framework published by DCMS in May 2023.

To support the development of industry-led guidance, DCMS convened a Technical Working Group with representatives of games companies and platforms. The Technical Working Group met eight times between September 2022 and June 2023, including a meeting chaired by the DCMS Secretary of State in June 2023.

The Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) Taskforce will meet every two months over a fixed, 12 month period. The Taskforce will report into the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, which is chaired by the Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries and the Minister for Safeguarding, and will publish its Terms of Reference shortly.

The Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) Taskforce will meet every two months over a fixed, 12 month period. The Taskforce will report into the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, which is chaired by the Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries and the Minister for Safeguarding, and will publish its Terms of Reference shortly.

The Mid-Term Review is an important milestone in the government’s Roadmap for BBC Reform.

We have assessed evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, and consulted the BBC, Ofcom and DAs on our findings, as required by the Terms of Reference. We are now finalising our findings and are working at pace to publish the results of the review.

I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave on 11 July 2023 to question UIN 192774.

There is no place for inappropriate conduct within sport, and it is vital that sports bodies continue to work together to tackle it.

Sport should be welcoming to all, and everyone - whether at a grassroots or elite level - should have confidence that the highest standards of safeguarding are followed. That is why as part of our Sport Strategy we launched a call for evidence, to understand how the prevention and handling of integrity issues could be strengthened. It is open to participants, parents and guardians, coaches, athlete support personnel, sports governing bodies, academics and other relevant stakeholders.

The government remains disappointed that the BBC is planning to reduce parts of its local output. Ministers have met with the BBC on several occasions since the announcement where they have expressed the concerns shared across the House about the BBC’s plans. The Secretary of State most recently raised her concerns with the BBC earlier this month.

While it is up to the BBC to decide how it delivers its services, the government has been clear with the Chair of the BBC Board and the Director General that the BBC must make sure it continues to provide distinctive and genuinely local radio services, with content that reflects and represents people and communities from all corners of the UK. These services are a key part of the BBC’s public service remit and an example of how the BBC can use its licence fee funding to provide content that is directly relevant to audiences, particularly in areas that may be underserved by the market.

The BBC is editorially and operationally independent, and therefore decisions on how to consider the potential impacts for audiences of these changes under their public sector equality duty is for the BBC. It is also for the BBC to consider the public value associated with any changes to its services.

The government also expects Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the BBC, to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account in delivering its public service duties. As part of this, the BBC will be required to monitor the impact of changes on audiences and publish more information about how it delivers high quality, distinctive content and services for audiences across the UK.

The government remains disappointed that the BBC is planning to reduce parts of its local output. Ministers have met with the BBC on several occasions since the announcement where they have expressed the concerns shared across the House about the BBC’s plans. The Secretary of State most recently raised her concerns with the BBC earlier this month.

While it is up to the BBC to decide how it delivers its services, the government has been clear with the Chair of the BBC Board and the Director General that the BBC must make sure it continues to provide distinctive and genuinely local radio services, with content that reflects and represents people and communities from all corners of the UK. These services are a key part of the BBC’s public service remit and an example of how the BBC can use its licence fee funding to provide content that is directly relevant to audiences, particularly in areas that may be underserved by the market.

The BBC is editorially and operationally independent, and therefore decisions on how to consider the potential impacts for audiences of these changes under their public sector equality duty is for the BBC. It is also for the BBC to consider the public value associated with any changes to its services.

The government also expects Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the BBC, to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account in delivering its public service duties. As part of this, the BBC will be required to monitor the impact of changes on audiences and publish more information about how it delivers high quality, distinctive content and services for audiences across the UK.

We are undertaking a review to look at whether, in the face of technological change, the objectives of the existing regime are still being met and whether digital rights should now be included in the regime.

Our review is ongoing and we will set out more detail in due course.

The government remains committed to introducing the Media Bill when Parliamentary time allows.

The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee is expected to publish their pre-legislative scrutiny report this Autumn. The government looks forward to receiving their recommendations and responding in the usual manner.

The textiles and fashion industry plays an important role in the UK’s social and cultural heritage, and is a major driver of economic growth - with UK designers and manufacturers exporting around the world. Improving the creative industries’ environmental impact was identified as a priority in our Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) works with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on the work they are doing on textiles waste management. Defra’s ambitions for minimising textile waste are outlined in ‘Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste’ which constitutes a new Waste Prevention Plan and was published on 28 July 2023. Defra funds Textiles 2030, a voluntary initiative with over 110 signatories from the fashion manufacturing industry covering 62% by sales of the UK clothing market. Signatories are committed to reducing their carbon and water usage and to other circular economy principles such as agreeing good design principles so that their products are durable and recyclable.

DCMS also supports the UK Research and Investment (UKRI) £15 million Circular Fashion programme, launched in 2022 to bring the sector, academia and government together to understand and drive the fashion and textiles industry towards sustainable and responsible practices.

The textiles and fashion industry plays an important role in the UK’s social and cultural heritage, and is a major driver of economic growth - with UK designers and manufacturers exporting around the world. Recognising this contribution, HM Treasury has named the creative industries, including fashion, as one of the top five priority growth sectors - underscored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) recent Sector Vision, which sets out ambitious growth targets.

In the sector vision and elsewhere, DCMS has a number of initiatives that aim to improve access to the creative and fashion industries for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Creative Careers Programme has been relaunched with £1 million HM Government funding (22/23-24/25). Aimed at young people aged 11-18 from underrepresented backgrounds, the Creative Careers Programme is targeting 77 priority areas across England. DCMS also engages with our government-appointed Creative Industries Disability and Access Ambassadors who are working on increasing access to the creative industries for those with disabilities.

The government is supporting UK businesses with running costs through the Recovery Loan Scheme, designed to support access to finance for UK businesses as they look to invest and grow. Businesses can use the finance for any legitimate business purpose – including managing cashflow, investment and growth. Additionally, Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hubs can also be a source of free advice and finance. This is in addition to the Energy Bills Discount Scheme; the increased Employment Allowance of £5,000, which takes the smallest 40% of businesses out of paying any National Insurance at all; and setting the Annual Investment Allowance at £1 million permanently. To support businesses with exporting goods (including samples) the Government's Export Support Service (ESS) provides guidance and advice in response to queries about exporting and ATA Carnets.

As part of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, the government announced £2 million funding to support London Fashion Week over the next two years - this will go towards supporting emerging designer talent and increasing access to the sector.

Many people experience loneliness and social isolation, and across government, we’re committed to building a more connected society, where everyone is able to build meaningful relationships. Having strong social relationships play an important role in our physical and mental wellbeing, and local councils, health systems and voluntary and community sector organisations all have an important role to play in tackling loneliness. Local services can achieve better outcomes in tackling loneliness by working together and building a shared understanding of the local community’s needs and assets.

The government is working with partners to support local areas to share and learn from best practice examples. This includes working with the Local Government Association to provide guidance on how local councils can tackle loneliness, and providing a space for organisations to share resources on the Tackling Loneliness Hub. Furthermore, through the delivery and evaluation of the £30 million Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, local authorities and community organisations in high deprivation areas will have access to evidence on what works to increase regular volunteering and reduce chronic loneliness.

Decisions on the department’s policy and grant funding allocations - while informed by data, analysis and relevant criteria - are made by Ministers.

Data processing is commonplace across all areas of department business, subject to set rules and criteria, as is the case for all organisations.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) staff conference took place at Alexandra Palace, chosen as it represented best value for money after a thorough search and for its links to the department’s policy areas of sport, culture, tourism and the events industry.

Like many large organisations, DCMS manages our staff conference as a cost-effective way of developing skills and training all staff on the latest policy developments, sharing ideas, building their digital skills, and focusing on how they can best support the government’s agenda. The conference was hybrid, bringing the benefits of being together face to face, with the accessibility of online.

The conference featured talks, panels and Q&A sessions focused on the department’s delivery priorities for 2023, learnings from the major events the Department delivered in 2022 such as the Commonwealth Games and Platinum Jubilee. Sessions also included how to harness the benefits of 5G, how to work effectively as one team in pursuit of shared objectives as well as a short annual staff awards that recognised the huge contribution our people make to public service.

In total 1,665 colleagues attended the hybrid event.

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with Ofcom on a range of issues. The Secretary of State has not had discussions with Ofcom on the definition of a news programme.

There is exciting potential to explore Smart Data in further sectors, beyond Open Banking. Government, regulators and industry experts are working together via the Smart Data Council to ensure that the UK continues to be at the forefront of developments in this space.

The Smart Data Council was launched in April 2023, for regulators and government to coordinate future schemes and collaborate with industry. A Smart Data Challenge Prize is in development, which will aim to encourage innovation by identifying and developing cross-sector use cases.

The Government is conducting an assessment of the contestable funding model to consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of this kind of funding, next steps will be set out in due course. As required by the scheme, the BFI commissioned and published an independent evaluation of the Young Audiences Content Fund in December 2022. That evaluation is available here.

Ofcom set out in their “Plan of Work” for 2023/24, published on 14 December 2022, that they would take an in-depth look at how the market is serving the interests of children. It will be for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to determine when to publish its findings.

The Government is conducting an assessment of the contestable funding model to consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of this kind of funding, next steps will be set out in due course. As required by the scheme, the BFI commissioned and published an independent evaluation of the Young Audiences Content Fund in December 2022. That evaluation is available here.

Ofcom set out in their “Plan of Work” for 2023/24, published on 14 December 2022, that they would take an in-depth look at how the market is serving the interests of children. It will be for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to determine when to publish its findings.

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the BBC to discuss a range of matters, including how it plans to reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country.

In May 2022, the Government published updates to the BBC’s Framework Agreement to reflect the BBC’s latest commitments on impartiality, accessibility, and moving more activities outside of London. This includes a number of commitments from the BBC’s “Across the UK” report in March 2021. The BBC must report on all of these new commitments in the BBC’s Annual Report and Accounts.

The Government expects Ofcom, as the BBC’s independent regulator, to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account in delivering its public service duties.

The Government recognises the unique societal, educational and economic importance of British children’s television and we are taking direct action to support and encourage broadcasters to provide children’s television content to UK audiences.

At the Budget, we announced reform and an increase in the rate of tax relief for animation and children’s TV, which will directly boost the level of financial support for children’s production companies. These reliefs have historically already supported 845 programmes, with a total investment of £1.26 billion.

Through the Media Bill we will introduce a new remit for public service television, which includes the provision of public service children’s programming. This sends a clear signal about the importance the Government places on high value children's programming being available to families across the UK on a free-to-air basis.

We welcome Ofcom’s recent commitment in their Plan of Work 2023/24 to take an in-depth look at how the market is serving the interests of children. This is facilitated by powers we introduced in 2017 for Ofcom to monitor and set criteria for the provision of children’s television. The independent regulator will give us an invaluable insight into the challenges faced by the children’s television industry right now and this will be key in helping us and industry consider where further work is needed.

Children’s television was also chosen to pilot contestable funding, which has supported more than 280 hours of new content with a direct investment of £44.1 million. The British Film Institute published an independent evaluation of the Young Audiences Content Fund in December 2022. The Government is conducting an assessment of the contestable funding model to consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of this kind of funding. The potential for further investment will be considered against that assessment and future public service broadcasting needs.

The Government recognises the unique societal, educational and economic importance of British children’s television and we are taking direct action to support and encourage broadcasters to provide children’s television content to UK audiences.

At the Budget, we announced reform and an increase in the rate of tax relief for animation and children’s TV, which will directly boost the level of financial support for children’s production companies. These reliefs have historically already supported 845 programmes, with a total investment of £1.26 billion.

Through the Media Bill we will introduce a new remit for public service television, which includes the provision of public service children’s programming. This sends a clear signal about the importance the Government places on high value children's programming being available to families across the UK on a free-to-air basis.

We welcome Ofcom’s recent commitment in their Plan of Work 2023/24 to take an in-depth look at how the market is serving the interests of children. This is facilitated by powers we introduced in 2017 for Ofcom to monitor and set criteria for the provision of children’s television. The independent regulator will give us an invaluable insight into the challenges faced by the children’s television industry right now and this will be key in helping us and industry consider where further work is needed.

Children’s television was also chosen to pilot contestable funding, which has supported more than 280 hours of new content with a direct investment of £44.1 million. The British Film Institute published an independent evaluation of the Young Audiences Content Fund in December 2022. The Government is conducting an assessment of the contestable funding model to consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of this kind of funding. The potential for further investment will be considered against that assessment and future public service broadcasting needs.

The Government remains committed to extending the local television multiplex licence, which is currently due to expire on 25 November 2025. We also outlined our plans in the Broadcasting White Paper to consult on the renewal or relicensing of the 34 individual local television services at the same time.

The Government recognises the important contribution and impact that local television services make to our broadcasting ecosystem and for those across the UK, particularly in their role disseminating relevant news and engaging with local communities.

We will publish a formal consultation paper on the future of local TV in due course.

The Government remains committed to extending the local television multiplex licence, which is currently due to expire on 25 November 2025. We also outlined our plans in the Broadcasting White Paper to consult on the renewal or relicensing of the 34 individual local television services at the same time.

The Government recognises the important contribution and impact that local television services make to our broadcasting ecosystem and for those across the UK, particularly in their role disseminating relevant news and engaging with local communities.

We will publish a formal consultation paper on the future of local TV in due course.

In May 2022, DCMS launched the Mid-Term Review to assess, at the half-way point of the Charter period, how effectively the governance and regulation arrangements of the BBC are performing and whether any reforms are necessary.

We have now consulted a wide range of stakeholders, including Ofcom and the BBC, and are working through the feedback received to help us develop our conclusions. We will soon start to consult the BBC, Ofcom and the Devolved Administrations on potential conclusions, as required by the review’s Terms of Reference. The Charter specifies that the review must take place between 2022 and 2024 and we will set out more detail on the timetable in due course.

The Government is committed to supporting local and regional newspapers as vital pillars of communities and local democracy. They play an essential role in holding power to account, keeping the public informed of local issues and providing reliable, high-quality information.

However, as the independent Cairncross Review into the future of journalism identified, society is increasingly moving online and local news publishers are facing significant challenges in transitioning to sustainable digital business models.

The Government supported the majority of Cairncross recommendations and has taken them forward through a range of fiscal and regulatory interventions. This has included the delivery of the £2 million Future News Fund; the zero rating of VAT on e-newspapers; the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; the publication of the Online Media Literacy Strategy; and our work through the Mid-Term Review of the BBC Charter, exploring how the BBC seeks to act as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, local commercial news outlets. The Government was also pleased to see the BBC conduct a thorough review of the Local Democracy Reporting Service in 2020, as recommended by the Cairncross Review. As set out in our response to the Review, we would support any efforts by the BBC to grow the scheme.

Most importantly, we are introducing a new, pro-competition regime for digital markets. The regime, which aims to address the far-reaching power of the biggest tech firms, will help rebalance the relationship between publishers and the online platforms on which they increasingly rely. This will make an important contribution to the sustainability of the press.

I am pleased that the DCMS Select Committee has also looked into this issue in detail. We will continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining the sector, including carefully reviewing the recommendations made in their report.

The Government will introduce the Media Bill when Parliamentary time allows. Further details on the Media Bill will be set out in due course.

In December 2021, DCMS published a Joint Statement with the UK’s mobile network operators (MNOs) confirming that all 2G and 3G networks would be switched off by 2033 at the latest. We welcome that some individual operators will switch off these networks, particularly 3G networks, earlier than this date. Each MNO is moving at its own pace within this timeframe and since this statement was published a number of operators have announced individual plans for 3G switch off.

We are committed to extending good quality mobile coverage across the UK. In March 2020, the government announced a deal with the MNOs to increase 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass.

In 2017, the government also set an ambition for the majority of the UK population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure. In our forthcoming Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, we will establish a new ambition for 5G. We will also set out how we will continue to drive 5G deployment across the UK and ensure that UK businesses reap the full benefits of 5G.

There is no explicit regulatory requirement for MNOs to maintain a 2G or 3G network and the government has limited powers to compel operators to maintain, switch off or streamline specific networks. It is for operators to take final decisions on the provision of network services.

MNOs will contact customers to let them know if they are affected and what steps they need to take prior to the switch off of these networks. DCMS officials are working closely with relevant government departments and Ofcom to support this transition away from 2G and 3G networks. The Government welcomes 2G and 3G networks being switched off in a responsible way, and will continue to work with MNOs to ensure a smooth transition that meets the needs of business users and consumers.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity. Our approach to achieving this is to make it as attractive as possible for companies to build gigabit-capable networks in the UK by creating a regulatory environment that encourages competition and investment between firms. Our strategy also includes promoting the take up of fibre broadband to ensure consumers can maximise its benefits. Gigabit-capable broadband will offer consumers a faster and more reliable connection.

DCMS recognises the decisions of both the Advertising Standards Authority and the High Court of Justice on the issue of fibre advertisement. In 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK's regulator of advertising, reviewed consumer understanding of the term ‘fibre’ as used in broadband advertising (particularly for part-fibre services such as Fibre to the Cabinet) and any impact the use of this term has on consumers’ transactional decisions. The ASA engaged with stakeholders and received a range of responses from providers of part-fibre and full-fibre broadband services, consumer organisations and other regulators.

The ASA published their findings in November 2017 and concluded by stating the following:“It is not possible to conclude that the word ‘fibre’, as currently used in part-fibre advertising, is likely to mislead and misinform consumers.”

The findings also demonstrated that the word ‘fibre’ appeared to be relatively unimportant when participants interpreted broadband advertising. In addition, the report found that it generally did not trigger the start of a purchase journey for consumers.

Both the ASA and Ofcom are independent regulators and matters relating to industry rules on advertising is a matter for their discretion.

We are committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity as soon as possible, and it is a priority to ensure that new homes are built with fast, reliable and resilient broadband.

We laid The Building etc. (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 in Parliament on 26 September 2022. This statutory instrument amends Building Regulations to ensure that the construction of new homes in England includes the installation of gigabit-ready infrastructure, and the installation of gigabit-capable connections where this can be provided within a cost cap of £2,000 per dwelling.

The new requirements come into force on 26 December 2022, and will help to ensure that new homes are future-proofed and have access to Gigabit broadband at the point of construction, giving more people the connectivity they want and need without costly and disruptive installation work after the home is built.

Where a gigabit capable connection is not available without breaching the cost cap, the next fastest connection available within the cost cap must be installed. The cost cap does not apply to the requirement for developers to install gigabit-ready infrastructure, which must be installed to ensure that the new homes are future-proofed.

We are working with the Devolved Administrations to ensure consistency across the UK, as far as possible.

The Department for Transport consulted twice on proposals for a flexi permit in autumn 2021 and February 2022. The proposals would have allowed one permit to cover a number of works over a period of time across a specific area. The proposals were strongly opposed by highway authorities. The Government published a response to the consultation in May 2022 which announced that the government had decided not to proceed with the proposal for flexi permits at that time. However, the government did say that it would continue to work with the street works sector to develop further the concept and provide more evidence. So far, trials have taken place in Sheffield, Bexley, Essex and Lancashire, on a voluntary basis by organisations in the sector.

Work is now underway to launch longer, more extensive trials - testing out different scenarios and in different areas than those that have happened to date. The trials seek to determine if potential benefits outweigh any drawbacks when flexi permits are used in conditions closer to real life - examining effects on congestion and reinstatement performance, for example. My officials are currently working with counterparts in the Department for Transport, a number of local authorities and telecoms operators to bring forward more trials in the new year.

In November, the DCMS - as part of Help for Households - launched a UK-wide campaign to boost awareness of social tariffs among eligible households.

The campaign uses multiple channels to reach individuals; and partners with a range of stakeholders - including other Government departments (such as DWP), job centres, libraries, local authorities, charities, consumer groups and internet service providers - to maximise the reach of our messaging. Alongside dedicated digital resources, posters and leaflets have been created, which can be distributed by partners directly to those who may be eligible. We are also using print media, such as ‘Quids In!’, a magazine targeted at low-income households.

On 29 November, I convened a roundtable with the UK’s major broadband and mobile providers, as-well-as consumer groups to examine the barriers to take up of social tariffs and the role Government, the telecoms sector, charities and consumer groups can play to ensure eligible households are aware of the support available. We will continue to explore further options for collaboration.

Our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy will set out a strategic framework for the development, deployment and adoption of 5G and future networks. It will articulate a clear vision for how advanced wireless infrastructure can become an integral part of the fabric of the UK's economy and society by 2030.

We intend to publish the strategy in early 2023.

The Government recognises the importance of having a dedicated lead on digital infrastructure in local and regional authorities. This is why this approach is strongly recommended in the advice provided to local authorities on the Government’s Digital Connectivity Portal.

The Digital Connectivity Portal provides practical information for local authorities, for instance on debunking myths around 5G, around making assets available for hosting equipment and on the application of legislation such as the Electronic Communications Code and planning regulations.

DCMS officials frequently facilitate meetings and workshops between the telecoms industry and local authority staff, including local authority digital connectivity leads. These meetings are designed to increase understanding of the importance of digital connectivity to local communities, as well as the practicalities around its deployment.

This engagement is a part of the work carried out by DCMS’ Barrier Busting Task Force (BBTF) which was established in 2017. Its key objective is to identify and address the barriers preventing the fast, efficient and cost-effective deployment of gigabit-capable broadband and improved mobile coverage, including next generation 5G technology.

The Department has also provided £4m of funding to establish the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator (DCIA) programme, to enable local authorities and the mobile industry to make more effective use of public sector assets and land.

According to Ofcom’s 2022 Connected Nations Report, take-up of full-fibre broadband where available is currently 25%, with take-up of gigabit-capable networks at 38%.

Ofcom also notes that take-up may appear lower than expected because networks are deploying at pace and take-up lags behind coverage.

According to Ofcom’s 2022 Connected Nations Report, take-up of full-fibre broadband where available is currently 25%, with take-up of gigabit-capable networks at 38%.

Ofcom also notes that take-up may appear lower than expected because networks are deploying at pace and take-up lags behind coverage.

The Government believes that certain sporting events of national interest should be shown on free-to-air television so that they can be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible. We want to ensure that as viewing habits change and technology evolves the regulatory framework remains fit for purpose.

The Government is speaking to stakeholders to look at whether in the face of technological change, the objectives of the existing regime are still being met and whether digital rights should be included in the regime. The review will need to balance the ability for audiences to watch national sporting events at no additional cost with the ability for sporting organisations to generate revenues from sports rights to re-invest in their sports at all levels.

We are still considering this issue, and it is important we consult relevant stakeholders as we look to deliver for audiences. If the Government decides to make changes that require legislation, we will consider the best legislative vehicle to deliver it in the usual way.

We will publish a consultation paper on future local television licensing in due course.

Channel 4 is a great UK success story and, in a rapidly changing media landscape, the government wants it to thrive in the long-term while maintaining its distinctiveness.

As set out in our recent white paper, Up Next - the government’s vision for the broadcasting sector, Channel 4 - along with all broadcasters - is facing challenges to its future success and sustainability. This is due to the rapidly evolving media landscape, including unprecedented competition for viewers, programmes and talent from overseas as well as new, rapidly growing, streaming platforms.

The Secretary of State is reviewing the business case for a sale of Channel 4 and will set out further detail in due course.

The Government will introduce the Media Bill when Parliamentary time allows.

Advertising is a thriving sector that makes a significant and valuable contribution to the UK economy and creative industries. It is a key revenue source for many creative industries, underpinning the provision of key services that are positively transforming people’s lives. The Advertising and marketing sub-sector contributed £5.1 billion to UK exports in services worldwide in 2020. This was a 27.3% increase from the previous year. The UK is second in Portland’s Soft Power Index and the advertising sector plays a leading role in this ranking. The creative industries provide a distinctive image of our country and our cities, helping them to stand out from competitors. As a home to some of the most influential international advertising agencies, the UK advertising sector makes a significant contribution to the country’s soft power by creating awareness of, and familiarity surrounding, the nation’s products, services, cultural outputs and distinctive image abroad.

Over 71 per cent of premises are now able to access gigabit-capable broadband, up from 6 per cent in January 2019.

We are on track to hit our target of 85 per cent gigabit coverage by 2025. We have published our delivery trajectory to reach our target and Building Digital UK (BDUK) publishes quarterly updates to demonstrate our progress towards this milestone.

Project Gigabit is a £5 billion programme to deliver gigabit connectivity. £1.2 billion was allocated to Project Gigabit in this Spending Review period, with the remainder available in future years.

Through Project Gigabit we are contracting with suppliers to install gigabit-capable broadband networks to hard-to-reach areas of the UK. These contracts will deliver gigabit connectivity in this Spending Review period and beyond. We recently signed our first Project Gigabit contracts in North Dorset and Teesdale, and have launched procurements with a value of over £700 million to date.

According to data from Think Broadband, 5% of premises in England have access to more than one fibre optic provider, 41% have access to one provider, and 72% of premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband from at least one provider when including gigabit-capable coaxial cable technology.

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on Monday 18 July 2022 and following the election of the new leader of the Conservative Party, Ministers are further considering the Bill.

We will amend the existing Data Protection and Digital Information Bill and adapt the UK GDPR to create a new bespoke British data protection framework that is business and consumer friendly, and keeps people's personal data secure.

We are working with businesses and other stakeholders, at speed, to ensure that the Bill maximises this post-Brexit opportunity, and as mentioned in the Secretary of State’s conference speech, the Bill seeks to retain our data adequacy decision so businesses can trade freely.

The DPDI Bill will continue its passage in due course.

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on Monday 18 July 2022 and following the election of the new leader of the Conservative Party, Ministers are further considering the Bill.

We will amend the existing Data Protection and Digital Information Bill and adapt the UK GDPR to create a new bespoke British data protection framework that is business and consumer friendly, and keeps people's personal data secure.

We are working with businesses and other stakeholders, at speed, to ensure that the Bill maximises this post-Brexit opportunity, and as mentioned in the Secretary of State’s conference speech, the Bill seeks to retain our data adequacy decision so businesses can trade freely.

The DPDI Bill will continue its passage in due course.

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on Monday 18 July 2022 and following the election of the new leader of the Conservative Party, Ministers are further considering the Bill.

We will amend the existing Data Protection and Digital Information Bill and adapt the UK GDPR to create a new bespoke British data protection framework that is business and consumer friendly, and keeps people's personal data secure.

We are working with businesses and other stakeholders, at speed, to ensure that the Bill maximises this post-Brexit opportunity, and as mentioned in the Secretary of State’s conference speech, the Bill seeks to retain our data adequacy decision so businesses can trade freely.

The DPDI Bill will continue its passage in due course.

Since its establishment as an Executive Agency, Building Digital UK will report on its performance and spending annually, alongside the publication of quarterly delivery updates highlighting the progress of Project Gigabit.

Through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and its previous iterations, we have issued over 100,000 vouchers worth more than £214 million. Over 73,000 of these vouchers have been used to connect premises to gigabit-capable broadband.

As of the end of March 2022, 44,000 vouchers have been claimed for gigabit-capable infrastructure through Project Gigabit’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and previous voucher subsidy schemes for rural premises.

Source:

BDUK (as of Oct 2022)

Notes:

1. Rounded to the nearest 100.

2. Encompasses 3 different schemes: Gigabit Voucher Scheme (GBVS), Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) and UKGV (UK Gigabit Voucher).

In September, Ofcom published their latest Affordability Report which found that 5% of UK households faced an affordability issue with their fixed broadband in the month of August. While this figure has remained static since Ofcom’s previous report in March, we know that many households are struggling with their monthly broadband bills during this difficult time.

In June, we secured a set of public commitments from the UK’s major broadband and mobile providers to support families through the global rise in the cost of living. These commitments include more manageable payment plans, switching to a cheaper package free-of-charge, or taking a more affordable broadband social tariff if the customer is eligible. We encourage people to contact their provider to see what support is available.

Since its recent establishment as an Executive Agency, Building Digital UK will report on its performance and spending annually, alongside the publication of quarterly delivery updates highlighting the progress of Project Gigabit.

In BDUK’s most recent Performance Report, we reported that over 625,000 premises have received a gigabit-capable connection as a result of the Superfast Broadband Programme. 95,300 premises were passed between April 2021 and March 2022, and 529,900 had previously been passed by 31 March 2021.

In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure.

Ofcom Connected Nations Summer Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.

Our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy will set out how we can realise the full benefits of 5G for the UK. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.

In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure.

Ofcom Connected Nations Summer Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.

Our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy will set out how we can realise the full benefits of 5G for the UK. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.

In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure.

Ofcom Connected Nations Summer Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.

Our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy will set out how we can realise the full benefits of 5G for the UK. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.

In 2017, the government set an ambition for the majority of the population to have access to 5G by 2027. This has been met five years early, with basic “non-standalone” 5G - which uses 5G equipment on 4G infrastructure.

Ofcom Connected Nations Summer Update (7 October 2022) showed that non-standalone 5G is available outside up to 64% of premises across the UK.

Our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy will set out how we can realise the full benefits of 5G for the UK. We aim to publish the strategy later this year.

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on Monday 18 July 2022. Following the election of the new leader of the Conservative Party, Ministers are further considering the Bill and will set out next steps in due course.

Earlier this year DCMS held a targeted consultation with 35 public telecoms providers and Huawei on whether to issue a designation notice to Huawei and a designated vendor direction in respect of Huawei’s goods and services, for reasons of national security.

Many telecoms vendors responded to the consultation, feeding back on specific technical aspects of their networks and timeframes to comply with the draft direction.

Due to the technical and security implications of this consultation, it is right that we have taken time to consider and understand all representations - including those from Huawei.

A number of follow up conversations have taken place to ensure that we fully understand all representations, and any implications that may arise from a decision.

Having received and considered consultation responses, and having held follow up conversations, the Secretary of State is now deciding how to respond, and whether or not to issue a designation notice and designated vendor directions for Huawei.

The outcome of this decision making process will be communicated to all relevant parties once it has been taken.

If a decision is taken to issue a designated vendor direction for Huawei, any requirements and deadlines included in the direction will be proportionate to the aim of protecting national security. Where consultees have raised concerns over deadlines, we are considering their concerns fully.

Earlier this year DCMS held a targeted consultation with 35 public telecoms providers and Huawei on whether to issue a designation notice to Huawei and a designated vendor direction in respect of Huawei’s goods and services, for reasons of national security.

Many telecoms vendors responded to the consultation, feeding back on specific technical aspects of their networks and timeframes to comply with the draft direction.

Due to the technical and security implications of this consultation, it is right that we have taken time to consider and understand all representations - including those from Huawei.

A number of follow up conversations have taken place to ensure that we fully understand all representations, and any implications that may arise from a decision.

Having received and considered consultation responses, and having held follow up conversations, the Secretary of State is now deciding how to respond, and whether or not to issue a designation notice and designated vendor directions for Huawei.

The outcome of this decision making process will be communicated to all relevant parties once it has been taken.

If a decision is taken to issue a designated vendor direction for Huawei, any requirements and deadlines included in the direction will be proportionate to the aim of protecting national security. Where consultees have raised concerns over deadlines, we are considering their concerns fully.

Earlier this year DCMS held a targeted consultation with 35 public telecoms providers and Huawei on whether to issue a designation notice to Huawei and a designated vendor direction in respect of Huawei’s goods and services, for reasons of national security.

Many telecoms vendors responded to the consultation, feeding back on specific technical aspects of their networks and timeframes to comply with the draft direction.

Due to the technical and security implications of this consultation, it is right that we have taken time to consider and understand all representations - including those from Huawei.

A number of follow up conversations have taken place to ensure that we fully understand all representations, and any implications that may arise from a decision.

Having received and considered consultation responses, and having held follow up conversations, the Secretary of State is now deciding how to respond, and whether or not to issue a designation notice and designated vendor directions for Huawei.

The outcome of this decision making process will be communicated to all relevant parties once it has been taken.

If a decision is taken to issue a designated vendor direction for Huawei, any requirements and deadlines included in the direction will be proportionate to the aim of protecting national security. Where consultees have raised concerns over deadlines, we are considering their concerns fully.

The Government is clear that local and regional newspapers play an invaluable role in the fabric of our society, and it has been an absolute priority to ensure we do all we can to support news publishers at this time of financial instability. With this in mind, we continue to focus both on alleviating the existential threat posed by the pandemic and simultaneously progressing commitments made in our response to the Cairncross Review.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have held regular roundtable discussions and bi-lateral meetings with stakeholders from across the industry to better understand their developing needs and concerns, and to inform the support measures we have put in place. To date, these include designating journalists as ‘key workers’; issuing guidance to local authorities on the importance of newspaper delivery; ensuring the use of ‘keyword blocklisting’ technology is not disproportionately limiting news publishers’ online advertising revenues for Covid-19 related stories by ad-blocking coronavirus-related terms; implementing a significant public information campaign across the local and national press to ensure that authoritative, up-to-date information about the Government’s response to Covid-19 is distributed through reliable channels; and fast-tracking the commencement of zero-rating of VAT on e-newspapers.

The department invested over £10 million in broadband rollout across South Yorkshire. As a result of this, as well as commercial investment, 98% of premises in South Yorkshire now have access to superfast broadband. Nearly 14% of premises can also access gigabit-capable connectivity - up from 0% in February 2016. A further £780,000 has been made available to bring more South Yorkshire premises in scope for a broadband upgrade.

In Barnsley, 98% of premises in Barnsley have access to superfast broadband which is up from 44% in November 2011. Nearly 20% of premises have access to gigabit-capable connectivity, up from 0.4% in August 2018.

For those premises that are still struggling with slow speeds, there are a number of options available to them. DCMS runs a voucher scheme that can be used by rural communities across the UK to reduce the cost of installing gigabit-capable connectivity. This provides a voucher worth up to £3,500 for eligible small businesses and vouchers worth up to £1,500 for residents. ‘Top-up’ schemes run by Local Authorities, who provide their own funding on top of DCMS’s, are also operating across the UK.

The government also introduced the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) on 20 March 2020. The USO gives eligible premises in the UK the right to request a decent and affordable connection. The government has defined decent broadband as a service that can provide a download speed of 10Mbps and an upload speed of 1Mbps.

The government, Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), and Gambling Commission do not hold data on the frequency at which targeted advertising is shown to or seen by social media users. The nature of targeted advertising makes it difficult to generate accurate figures as the number of targeted gambling advertisements varies considerably between users.

Targeted gambling advertising on social media platforms, like all forms of gambling advertising, is subject to strict controls. Rules on content mean that these adverts must never seek to exploit or appeal to children or vulnerable people, and rules on placement mean that they must never be targeted at these groups. In October 2019 the Gambling Commission issued a challenge to industry to make better use of advertising technology to target away from vulnerable people. Following this, it was announced in April that industry has committed to make better and more consistent use of customer data to ensure paid-for advertising is targeted away from vulnerable people on social media platforms.

The government is aware of concerns that the anxiety and isolation experienced as a result of measures in place to curb the spread of covid 19 may increase the risk of gambling-related harms for some people. In recognition of this, the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage has written to operators to urge them to increase the prominence of safer gambling messaging in all adverts during the current period, including online. In addition, the ASA has written to operators warning them that they must continue to abide by existing rules and must not look to exploit the current situation.

The government has made clear that we expect operators to be aware of the potential risk for increased gambling harm as people spend much more time at home and online. I have written and spoken to operators to remind them that they should be particularly responsible regarding player protections and advertising at this time, as have the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority. We are continuing to monitor the situation carefully.

The government has welcomed the ‘10 commitments’ launched by the Betting and Gaming Council to ensure safer gambling practices amongst its members. Following engagement and correspondence with the government and the Commission, BGC members have also pledged for the next six weeks to replace all slot, casino and bingo advertising on TV and radio with safer gambling adverts or to donate the slots to charity, and their online advertising will focus more on safer gambling measures.

The Gambling Commission has published Covid specific guidance to customers about staying safe when gambling online, including on how to limit ad exposure on social media and access support if needed. This all comes against a backdrop of continuing government and regulator action, including the introduction of tighter age and identity verification requirements, a ban on credit card gambling and the introduction of Gamstop integration as a condition of holding a licence.

We continue to hold operators to account if they fail to adequately protect consumers at this difficult time and will not hesitate to step in if that becomes necessary.

Children remain eligible for an early education place until they start in reception at a state-funded school. For many children this will be the September following their 4th birthday, or the term after they turn 5 (which is when they reach compulsory school age).This applies to the process for accessing funding for school places before changes in the number of children who are eligible for nursery places from 2024/25.

In the government’s Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children, the economy and women. By 2027/28, this government expects to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free childcare hours and early education, helping families with pre-school children with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.

Our reforms include:

• Providing over £4.1 billion by 2027/28 to fund 30 hours of free childcare for children over the age of nine months.
• Investing £204 million from this September, rising to £288 million next year to uplift the rates for existing entitlements.
• Increasing the supply of wraparound care through £289 million start-up funding.
• Attracting more people to childminding through an up to £7.2 million start up grant fund.
• Giving providers more flexibility by changing staff to child ratios to 1:5 for two- year-olds in England.

The department will continue to work closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms and will set out further details in due course. This is a massive expansion in the offer and will take some time to implement and rollout. The department wants to make sure that taxpayers’ money is used efficiently and that the new offer is delivered in the best way.

The government’s Childcare Choices communications campaign aims to ensure every parent knows about the government funded support they are eligible for. Further information on Childcare Choices is available at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. Further information on the full range of support available to parents can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities should report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents. The ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing.

Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and where needed supports the local authority with any specific requirements through its childcare sufficiency support contract.

The department knows that the sector is facing economic challenges, similar to the challenges being faced across the economy. The department continues to engage with sector stakeholders and local authorities to monitor dynamics with local markets, parents’ access to the government’s entitlements and the childcare they require, and the sustainability of the sector.

The government is providing £204 million this year, and £288 million in 2024/25, for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers, with funding uplifting year on year to meet rising cost pressures.

The additional £204m is being distributed to local authorities via a new standalone Early years Supplementary Grant (EYSG) in 2023/24.

As a result of this additional funding, funding rates to local authorities have risen by an average of 32% for the current 2-year-old entitlement, and by an average of 6.3% for the 3 to 4-year-old entitlements from September 2023, compared to their current 2023/24 rates.

The EYSG rate for 2-year-olds is, on average, £1.95 per hour. This means that the national average hourly rate that local authorities will receive has risen from the current £6 per hour to £7.95.

The EYSG rate for 3 and 4-year-olds is, on average, 33 pence per hour. Similarly, the national average hourly rate received by local authorities has risen from £5.29 to £5.62.

This funding is in addition to £4.1 billion by 2027/28 to deliver the new offers.

As part of the consultation published on 21 July, the department has published illustrative local authority hourly funding rates for those 2 years old and under for 2024/25. The department currently anticipates that, in 2024/25, the national average rates would be £8.17 for the 2-year-old entitlements and £11.06 for younger children. These illustrative rates are likely to change following the outcome of the consultation and when the latest data becomes available. The department will confirm final 2024/25 hourly funding rates for local authorities in the autumn.

The department will ensure a phased implementation of the free hours offers, to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity.

The government currently funds local authorities to deliver the government-funded entitlements through the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF) for 3 and 4-year-olds and a separate formula for 2-year-olds. These have been designed to allocate the department’s record investment in early years entitlement funding fairly and transparently across the country.

The EYNFF is made up of a universal base rate, which is the same hourly funding rate for every child in a local authority, plus funding factors for additional needs, based on the measures of free school meals, disability living allowance, and English as an additional language.

The formula also includes an area cost adjustment (ACA) multiplier to reflect variations in costs across different areas of the country. This uses the General Labour Market measure to reflect staff costs and a Rates Cost Adjustment to reflect premises related costs.

Each local authority’s EYNFF rate will vary depending on their level of additional needs and their ACA values. Following a consultation in 2022, the department has updated the funding formulae to ensure the funding system remains fair, effective and responsive to changing levels of need across different local authorities.

To distribute the additional £204 million funding provided from September for the existing entitlements through the Early Years Supplementary Grant (EYSG), the department has used the existing funding formulae for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds. This allows the department to recognise cost variations between local authority areas when determining the EYSG rates for individual local authorities.

With the introduction of the new entitlements for working parents of children aged 9 months to 2 years from 2024/25, the department has recently finished consulting on its proposed funding formula for distributing funding to local authorities, along with the accompanying local rules for local authorities to follow when passing on this funding to early years providers. That consultation closed on 8 September and the department will announce its response and confirm the final hourly funding rates for 2024/25 later this year.

At a local level, local authorities are responsible for setting individual provider funding rates in consultation with their providers and schools forum, and fund providers using their local funding formula. In setting their local funding formula, all local authorities are required to use the same base rate for all providers. On top of the base rate, additional funding can be paid to providers to reflect local needs through the use of a mandatory supplement for deprivation, and other discretionary supplements. But supplements are capped at a maximum of 12% of the total funding to providers.

Concerning the number of new spaces that will need to be made available for pre-school childcare providers, the department used the results from the 2021 Childcare and early years survey as a guide. The results of this survey are accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents/2021. The data tables at 1.6 and 1.7 show the proportion of children at the relevant ages using formal childcare, and for how long per week. This data was used to estimate, of the children using the offer, how many need new places compared to how many already would pay for childcare under the pre-existing system.

The department is providing £204 million this year, increasing to £288 million by 2024/25, for local authorities to increase the hourly funding rate to providers. As a result of this additional funding, funding rates to local authorities will rise by an average of 32% for the current 2-year-old entitlement, and by an average of 6.3% for 3-4-year-old entitlements from September 2023, compared to their current 2023/24 rates.

The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the 30 hours offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity. The department is also launching a new national recruitment campaign to support the recruitment and retention of talented staff to support the expansion of the 30 hours offer.

We are also consulting on changes to the early years foundation stage framework that aim to reduce known burdens on providers and offer them more flexibility. The department is continuing to explore how the sector can be supported to deliver the additional places that will be required.

We will also continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places. The department’s childcare and early years provider survey shows that the number of places available has remained broadly stable since 2019.

The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the early education and childcare statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing.

Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, supports the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) sits with local authorities. The department supports local authorities by providing annual funding and monitors local authorities financial performance through meetings with officials, the department’s SEND advisors and through programmes such as the Safety Valve programme.

The department has published over £1.5 billion of High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. This funding is allocated to local authorities to support them deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision (AP). Barnsley are receiving £7.1 million.

This funding forms part of the department’s transformational investment of £2.6 billion in new high needs provision between 2022 and 2025. This funding is on top of the department’s ongoing delivery of new special and AP free schools.

Starting from Summer 2023 the department has, for the first time, collected data from local authorities on available capacity in special schools, SEND units and resourced provision, along with corresponding forecasts of demand for these places. This data will help the department to more effectively support local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty to provide sufficient specialist places.

The department holds data on the number of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, including the setting in which the child or young person is typically educated or where they are not in education or training for any reason. The information is available in the National Statistics publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans. The data can be broken down by region and local authority.

The department holds data on the number of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, including the setting in which the child or young person is typically educated or where they are not in education or training for any reason. The information is available in the National Statistics publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans. The data can be broken down by region and local authority.

In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published in March 2023, the department outlined its commitment to ensuring that children and young people with SEND or attending AP enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes and feel well prepared for adulthood and employment

To ensure teachers have the knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality teaching for pupils with SEND, the department has implemented a ‘golden thread’ of evidence-based teacher training reforms, from initial teacher training through Early Career Framework-based induction and on to National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) for more experienced teachers. This support includes the introduction of a new leadership level NPQ for Special Educational Needs Coordinators.

High needs revenue funding will rise to £10.5 billion in 2024/25, a 60% increase on 2019/20 allocations. As part of this investment, £2.6 billion of funding will support local authorities to deliver new places in mainstream, special schools and AP, and to improve the suitability of existing buildings. Through its £70 million Change Programme, the department is testing and refining the Improvement Plan reforms to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families.

School attendance is mandatory. Regular attendance at school is vital for children’s education, wellbeing and long-term development. To promote strong attendance, all schools should be calm, safe, and supportive environments where pupils and staff can thrive in safety and respect.

The department understands that barriers to attendance are wide and complex, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Addressing these requires a support-first approach and strong relationships between families, schools, local authorities, and other relevant local services.

When considering the appropriate action to address absence, schools and local authorities should consider the individual circumstances of each pupil and family and take the best course of action to support the child’s return to school. The department encourages parents to work with their child’s school and the local authority to discuss the reasons behind their child’s absence. They should agree together an action plan, so that the right support can be put in place to help their child to return to regular and consistent education.

The department published the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan in March 2023. This sets out the department’s longer-term plans to tackle inconsistency in the system and promote attendance through new national standards.

During the 16-week consultation on the Special Educational Needs (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper, the department received around 6,000 online responses from the sector including children, young people, families, schools and local government. In addition, 175 online and in person consultation events were delivered, receiving responses from a further 4,500 people. To support receiving responses from people across the country, these events were promoted through a wide range of communication channels, including working in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children and the regional parent carer forums via the National Network of Parent Carer Forums who represent families from each English region.

The department also allowed organisations to submit consultation responses. Annex 4 of the independent analysis of the consultation responses shows the wide range of responses received from across the country.

The department continues to engage with the SEND and AP sector as reforms are designed and tested through the Change Programme. This will ensure a wide range of perspectives are considered to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with SEND and in AP.

The consultation on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper ran from 10 March to 22 July, during this time the department received around 6,000 responses to the online consultation and delivered 175 consultation events hearing from over 4,500 people.

The department designed specific consultation questions for children and young people, proactively engaged with seldom heard groups. Consultation events were also delivered with stakeholders such as the Council for Disabled Children’s Friendship, Learning, Achieve, Reach and Empower (FLARE) children and young people’s group and the National Network of Parent Carer Forums that amplified the voices of children, young people and their families, to ensure their views were captured in the consultation feedback.

The department continues to engage with children, young people and their families as we design and test reforms through the Change Programme. This will ensure a wide range of perspectives are considered to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with SEND and in AP.

In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published in March 2023, the department outlined its commitment to build a consistent national SEND and AP system that parents and carers can trust, easily navigate, and have confidence in.

The department understands that barriers to attendance are wide and complex, particularly for pupils with SEND. The attendance guidance for schools and local authorities expects schools, trusts and local authorities to provide joined up support for children and their families facing special educational needs, health or disability related barriers to attendance.

Through the AP Specialist Taskforce Pilots, the department is also working directly with young people and their families who are at risk of disengaging with education to offer intensive support. The pilot has supported more than 2,500 children so far, 77% of whom have SEND.

Where parents have elected to home educate their child, some local authorities will provide support at their discretion. The department is committed to introducing statutory local authority registers for children not in school, and a duty for local authorities to provide support to home-educating families. We continue to work with local authorities to ensure all children are receiving a suitable education.

On 19 July 2023, the Government published an update to the School Sport and Activity Action Plan (SSAAP). The update builds on the Government’s announcement in March that set out new ambitions for equal access to PE and sport for girls and boys, two hours of PE a week, alongside over £600 million funding for the primary PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network.

Alongside the SSAAP, the Department has published updated guidance for primary schools on the PE and Sport Premium, including a new digital tool to support schools in using the funding to the best advantage of their pupils. This will be piloted in 2024 and become mandatory in 2025.

The Department will publish non-statutory guidance for schools later this year, which will illustrate the practical steps taken by schools to provide two hours of PE and equal access for girls and boys.

The department is aware school holidays can be particular pressure points for some families because of increased costs, such as food and childcare, and reduced incomes.

This year, the government in England is again investing over £200 million in the Holiday Activities and Food programme, with all local authorities delivering in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. The programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning. Last summer, the programme reached around 600,000 children across England, including over 475,000 children eligible for free school meals across England.

The department recognises that school holidays can be particular pressure points for some families because of increased costs such as food and childcare, and reduced incomes. For some children, that can lead to a holiday experience gap, with children from disadvantaged families less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health and are more likely to experience social isolation. Free holiday clubs are a response to this issue and evidence suggests that they can have a positive impact on children and young people.

This year, the government is again investing over £200 million in our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, with all local authorities in England delivering the programme in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. The HAF programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning. Last summer, the programme reached around 600,000 children across England, including over 475,000 children eligible for free school meals across England.

The department’s 2021 independent evaluation of the 2021 HAF summer programme found that 730,000 children attended a HAF summer holiday club in person, of which 616,000 places were directly funded by HAF and 498,000 were eligible for benefits-related free school meals (FSM). The evaluation also found that two-thirds of HAF attendees lived in one of the 30% most deprived areas across the country.

As in previous years, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM, but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF, such as other vulnerable children. This could include, where appropriate, providing places at HAF clubs that support working families. In deciding which children should benefit from the 15% flexible funding, local authorities are asked to ensure that these places are aligned to their local priorities. The department also encourages all our providers to offer paid places, alongside HAF-funded, to increase the reach of holiday clubs. Clubs must provide healthy free meals, nutritional education, and physical activities on a daily basis.

The department recognises that school holidays can be particular pressure points for some families because of increased costs such as food and childcare, and reduced incomes. For some children, that can lead to a holiday experience gap, with children from disadvantaged families less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health and are more likely to experience social isolation. Free holiday clubs are a response to this issue and evidence suggests that they can have a positive impact on children and young people.

This year, the government is again investing over £200 million in our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, with all local authorities in England delivering the programme in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. The HAF programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning. Last summer, the programme reached around 600,000 children across England, including over 475,000 children eligible for free school meals across England.

The department’s 2021 independent evaluation of the 2021 HAF summer programme found that 730,000 children attended a HAF summer holiday club in person, of which 616,000 places were directly funded by HAF and 498,000 were eligible for benefits-related free school meals (FSM). The evaluation also found that two-thirds of HAF attendees lived in one of the 30% most deprived areas across the country.

As in previous years, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM, but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF, such as other vulnerable children. This could include, where appropriate, providing places at HAF clubs that support working families. In deciding which children should benefit from the 15% flexible funding, local authorities are asked to ensure that these places are aligned to their local priorities. The department also encourages all our providers to offer paid places, alongside HAF-funded, to increase the reach of holiday clubs. Clubs must provide healthy free meals, nutritional education, and physical activities on a daily basis.

The department recognises that school holidays can be particular pressure points for some families because of increased costs such as food and childcare, and reduced incomes. For some children, that can lead to a holiday experience gap, with children from disadvantaged families less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health and are more likely to experience social isolation. Free holiday clubs are a response to this issue and evidence suggests that they can have a positive impact on children and young people.

This year, the government is again investing over £200 million in our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, with all local authorities in England delivering the programme in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. The HAF programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning. Last summer, the programme reached around 600,000 children across England, including over 475,000 children eligible for free school meals across England.

The department’s 2021 independent evaluation of the 2021 HAF summer programme found that 730,000 children attended a HAF summer holiday club in person, of which 616,000 places were directly funded by HAF and 498,000 were eligible for benefits-related free school meals (FSM). The evaluation also found that two-thirds of HAF attendees lived in one of the 30% most deprived areas across the country.

As in previous years, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM, but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF, such as other vulnerable children. This could include, where appropriate, providing places at HAF clubs that support working families. In deciding which children should benefit from the 15% flexible funding, local authorities are asked to ensure that these places are aligned to their local priorities. The department also encourages all our providers to offer paid places, alongside HAF-funded, to increase the reach of holiday clubs. Clubs must provide healthy free meals, nutritional education, and physical activities on a daily basis.

Information relating to use of algorithmic and other automated decision making systems to make automated decisions is not centrally held within the Department.

The Department uses elements of Automation, Robotics and Machine Learning, although much of the work remains experimental. Most automation that has been developed is for internal use and is aimed at improving the Department’s operational processes and not to aid implementation of policies. Neither the Department’s robotics/automation nor machine learning work are used in isolation to make decisions and do not drive decisions or actions directly or in an automated fashion.

The Department’s automation and robotics work includes using business rules to assign correspondence to team queues and text readers to help read and analyse reports. It also includes automation of data flows and validation processes, robots to develop and publish management information reports and analytical insight tools, and chatbots. Guidance for public sector organisations on how to use automated or algorithmic decision making systems in a safe, sustainable and ethical way can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ethics-transparency-and-accountability-framework-for-automated-decision-making.

The Department is preparing for the introduction of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill and has a dedicated resource that is focusing on understanding what the impact the Bill on its data protection practices. Given that the Bill has not been finalised, the Department does not have an update in respect of Part 3 as it is considering the wider impact of the changes.

​The Department has now deposited a redacted copy of the agreement in the Library.

​The Department has made significant progress in improving data protection processes and intends to publish an updated summary of recommendations and actions taken, in relation to these, in spring 2023.

​The Department has now deposited a redacted copy of the agreement in the Library.

​The Department has made significant progress in improving data protection processes and intends to publish an updated summary of recommendations and actions taken, in relation to these, in spring 2023.

The Department does not use the Learning Records Service (LRS) information for age verification, although it does include dates of birth for identification purposes. The dates of birth on the service was misused by Trustopia to search for individuals that it had already acquired data to confirm the age given to Trustopia matched what was held on the LRS by the department.

UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) states that if a breach is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, the Department must inform those concerned directly and without undue delay. As no additional personal data of pupils past and present was compromised by the breach, whilst the breach itself remained serious, it did not pose a high risk to individuals.

Once aware, the Department took immediate action and referred the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). At the time of the breach, the Department was already working closely with the ICO in relation to the audit already in progress.

Procedures for monitoring unusual activity have been strengthened, along with additional improvements. These improvements include a more robust application process, better in-application audit processes that have been used to monitor and remove users who may not be using the system in accordance with their agreement, and the ability to remove or suspend accounts quickly in the event of possible misuse.

The Department has made significant progress in improving processes and has completed 97% of the ICO recommendations to date, with plans to complete the remaining recommendations by the end of March 2023. All actions relating to the LRS data breach have been completed.

The Department continues to work closely with the ICO. No further controls from the ICO have been placed upon the Department.

The Office of the Data Protection Officer leads on ensuring compliance with Data Protection Legislation for the Department, led by the Departmental Data Protection Officer. The team continues to work with the Department and the ICO to make further improvements in the Department’s data protection practices.

The Department does not use the Learning Records Service (LRS) information for age verification, although it does include dates of birth for identification purposes. The dates of birth on the service was misused by Trustopia to search for individuals that it had already acquired data to confirm the age given to Trustopia matched what was held on the LRS by the department.

UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) states that if a breach is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, the Department must inform those concerned directly and without undue delay. As no additional personal data of pupils past and present was compromised by the breach, whilst the breach itself remained serious, it did not pose a high risk to individuals.

Once aware, the Department took immediate action and referred the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). At the time of the breach, the Department was already working closely with the ICO in relation to the audit already in progress.

Procedures for monitoring unusual activity have been strengthened, along with additional improvements. These improvements include a more robust application process, better in-application audit processes that have been used to monitor and remove users who may not be using the system in accordance with their agreement, and the ability to remove or suspend accounts quickly in the event of possible misuse.

The Department has made significant progress in improving processes and has completed 97% of the ICO recommendations to date, with plans to complete the remaining recommendations by the end of March 2023. All actions relating to the LRS data breach have been completed.

The Department continues to work closely with the ICO. No further controls from the ICO have been placed upon the Department.

The Office of the Data Protection Officer leads on ensuring compliance with Data Protection Legislation for the Department, led by the Departmental Data Protection Officer. The team continues to work with the Department and the ICO to make further improvements in the Department’s data protection practices.

The Department does not use the Learning Records Service (LRS) information for age verification, although it does include dates of birth for identification purposes. The dates of birth on the service was misused by Trustopia to search for individuals that it had already acquired data to confirm the age given to Trustopia matched what was held on the LRS by the department.

UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) states that if a breach is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, the Department must inform those concerned directly and without undue delay. As no additional personal data of pupils past and present was compromised by the breach, whilst the breach itself remained serious, it did not pose a high risk to individuals.

Once aware, the Department took immediate action and referred the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). At the time of the breach, the Department was already working closely with the ICO in relation to the audit already in progress.

Procedures for monitoring unusual activity have been strengthened, along with additional improvements. These improvements include a more robust application process, better in-application audit processes that have been used to monitor and remove users who may not be using the system in accordance with their agreement, and the ability to remove or suspend accounts quickly in the event of possible misuse.

The Department has made significant progress in improving processes and has completed 97% of the ICO recommendations to date, with plans to complete the remaining recommendations by the end of March 2023. All actions relating to the LRS data breach have been completed.

The Department continues to work closely with the ICO. No further controls from the ICO have been placed upon the Department.

The Office of the Data Protection Officer leads on ensuring compliance with Data Protection Legislation for the Department, led by the Departmental Data Protection Officer. The team continues to work with the Department and the ICO to make further improvements in the Department’s data protection practices.

Allocations are calculated by Local Authority area, not by constituency. Maintained school allocations are calculated for a financial year that runs from April to March, while academies are funded on a financial year that matches the academic year. The figures provided show the total for the financial year across primary and secondary schools.

The revenue funding figures shown below are for 2013 to 2022. Before 2013/14, funding allocated by the Department through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) was allocated to Local Authorities as a single amount that was intended to fund school budget shares (including academies), local authority central services for schools, additional support for high needs pupils, and provision for early years education.

In 2013/14 the DSG was divided into funding blocks for a schools block, central services schools block, high needs block and early years block. The schools block is allocated based on the number of pupils in schools within each Local Authority. The amounts allocated by Barnsley Metropolitan Council from their schools block to primary and secondary schools and academies for each year since 2013/14 to 2021/22 are shown in the following table:

*From 2019/20 onwards Pupil Premium, PE/Sport, and Universal Infant School Meals Grants are included

*Information for 2022/23 is due for publication at the end of January 2023.

This funding is allocated using the Local Authority’s own formulae based upon nationally agreed factors and the attached table shows the allocations for each school, rounded to the nearest £1,000.

Figures showing funding for each school in the Barnsley Metropolitan Council and relevant links to where these figures are published are provided in the attached table.

Allocations are calculated by Local Authority area, not by constituency. Maintained school allocations are calculated for a financial year that runs from April to March, while academies are funded on a financial year that matches the academic year. The figures provided show the total for the financial year across primary and secondary schools.

The revenue funding figures shown below are for 2013 to 2022. Before 2013/14, funding allocated by the Department through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) was allocated to Local Authorities as a single amount that was intended to fund school budget shares (including academies), local authority central services for schools, additional support for high needs pupils, and provision for early years education.

In 2013/14 the DSG was divided into funding blocks for a schools block, central services schools block, high needs block and early years block. The schools block is allocated based on the number of pupils in schools within each Local Authority. The amounts allocated by Barnsley Metropolitan Council from their schools block to primary and secondary schools and academies for each year since 2013/14 to 2021/22 are shown in the following table:

*From 2019/20 onwards Pupil Premium, PE/Sport, and Universal Infant School Meals Grants are included

*Information for 2022/23 is due for publication at the end of January 2023.

This funding is allocated using the Local Authority’s own formulae based upon nationally agreed factors and the attached table shows the allocations for each school, rounded to the nearest £1,000.

Figures showing funding for each school in the Barnsley Metropolitan Council and relevant links to where these figures are published are provided in the attached table.

Overall, core schools funding, including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs, increased by £4 billion in the 2022/23 financial year compared to the previous financial year, which equates to a 7% cash increase in funding per pupil.

Schools will also benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This will reduce how much schools need to spend on their energy, and give schools greater certainty over their budgets over the winter months. The details of the scheme can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers.

The Department is also supporting schools with the school resource management (SRM) advice, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/schools-financial-health-and-efficiency. This includes a free range of practical tools and information to help all schools unlock efficiencies, which they can then reinvest based on their own priorities.

The SRM advice includes recommended deals for energy costs and ancillary services. The Department is also updating and strengthening guidance on a regular basis to inform schools of the market and commercial position, with practical advice on new and exiting existing contracts. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-buying-for-schools.

The Department knows that every school’s circumstances are different, and where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their Local Authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency, who can provide advice and, in exceptional circumstances, financial support.

The Department continues to assess and monitor the effects of inflationary pressures on schools’ budgets. This includes working with schools to understand the effects on low-income pupils.

The 2022 Autumn Statement has provided an additional net increase in the core schools budget of £2 billion in 2023/24, and a further £2 billion in 2024/25, over and above totals announced at the Autumn and Budget Spending Review 2021. This brings the core schools budget to a total of £58.8 billion in 2024/25. This will enable head teachers to continue to concentrate funding in the areas that positively support educational attainment. The 2022 Autumn Statement brings school funding for both mainstream and high needs to £4 billion higher than last year and will rise by a further £3.5 billion next year.

There will be targeted support for disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium and the National Funding Formula (NFF). In the 2022/23 financial year, the Department is allocating approximately £2,000 per pupil, for all pupils who have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years. In total, this is an increase of 15% funding in two years.

From October 2022 to 31 March 2023, schools will benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This will provide a price reduction to protect them from high energy bills over the winter period.

The Department’s schools resource management (SRM) guidance includes Department approved frameworks for energy costs and ancillary services relating to energy. Schools can obtain free procurement support on energy and all other buying needs via the Get Help Buying for Schools service.

The Government is offering support to help families with the costs of childcare, housing, transport, and bills. The ‘Help for Households’ guidance lists Government cost of living support available to families.

Data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals is published annually in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ National Statistics release, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

In January 2022, there were 4,084 pupils eligible for free school meals in Barnsley East constituency. In January 2021, there were 3,792 pupils eligible for free school meals in Barnsley East constituency.

The department is committed to further promoting opportunities for service leavers to get into teaching. Many veterans already use our services to support service leavers into Initial Teacher Training (ITT) each year.

Through collaboration with the science, technology, engineering and maths communities and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, and in partnership with the Careers Transition Partnership in the Ministry of Defence, we are working to further develop this offer. This will include increased signposting, tailored communications, hosting webinars, careers fairs, and information sessions for service leavers.

The department plans to track several data points through all these activities to determine the success of, and engagement with, the offer, and over the longer term track the wider journey through to ITT. All of this will help us develop and evolve our offer to ensure it meets the needs of service leavers wishing to enter the profession.

For veterans who do not already hold a degree, the department offers a Troops to Teachers undergraduate bursary worth £40,000. This is paid over two years to veterans who undertake an undergraduate initial teacher training (ITT) course in secondary biology, chemistry, computing, languages, mathematics or physics. Veterans who hold a degree can access the postgraduate ITT bursaries and scholarships of up to £26,000 that we offer for secondary biology, chemistry, computing, design and technology, geography, languages, mathematics and physics courses.

Regardless of the subject or phase they train in, veterans can also access student finance to complete undergraduate and postgraduate ITT courses. This includes a tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and additional means-tested funding for trainees in particular circumstances, including those with children, adult dependants, or a disability.

All of the above funding is allocated on a demand-led basis so there is no limit to the number of veterans who can access this funding to enter teaching.

There are no longer any schools exempt from inspection as a result of having been rated Outstanding. The exemption from routine inspection, which applied to 3,446 outstanding schools at the time, was removed in November 2020. The removal took place at a time when Ofsted’s routine inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In September 2021, Ofsted resumed its programme of routine inspections and will aim to inspect every state funded school, including previously exempt outstanding schools, by the end of summer 2025. Ofsted will continue to prioritise schools most in need of inspection, particularly those with the lowest Ofsted grades and outstanding schools that have gone the longest without a visit.

There are no longer any schools exempt from inspection as a result of having been rated Outstanding. The exemption from routine inspection, which applied to 3,446 outstanding schools at the time, was removed in November 2020. The removal took place at a time when Ofsted’s routine inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In September 2021, Ofsted resumed its programme of routine inspections and will aim to inspect every state funded school, including previously exempt outstanding schools, by the end of summer 2025. Ofsted will continue to prioritise schools most in need of inspection, particularly those with the lowest Ofsted grades and outstanding schools that have gone the longest without a visit.

There are no longer any schools exempt from inspection as a result of having been rated Outstanding. The exemption from routine inspection, which applied to 3,446 outstanding schools at the time, was removed in November 2020. The removal took place at a time when Ofsted’s routine inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In September 2021, Ofsted resumed its programme of routine inspections and will aim to inspect every state funded school, including previously exempt outstanding schools, by the end of summer 2025. Ofsted will continue to prioritise schools most in need of inspection, particularly those with the lowest Ofsted grades and outstanding schools that have gone the longest without a visit.

COVID-19 continues to be a virus that we learn to live with and the imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education remains. Our priority is for schools to deliver face-to-face, high-quality education to all pupils. The evidence is clear that being out of education causes significant harm to educational attainment, life chances, mental and physical health.

School attendance is mandatory for all pupils of compulsory school age and it is a priority to ensure that as many children as possible regularly attend school. However, the department’s current guidance for remote education states that schools affected by the remote education temporary continuity direction must provide remote education for state-funded, school-aged pupils whose attendance would be contrary to public health advice or government guidance or law relating to COVID-19 during the 2021/22 academic year.

This means that from September 2021, schools should offer remote education to pupils who test positive for COVID-19 or present with COVID-19 symptoms, where they are well enough to be educated from home.

In terms of considering home education options for children who are unable to attend school for health reasons beyond the COVID-19 outbreak, the department is carefully considering the role that remote approaches could play in the education system longer-term, recognising the opportunities that remote education has presented, alongside the challenges.

The department recognises that technology in education has been essential for continuing to teach remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent school and college closures. We are building on the department’s significant investment in devices, platforms, training and digital services to develop a sustainable strategy for digital technology in education.

GCSE, AS and A levels

Students have worked hard in preparation for their exams this year and teachers have made tremendous efforts to provide high quality remote education. Given the ongoing disruption to education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, we announced in January that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead as planned this summer. In ensuring our approach was developed with the sector, the Department and Ofqual launched a joint consultation in January on how to award grades in 2021 so they are robust and fair. We received over 100,000 responses from students, parents, teachers, school leaders and other stakeholders. There was widespread support for our approach.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed in his statement on 25 February that students will receive grades determined by their teachers, with pupils only assessed on what they have been taught. Fairness to young people is fundamental to the Department and Ofqual’s decision making. We want to ensure all young people have the confidence that, despite exams not going ahead, they will receive a grade that reflects their ability and enables them to progress.

Full details on alternative arrangements to exams can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/teacher-assessed-grades-for-students.

Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs)

On 25 February, the outcome of the Department for Education’s joint consultation with Ofqual on the arrangements for awarding Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs) including BTECs, as well as the approach to awarding other general qualifications was also published.

The diverse nature of VTQs and other general qualifications means that one approach to awarding cannot be taken to all these qualifications. Different approaches should be taken to three groups of VTQs. However, it is important that there is as much fairness as possible between VTQ students and students taking GCSEs, AS and A levels.

The first group are qualifications used to support progression to further or higher education, which includes many Pearson BTEC qualifications. These will be awarded through teacher assessed grades similar to those being implemented for GCSE and AS/A level awarding.

The second group are VTQs used to enter directly into employment. Exams or assessments will continue where they are critical to demonstrate occupational or professional competence and can be delivered in line with public health measures. However, where the assessment cannot take place safely it will be delayed.

The third group are smaller qualifications that are used for progression to further or higher education but are not like GCSEs or A levels in their structure, such as Functional Skills Qualifications and English for Speakers of Other Languages. Exams and assessments for these will continue in line with public health measures, including remotely, but with alternative arrangements available for those who cannot access the assessments.

Apprenticeships

Apprentices working towards mandatory qualifications as part of their apprenticeship framework or standard are assessed in the same way as students taking those same qualifications through other routes.

Additionally, apprenticeship end-point assessments can continue and should take place remotely wherever possible, in line with the guidance from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education on the delivery of assessment. Our intention is to safeguard the quality of apprenticeships, and end-point assessment is an integral part of that. We do not consider that it would be appropriate to estimate an apprentice’s occupational competence by other means.

To support students taking qualifications used to enter directly into employment and apprentices nearing completion, face-to-face training and learning can take place in schools and colleges where it is essential to enable students and apprentices to prepare for and undertake their exams, assessments and end-point assessments. Furthermore, on 22 February it was announced that all school and further education students will be able to return from 8 March. This means that students taking qualifications which confer occupational competence and apprentices can get back to face-to-face teaching and training, which we know is important for their mental health and educational achievement.

GCSE, AS and A levels

Students have worked hard in preparation for their exams this year and teachers have made tremendous efforts to provide high quality remote education. Given the ongoing disruption to education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, we announced in January that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead as planned this summer. In ensuring our approach was developed with the sector, the Department and Ofqual launched a joint consultation in January on how to award grades in 2021 so they are robust and fair. We received over 100,000 responses from students, parents, teachers, school leaders and other stakeholders. There was widespread support for our approach.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed in his statement on 25 February that students will receive grades determined by their teachers, with pupils only assessed on what they have been taught. Fairness to young people is fundamental to the Department and Ofqual’s decision making. We want to ensure all young people have the confidence that, despite exams not going ahead, they will receive a grade that reflects their ability and enables them to progress.

Full details on alternative arrangements to exams can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/teacher-assessed-grades-for-students.

Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs)

On 25 February, the outcome of the Department for Education’s joint consultation with Ofqual on the arrangements for awarding Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs) including BTECs, as well as the approach to awarding other general qualifications was also published.

The diverse nature of VTQs and other general qualifications means that one approach to awarding cannot be taken to all these qualifications. Different approaches should be taken to three groups of VTQs. However, it is important that there is as much fairness as possible between VTQ students and students taking GCSEs, AS and A levels.

The first group are qualifications used to support progression to further or higher education, which includes many Pearson BTEC qualifications. These will be awarded through teacher assessed grades similar to those being implemented for GCSE and AS/A level awarding.

The second group are VTQs used to enter directly into employment. Exams or assessments will continue where they are critical to demonstrate occupational or professional competence and can be delivered in line with public health measures. However, where the assessment cannot take place safely it will be delayed.

The third group are smaller qualifications that are used for progression to further or higher education but are not like GCSEs or A levels in their structure, such as Functional Skills Qualifications and English for Speakers of Other Languages. Exams and assessments for these will continue in line with public health measures, including remotely, but with alternative arrangements available for those who cannot access the assessments.

Apprenticeships

Apprentices working towards mandatory qualifications as part of their apprenticeship framework or standard are assessed in the same way as students taking those same qualifications through other routes.

Additionally, apprenticeship end-point assessments can continue and should take place remotely wherever possible, in line with the guidance from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education on the delivery of assessment. Our intention is to safeguard the quality of apprenticeships, and end-point assessment is an integral part of that. We do not consider that it would be appropriate to estimate an apprentice’s occupational competence by other means.

To support students taking qualifications used to enter directly into employment and apprentices nearing completion, face-to-face training and learning can take place in schools and colleges where it is essential to enable students and apprentices to prepare for and undertake their exams, assessments and end-point assessments. Furthermore, on 22 February it was announced that all school and further education students will be able to return from 8 March. This means that students taking qualifications which confer occupational competence and apprentices can get back to face-to-face teaching and training, which we know is important for their mental health and educational achievement.

We know that the COVID-19 outbreak, and associated measures and restrictions, such as social distancing and school closures, will be impacting on the mental wellbeing of many people, including children and young people. The government has made student wellbeing and mental health a central part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the support we have already put in place for schools, colleges and universities will be critical during this time.

The return to school for all pupils is being prioritised due to the significant and proven impact caused by being out of school, including on wellbeing. The support schools provide to their pupils as they return to face-to-face education should include time devoted to supporting wellbeing, which will play a fundamental part in supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing recovery. The expectations for schools in this regard are set out clearly in the main DfE guidance to schools which also signposts further support, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

We are also providing support and training to schools through the £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme, a Department for Education-led initiative alongside the Department of Health and Social Care, Higher Education England, Public Health England and key voluntary sector organisations. It is funding local experts to provide training, advice and resources for schools and further education providers to help support pupil and student, parent and carer, and staff wellbeing, resilience, and recovery considering the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown. Over 90% of local authority areas in England have reported that they are delivering additional training and support into local schools and further education providers because of the Wellbeing for Education Return funding and have been continuing to do so remotely.

We have also put in place a £1 billion COVID “catch-up” package with £650 million shared across early years, schools and 16 to 19 providers over the 2020/21 academic year to support education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) have published a COVID-19 support guide to support schools to direct this funding, which includes further information about interventions to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.

In addition to this, the return to school for all pupils from 8 March will be supported with a new £700 million package, which includes a new one-off Recovery Premium for state primary, secondary and special schools to use as they see best to support disadvantaged students. This will help schools to provide their disadvantaged pupils with a one-off boost to the support, both academic and pastoral, that has been proved most effective in helping them recover from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Further details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-education-recovery-package-for-children-and-young-people.

For further education (FE) we are also committed to providing and signposting wellbeing guidance and support, and ensuring that specialist mental health support is available for all students and staff in FE who need it. The FE operational guidance includes a specific section on supporting the mental health of staff and students in addition to signposting providers to additional resources, such as webinars and online platforms. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision.

The department’s College Collaboration Fund (CCF) is a £5.4 million grant funding programme open to all statutory FE colleges, to be delivered in the financial year 2020/21. We particularly welcomed applications that address one of five specific quality improvement needs. Five of the funded projects are designed to provide remote/online mental health and wellbeing support to students and/or staff.

We have worked closely with the Office for Students (OfS), providing up to £3 million to fund the mental health platform Student Space in response to COVID-19, and have asked the OfS to allocate an additional £15 million towards student mental health, through proposed reforms to Teaching grant funding. Student Space is a mental health and wellbeing platform designed to bridge any gaps in support for students arising from this unprecedented situation and works alongside existing services. Ensuring students have access to quality mental health support is a top priority, which is why we asked the OfS to look at extending the platform. I am delighted they have been able to extend the platform to support students for the whole 2020/21 academic year.

For students that need specialist support the government continues to invest in and prioritise mental health. The NHS will receive around an additional £500 million this year, to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need, and invest in the NHS workforce.

The department and the Department of Health and Social Care have convened a Mental Health in Education Action Group. The purpose of the Action Group is to look across the age ranges at the impact of COVID-19 on children, young people and staff in nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities.

Furthermore, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, appointed Dr Alex George (an A&E Doctor) as Youth Mental Health Ambassador to advise the government and raise the profile of mental health education and wellbeing in schools, colleges, and universities. As Youth Mental Health Ambassador, he will use his clinical expertise and personal experience to champion the government’s work on children’s and young people’s mental health and shape policy on improving support for young people in schools, colleges, and universities.

The Department is providing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care. We have secured 1.3 million laptops and tablets and have already delivered over 1.2 million of these to schools, colleges, trusts, local authorities, and further education providers to support disadvantaged children and young people who would not otherwise have access to a digital device.

The Department are making deliveries all the time and expect to achieve our overall commitment of delivering 1.3 million devices by the end of the spring term. The Government is providing this significant injection of laptops and tablets on top of an estimated 2.9 million already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Department has extended support to disadvantaged 16-to-19 year olds, including those in further education. Schools with sixth forms, colleges and other further education institutions are being invited to order laptops and tablets to further support disadvantaged students to access remote education.

The Department has partnered with mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children go online as well as delivering over 70,000 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.

The Department is grateful to EE, Lycamobile, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, Vodafone, iD Mobile and giffgaff for supporting the mobile data offer. We are currently engaged with additional mobile network operators and continue to invite a range of mobile network providers to support the offer.

Four major mobile network operators, Vodafone, O2, Three and EE, have also committed to working together to make access to Oak National Academy free for school children. Additionally, the Department is grateful to BT and EE, who have made access to BBC Bitesize resources free from the end of January 2021.

The Department recognises the pressure that teachers and leaders in schools and colleges are under, and is enormously grateful to them for their efforts, resilience, and service as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Department has worked in partnership with the sector and mental health experts to provide a range of support for mental health and wellbeing. This includes improving access to resources and the development of the first ever wellbeing charter for staff which the Department intends to publish in the coming months.

The Department has taken action to respond to the mental health needs of school leaders as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak by launching a £95,000 pilot led by Education Support to provide online support and telephone supervision from experts to around 250 school leaders. This service has now been extended until March 2021. The outcome of the pilot will inform future wellbeing support. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-mental-health-support-for-pupils-and-teachers.

The £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return training programme continues to support staff in schools and colleges to respond to the additional pressures children and young people may be feeling as a direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as to any emotional response they or their teachers may be experiencing. Additional support can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-pupils-wellbeing. The Government has also provided over £10 million funding to mental health charities – including Mind, the Samaritans, Young Minds, and Bipolar UK to help them adapt, expand, and reach those who are most vulnerable.

Following my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s announcement on 13 January 2021, the Department is also convening a new Mental Health in Education Action Group, chaired by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Children and Families, and my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities. This group will look at how we support young people and staff with their wellbeing as they return to school and university. On 4 February my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister appointed Dr Alex George as Youth Mental Health Ambassador to advise government and raise the profile of mental health education and wellbeing in schools, colleges and universities. He will be joining the new Mental Health in Education Action Group.

As well as providing additional COVID-19 specific mental health advice and support for children and young people, our Relationships, Health and Sex Education curriculum includes mental health and wellbeing. We have a host of online training materials and implementation guides, which give inclusive advice to schools and staff on how best to support pupils’ mental health, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing.

The Government remains committed to long term improvements to support children and young people’s mental health, set out in the government’s response to its green paper and NHS Long Term Plan. This includes rolling out new Mental Health Support Teams to work with a fifth to a quarter of schools and colleges across the country by academic year 2023/24, offering training for a senior mental health lead in every state school in the country, and Link Programme training for all schools and colleges to help frontline health and education professionals work together effectively.

The Union Learning Fund (ULF) only rarely directly provides learning, as its main role has been to link individuals to training that is funded and provided elsewhere, for example via the adult entitlement to fund adults to gain English and Maths qualifications at level 2 and basic digital skills (level 1).

Adult skills are key in supporting the economy and tackling disadvantage and so we are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34 billion in 2020/21). The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning and training up to level 2 for unemployed people aged 19 and over.

The AEB supports 4 statutory entitlements to full funding for adult learners:

o English and maths, up to and including level 2, for individuals aged 19 and over, who have not previously attained a GCSE grade A* - C or grade 4, or higher, and/or

o First full qualification at level 2 for individuals aged 19 to 23, and/or

o First full qualification at level 3 for individuals aged 19 to 23.

o Specified digital skills qualifications for adults with no or low digital skills (came into effect from 1 August 2020).

The fourth statutory entitlement to fully fund specified digital skills qualifications for adults, aged 19+, with no or low digital skills came into effect from 1 August 2020. This will ensure adults, aged 19 and over, can study for specified qualifications in basic digital skills free of charge to get the skills and capabilities they need to get on in life and work. These statutory entitlements apply in devolved and non-devolved areas.

Instead of continuing to support the ULF, the funding will be used to support larger and wider initiatives in adult education. The National Skills Fund and the Skills Recovery Package will expand the funding and support open to all. As announced by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, in September as part of his Lifetime Skills Guarantee, this includes for adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, fully funding their first full level 3, focusing on the valuable courses that will help them get ahead in the labour market.

Schools already support the mental wellbeing of their pupils as part of their curriculum provision and pastoral support. This is paid for from schools’ core funding, which is rising in each financial year by £2.6 billion in 2020/21, £4.8 billion in 2021/22 and £7.1 billion in 2022/23, compared to 2019/20 funding levels. Pastoral support is a core job for schools; we do not place restrictions on spending because it is important that schools are free to decide how best to use the core funding they receive.

We have also put in place a £1 billion COVID “catch-up” package, with £650 million shared across early years, schools and 16-19 providers over the 2020/21 academic year to support education settings in putting the right catch-up and pastoral support in place. The Education Endowment Foundation have published a COVID-19 support guide to support schools to direct this funding, which includes further information about interventions to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.

The Wellbeing for Education Return, a Department for Education led initiative alongside the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Health Education England, Public Health England, and key voluntary sector organisations, backed by £8 million, has trained local experts to provide additional advice and resources for schools and colleges. This is to help support pupil, student, parent, carer, and staff wellbeing, resilience, and recovery, in light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown. Alongside this, the department has launched a £95,000 pilot led by the Education Support charity to provide online peer-support and telephone counselling from experts to around 250 school leaders. The pilot will end in March 2021. The outcome of the pilot will inform any future wellbeing and mental health interventions for staff.

The College Collaboration Fund is a £5.4 million grant funding programme open to all statutory further education colleges, to be delivered in the 2020/21 financial year. We particularly welcomed applications that address one of five specific quality improvement needs. Five of the funded projects are designed to provide remote/online mental health and wellbeing support to students and/or staff.

We worked closely with DHSC on their wellbeing and mental health support plan for COVID-19. The plan sets out the support available for individuals in the context of a second wave, and the winter months, including support for children and young people. As part of taking forward this work, the department will also be convening a mental health action group to look at the effects on children, young people and staff in the education system. We will confirm the next steps as soon as possible.

For children and young people who need specialist support, the government continues to invest in and prioritise mental health for all, with an additional investment of £2.3 billion a year by the 2023/24 financial year through the NHS Long Term Plan. The NHS will also receive approximately an additional £500 million this financial year, to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support that they need, and invest in the NHS workforce. The government has also provided £9 million in funding to mental health charities, including Mind, the Samaritans, Young Minds, and Bipolar UK, to help them adapt, expand, and reach those who are most vulnerable. We have also extended the Barnardo’s See Hear, Respond support for vulnerable children, including support for mental health.

In the long term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with DHSC and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams for all schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support. The department will be convening an action group to look at the effects on children, young people and staff in the education system and we will confirm the next steps as soon as possible.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the UK should use and provide advice on who should be offered them. The JCVI advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems, and as the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.

Under the priority groups for the first phase of vaccine rollout, those over 50 years of age, and all those 16 years of age and over who are clinically extremely vulnerable or have certain underlying health conditions, are eligible for vaccination within the first phase of the programme. This captures almost all preventable deaths from COVID-19 and will include thousands of those in the education and childcare workforce.

In the next phase of the vaccine rollout, the JCVI have asked that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consider occupational vaccination in collaboration with other Government departments. The Department for Education is working with DHSC and Public Health England to ensure that the education and childcare workforce is considered for prioritisation in the rollout of the vaccine.

The Department recognises the pressure that teachers and leaders in schools and colleges are under. We are enormously grateful to them for their efforts, resilience and service to our country’s children and young people as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Department has been working closely with members of our Expert Advisory Group on staff wellbeing throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, and we understand the pressures that teachers and leaders are facing.

The Department has taken decisive action to fund a pilot with Education Support to provide professional supervision from experts and peer support for school leaders, managing the pressures caused by COVID-19. This service will run until at least December 2020, and the outcome of the pilot will inform future wellbeing and mental health interventions. Alongside this, the £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return training programme is already supporting staff in schools and colleges to respond to the additional pressures children and young people may be experiencing because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In June, the Department announced a range of commitments to support the wellbeing of teachers and other education professionals in schools and colleges. These include the creation of a wellbeing charter for the teaching sector. The charter will help create an open culture around wellbeing and mental health, breaking down stigma, and will include a range of commitments by the Government and for employers in schools and colleges to promote and protect staff wellbeing. Further information on this is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-mental-health-support-for-pupils-and-teachers.

Education recovery is a priority for the Department as schools recover from the disruption caused by COVID-19. Schools have been open for all pupils full-time since the start of the autumn term. It continues to be the Department’s aim that all pupils remain in school full-time as this is the best place for them to be for their education, development and wellbeing.

The Department recognises that all children and young people have had their education disrupted as a result of COVID-19. The Department has announced a catch up package worth £1 billion, including a ‘Catch up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time. Alongside the Catch up Premium, the Department has announced a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme, which will increase access to high-quality tuition for the most disadvantaged young people.

The Department is also delivering a remote education support package which includes access to the right technology to deliver remote education, peer to peer training on how to use this effectively, and practical tools, guidance and webinars. Additionally, over 340,000 laptops and tablets, owned by schools, trusts or local authorities, are being made available by the Department this term to support disadvantaged children in Years 3 to 11 whose face-to-face education may be disrupted.

Understanding the long term impact of COVID-19 disruption on attainment and progress is a key research priority for the Department , and it has commissioned an independent research and assessment agency to consider catch up needs and monitor progress over the course of the year. This will help inform strategic policy for supporting the school system.

All children have had their education disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but it is likely that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups will have been hardest hit. The government has announced a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a catch-up premium worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time. To help schools make the best use of this funding, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has published a support guide for schools, which is available here:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/national-tutoring-programme/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/#nav-covid-19-support-guide-for-schools1.

The guidance includes evidence-based approaches to catch-up for all students and a further school planning guide: 2020 to 2021, which is available here:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/guide-to-supporting-schools-planning/.

Alongside this universal grant, a National Tutoring Programme worth £350 million will deliver proven, successful interventions to the most disadvantaged young people. Research shows high-quality individual and small group tuition can add up to five months of progress for disadvantaged pupils.

Schools continue to receive the pupil premium, worth almost £2.4 billion this year. We strongly encourage school leaders to review their Pupil Premium Strategy to ensure that it responds to the needs of pupils as they resume learning in the autumn term.

The government has provided over £3.2 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in meeting COVID-19 related pressures including on children’s services and early intervention. This will be kept under very close review over the coming weeks and months.

We have also committed over £100 million to support access to social care services and remote education, including by providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers to vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Further, we have committed additional funding worth £26.4 million directly to charities to support them and £1.6 million to expand the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s helpline.

In order to ensure engagement with all children in their care and to support effective risk assessment, through emergency legislation and with Social Work England, we have reinstated the professional registration of 8,000 former social workers so that they can re-join the profession, providing additional resource where it is required.

The government has provided over £3.2 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in meeting COVID-19 related pressures including on children’s services and early intervention. This will be kept under very close review over the coming weeks and months.

We have also committed over £100 million to support access to social care services and remote education, including by providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers to vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Further, we have committed additional funding worth £26.4 million directly to charities to support them and £1.6 million to expand the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s helpline.

In order to ensure engagement with all children in their care and to support effective risk assessment, through emergency legislation and with Social Work England, we have reinstated the professional registration of 8,000 former social workers so that they can re-join the profession, providing additional resource where it is required.

The government announced at the Local Government Finance Settlement that English councils' core spending power is rising by over £2.9 billion this financial year. This includes £1 billion of new grant funding that can be used flexibly by local authorities to deliver adult and children’s social care services. Further to this, the government has provided over £3.2 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in meeting COVID-19 related pressures including on children’s services. We will keep this under very close review over the coming weeks and months.

Longer term funding decisions are for this year’s Spending Review.

The Department has asked primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, Reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside priority groups (vulnerable children and children of key workers), from 1 June. From 15 June, secondary schools can invite year 10 and 12 pupils (years 10 and 11 for alternative provision schools) back into school for some face-to-face support with their teachers, to supplement their remote education, which will remain the predominant mode of education for these pupils this term. Priority groups can continue to attend full-time.

The Department has published guidance to help schools prepare for wider opening which includes sections on curriculum as well as staff workload and wellbeing. The guidance is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/actions-for-education-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020.

The Department has also published a planning guide for primary schools which includes a section on what to teach and how. The guidance is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools.

Guidance for secondary school provision is also available: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools.

Teachers will continue to be able to access support to deliver remote teaching to year groups not eligible to be in school at this time. Schools are encouraged to consider how Oak National Academy or other remote education platforms can provide additional support, as well as how education delivered in school, if manageable, could be made available to pupils learning remotely. The Department has provided a range of information, guidance and support for teachers on educating children during the COVID-19 outbreak which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. We know that many schools are successfully delivering food parcels or arranging food collections for eligible children, and we encourage this approach where it is possible.

However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils, and this can include food parcel arrangements, provision through the national voucher scheme or alternative voucher arrangements. We do not hold details of how many schools are making arrangements outside of the national voucher scheme.

We are working very closely with our national voucher scheme supplier, Edenred, to improve the performance of the scheme. Edenred has reported that over £65 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Monday 11 May. Edenred has also reported that over 16,500 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 28 April. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while we upgrade this service to meet increased demand.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. We know that many schools are successfully delivering food parcels or arranging food collections for eligible children, and we encourage this approach where it is possible.

However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils, and this can include food parcel arrangements, provision through the national voucher scheme or alternative voucher arrangements. We do not hold details of how many schools are making arrangements outside of the national voucher scheme.

We are working very closely with our national voucher scheme supplier, Edenred, to improve the performance of the scheme. Edenred has reported that over £65 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Monday 11 May. Edenred has also reported that over 16,500 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 28 April. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while we upgrade this service to meet increased demand.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. We know that many schools are successfully delivering food parcels or arranging food collections for eligible children, and we encourage this approach where it is possible.

However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils, and this can include food parcel arrangements, provision through the national voucher scheme or alternative voucher arrangements. We do not hold details of how many schools are making arrangements outside of the national voucher scheme.

We are working very closely with our national voucher scheme supplier, Edenred, to improve the performance of the scheme. Edenred has reported that over £65 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Monday 11 May. Edenred has also reported that over 16,500 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 28 April. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while we upgrade this service to meet increased demand.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. We know that many schools are successfully delivering food parcels or arranging food collections for eligible children, and we encourage this approach where it is possible.

However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils, and this can include food parcel arrangements, provision through the national voucher scheme or alternative voucher arrangements. We do not hold details of how many schools are making arrangements outside of the national voucher scheme.

We are working very closely with our national voucher scheme supplier, Edenred, to improve the performance of the scheme. Edenred has reported that over £65 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Monday 11 May. Edenred has also reported that over 16,500 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 28 April. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while we upgrade this service to meet increased demand.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

The Department has taken rapid, wide-ranging action to help schools and parents support all young people during the school closures. This includes publishing an initial list of online education resources and guidance for parents, supporting the launch of a new online academy, and supporting the BBC package of TV and online education materials.

The Department is doing everything it can to ensure that schools and other education providers are getting the guidance and support they need to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 while pupils are not attending school. We will do everything possible to make sure no child, whatever their background, falls behind as a result of COVID-19.

The Government has already committed over £100 million to boost remote education, including by providing devices and internet access to vulnerable children who need it most. Devices have been ordered for the most disadvantaged Year 10 pupils who are preparing for examinations, as well as for children receiving support from a social worker, and for care leavers.

Schools also continue to receive additional funding in the form of the pupil premium – worth around £2.4 billion annually – to help them support their disadvantaged pupils.

The Department recognises that disadvantaged pupils making the transition into new primary and secondary schools and into post-16 education risk missing out on crucial support. The Department is looking at how to draw on best practice being put into place by schools and how to support links between education providers. The Department is also looking at how other providers might support children and young people with engagement and development activity now and in the run up to schools reopening.

The Department is also considering, with a range of partner organisations, how best to support all pupils, especially the disadvantaged, who have been affected by school closures.

The Department sends a daily email to schools, colleges and other education providers, which gives updates and new guidance. All advice is on GOV.UK and is frequently updated in line with developments.

The Department is also working closely with the English higher education sector to ensure they have the latest guidance from Public Health England (PHE) and other relevant Government departments.

Vice chancellors and college principals will make decisions about their own institutions using the latest PHE guidance. The Department is working closely with the sector to facilitate this.

Advice continues to be that campus accommodation should remain open unless advised otherwise by PHE. Many universities are home to international students, care leavers and students who are estranged from their families – all of whom might not have anywhere else to go.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, held several conversations with his counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland regarding school closures. Cooperation with devolved administrations is ongoing.

The attached tables show the number and proportion of disadvantaged young people attending state-funded schools and colleges in Barnsley that went on to higher education after 16 to 18 study (taking A level or other level 3 qualifications) in academic years 2010/11 to 2017/18.

Table 1 includes figures for students eligible for free school meals until 2013/2014 and table 2 shows figures of students eligible for pupil premium from 2014/2015 to 2017/2018.

Free school meals and pupil premium status of students is based on eligibility in year 11. From 2017/18, the 16-18 group of leavers contains additional students who took level 3 qualifications not included in the 16-18 attainment tables. Information on student destinations is published annually at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-destinations.

Information on students enrolled in UK Higher Education is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). More information is available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk.

The number of undergraduate and postgraduate higher education entrants who were domiciled in Barnsley and Barnsley East constituency prior to study in each year between 2010/11 and 2018/19 has been provided in the table.

The decline in undergraduate entrants into higher education in Barnsley East constituency and Barnsley local authority can partly be explained by the demographic changes in the area. The entry rate for 18-year-olds into higher education in the Barnsley East constituency has increased from 14.8% in 2010/11 to 21.6% in 2018/19.

Undergraduate and postgraduate entrants domiciled in Barnsley local authority and Barnsley East constituency prior to study

UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

Academic years 2010/11 to 2018/19

Source: DfE analysis of the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s (HESA) Student Record

Notes:

1) Figures are based on the HESA standard registration population.

2) Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

3) Totals may not sum due to rounding.

4) Parliamentary constituency is derived from the student's postcode prior to study.

Statistics for the 2019/20 academic year will become available in January 2021.

Marine protection is a devolved matter and the information below relates to England only.

In England, we have 40 offshore Marine Protected Areas which have been designated to protect a variety of important habitats, species and geological features. Outside of the Common Fisheries Policy, we now are focused on ensuring these sites have the appropriate level of protection from bottom trawling.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has developed an ambitious programme for assessing sites and implementing byelaws, where necessary, to manage fishing activity in all English offshore Marine Protected Areas. We recognise the urgency to establish management measures to protect the marine environment. We will engage fully with all stakeholders and have established a process to enable evidence gathering and consultation, with the aim of all sites being protected within 3 years. As soon as the transition period ended, the MMO moved quickly to launch a consultation on draft management measures for the first four sites. All English offshore sites have been prioritised based on the features sensitivity to fishing activity and these four sites were considered the most urgent.

The consultation closes on the 28^th March 2021 and the MMO is keen to hear views on the proposed management measures.

Marine protection is a devolved matter and the information below relates to England only.

In England, we have 40 offshore Marine Protected Areas which have been designated to protect a variety of important habitats, species and geological features. Outside of the Common Fisheries Policy, we now are focused on ensuring these sites have the appropriate level of protection from bottom trawling.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has developed an ambitious programme for assessing sites and implementing byelaws, where necessary, to manage fishing activity in all English offshore Marine Protected Areas. We recognise the urgency to establish management measures to protect the marine environment. We will engage fully with all stakeholders and have established a process to enable evidence gathering and consultation, with the aim of all sites being protected within 3 years. As soon as the transition period ended, the MMO moved quickly to launch a consultation on draft management measures for the first four sites. All English offshore sites have been prioritised based on the features sensitivity to fishing activity and these four sites were considered the most urgent.

The consultation closes on the 28^th March 2021 and the MMO is keen to hear views on the proposed management measures.

There are currently no plans to convene an emergency flood summit before a major flood event. As part of our ongoing preparedness work for flooding, the department engages across Government to understand and mitigate risks that flooding may pose.

In anticipation of a major flood event, Defra facilitates continuous cross-Government situational awareness and rapid coordination of the central Government response. This aids effective decision making in a significant flooding emergency.

To ensure adequate resources are available, we have committed to review local government funding for local statutory flood and coastal erosion risk management functions to ensure it is fair and matches the needs and resources of local areas. We want to make the funding framework for local government funding simpler, more up to date and more transparent.

Flood funding is part of the overall local government settlement and 2020-21 saw the biggest year-on-year increase in the overall settlement for over ten years, an average 4.4% real terms increase. As set out at the Spending Review, we will be making an additional £2.2 billion available to local government to deliver local services.

The Environment Agency (EA) is prepared to take action this winter wherever it is needed. The EA has 40 kilometres of metal frame temporary barriers, which can be delivered anywhere in the country within 12 hours, providing additional protection to locations where there are no permanent defences or where forecast river levels could overtop existing defences. The EA also has 250 high volume pumps available and 6,500 trained staff across the country, including 314 trained flood support officers. In addition, the EA has trained its contractors to be on hand to support local incident teams preparing for and responding to flooding across England. The EA routinely trains the Army civil contingency battalions as they rotate to ensure additional trained support is available to help deploy barriers should a major incident occur.

Through its communications, including social media, the EA has been encouraging residents and business to sign up to its free flood alert service so they can Prepare, Act and Survive. As of 8 January 2021, there were over 1.52 million properties in England signed up to the EA's free flood warning service, which sends a message directly by voice message, text or email when a flood warning is issued.

The UK has a Fisheries Framework Agreement with Norway. The annual bilateral negotiations with Norway for opportunities during this year will begin shortly, however some UK vessels already have access and will sail imminently. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for agreements to not conclude by December; it is important agreements are met which are balanced for the whole industry.

The UK fleet continues to benefit from fishing opportunities in the waters around Svalbard as a result of arrangements between the UK and Norway. The Marine Management Organisation has now received the relevant information from the operators involved and the relevant licensing processes are complete.

The UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Greenland on 9 November 2020. This agreement provides a platform for cooperation on fisheries issues but does not at this stage provide for annual negotiations or exchanges of fishing opportunities.

The UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iceland on 11 November 2020. This agreement provides a platform for cooperation on fisheries issues but does not provide for annual negotiations or exchanges of fishing opportunities. The UK has not had fishing opportunities in the Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone since 2008.

For stocks which the UK has an interest in, and that have assessments advising on their maximum sustainable yield (MSY), 36 (67%) Total Allowable Catches (TACs) were set at MSY out of a total of 54 in 2020. A full list is set out in the “Analysis of the outcomes of the 2019 December EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council & EU-3rd Country Negotiation” report submitted to the Select Committee on the European Union on 1^st April 2020.

The UK advocates an approach to TACs setting for 2021 founded on the best available scientific advice and which aims to deliver sustainability improvements.

For stocks which the UK has an interest in, and that have assessments advising on their maximum sustainable yield (MSY), 36 (67%) Total Allowable Catches (TACs) were set at MSY out of a total of 54 in 2020. A full list is set out in the “Analysis of the outcomes of the 2019 December EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council & EU-3rd Country Negotiation” report submitted to the Select Committee on the European Union on 1^st April 2020.

The UK advocates an approach to TACs setting for 2021 founded on the best available scientific advice and which aims to deliver sustainability improvements.

The UK Government supports the application of the precautionary approach in setting total allowable catches (TACs) for deep sea stocks. The deep-sea stocks that are subject to a total allowable catch and which will be negotiated with the EU for 2021 and 2022 are :

• Black scabbardfish (BSF)
• Alfonsinos (ALF)
• Roundnose grenadier (RNG)
• Roughhead grenadier (RHG)
• Red seabream (SBR)
• Orange Roughy (ORY)
• Deep-water catsharks (API)
• Frilled shark (HXC)
• Gulper shark (CWO)
• Portuguese dogfish (CYO)
• Longnose velvet dogfish (CYP)
• Black dogfish (CFB)
• Birdbeak dogfish (DCA)
• Kitefin shark (SCK)
• Great lanternshark (ETR)
• Velvet belly (ETX)

The UK Government supports the application of the precautionary approach in setting total allowable catches (TACs) for deep sea stocks. The deep-sea stocks that are subject to a total allowable catch and which will be negotiated with the EU for 2021 and 2022 are :

• Black scabbardfish (BSF)
• Alfonsinos (ALF)
• Roundnose grenadier (RNG)
• Roughhead grenadier (RHG)
• Red seabream (SBR)
• Orange Roughy (ORY)
• Deep-water catsharks (API)
• Frilled shark (HXC)
• Gulper shark (CWO)
• Portuguese dogfish (CYO)
• Longnose velvet dogfish (CYP)
• Black dogfish (CFB)
• Birdbeak dogfish (DCA)
• Kitefin shark (SCK)
• Great lanternshark (ETR)
• Velvet belly (ETX)

The Environment Agency's Long-Term Investment Scenarios (LTIS) assess what could happen with regard to flood risk over the next 50 years in England, and recommend a long-term annual average investment need over that period for works that are cost-beneficial.

LTIS considers total investment from all sources and is not a recommendation for levels of Government spend alone. However, total investment in flood risk management is currently in line with the LTIS optimum investment levels, and will rise above this through the next 6 year flood defences delivery programme beginning in April 2021.

At the Budget earlier this year, the Government confirmed it will invest a record £5.2 billion over six years to build around 2,000 new flood defences and better protect 336,000 properties. In addition, up to £170 million will be spent to accelerate work on shovel-ready flood defence schemes that will begin construction by March 2022, along with a £200 million investment in an innovative flood and coastal resilience programme.

We are investing £200m in a new Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme to pilot new and creative approaches to improve resilience to flooding and coastal change in 25 areas across England. On 9th November 2020, we invited Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) and Coast Protection Authorities (CPAs) to work together with partners to develop their expressions of interest by 15 January 2021. Areas will then be selected based on a range of criteria, including repeated significant flooding in the past. Some initial funding will be used help the areas selected to develop their project proposals into more detailed plans during spring 2021, before the projects formally begin from summer 2021.

In July, £170 million capital funding was announced to accelerate work on shovel-ready flood defence schemes that will begin construction before the end of 21-22. 22 areas across the country will benefit from this immediate boost to jobs supporting the local economy as communities recover from the impact of coronavirus.

The schemes, which were shortlisted and approved based on their economic growth and recovery potential, will together better protect more than 10,000 local businesses and safeguard around 100,000 jobs.

The following table provides a breakdown of funding by scheme for each area:

The government recognises the important role that strategic planning plays in managing flood and coastal erosion risks.

The Flood Risk Regulations 2009 set out the current statutory process for regional flood risk planning over a six-year cycle. The Environment Agency is working with Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) to review and update Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) as part of the next cycle of flood risk planning.

This will aim to improve local flood risk management planning and will also inform the government’s long-term commitment to transform local flood risk planning, as set out in the government Policy Statement on Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management.

Coastal erosion is a natural and ongoing process and the government is committed to supporting communities on the coastline to adapt to and manage the risks of climate change. Defra has provided £1 million to refresh the 20 Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) in England. The Environment Agency is working with coastal authorities to update SMPs which set the future policy direction and management of the coast.

The British Standards Institute is independent of Government and reviews its standards every five years. There is a consultation in progress as to whether to proceed with a review of BS85500:2015, which is due to close on 22 November.

Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) keep in regular contact on these matters. MHCLG keeps building regulations under review.

In England, 46 Risk Management Authorities (RMAs) have developed Property Flood Resilience (PFR) schemes with an element of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Grant-in-Aid or levy funding within the current investment period (2015-2021).

Elements of PFR work may also be carried out within wider flood risk management schemes. However, it is not currently possible to readily identify the number of additional RMAs that have done this.

Capital flood defence grant-in-aid per Office of National Statistics region is shown in the table in the attached document. Actual expenditure for 2019/20 and 2020/21 is not yet available and are allocations only, based on the Environment Agency’s latest consented Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management investment programme.

The report was published on Thursday 5 November.

This link can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flood-insurance-review-2020-blanc-review

The Government recognises the impact that flooding has had on individuals, businesses and local communities and sympathises with all those affected. The Secretary of State, myself and the department have been actively engaging with hon. Members whose constituencies have been affected by flooding.

I am always willing to discuss flooding, or other pertinent matters, with hon. Members, and I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given on 17 September 2020, PQ UIN89799. [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-09-14/89799]

For completeness, meetings and other engagements I have had with hon. Members so far this year are detailed below.