Steve Reed

Shortlists were provided to Ministers of State for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to confirm the successful bids to the UK Community Renewal Fund, however it is not standard practice to publish correspondence between Ministers.

Towns are in the process of completing their business cases and supplying the department with Summary Documents which, once approved, will allow DLUHC to release funding for projects.

The Town Deal programme is scheduled to run until financial year 25/26 with projects set to be delivered by that deadline. Some projects will also be delivered before then according to the timelines established by the towns.

It is expected that all funding provided from the Levelling Up Fund will be spent by 31 March 2024, and, exceptionally, into 2024-25 for larger schemes.

Lord Greenhalgh is responsible for the Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) Welcome Programme.

No.

The Department has received a high volume of applications for the Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Programme Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise grant schemes, which will fund work to support BN(O)s in a number of innovative ways.

We are grateful to all those organisations who have taken the time to apply and we will be in contact with final decisions as soon as possible.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life report recommends numerous legislative changes and other amendments to strengthen the local government standards and conduct system. Of the 26 recommendations, 22 were aimed at Government. We will be issuing the Government response to the report in due course.

The Government has committed to compensating departments and other public sector employers for the increased cost of the Health and Social Care Levy. This applies to employees who are directly employed by the public sector, but not, for example, where services are contracted out.

The local government Spending Review settlement takes account of the additional pressure on local government from the Health and Social Care Levy accordingly. More detail on how the funding announced at the Spending Review will be distributed will be given as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.

As part of the announcement of successful UK Community Renewal Fund projects we have extended the project activity and time to spend funding to 30 June 2022.

Further details on the UKSPF will be published in due course.

The Government believes that providing local authorities with the freedom to use funding in a way that responds to local needs and priorities is key to supporting financial sustainability and sound financial management. The Local Government Finance Settlement and the vast majority of local government’s Core Spending Power (£51.3 billion) is un-ringfenced, giving local authorities flexibility over their spending decisions

There are times when dedicated competitive biddable funding streams are the best way to make sure local government receives the support, they need to deliver the Government’s objectives, including specific funding initiatives, trials or pilots. In such circumstances, Ministers will look to maximise value for money by considering the timing, value and conditions attached to any funding.

As previously stated we aim to publish a full Regulatory Impact Assessment on the measures in due course and in accordance with the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

Areas that bid to the UK Community Renewal Fund have been informed today whether they have been successful.

The first round of the Levelling Up Fund will invest £1.7 billion in 105 local infrastructure projects across the UK. Citizens across the UK can expect to see projects getting underway from early 2022. As set out in the Levelling Up Fund Explanatory Note, a total of 305 Levelling Up Fund bids were received on or before the 18 June 2021 and were assessed in accordance with the approach outlined in the Levelling Up Fund Technical Note.

All successful bids have been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-fund-first-round-successful-bidders

The Committee on Standards in Public Life published a report on Local Government Ethical Standards. One of their recommendations would ensure that councillors no longer need to publish their home address. We have been considering these recommendations carefully, and will respond in due course.

Levelling up is at the heart of the Government's agenda. Levelling up means empowering local leaders and communities to drive real change; boosting living standards, particularly where they are lower; spreading opportunity and improving public services, particularly where they are weaker. The Secretary of State is therefore looking at a number of areas of the department’s work to ensure it reflects these priorities.

We have received Liverpool City Council’s application for a selective licensing scheme. Each application is assessed on its merits against the statutory criteria. Timings can be affected by the complexity of an application and whether further information is required. We will update on the outcome of the application in due course.

The first round of the Levelling Up fund will invest £1.7 billion in 107 local infrastructure projects across the UK. Citizens across the UK can expect to see projects getting underway from early 2022.

The Budget and SR launched the UKSPF, worth over £2.6 billion, to help people access new opportunities in places of need.

The UKSPF will ramp up to £1.5 billion in 2024-25 and total funding will at a minimum match the size of EU funds in all nations, each year. As the Prime Minister previously said, the Government will also match EU funding levels in Cornwall.

Further details on the UKSPF will be published in due course.

The Department is committed to routinely publishing its workforce management information. The number of staff employed at 30th September 2021 can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dluhc-workforce-management-information-september-2021. All staff at AO-SCS levels are employed as Civil Servants.

My Department has been fully involved in developing the plan, including to make sure that the implications for local government are properly considered. The Government is working with care users, providers, local government and other partners to develop its plans and will publish further detail in a white paper for reform later this year.

It is for individual local authorities to decide how and when to publish this information.

Both the Town Deal and Future High Streets elements of the Towns Fund are releasing funding on a rolling basis according to the financial profiles supplied by towns. All 101 Towns invited to submit proposals for a Town Deal have been provided with a Heads of Terms offer, worth a combined total of £2.4 billion; in addition, all 72 successful Future High Streets places have been allocated funding, worth a combined total of £830 million.

The Department has worked closely with BEIS to develop the Net Zero Strategy and the Heat and Buildings Strategy, which outline our approach to reaching net zero and to decarbonising heat in buildings.

Local authorities play an essential role in driving local climate action across energy, housing, and transport. We continue to work with local authorities, capitalising on their unique knowledge of their communities, which is essential to ensuring effective delivery of net zero locally.

As the lead Minister on net zero for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, I look forward to driving the delivery of net zero for our Department. I recognise that as the department for levelling up and housing policy, we play an important role in the government's ambition to reach net zero.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with Cabinet Colleagues on the commitment to net Zero. The CAI last convened on 28 September to discuss high-priority climate change issues. The agenda item for this meeting was the Net Zero Strategy, which includes a commitment to set clear expectations and guidelines on how central and local government interact when delivering net zero, and a new Local Net Zero Programme which centres around the Local Net Zero Forum, announced in the Net Zero Strategy. The Forum will provide a framework for central and local government to collaborate on issues relating to capacity and capability to support local places' ambitions on net zero

Since September, the Secretary of State has held meetings with the chair of the Local Government Association, has met with the M10 network of Metro Mayors, and has spoken at the Local Government Association's Councillors' Forum, comprised of councillors representing different political parties from councils across England and Wales. He has also met with the chair of the County Councils Network. Other Ministers from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities continue to meet regularly with councils and local government representative bodies.

Further to this, my Department continues to lead the Government's significant and regular engagement with councils and local government sector bodies throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to ensure information is getting to councils and that we are made aware of any areas of concern.

The Spending Review will conclude later in the week, at which point the Government will set out its proposals for the future of the local government finance system.

Local Authority COVID-19 Financial Impact monitoring results are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-covid-19-financial-impact-monitoring-information . Monitoring returns are an essential source of evidence in our work to understand the financial pressures that local authorities are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government has allocated over £12 billion directly to councils since the start of the pandemic. Of this, over £6 billion is unringfenced in recognition that local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the major COVID-19 pressures in their local area. We continue to closely monitor the sector's finances as we emerge from the pandemic.

The Department intends to publish the next provisional Local Government Finance Settlement this year.

The Government has been engaging with key stakeholders on the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund since 2016, including holding a series of regional engagement events which helped to identify the opportunities for UK Shared Prosperity Fund policy and learn lessons from EU funding.

Since the publication of the UKSPF Heads of Terms at Spending Review 2020, we have continued to engage widely on UKSPF across a variety of different organisations and sectors.

Applications for the UK Community Renewal Fund (CRF) closed at midday on 18 June 2021. There has been significant interest in the CRF across the four investment priorities and bids are being assessed in line with the published assessment process. Outcomes will be announced in due course and bidders informed.

To help local areas prepare over 21/22 for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, we are providing an additional £220 million through the UK Community Renewal Fund to support our communities across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches.

As set out in the prospectus, the UK Community Renewal Fund will help inform the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through funding of one-year pilots. We want to use the UK Community Renewal Fund to test greater integration of types of interventions and greater flexibility between investment themes than under EU structural funds.

UK community Renewal Fund applications were expected to build on local insight and knowledge, demonstrate how projects complement other national and local provision, and align with long-term strategic plans for local growth, target people most in need and support community renewal. Applicants, if successful, will need to develop an evaluation plan with between 1-2% of their award to be dedicated to that evaluation with a minimum threshold of £10,000.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK. At Spending Review 2020, the Government committed to set out further details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund later this year and to confirm its funding profile at the next Spending Review.

Any necessary changes will be done in a cost-efficient way with expenditure being kept to a minimum.

We are committed to robust monitoring and evaluation to understand the impact of our funding, ensure value for money and learn from what works to inform the design of future initiatives.

The Towns Fund evaluation will examine the impact of its interventions, including on: employment, land values, resident incomes, business turnover and profits, investment, well-being and perception of place.

This is summarised in the Towns Fund Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy, which the Department will publish in due course.

Through the Towns Fund all 101 Towns invited to submit proposals for a Town Deal have been provided with a Heads of Terms offer, worth a combined total of £2.4 billion; in addition, all 72 successful Future High Streets places have been allocated funding, worth a combined total of £830 million.

Our new policy on Article 4 directions announced on 1 July requires that Article 4 directions are used appropriately and proportionately and are targeted so that they only apply to the smallest area possible. Any new Article 4 directions made by local authorities are required to be in accordance with this policy.

This data is not collected by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Department does not hold data on the total number of leisure centres operated by local authorities in England in the last ten years.

The Department does not hold figures on the amounts spent by councils in England on maintaining street lights in each of the last five years.

Local authorities provide expenditure returns to the Department, but the most detailed of these do not have a specific category for pavement maintenance. They have broader categories relating to roads; these can be found in tables A1 and RO2 in the local authority data tables which are linked from www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-capital-expenditure-receipts-and-financing and www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing respectively.

This data is not collected by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Levelling up is about empowering local leaders and communities; growing the private sector and boosting living standards, particularly where they are lower; spreading opportunity and improving public services, particularly where they are lacking; and restoring local pride. As the Prime Minister set out in his speech on the 15 July 2021, the forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper will set out further details.

This data is not collected by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Any necessary changes will be done in a cost-efficient way with expenditure being kept to a minimum.

Local authorities in England report expenditure in long-established annual returns to the Department. Capital expenditure on coastal protection can be found in table A1 of the local authority data tables which are linked from www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-capital-expenditure-receipts-and-financing. Revenue expenditure on coastal protection is in table RO5 of the local authority data tables which are linked from www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing.

None.

The Department does not hold this information.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides guidance to employers on 'ventilation and air conditioning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic' which local authorities may use as part of their communications and engagement with local organisations.

This Government seeks to unite and level up the country, ensuring opportunity is available for all, and our plans to modernise the planning system are an important part of this. We are continuing to reflect on the many responses received to last year's White Paper, and will set out our response.

Independent research into the quality standard of homes delivered through permitted development rights was undertaken in 2019. The research is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quality-standard-of-homes-delivered-through-change-of-use-permitted-development-rights

We now require all homes delivered under permitted development rights to meet Nationally Described Space Standards, and that adequate natural light be provided in habitable rooms.

This data is not currently held centrally.

The Government's policy is that local government reform should be locally led. Local government reform therefore is an ongoing locally led process rather than a one size fits all centrally led approach.

Despite the challenges of Covid-19, levelling up and ensuring that the whole UK can benefit from the same access to opportunities remains core to the Government's vision.

As the PM set out in his speech on 15 July, the Government will publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper in due course, articulating how bold new policy interventions will improve opportunity and boost livelihoods in all parts of the UK.

The Department does not hold central data on the total number of community asset transfers that have been carried out by local authorities since 2010. Local authorities are responsible for setting their own community asset transfer policies and processes, and records of local community asset transfers are held by individual local authorities.

The Department have supported the online platform 'Keep it in the Community' to improve data on community-owned assets and assets of community value and to help make sure that more community groups are able to identify local assets of community value.

Through the £150 million Community Ownership Fund, the UK Government are supporting communities across the United Kingdom to own and manage the local facilities, community assets and amenities most important to them. Community groups can bid for up to £250,000 matched-funding to help them buy or take over local community assets or amenities at risk of being lost, to run as community-owned businesses. The Fund will also work alongside existing community asset transfer frameworks across the UK to support capital works and refurbishment as part of an asset transfer agreement, where the asset is at risk of being lost.

The Department does not hold the requested information.

Statistics on loans, grants and other assistance provided by local authorities for the improvement of private sector housing are available on gov.uk at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2019-to-2020.

Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk.

Details of ministerial meetings are published and available on the gov.uk website; no such Ministerial meeting took place.

Details of ministerial meetings are published and available on the gov.uk website; no such Ministerial meeting took place.

The below table sets out the number and percentage of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) cases over the last five years where a non-conviction outcome occurred due to complainant/victim issue.

Non-conviction outcomes involving complainant/Victim issues occur when one or all of the following apply: failure to attend or refusal to be called to give evidence, withdrawal of a complaint, including cases where complainants/victims have been intimidated but it is inappropriate to compel them to attend court and if the evidence of a complainant/victim fails to support the prosecution of the defendant, including issues of credibility, but there has been no retraction.

The CPS Case Management System does not capture specific data on the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS). This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records all offences charged under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and within those, the offences that involve child abuse are flagged. Since the Act came into force and up to the end of September 2019, the number of Modern Slavery Act offences flagged as child abuse is as follows:

• 2015-2016: 1
• 2016-2017: 21
• 2017-2018: 26
• 2018-2019: 8
• April-Sept 2019: 3

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences, the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding, or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is often the case that defendants will be prosecuted for more than one offence in the same set of proceedings.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) publishes a detailed breakdown of prosecutions for all cases flagged as modern slavery and child abuse within the 2018-19 Violence against Women and Girls Report. This is supplemented by the quarterly Data Bulletins, which are available on the CPS Website.

The CPS reviews their data publication policy periodically throughout the year and at the beginning of the financial year. As part of this review the CPS will consider what data it will publish in 2020/21.

The CPS records all offences charged under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and within those, the offences that involve child abuse are flagged. Since the Act came into force and up to the end of September 2019, the CPS has prosecuted 59 Modern Slavery Act offences involving child abuse.

Cases referred to the CPS by the police as modern slavery are often prosecuted under other legislation. The CPS has prosecuted 209 defendants for human trafficking offences involving child abuse, from 2015/16 to September 2019.

There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is often the case that defendants will be prosecuted for more than one offence in the same set of proceedings.

As of 31 January 2020, there are no apprentices in the Attorney General’s Office (AGO). This is 0% of the total staff employed within the department.

As of 31 November 2019, there are 39 apprentices in Government Legal Department (GLD). This is 1.53% of the total staff employed within the department.

As of 31 December 2019, 3.7% of staff employed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are on an apprenticeship scheme.

As of 31 December 2019, there are 4 apprentices in the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). This is 0.85% of the total staff in the department.

As of 31 November 2019, there are no apprentices at HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI). This is 0% of the total staff employed within the department.

The Cabinet Office publishes guidance on the use of confidentiality clauses in the Civil Service. This is publicly available here. It makes clear that such clauses should not be used to prevent staff from raising or discussing allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination.

As part of the Government's evidence for the Women and Equalities Committee report on the use of non-disclosure agreements in discrminination cases, we provided details on the number of non-disclosure agreements used in the Civil Service including those that were used in cases of alleged discrimination. This represents the latest data we have available.

The Cabinet Office publishes guidance on the use of confidentiality clauses in the Civil Service. This is publicly available here. It makes clear that such clauses should not be used to prevent staff from raising or discussing allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination.

As part of the Government's evidence for the Women and Equalities Committee report on the use of non-disclosure agreements in discrminination cases, we provided details on the number of non-disclosure agreements used in the Civil Service including those that were used in cases of alleged discrimination. This represents the latest data we have available.

The Cabinet Office publishes guidance on the use of confidentiality clauses in the Civil Service. This is publicly available here. It makes clear that such clauses should not be used to prevent staff from raising or discussing allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination.

As part of the Government's evidence for the Women and Equalities Committee report on the use of non-disclosure agreements in discrminination cases, we provided details on the number of non-disclosure agreements used in the Civil Service including those that were used in cases of alleged discrimination. This represents the latest data we have available.

Ministers publish details of their government meetings with external individuals and organisations on GOV.UK.

The Government does not collate details of whether such individuals or organisations have made donations to any political party in the past.

This would not be a material consideration in deciding whether to hold any meeting, nor with the topics discussed.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has yesterday published a comprehensive statement to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee on the manner in which the Westferry planning appeal was determined, and released a comprehensive collection of associated documents into the public domain; and I also refer the Hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s speech in the Opposition Day Debate.

The Cabinet Secretary has not undertaken an investigation; he has written to the Hon. Member in relation to this matter in reply to his letter. Given the Hon. Member publicly released his original letter, I am placing a copy of this reply in the Libraries of the House.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) - acting as the data controller for the shielded patient list (SPL) (ie persons who are medically extremely vulnerable to covid-19), as supplied by the NHS - has provided data of individuals on this list to local authorities. GDS initially provided data from the ‘registered list’ to local authorities in late March. From 2 April GDS provided the entire SPL, which was updated by the NHS on 9 April and 6 May, and then on a rolling basis.

Individual local authorities are only able to access SPL records where the postcode matches their relevant area.

The number of NHS SPL individuals was 2,232,175 as at 26 May 2020 and the number of 'registered list' individuals was 1,190,213 as at 26 May 2020. Note that the ‘registered list’ is broadly a subset of the SPL, not additional to it.

The Government continues to assess the impact of Covid-19 and is reviewing any implications for the delivery of public services on an ongoing basis. Our approach has been, and will continue to be, guided by the evidence and latest advice from medical experts, including the Chief Medical Officer.

We are currently working to facilitate the local, mayoral, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections on 7 May going ahead as planned.

We will of course continue to monitor the situation, and we are developing our responses and contingency plans as necessary.

The Inquiries Act 2005 empowers the Chair of an Inquiry to require the production of evidence, including from witnesses. The Prime Minister has received no requests for a witness statement from the Chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. The London Fire Commissioner (which replaced LFEPA in 2017) is a core participant in the Inquiry.

Data regarding the number of apprentices in each Government Department is published yearly as part of routine Government transparency. The most recent report was published in September 2019, covering the 2018-2019 financial year, and can be found on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-apprenticeship-data-2018-to-2019

Data regarding the number of apprentices in each Government Department is published yearly as part of routine Government transparency. The most recent report was published in September 2019, covering the 2018-2019 financial year, and can be found on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-apprenticeship-data-2018-to-2019

Local Enterprise Partnerships provide self-reported Local Growth Fund monitoring returns on a quarterly basis. Each monitoring return is verified and approved by their Accountable Body’s Section 151 Officer or equivalent, prior to submission to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. These returns include self-reported details of private and public sector investment that has been leveraged because of the Local Growth Fund investment.

£4.3 billion has been paid to Local Enterprise Partnership through the Local Growth Fund over the course of the last four years, to unlock local economic growth through investment in infrastructure across England. A breakdown in provided in the table below.

All payments from the 3 rounds of Growth Deals have been issued to Local Enterprise partnerships (LEPs) as of last year. LEPs are continuing to deliver the projects funded under these deals and currently there are 2109 Local Growth Fund (LGF) projects across all 38 LEPs as shown in the table.

The Local Growth Fund has invested in high value projects in England to boost local economic growth, including transport, skill, business support and housing projects to name but a few. This has empowered local areas to identify and bring forward genuine local priorities.

Local Enterprise Partnerships have reported that, to date over £15 billion of public and private sector investment has been leveraged through Local Growth Fund investment.

Departments publish quarterly details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on GOV.UK. Details for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.

The latest published data covers January to March 2020. Data for April to June 2020 will be published in due course.

Policy relating to young people is shared between several government departments. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for out of school activities for young people. DCMS officials are working closely with several other government departments to develop a bold and ambitious youth offer, including the Department for Education.

The government is developing world-leading plans to make the UK a safer place to be online. This includes a duty of care on online companies, overseen by an independent regulator with tough enforcement powers, to hold them to account. The regulator will have the power to require transparency reports from companies outlining what they are doing to protect people online. These reports will be published so parents and children can make informed decisions about their internet use.

We will carefully consider the recent report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, including its recommendations relating to access to anonymous data for research.

The Department for Culture Media and Sport is working with colleagues across Government, and with young people, to build an ambitious long-term youth offer. The Secretary of State and Minister for Civil Society are responsible for this.

Last year the government announced its intention to set out a long-term vision for young people and has been working to develop this. Building on this announcement, in September the Chancellor announced a £500m Youth Investment Fund to build 60 new youth centres across the country, refurbish around 360 existing youth facilities, and provide over 100 mobile facilities for harder to reach areas. The funding will also be used to ensure that young people have access to a range of positive activities and qualified youth workers.

Ensuring that vulnerable children remain protected is a top priority for the government. Local authorities have the key day-to-day responsibility for delivery of children’s social care and we are working closely with them to ensure stability of services for our most vulnerable children.

£1.6 billion of additional funding is being provided to support local authorities address any pressures they are facing in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including in providing children’s social care.

We recognise the extraordinary pressures on staffing across children’s homes and the difficult decisions providers are making to keep homes operating safely. We understand children’s homes are working closely with their local authorities on continuity plans for staff shortages at a local level and we are working closely with representative bodies to understand and monitor pressures, considering what further support we can provide.

In regards to social work, through the Coronavirus Act, we have taken powers to bring previously registered social workers onto the register of social workers held by the regulator, Social Work England, and have launched ‘Social Work Together’ to allow social workers to register their interest in returning to practice and to match them with employers. We are also looking to give local authorities additional flexibilities to meet the challenges of dealing with coronavirus.

The latest guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services.

We have asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and for childcare providers, schools and colleges to remain closed, except for those children who absolutely need to attend. Guidance covers Ofsted-registered childcare providers for children of all ages, including childminders, nurseries and wraparound childcare and clubs. This includes before- and after-school and holiday care. Further details of the guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

On 23 March 2020, the government also provided further guidance directing youth centres and community centres to close. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.

Regarding financial support, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a package of support for businesses. This includes business rates and Statutory Sick Pay relief, and a range of loans and grants. Furthermore, under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis. HM Revenue & Customs will reimburse 80% of furloughed workers’ wage costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework sets the regulatory standards for learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements for all early years providers caring for children aged 5 and under. The framework defines 7 areas of learning and development and is clear that each area must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.

The EYFS does not promote a particular pedagogical approach - it is for individual early years settings to determine how the areas of learning should be implemented to support children to meet the expected level of development by the end of the reception year.

The EYFS Statutory Framework is available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

Ensuring that vulnerable children remain protected is a top priority for government. Local authorities have the key day-to-day responsibility for delivery of children’s social care and we are working closely with them to ensure stability of services for our most vulnerable children.

£1.6 billion of additional funding is being provided to support local authorities address any pressures they are facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including for delivering children’s social care.

In addition, through the Coronavirus Act 2020 we have taken powers to bring previously registered social workers onto the register of social workers held by the regulator, Social Work England. Alongside this we have launched the Social Work Together programme. Information about this is available at www.socialworkengland.org.uk/news/social-work-together/.

The Government have also published guidance to local authorities accessible at www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services.

From Monday 23 March, all schools and childcare settings are closed except to vulnerable children and children of critical workers. Where the work of a parent or guardian is critical to our response to COVID-19, children should only be sent to school and/or a childcare provider where they cannot be cared for safely at home.

Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those children and young people up to the age of 25 with education, health and care plans. Those who have a social worker include children who have a child protection plan and those who are looked after by the local authority. A child may also be deemed to be vulnerable if they have been assessed as being in need or otherwise meet the definition in Section 17 of the Children Act 1989.

Leaders of educational settings and designated safeguarding leads know who their most vulnerable children are and will have the flexibility to offer a place to those on the edges of receiving children’s social care support.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The government welcomes the 'Safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation' report from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and thanks them for their detailed work and consideration. Child protection is a priority and when a child dies or faces serious harm and it is vital that lessons are learned from these tragedies. The government thanks the Panel for its recommendations and is considering carefully how to respond. In doing so, my ministerial colleagues and I will discuss the report with the Panel, and with those delivering children's social care and other interested parties.

The Department for Education made extensive preparations for leaving the EU based on government planning assumptions to ensure continued support for vulnerable children. We are working with the Home Office and local authorities to ensure that vulnerable children in the care system secure a status under the EU Settlement Scheme and have their rights protected in future.

Maintaining contact is consistently one of the most important issues raised by children and young people. Many children value the relationships that they have, not only with family, but also with previous carers. Children should be supported and encouraged to maintain positive and constructive contact with all those who are important to them and this should include previous foster parents unless this is not consistent with the child’s best interest.

The department is currently talking to the sector to find ways that foster parents can be supported with all aspects of contact, including contact with children that they have previously fostered.

The National Minimum Standards for fostering services are clear that every foster parent should receive an allowance that covers the full cost of caring for a child. Whilst local authorities determine the allowance paid to foster parents in their area, the National Minimum Allowance (NMA) serves as a baseline to the minimum amount that foster parents can expect to receive per week to cover the cost of a child living in their home.

The NMA rates for 2020-21 were published on 6 February. We have notified Directors of Children’s Services and reiterated that whilst it is not mandatory in regulations, we expect all fostering services to pay at least this amount.

No foster parent should be out of pocket because of their fostering role. The National Minimum Standards for fostering services are clear that every foster parent should receive an allowance that covers the full cost of caring for a child. Whilst it is for fostering services to decide the level of financial support offered to foster parents in their area, the Department for Education recommends the National Minimum Allowance (NMA) as a minimum benchmark. No foster parent should expect to receive anything less than the NMA per week. The NMA is uplifted annually to keep in line with inflation.

Over and above the NMA, it is for fostering services to set their own payment systems. Many fostering services currently operate local fee payments for foster parents, which is often based on their skills, experience and qualifications, and/or tier based on the complexity of the child’s needs. Many local authorities also offer additional allowances for equipment costs or to cover expenses such as travel or emergency clothing or initial set-up costs.

Schools and colleges have an important role to play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils by providing support and activities tailored to their particular needs. It is up to schools to decide what support to offer pupils and what measurement tools to use to inform those decisions.

The Department is working on guidance which will build upon the toolkit[1] issued by Public Health England. It will set out how schools can use existing measurement tools to inform different aspects of their provision. The Department will consider the use and suitability of existing tools, and decide whether to take any further action to support schools in the context of that work.

[1] https://www.annafreud.org/media/4612/mwb-toolki-final-draft-4.pdf.

The latest information on episodes of need where trafficking was identified as a factor at the end of assessment is included in the department’s ‘Characteristics of children in need: 2018 to 2019’ statistical publication, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/characteristics-of-children-in-need-2018-to-2019.

Table C3 of this publication shows that, at a national level, trafficking was identified as a factor at the end of assessment in 2,490 (0.5%) of the 498,870 episodes with assessment factor information in the year ending 31 March 2019.

Information on looked-after children is collected from local authorities in the annual looked-after children census, but does not include information on whether the child is specifically considered to be at risk of being trafficked.

The latest information on looked-after children is published in the ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2018 to 2019’ statistical release, available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019.

As at the end of December 2019, the total number of approved applications on behalf of previously looked-after children on special guardianship orders was 3,619 with an average funding of £3,033. The number of rejected applications was 13 (0.4%). The breakdown by financial year and local authority area is attached.

As at December 2019, the total number of approved applications were 42,103 with an average funding of £3,321. The total number of rejected applications was 176 (0.4%). The breakdown by financial year and local authority area is attached.

As at the end of December 2019, the total number of approved applications on behalf of previously looked-after children on special guardianship orders was 3,619 with an average funding of £3,033. The number of rejected applications was 13 (0.4%). The breakdown by financial year and local authority area is attached.

As at December 2019, the total number of approved applications were 42,103 with an average funding of £3,321. The total number of rejected applications was 176 (0.4%). The breakdown by financial year and local authority area is attached.

The safety of students and staff across the education estate remains a high priority. Since the Grenfell fire, the department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on fire safety. In line with the cross-government approach, we identified university-owned residential buildings over 18 metres with potentially dangerous aluminium composite material cladding. In the light of updated building safety guidance for owners of residential buildings published on 20 January 2020 by MHCLG, the department will gather any additional information required on residential buildings across the education estate, and we will continue to work with building owners to ensure that any subsequent remediation work, if any, is undertaken. The department does not hold information on cladding of non-residential university buildings.

The safety of students and staff across the education estate remains a high priority. Since the Grenfell fire, the department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on fire safety. In line with the cross-government approach, we identified university-owned residential buildings over 18 metres with potentially dangerous aluminium composite material cladding. In the light of updated building safety guidance for owners of residential buildings published on 20 January 2020 by MHCLG, the department will gather any additional information required on residential buildings across the education estate, and we will continue to work with building owners to ensure that any subsequent remediation work, if any, is undertaken. The department does not hold information on cladding of non-residential university buildings.

The safety of students and staff across the education estate remains a high priority. Since the Grenfell fire, the department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on fire safety. In line with the cross-government approach, we identified university-owned residential buildings over 18 metres with potentially dangerous aluminium composite material cladding. In the light of updated building safety guidance for owners of residential buildings published on 20 January 2020 by MHCLG, the department will gather any additional information required on residential buildings across the education estate, and we will continue to work with building owners to ensure that any subsequent remediation work, if any, is undertaken. The department does not hold information on cladding of non-residential university buildings.

The numbers of children previously looked after counted for pupil premium plus in each local authority in 2019-20 are shown in the attached table, including the numbers of those on (a) special guardianship order, (b) child arrangements order, (c) residence order and (d) adoption order.

?The Department for Education will publish the response to the Call for Evidence on Building Bulletin 100: Design for Fire Safety in Schools in due course.

The pupil premium is additional funding that state-funded schools in England receive to help improve the attainment and wider outcomes of pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds; and also of looked after and previously looked after children.

Schools are allocated deprivation pupil premium funding based on the number of pupils on roll at the time of the January school census who have been registered for benefits-based free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years (known as Ever6 FSM). Schools also receive pupil premium funding at a higher rate (known as pupil premium plus) for pupils who have left local authority care in England and Wales through adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order. Pupils who are in local authority care for one day or more also attract pupil premium plus funding; this is paid to the local authority and managed by the Virtual School Head.

The Department publishes information annually showing the number of pupils at school, local authority, Parliamentary constituency and national levels who attract the pupil premium to the schools they attend – this is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2019-to-2020.

The Department does not routinely monitor or publish statistics on the number of pupils who would be eligible for the deprivation pupil premium through having a parent in receipt of benefits that meet the qualifying criteria for FSM, but who do not attract this funding to the schools they attend because they are not registered for FSM.

The pupil premium is additional funding that state-funded schools in England receive to help improve the attainment and wider outcomes of pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds; and also of looked after and previously looked after children.

Schools are allocated deprivation pupil premium funding based on the number of pupils on roll at the time of the January school census who have been registered for benefits-based free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years (known as Ever6 FSM). Schools also receive pupil premium funding at a higher rate (known as pupil premium plus) for pupils who have left local authority care in England and Wales through adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order. Pupils who are in local authority care for one day or more also attract pupil premium plus funding; this is paid to the local authority and managed by the Virtual School Head.

The Department publishes information annually showing the number of pupils at school, local authority, Parliamentary constituency and national levels who attract the pupil premium to the schools they attend – this is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2019-to-2020.

The Department does not routinely monitor or publish statistics on the number of pupils who would be eligible for the deprivation pupil premium through having a parent in receipt of benefits that meet the qualifying criteria for FSM, but who do not attract this funding to the schools they attend because they are not registered for FSM.

As the department’s guidance ‘supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ sets out, clinical support for children in schools who have long-term conditions and disabilities remain a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) commissioning responsibility. CCGs should ensure their commissioning arrangements are adequate to provide the ongoing support essential to the safety of these vulnerable children whilst in school. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

The government has no plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban parents from using physical punishment to chastise their child.

The government does not wish to interfere in how loving families bring up their children. Legislation already exists to ban the beating of children by their parents; the defence of reasonable chastisement can only be used when a parent is accused of assault and not when the charge is actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm or child cruelty.

The EdTech Strategy, published in April last year, set out our vision for the use of technology in education and included commitments to help improve the evidence base on the impact of technology. The strategy, funded by £10 million, seeks to support the use of technology to help drive efficiencies, cut teacher workload, support inclusion, and ultimately, improve outcomes for children and young people. The strategy marks the development of the EdTech Demonstrator Schools and Colleges programme which aims to spread good practice in the use of technology. The programme is due to launch across the country in the Spring.

Schools make a real difference to the mental wellbeing of their pupils, and the Government recognises that this is already a priority for many of them. According to the Department’s school snapshot survey published in winter 2018, 92% of secondary schools and 86% of primary schools already use tools such as surveys to monitor their pupils’ wellbeing.

To help more schools to access evidence-based approaches to measure and support wellbeing, the Government will provide wellbeing measurement advice that will enable schools to navigate the resources and tools available to them.

The Government will continue to engage with leading experts on the measurement of mental health and wellbeing in schools. Nationally, the Government draws upon large-scale sample surveys to understand trends in children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and we recently published the first ‘State of the nation’ report on this vitally important issue.

The safety of students and staff across the education estate remains ministers' highest priority. Since the Grenfell fire, the department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on fire safety. In line with that cross-government approach, we identified university-owned residential buildings over 18 metres with potentially dangerous ACM cladding. In the light of updated building safety guidance for owners of residential buildings published on 20 January by MHCLG, the department will gather any additional information required on residential buildings across the education estate, and will continue to work with building owners to ensure that any subsequent remediation work, if any, is undertaken.

The safety of students and staff across the education estate remains ministers' highest priority. Since the Grenfell fire, the department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on fire safety. In line with that cross-government approach, we identified university-owned residential buildings over 18 metres with potentially dangerous ACM cladding. In the light of updated building safety guidance for owners of residential buildings published on 20 January by MHCLG, the department will gather any additional information required on residential buildings across the education estate, and will continue to work with building owners to ensure that any subsequent remediation work, if any, is undertaken.

We recognise that short breaks services for disabled children are vital and we very much recognise the need for this provision. Section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989 sets out the meaning of “disabled” and includes children who are “substantially and permanently handicapped by illness” which can include life threatening or terminal illnesses.

The government made local authority provision of short breaks compulsory in 2011. In performing their duty under paragraph 6(1)(c) of Schedule 2 to the Children Act 1989, a local authority must provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, a range of services which is sufficient to assist carers to continue to provide care or to do so more effectively. The published guidance ‘Short Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children’ provides local authorities with information on their duties. This guidance is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/245580/Short_Breaks_for_Carers_of_Disabled_Children.pdf.

Between 2011-2015 the government provided over £800 million to help local authorities implement the 2011 Short Breaks duties. Ongoing funding now rests with local authorities, and it is right that they have the freedom to make decisions based on the needs of their local area which allows them to prioritise the most vulnerable. This is deliberately flexible to enable local authorities to meet the needs of parents and carers.

The government has confirmed an additional £1 billion grant for adult and children’s social care for every year of this parliament. This is in addition to the continuation of existing social care grants.

We recognise that short breaks services for disabled children are vital and we very much recognise the need for this provision. Section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989 sets out the meaning of “disabled” and includes children who are “substantially and permanently handicapped by illness” which can include life threatening or terminal illnesses.

The government made local authority provision of short breaks compulsory in 2011. In performing their duty under paragraph 6(1)(c) of Schedule 2 to the Children Act 1989, a local authority must provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, a range of services which is sufficient to assist carers to continue to provide care or to do so more effectively. The published guidance ‘Short Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children’ provides local authorities with information on their duties. This guidance is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/245580/Short_Breaks_for_Carers_of_Disabled_Children.pdf.

Between 2011-2015 the government provided over £800 million to help local authorities implement the 2011 Short Breaks duties. Ongoing funding now rests with local authorities, and it is right that they have the freedom to make decisions based on the needs of their local area which allows them to prioritise the most vulnerable. This is deliberately flexible to enable local authorities to meet the needs of parents and carers.

The government has confirmed an additional £1 billion grant for adult and children’s social care for every year of this parliament. This is in addition to the continuation of existing social care grants.

The safety of pupils, students and staff across the education estate remains the Department’s highest priority.

The Department has taken appropriate action as part of the cross-government response to the Grenfell Tower fire. Updated building safety guidance for owners of residential buildings was published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 20 January. In light of this guidance, the Department for Education will gather any additional information required on residential buildings across the education estate and work with building owners to ensure that any subsequent remediation work is undertaken.

The Children in Need review: final data and analysis, published in June 2019, found a moderate correlation between Looked After Children rates in 2018 and the percentage of children in low-income families in 2016. This is available in figure 5d, p.11 & 12 from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/809108/CIN_review_final_analysis_publication.pdf.

Comprehensive data on trends in the numbers and characteristics of children in need are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need#history.

In preparation for the Spending Review, to help ensure decisions are based on the best available evidence, the government is working with the sector to develop a sharper and more granular picture of demand for children’s services.

As set out in the Manifesto, the government is committed to undertaking a review of the care system that covers the key issues facing vulnerable children and young people.

​The Department for Education does not publish forecasts of future demand for children’s social care. Comprehensive data on past trends in the numbers and characteristics of children in need are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need#history.

In preparation for the Spending Review, to help ensure decisions are based on the best available evidence, the government is working with the sector to develop a sharper and more granular picture of future demand for children’s services

And, as set out in the Manifesto, the government is committed to undertaking a review of the care system that covers the key issues facing vulnerable children and young people.

630 civil servants completed this training package between its launch on 20 November 2018 and 31 December 2019.

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

All local authorities have a duty to ensure they have sufficient provision to meet the needs of children in their care. We recognise that some local authorities are facing challenges ensuring there is sufficient provision in their areas to meet the needs of children. We are continuing to take steps to understand this issue and support local authorities.

We are working to increase placement options so that children are placed in homes that meet their needs. This includes £5 million from our £200 million Innovation Fund to increase councils’ residential capacity and improve commissioning practice. We also recognise that a lack of capacity in the fostering system can impact demand for children’s homes places and we have made nearly £500,000 in seed-funding available for 7 partnerships to test new approaches to sufficiency planning and commissioning in foster care.

We provided funding to local and combined authorities to commission feasibility studies into opening new secure provision to increase available capacity. The Residential Care Leadership Board is also sharing learning across the sector. In 2020-21, local government is getting an additional £1 billion grant for adult and children’s social care. This is on top of the continuation of the £410 million social care grant in 2020-21. This will support local authorities to meet rising demand.

The department is continuing to look at what else we can do to support local authorities to ensure that children in care are provided with suitable accommodation that meets their needs. As set out in the manifesto, we are committed to undertaking a review of the care system to make sure that all care placements and settings are providing children and young adults with the support they need.

Effective multi-agency working is integral to delivering joined-up and impactful support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).

We are committed to improving the services and support that these children and young people receive, which is why this government announced an additional £780 million investment in high needs funding for 2020-21.

However, we recognise that funding alone is not enough and this government is taking active steps to improve join-up across education, health and care to support children and young people with SEND. We have established the SEND System Leadership Board, bringing together commissioners across education, health and care to improve the way partners jointly plan, commission and deliver SEND provision. In addition, in September 2019 we launched the SEND review. A key focus of this review is how we can improve cross-system working across education, health and care to support the most positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

A pupil’s name can lawfully be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in Regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 as amended.

All schools must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from the admission register under any of the grounds prescribed in Regulation 8, as soon as the ground for removal is met and no later than the time at which the pupil’s name is removed from the register. The Department does not hold information centrally on the reason pupils are removed from the school register.

The Department has made clear the practice of off-rolling, whereby children are removed from school rolls without formal exclusion in ways that are in the interests of the school rather than the pupil, is unacceptable. Informal or unofficial exclusions are unlawful and we have previously written to schools to remind them of the rules on exclusions. Any school off-rolling on the basis of academic achievement is quite simply breaking the law.

We are continuing to work with Ofsted to tackle the practice of off-rolling. Since September 2019, Ofsted’s new education inspection framework details that where inspectors find off-rolling, this will always be addressed in the inspection report, and where appropriate, could lead to a school’s leadership being judged inadequate.

It is not part of current policy that residential schools should notify Ofsted or the Independent Schools Inspectorate on allegations of child abuse. Statutory guidance in “Keeping Children Safe in Education” requires all schools to refer allegations of abuse against children to the local authority, who are the relevant agency to investigate.

This is a priority area for this government. We are already considering where further changes should be made to ensure that semi-independent and independent settings are used appropriately and that they are of good quality. As set out in the manifesto, we are also committed to undertaking a review of the care system, considering how we support vulnerable children and young people in order to meet their needs and improve their outcomes.

The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 introduced for the first-time quality standards for children’s homes. This includes the new and improved mandatory qualifications for those working in residential childcare, which were designed specifically to better meet children’s needs, by ensuring each new entrant demonstrates their competence in the core knowledge and skills required. The Regulations set out that it is the children’s home’s registered person’s responsibility to ensure staff have the necessary experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child, including any ongoing continuous professional development.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s Interim Report (April 2018) recommended further workforce regulation through introducing professional registration arrangements for staff in children’s homes. The department responded by issuing a Call for Evidence in summer 2019 to gather sector perspectives on wider workforce issues including workforce regulation, qualifications, training and professional standards. We recognise that in order to provide good quality care, we need a high quality, motivated workforce that feel valued and is adequately trained and qualified. We are currently exploring options following on from the Call for Evidence findings. We also understand that some residential homes face challenges attracting and retaining the right number of staff and the department is in regular dialogue with the sector about this issue.

The care review is a fundamental part of this government’s manifesto. We are moving forward with plans to review how we support vulnerable children and young people, in order to meet their needs and improve their outcomes.

A pupil’s name can lawfully be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in Regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 as amended.

All schools must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from the admission register under any of the grounds prescribed in Regulation 8, as soon as the ground for removal is met and no later than the time at which the pupil’s name is removed from the register. The Department does not hold information centrally on the reason pupils are removed from the school register.

The Department has made clear the practice of off-rolling, whereby children are removed from school rolls without formal exclusion in ways that are in the interests of the school rather than the pupil, is unacceptable. Informal or unofficial exclusions are unlawful and we have previously written to schools to remind them of the rules on exclusions. Any school off-rolling on the basis of academic achievement is quite simply breaking the law.

We are continuing to work with Ofsted to tackle the practice of off-rolling. Since September 2019, Ofsted’s new education inspection framework details that where inspectors find off-rolling, this will always be addressed in the inspection report, and where appropriate, could lead to a school’s leadership being judged inadequate.

All local authorities have a duty to ensure they have sufficient provision to meet the needs of children in their care. We recognise that some local authorities are facing challenges ensuring there is sufficient provision in their areas to meet the needs of children. We are continuing to take steps to understand this issue and support local authorities.

We are working to increase placement options so that children are placed in homes that meet their needs. This includes £5 million from our £200 million Innovation Fund to increase councils’ residential capacity and improve commissioning practice. We also recognise that a lack of capacity in the fostering system can impact demand for children’s homes places and we have made nearly £500,000 in seed-funding available for 7 partnerships to test new approaches to sufficiency planning and commissioning in foster care.

We provided funding to local and combined authorities to commission feasibility studies into opening new secure provision to increase available capacity. The Residential Care Leadership Board is also sharing learning across the sector. In 2020-21, local government is getting an additional £1 billion grant for adult and children’s social care. This is on top of the continuation of the £410 million social care grant in 2020-21. This will support local authorities to meet rising demand.

The department is continuing to look at what else we can do to support local authorities to ensure that children in care are provided with suitable accommodation that meets their needs. As set out in the manifesto, we are committed to undertaking a review of the care system to make sure that all care placements and settings are providing children and young adults with the support they need.

The information requested in not held centrally.

Following the Grenfell tragedy the Department contacted all bodies responsible for safety in school buildings in England, instructing them to carry out checks to identify any buildings which had Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding of potential concern, so that they could be further investigated and any risks managed and dealt with appropriately and promptly. This work focused on identifying schools with ACM over 18 metres or with residential accommodation, and on student residential buildings over 18 metres with ACM.

The safety of pupils, students and staff remains the Department’s highest priority. Since the Grenfell fire, the Department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as part of the cross-government programme to remediate buildings with potentially dangerous cladding. That approach will continue, and we welcome the package of measures to improve building safety standards announced on 20 January by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Department is already looking at ways to ensure the education estate complies fully with the updated advice to building owners, announced as part of that package, on actions they should take in relation to cladding.

The independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s first national review focuses on what can be done to protect children who are threatened and exploited by criminal gangs. The date for publication is being determined, as is that for the triennial analysis of serious case reviews, 2014 to 2017. We expect that both documents will be published in the coming weeks.

The independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s first national review focuses on what can be done to protect children who are threatened and exploited by criminal gangs. The date for publication is being determined, as is that for the triennial analysis of serious case reviews, 2014 to 2017. We expect that both documents will be published in the coming weeks.

We are pleased to see that the engagement with the letter of 18 November from my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education to all 138 higher education institutions has had a 100% response rate.

The safety of pupils, students and staff remains ministers’ highest priority. Since the Grenfell fire, the department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as part of the cross government programme to remediate buildings with potentially dangerous cladding, including student accommodation. That approach will continue, and we welcome the package of measures to improve building safety standards announced on 20 January by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. We are already looking at ways to ensure the education estate complies fully with the updated advice to building owners, announced as part of that package, on actions they should take in relation to cladding.

We are pleased to see that the engagement with the letter of 18 November from my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education to all 138 higher education institutions has had a 100% response rate.

The safety of pupils, students and staff remains ministers’ highest priority. Since the Grenfell fire, the department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as part of the cross government programme to remediate buildings with potentially dangerous cladding, including student accommodation. That approach will continue, and we welcome the package of measures to improve building safety standards announced on 20 January by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. We are already looking at ways to ensure the education estate complies fully with the updated advice to building owners, announced as part of that package, on actions they should take in relation to cladding.

The government is committed to giving due consideration to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child when making policy and legislation. This includes, in article 12 of the Convention, giving children the right to express their views in all matters affecting them.

In order to help government departments give consideration to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we have put in place a comprehensive children’s rights training package. This package is available across the whole Civil Service and includes access to a Child Rights Impact Assessment template. The tools in the package provide a structured way for policy makers to consider how their policies will impact on children’s rights and promote the voice of the child in policy making. We continue to encourage all departments to make use of the training and template so that consideration of children’s rights is further embedded in government policy and law-making.

The government is committed to improving the lives of vulnerable children.

Over the 5-year period from 2015 to 2020, councils will have had access to more than £200 billion. Within that, we have seen councils prioritise spending on the most vulnerable children, with spending on child protection increasing from £2.2 billion to £2.4 billion in 2018-19.

In order to help support local authorities meet rising demand, the government is providing councils with an additional £1 billion for adult and children's social care in every year of this Parliament. This is on top of the continuation of the £410 million social care grant in 2020-21.

As set out in the Conservative Party’s manifesto, we will review the care system to make sure that all care placements and settings are providing children and young adults with the support they need.

Every child growing up in care should have a stable, secure environment where they feel supported, regardless of the type of their placement. Due to this reason, we are committed to undertaking a review of the care system. This was set out in the Conservative Party’s manifesto and it is an early priority to deliver on this commitment. Doing so will allow us to go even further and to make sure that all care placements and settings provide children and young people with the support they need.

‘Fostering Better Outcomes (2018)’ sets out our ambitions for foster care, including our plans to undertake a digital project to explore how technology can help improve the quality and consistency of data on foster parents, to inform recruitment, planning and vacancy management. This project has been underway since October 2019. The aim of the project is not to design a central register but to improve our understanding of the feasibility and potential of national digital approaches to addressing the current challenges.

While most children in care are placed in children’s homes or foster care, an increasing number of children are placed in independent and semi-independent settings. For many older children, this is the right type of placement to meet their needs and develop their independence ahead of adult life. Where local authorities place children in these settings, they must ensure that these settings are suitable. It is unacceptable for any child to be placed for any amount of time in a setting that does not meet their needs and keep them safe.

We cannot imagine a circumstance under which a child under the age of 16 should be placed in an independent or semi-independent setting that does not deliver care, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has written to local authorities asking them to review these placements. We are considering where we must go further to ensure that these settings are used appropriately and that they are of good quality.

Every child growing up in care should have a stable, secure environment where they feel supported, regardless of the type of their placement. Due to this reason, we are committed to undertaking a review of the care system. This was set out in the Conservative Party’s manifesto and it is an early priority to deliver on this commitment. Doing so will allow us to go even further and to make sure that all care placements and settings provide children and young people with the support they need.

‘Fostering Better Outcomes (2018)’ sets out our ambitions for foster care, including our plans to undertake a digital project to explore how technology can help improve the quality and consistency of data on foster parents, to inform recruitment, planning and vacancy management. This project has been underway since October 2019. The aim of the project is not to design a central register but to improve our understanding of the feasibility and potential of national digital approaches to addressing the current challenges.

While most children in care are placed in children’s homes or foster care, an increasing number of children are placed in independent and semi-independent settings. For many older children, this is the right type of placement to meet their needs and develop their independence ahead of adult life. Where local authorities place children in these settings, they must ensure that these settings are suitable. It is unacceptable for any child to be placed for any amount of time in a setting that does not meet their needs and keep them safe.

We cannot imagine a circumstance under which a child under the age of 16 should be placed in an independent or semi-independent setting that does not deliver care, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has written to local authorities asking them to review these placements. We are considering where we must go further to ensure that these settings are used appropriately and that they are of good quality.

The Government is committed to investing in school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Department has allocated £365 million to local authorities across 2018 to 2021 through the Special Provision Capital Fund. This funding supports local authorities to create places for pupils with SEND. This funding also improves facilities for them in mainstream and special schools, nurseries, colleges and other education providers. The Department will continue to keep capital funding for pupils with SEND under review ahead of the next Spending Review.

In addition to this, 43 new Special Free Schools have opened since 2012 with a further 48 approved to open in the future. This will provide an additional 5,000 high quality new places. The Department also approved bids from local authorities for 37 new Special Schools and hope to announce the successful trusts to run these schools early this year.

Every child growing up in care should have a stable, secure environment where they feel supported, regardless of the type of their placement. Due to this reason, we are committed to undertaking a review of the care system. This was set out in the Conservative Party’s manifesto and it is an early priority to deliver on this commitment. Doing so will allow us to go even further and to make sure that all care placements and settings provide children and young people with the support they need.

‘Fostering Better Outcomes (2018)’ sets out our ambitions for foster care, including our plans to undertake a digital project to explore how technology can help improve the quality and consistency of data on foster parents, to inform recruitment, planning and vacancy management. This project has been underway since October 2019. The aim of the project is not to design a central register but to improve our understanding of the feasibility and potential of national digital approaches to addressing the current challenges.

While most children in care are placed in children’s homes or foster care, an increasing number of children are placed in independent and semi-independent settings. For many older children, this is the right type of placement to meet their needs and develop their independence ahead of adult life. Where local authorities place children in these settings, they must ensure that these settings are suitable. It is unacceptable for any child to be placed for any amount of time in a setting that does not meet their needs and keep them safe.

We cannot imagine a circumstance under which a child under the age of 16 should be placed in an independent or semi-independent setting that does not deliver care, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has written to local authorities asking them to review these placements. We are considering where we must go further to ensure that these settings are used appropriately and that they are of good quality.

We are committed to inclusive education of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and the progressive removal of barriers to learning and participation in mainstream education. This commitment is reflected in the law on SEND and underpins all aspects of the SEND system. We have made our expectation clear that every school is a school for pupils with SEND and that every teacher is a teacher of pupils with SEND.

To support mainstream schools to meet the needs of pupils with SEND effectively, we will provide, for example, an extra £780 million in high needs funding next year. This figure is an increase of 12% compared to this year, bringing the total amount for supporting pupils with the most complex needs (including pupils in mainstream schools who have an education, health and care plan) to £7.2 billion. This increase will be the largest year-on-year increase since the high needs funding block was created in 2013.

We have also launched a review of the SEND system, which is considering how the system has evolved since 2014, how it can be made to work best for all families and how we can ensure quality of provision is the same across the country. The review is also looking at how all schools and colleges can provide the best possible support to enable all children and young people with SEND to thrive and prepare for adulthood.

Our commitment to support for pupils with SEND is also reflected in the teacher-training approach that special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching. As part of teachers’ initial training, qualified teachers must have demonstrated their ability to recognise and respond to a wide range of pupils’ needs, including pupils with SEND.

Additionally, a SEND schools’ workforce contract worth £3.9 million has been in place over the period 2018 to 2020 to equip the workforce to deliver high quality teaching to pupils with all types of SEND.

Depending on the cause of an infestation, local authorities have certain responsibilities where pest control is concerned and they have the flexibility to allocate resources to address local priorities, based on an assessment of risk. Local priorities will vary across geographical areas and might involve one or more type of pest ranging from wasps, rats, mice and bedbugs. Under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, local authorities have a duty to deal with infestations of rats and mice.

In order to help coordinate central Government's expectation of regulatory services in local government, including environmental health services, and to propose short and long-term options to support these essential services the Government is supporting regulatory services teams through the Regulatory Services Task and Finish Group.

The Government has already taken significant steps to improve the welfare of domestic and other animals. The Animal Health and Welfare Framework has been produced to help county councils, unitary authorities and metropolitan boroughs in England deliver their statutory duties in relation to the health and welfare of farmed animals. Published in May 2021, our Action Plan for Animal Welfare sets out an ambitious programme of future reforms which will strengthen our position as a world leader in this field.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 were developed to help improve standards and enforcement across a range of animal activities licensed by local authorities; for example, modernising the regulation of dog breeding, pet selling and animal boarding. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the requirements of licenses in these areas and have access to appropriately trained officers. Statutory guidance aims to improve consistency with the interpretation and application by local authorities of the regulatory regime across England. Ultimately, however, it is for local authorities themselves to decide how best to use the powers of inspection and licensing available to implement the regime and deal with individual cases.

Defra do not hold any data from the last five years on the number of shopping trolleys or motor vehicles abandoned nor the amount spent by local authorities on seizing, storing and disposing of abandoned shopping trolleys.

Local authorities have powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to seize, store and dispose of abandoned shopping and luggage trolleys. They can also recover costs from the owners of the trolleys.

Local authorities may agree schemes with local businesses to make sure they collect their trolleys. The local authority cannot claim any costs associated with removing, storing or disposing of trolleys if the trolley owners are part of such a scheme.

Defra has not made an assessment of the environmental impact of abandoned shopping trolleys.

The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 (RDAA) places a duty on councils to remove vehicles that are abandoned on any land in the open air, including private land, and council officers may legally enter land to investigate and remove abandoned vehicles.

Authorities do not have to remove an abandoned vehicle if the cost of moving it to the nearest highway is unreasonably high. It is for councils to determine whether any particular vehicle has been abandoned, and whether it is subject to their duty to remove it.

The Government has published guidance on councils’ powers for removing abandoned trolleys and responsibilities for removing abandoned vehicles, which is available at gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/removing-abandoned-shopping-trolleys-council-powers and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities

Defra do not hold any data from the last five years on the number of shopping trolleys or motor vehicles abandoned nor the amount spent by local authorities on seizing, storing and disposing of abandoned shopping trolleys.

Local authorities have powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to seize, store and dispose of abandoned shopping and luggage trolleys. They can also recover costs from the owners of the trolleys.

Local authorities may agree schemes with local businesses to make sure they collect their trolleys. The local authority cannot claim any costs associated with removing, storing or disposing of trolleys if the trolley owners are part of such a scheme.

Defra has not made an assessment of the environmental impact of abandoned shopping trolleys.

The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 (RDAA) places a duty on councils to remove vehicles that are abandoned on any land in the open air, including private land, and council officers may legally enter land to investigate and remove abandoned vehicles.

Authorities do not have to remove an abandoned vehicle if the cost of moving it to the nearest highway is unreasonably high. It is for councils to determine whether any particular vehicle has been abandoned, and whether it is subject to their duty to remove it.

The Government has published guidance on councils’ powers for removing abandoned trolleys and responsibilities for removing abandoned vehicles, which is available at gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/removing-abandoned-shopping-trolleys-council-powers and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities

Defra do not hold any data from the last five years on the number of shopping trolleys or motor vehicles abandoned nor the amount spent by local authorities on seizing, storing and disposing of abandoned shopping trolleys.

Local authorities have powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to seize, store and dispose of abandoned shopping and luggage trolleys. They can also recover costs from the owners of the trolleys.

Local authorities may agree schemes with local businesses to make sure they collect their trolleys. The local authority cannot claim any costs associated with removing, storing or disposing of trolleys if the trolley owners are part of such a scheme.

Defra has not made an assessment of the environmental impact of abandoned shopping trolleys.

The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 (RDAA) places a duty on councils to remove vehicles that are abandoned on any land in the open air, including private land, and council officers may legally enter land to investigate and remove abandoned vehicles.

Authorities do not have to remove an abandoned vehicle if the cost of moving it to the nearest highway is unreasonably high. It is for councils to determine whether any particular vehicle has been abandoned, and whether it is subject to their duty to remove it.

The Government has published guidance on councils’ powers for removing abandoned trolleys and responsibilities for removing abandoned vehicles, which is available at gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/removing-abandoned-shopping-trolleys-council-powers and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities

Defra do not hold any data from the last five years on the number of shopping trolleys or motor vehicles abandoned nor the amount spent by local authorities on seizing, storing and disposing of abandoned shopping trolleys.

Local authorities have powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to seize, store and dispose of abandoned shopping and luggage trolleys. They can also recover costs from the owners of the trolleys.

Local authorities may agree schemes with local businesses to make sure they collect their trolleys. The local authority cannot claim any costs associated with removing, storing or disposing of trolleys if the trolley owners are part of such a scheme.

Defra has not made an assessment of the environmental impact of abandoned shopping trolleys.

The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 (RDAA) places a duty on councils to remove vehicles that are abandoned on any land in the open air, including private land, and council officers may legally enter land to investigate and remove abandoned vehicles.

Authorities do not have to remove an abandoned vehicle if the cost of moving it to the nearest highway is unreasonably high. It is for councils to determine whether any particular vehicle has been abandoned, and whether it is subject to their duty to remove it.

The Government has published guidance on councils’ powers for removing abandoned trolleys and responsibilities for removing abandoned vehicles, which is available at gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/removing-abandoned-shopping-trolleys-council-powers and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities

We are actively engaging with companies in the waste sector and local authorities to understand the current level of absences amongst their staff and the potential for this to impact their services.

We circulated a short survey to waste companies and local authorities on 21 July 2021 to gather data on staff absences and heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver vacancies. We intend to continue gathering this data over the summer to continue our assessment of pressures on waste and recycling services.

Defra does not hold data on the number of local authorities that provide a service to remove abandoned vehicles.

The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 places a duty on councils to remove vehicles that are abandoned on any land in the open air, including private land, and council officers may legally enter land to investigate and remove abandoned vehicles.

Authorities do not have to remove an abandoned vehicle if the cost of moving it to the nearest highway is unreasonably high. It is for councils to determine whether any particular vehicle has been abandoned, and whether it is subject to their duty to remove it.

The Government has published guidance on councils’ responsibilities for removing abandoned vehicles, which is available at gov.uk.

According to data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, the number of local authorities providing a weekly residual waste collection was (a) 202 in 2009/10, (b) 172 in 2014/15 and (c) 147 in 2019/20. In the data set, some local authorities may appear in more than one frequency category as they may operate several different schemes across their area. There are also a small number of local authorities who provide a residual waste collection more frequently than weekly.

The frequency of waste collections is for local authorities to determine. The Government supports comprehensive and frequent rubbish and recycling services and is developing proposals on consistent recycling collections, including requiring weekly food waste collections from all households in England.

We collect information on the number of Civic Amenity Sites (household waste recycling centres) operated by a local authority or its contractors. This information is only collected in quarter four (January to March) via WasteDataFlow. Two questions are completed in WasteDataFlow, one by waste disposal authorities for each district and the other is completed by unitary authorities and waste collection authorities.

The datasets can be found at the following link: WasteDataFlow - Local Authority waste management - data.gov.uk, with the datasets for 2020, 2015 and 2010 attached.

The data can be filtered by setting the 'question column' to 'Q013' (Waste Disposal Authories) or 'Q015' (Unitary Authorities and Waste Collection Authorities). Then the number of Civic Amenity Sites for each local authority will be presented in the 'data column'.

We have provided no specific guidance to local authorities on the effect of air pollution on the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

However, on 7 April, we asked the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) to issue a call for evidence addressing areas of current scientific uncertainty related to the potential interactions between COVID-19 and UK air pollution. The AQEG report assessing available evidence was published on the UK Air website on 1 July. The report concluded that there is currently very limited evidence to support the concept of transmission of viable live SARS-Cov-2 virus via ambient (outdoor) particulate matter.

We continue to work with our colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England and the wider research community to improve our understanding of this issue.

The Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) regime requires that local authorities review and assess air quality in their area. When a local authority assesses that air quality objectives may be exceeded, it should carry out appropriate air quality monitoring. Defra provides technical and policy guidance to local authorities to assist them in meeting these LAQM responsibilities. Defra also provides technical support to local authorities via a dedicated local air quality management Helpdesk (phone, email and webpage) and calculation tools to support local authorities in their monitoring and modelling efforts to ensure a consistent approach.

We do not routinely assess air pollution levels against World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines at a local authority level. However, local authorities are required to review and assess local air quality with regard to air quality standards and objectives under the Local Air Quality Management regime.

We have committed to setting a new ambitious target for fine particulate matter (PM_2.5). As part of that work we have explored progress made towards WHO PM_2.5 guidelines on a national level and a report was published in July 2019.

The Government is committed to evidence-based policy making and will consider the WHO annual mean guideline level for PM_2.5 when setting the target, alongside independent expert advice, evidence and analysis on a diversity of factors. It is important to get this right and set a target that is ambitious, achievable and focuses on how the greatest public health benefits can be achieved.

Air pollution poses one of the biggest environmental threats to public health, which is why the Government is already investing £3.8 billion to clean up our air. This includes £880 million ring-fenced for local authorities to tackle previously identified nitrogen dioxide exceedances. The Defra/Department for Transport Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) continues to work closely with those local authorities developing and implementing local clean air plans, which can include charging Clean Air Zones (CAZs). JAQU provides these local authorities with guidance on the practicalities of setting up a CAZ, including information on both the digital interface and the physical infrastructure required to make CAZs function effectively.

It is legal for household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) to remain open during the Coronavirus pandemic. However, we know that some local authorities are finding this challenging, which is why on 5 May Defra published some guidance to help local authorities do this.

We worked with industry, local authorities and other Government departments, including Public Health England, on developing the guidance which includes a section on workforce safety. The key principle of the guidance is that human health must be protected while maintaining safe systems of working. Social distancing must also be observed by both staff and visitors to HWRCs wherever possible. The guidance makes it clear that residents must only visit HWRCs if they cannot store safely at home the items they wish to dispose of.

Here is a link to the guidance on the GOV.UK website:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-to-local-authorities-on-prioritising-waste-collections/managing-household-waste-and-recycling-centres-hwrcs-in-england-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic

As of 31 December 2019, there were 72 apprentices in Defra. This is 1.4% of the total staff employed in the department.

Data regarding the number of apprentices in each Government department is published yearly as part of routine Government transparency. The most recent report was published in September last year, covering the 2018-19 financial year, and can be found on the GOV.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-apprenticeship-data-2018-to-2019

The Department does not hold data on the level of profits made by bus operating companies.

Since May 2020, the Government has made funding available through the Infection Control Fund and its successors to support adult social care providers to take measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Local authorities are required to report to the Department on how this funding has been used by providers in their geographical area. The Department reviews the information provided and may request that providers make their financial records available.

Providers in receipt of funding are also required to complete the Capacity Tracker, which collects daily and weekly data on the workforce, infection prevention and control measures such as personal protective equipment, designated setting vacancies and vaccination uptake for COVID-19 and flu by staff and residents. Data anomalies or areas of concern are followed up, including with individual providers, as necessary.

Public Health England publishes notifications of food poisoning which are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notifiable-diseases-weekly-reports-for-2021

I am the Minister with responsibility for social care and mental health.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information is not held in the format requested.

Local authorities do not have responsibility for the commissioning or operational delivery of childhood immunisation services. However, Directors of Public Health in local authorities have responsibility for the health and well-being of their populations and work closely with regional NHS England colleagues to ensure that immunisation services are of high quality and delivered effectively. Services are reviewed regularly by Directors of Public Health and Health and Well-being Boards with the UK Health Security Agency’s national immunisation team.

No specific assessment has been made.

We continue to work closely with bereavement services to ensure support is available and assess what is required by the sector.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The Service Continuity and Care Market Review took the form of all local authorities carrying out a self-assessment in autumn 2020, to ascertain the risk to the continuity of care across all adult social care markets in England over the winter to the end of March 2021. We are unable to provide the content of these self-assessments as they are commercially sensitive and the disclosure of information may prejudice local authorities’ ability to deliver their services.

However, the National Audit Office published a high-level summary of the review findings in, ‘The adult social care market in England’ in March 2021, which is attached.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to shape their local markets according to local needs, which includes securing the right balance of domiciliary, residential and other provision. Throughout the pandemic, we have made available over £2 billion in specific funding for adult social care, in addition to over £6 billion for local authorities to address pressures on their services. In partnership with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government Association, we carried out a service continuity and care market review to understand the robustness of local authorities’ plans and the level of support needed to maintain continuity of provision through winter 2020-21.

The Government has been in constant contact with local authority leaders and directors of public health to support local Covid-19 outbreak management in these areas.

The Department engages routinely with Local Authorities through our Regional Partnership teams, who have daily and weekly meetings with local authorities. The Director of Strategy & Engagement for Contain and their team meets with Local Authority Chief Executives, Directors of Public Health, the Local Government Association and Society of Local Authority Chief Executives fortnightly to discuss policy development.

On 25 May 2021, officials met the 8 Local Authorities concerned about the travel guidance. Since then we have engaged continuously with local health leads on the risks posed by new variants. We have deployed local communications to the affected areas to alert the public to advice. We worked at pace last week, recognising the risks posed by the increased case rates of the new variant in some parts of the country. As a result, we recognise that the communications were not as clear as they could have been. We will be discussing with local authority colleagues this week to make sure that everyone is clear what the expectations are and how we can improve communications going forward.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies considered the impact of tiers in England and interventions in the devolved administrations in November 2020. A summary of this analysis is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-interventions-tfg-the-uks-4-nations-autumn-interventions-update-26-november-2020

Between 28 May 2020 to 28 April 2021 the total number of polymerase chain reaction tests which produced a recorded result was 8,726,870 test results.

The total number of lateral flow device tests which recorded a result between 22 October 2020 and 28 April 2021 in England was 63,852,593.

In determining fixed charges for short-term residential care, a local authority must follow the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) 2014 Regulation (the Regulations) and have regard to the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance.

It is the role of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, to look at individual complaints about local authority failure to follow policies, including those on whether fixed charges for short-term residential care are in line with statutory guidance.

Public health allocations to local authorities in England were published on 16 March 2021 and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2021-to-2022

Figures on how many consultants are employed each month on the Test and Trace programme is not collected as the number is subject to continual week on week change. Audited information for the monthly costs of consultants is not currently available.

The actual average cost per day to the Department for a consultant is £1,100 per day and approximately 2,500 consultants are currently employed on NHS Test and Trace. Information on the number of days in total of consultancy time contracted to support NHS Test and Trace is not collected in the format requested.

We expect to confirm individual local authority public health grant allocations for 2021/22 shortly.

In the recent Spending Review, it was announced that the Department would be provided with funding for 2021/2022 to cover ongoing COVID-19 related personal protective equipment (PPE) expenditure. We are currently analysing options for the future supply and distribution of PPE beyond March 2021.

We have seen a monumental change in the way that PPE has been secured and supplied across the country. We have learned a great deal from this experience and want to build on this to transition to a future model that is both resilient and proportionate.

Local authorities will play a vital role, working together with the National Health Service and local care providers, to ensure we make the best possible use of initial supplies of the vaccine. The NHS has identified Senior Responsible Officers to link local authorities and the social care system. The Government will continue to support councils and will ensure everyone who has been clinically prioritised to receive a vaccine will have access as soon as possible.

As of 20 September 2020, NHS Volunteer Responders have undertaken 861,192 tasks since the start of the programme, which went fully live on 7 April 2020.

The following table sets out the number of completed tasks by month from March to September 2020.

Information on Test and Trace contracts is available publicly on https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

Week by week data is not available.

The contract with Clipper Logistics was put in place by Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL), the management function of NHS Supply Chain, via a sub-contract with its existing primary logistics supplier. This was for an initial 3 month period from March to June at a value of £1.3m (monthly extensions at estimated values of £450,000) for storage and distribution of PPE to all NHS Trusts. This contract was subsequently varied for a 3 month period from May to July at a value of £1.95m (monthly extensions at estimated values of £650,000) to provide an eCommerce solution involving an eBay platform for the storage and distribution of PPE by Clipper to care homes and GP surgeries.

All upper tier local authorities have access to record level (including sex, age, occupation and postcode) test and case data. Directors of Public Health are also receiving fully identifiable test, case and contact tracing data where the case data includes, address, postcode, sex, age, NHS Number, occupation, test date, and additional data describing progress through the NHS Test and Trace contact tracing process. Public Health England (PHE) provides access to this data via a secure platform to Directors of Public Health to support them to carry out their outbreak management responsibilities. This data is currently updated on a daily basis.

PHE began providing record level positive test data, including postcodes, to local authorities (including Directors of Public Health) on 24 June.

We do not currently hold the information in the format requested.

Deloitte is contracted to provide professional services support to the Department and the National Testing Programme. Deloitte’s role has included setting up testing facilities; coordinating the set-up of home and satellite delivery channels; and designing the digital platform that enables people to book a test and register their kit. Deloitte makes this digital information available to the National Pathology Exchange.

Once results are generated in the labs, the results information also flows to the National Pathology Exchange where the result is matched to the individual’s demographic information. These results are passed to Public Health England every 30 minutes through a data flow. As such, Deloitte does not have a role in the generation of results or the handling of positive case data.

All upper tier local authorities have access to record level test and case data, including sex, age, occupation and postcode. Directors of public health are also receiving fully identifiable test, case and contact tracing data where the case data includes, address, postcode, sex, age, National Health Service number, occupation, test date, and additional data describing progress through the NHS Test and Trace contact tracing process.

These data are collected as management information from the NHS Test and Trace Service. The Department plans to publish information from the first week of the tracing service, on Thursday 11 June.

The Joint Biosecurity Centre is aligned to the CONTAIN strand of the Government’s Test, Trace, Contain and Enable programme. The aim of CONTAIN is to prevent local outbreaks and, where not possible, to contain them locally to minimise the spread of the virus and avoid the need for escalation to a national lockdown.

The JBC/CONTAIN’s regional teams will work closely with local authorities, Local Health Protection Teams and Local Resilience Forums in managing outbreaks of COVID-19 at a local level. Further information on how the JBC will link in with these organisations will be provided in the near future.

The upcoming launch of the Test and Trace Service was announced to local authorities on Friday 22 May as a briefing note, press release and slide pack announcing the service and £300 million to develop local outbreak control plans which tailor the authorities’ response to the virus at the local level.

We have agreed £300 million worth of new dedicated funding to support local authorities with implementing Test and Trace and local outbreak plans.

This money will be allocated shortly following standard procedures.

Alongside financial contributions, the NHS Test and Trace service is developing comprehensive guidance to assist local authorities in developing their own COVID-19 outbreak plans.

The Government is working with e-commerce expertise to roll out a new online portal to help primary care and small social care providers to order critical personal protective equipment (PPE). The PPE Portal acts as an emergency top-up route for health care providers that cannot obtain sufficient PPE through their usual wholesaler routes.

All health and care providers should continue to use their usual wholesaler routes as their primary access route for PPE, whether invited to register with the portal or not.

As of Tuesday 30 June, over 16 million items of PPE have been delivered via the PPE Portal, with over 11,000 orders for PPE having been made.

Local authority staff will be a key part of contact tracing as the NHS Test and Trace service focusing on local outbreak management and this element of the service is being developed jointly between Public Health England and representatives from local government sector organisations.