Steve Brine

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

The Department for Education’s ‘Actions for Schools during the coronavirus outbreak guidance’ – which includes advice to schools regarding educational visits and school trips, both overseas and domestic - was last updated on 3 June. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-school-closures/guidance-for-schools-about-temporarily-closing.

The guidance states that the Government advises against any overseas or domestic visits for children under 18 organised by schools and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all non-essential international travel. The Department for Transport’s advice to avoid public transport and unnecessary journeys and Public Health England (PHE) social distancing measures remain in place. Schools affected by these restrictions should work with their tour operator and/or insurance company. The Department will continue to review this position based on FCO and PHE advice.

Further information is available in the guidance ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): travel advice for educational settings’, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-advice-for-educational-settings.

This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

We recognise that students who are studying GCSE, A level or equivalent courses, and are due to take exams and assessments in 2021, will have experienced disruption to their education. We are working with Ofqual and the awarding organisations to develop our approach to next year’s exams and assessments in light of this.

The Government committed in its manifesto to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers to incentivise people to recycle plastic and glass, and is seeking powers to do so in the Environment Bill. Since consulting on its introduction in 2019, the Government has been developing proposals for a DRS for drinks containers using further evidence and ongoing engagement with stakeholders. The scope of the scheme is being further developed and will be presented in a second consultation. The Government is reviewing its implementation timeline for the proposed introduction of the scheme, which will be announced in due course.

At the beginning of each financial year, the Mandate sets out NHS England’s total revenue resource limit and total capital resource limit which is then later revised towards the end of the same financial year for any in-year changes in funding.

For 2016-17, the total initial revenue resource limit was £106,496 million and the total capital resource limit was £305 million. This is the budget that was in effect on 23 June 2016. The totals were subsequently revised to £106,528 million for revenue and £260 million for capital.

For 2020-21 as per the opening Mandate, the total revenue resource limit is £129,681 million, including funding for pensions revaluation, and the total capital resource limit is £305 million. This is the budget that was in effect on 1 January 2021. These figures do not include additional COVID-19 support funding recently negotiated with HM Treasury through the Supplementary Estimates process and the Mandate will be revised in due course to reflect the final position.

The information is not available in the format requested.

For the period 29 June 2020 to 4 January 2021, 4,618 people under the age of 70 years old died within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test in England.

The data prior to 29 June is not available in format requested.

You can only travel internationally or within the United Kingdom (UK) where you first have a legally permitted reason to leave home. In addition, you should consider the public health advice in the country you are visiting. If you do need to travel overseas and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work, even if you are returning to a place you’ve visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, you should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning.

If you are visiting the UK, you may return home. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your destination.

The investigation into certain tobacco products which contain menthol, being carried out in Sweden in accordance with the European Union Commission’s implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/779, no longer applies to Great Britain. The Department has asked Public Health England to conduct testing analysis of cigarettes on the Great Britain market as part of its investigation of possible breaches of the prohibition of characterising flavours in the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. Since 20 May 2020 the production or supply of cigarettes with a menthol characterising flavour in the United Kingdom has been prohibited under Regulation 15 of the 2016 Regulations.

Government is committed to supporting Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and recognises the important role they play in rebuilding our high streets and towns, and that they will be even more important now as we look forward to the recovery phase from the current crisis. On 1 May, Government announced that we will be making available up to £6.1 million of support to BIDs to cover the equivalent of core operational costs for three months. This funding will be based on a fair percentage of a BID’s levy income from each BID’s operating year ending in 2019/20.

This is in addition to legislation included in the Coronavirus Act 2020 on 25 March. The clause enables BIDs to extend the maximum duration of their BID arrangements until 31 March 2021, delaying BID ballots due to take place between now and 31 December 2020 until March 2021. This will ensure that they are conducted in a safe and effective way.