Daily Report Monday, 22 June 2020 CONTENTS · 6/22/2020 · Daily Report Monday, 22 June 2020 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 22 June 2020 and the information

Daily Report Monday, 22 June 2020

This report shows written answers and statements provided on 22 June 2020 and the

information is correct at the time of publication (06:49 P.M., 22 June 2020). For the latest

information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements,

please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/

CONTENTS

ANSWERS 7

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 7

Aerospace Industry:

Government Assistance 7

Business: Coronavirus 7

Businesses: Scotland 7

Businesses: Voucher

Schemes 8

Climate Change Convention 8

Coal: Imports and Exports 9

Coronavirus Business

Interruption Loan Scheme 9

Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme 10

European Foundation for the

Improvement of Living and

Working Conditions 11

Future Fund 11

Hospitality Industry:

Coronavirus 11

Industrial Health and Safety:

Coronavirus 12

Personal Care Services:

Coronavirus 13

Post Offices: Convictions 13

Self-employed: Adoption 14

Vaccination: Research 14

CABINET OFFICE 15

Conservative Party: Finance 15

Contact Tracing: Computer

Software 15

Coronavirus: Disease Control 15

Electronic Government 16

Official Residences: Energy

Performance Certificates 17

Prime Minister: Energy 17

Protective Clothing:

Coronavirus 17

Public Sector: Recruitment 18

DEFENCE 18

Annington Homes 18

Armed Forces: Coronavirus 19

Cadets 20

Combined Cadet Force 20

Military Aircraft 20

Navy: Coronavirus 20

Sentinel Aircraft 21

Veterans: Commonwealth 21

Voyager Aircraft: Repairs and

Maintenance 22

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND

SPORT 23

BBC: Political Impartiality 23

Bed and Breakfast

Accommodation: Coronavirus 23

Creative Europe 24

Dance: Coronavirus 24

Gambling: Coronavirus 25

Horse Racing: Coronavirus 25

Independent Press Standards

Organisation 26

Music: Coronavirus 26

Newspaper Press: Democracy 27

Newspaper Press: Regulation 27

Press Freedom 27

Sports: Coronavirus 28

Tourism: Coronavirus 28

EDUCATION 29

[Subject Heading to be

Assigned] 29

Assessments: Ethnic Groups 30

GCE A-level and GCSE:

Ethnic Groups 31

GCSE: Nature Conservation 31

Health Services: Students 31

Primary Education 32

Primary Education:

Assessments 32

Primary Education: Sports 32

Schools: Sanitary Protection 33

Schools: Temporary

Accommodation 33

Teachers: Universal Credit 34

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND

RURAL AFFAIRS 34

Agriculture: Land Use 34

Agriculture: Northern Ireland 35

Agriculture: Subsidies 35

Air Pollution: North West 36

Aquaculture: Coronavirus 36

Dairy Farming: Coronavirus 37

Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs: Energy 37

Food: Standards 37

Imports: Israel 38

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust

Emissions 39

Total Allowable Catches 40

FOREIGN AND

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 41

Baltic States and Scandinavia:

Foreign Relations 41

British Nationals Abroad:

Coronavirus 41

Department for International

Development 42


Development: Foreign and

Commonwealth Office 43

Ethiopia: Dams 43

Foreign and Commonwealth

Office: Carers 43

Foreign and Commonwealth

Office: Department for

International Development 44

Foreign, Commonwealth and

Development Office 44


Development Office: Overseas

Aid 45

Georgia: Foreign Relations 45

Hong Kong: National Security 45

Israeli Settlements:

Companies 46

Malawi: Elections 46

Nigeria: Human Rights 47

Pakistan: Christianity 48

Religious Freedom 48

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 49

Adult Social Care Infection

Control Fund 49

Asthma: Coronavirus 49

Asthma: Medical Treatments 50

Care Homes: Coronavirus 51

Department of Health and

Social Care: Care Badge

Community Interest Company 52

Department of Health and

Social Care: Renewable

Energy 52

Exercise Cygnus: Health and

Social Services 52

Health Services: Labour

Turnover 53

Hospices: Coronavirus 53

Hospitals: Coronavirus 53

Joint Biosecurity Centre 54

Lung Diseases: Health

Services 55

NHS: Mental Health 55

NHS: Procurement 55

Social Services 56

Supported Housing:

Coronavirus 56

HOME OFFICE 57

Airguns: Reviews 57

Asylum 57

Asylum: Housing 60

British National (Overseas):

Visas 60

Hamas 61

Home Office: Carers 61

Home Office: Energy 61

Home Office: Written

Questions 62

Immigrants: Fees and Charges 62

Immigrants: Health Services 63

Religious Buildings: Security 63

Retail Trade: Abuse and

Violence 64

Shoplifting 64

Slavery: Victims 64

Travellers: Caravan Sites 65

Visas: British National

(Overseas) 65

Visas: Musicians 66

Visas: Working Holidays 67

HOUSE OF COMMONS

COMMISSION 67

Parliament: Coronavirus 67

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENT 68

Building Safety Fund 68

Business: Coronavirus 68

Devolution: North Yorkshire 69

High Rise Flats: Insulation 69

Local Government Finance:

Coronavirus 70

Local Government: Meetings 71

Property Development: Isle of

Dogs 71

Religious Buildings:

Coronavirus 72

Rough Sleeping: Coronavirus 73

Towns Fund 74

INTERNATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT 75

Bangladesh: Migrant Camps 75

Caribbean Aid for Trade and

Regional Integration Trust

Fund: EU Trade 77


Development: Carers 77


Development: East Kilbride 78


Development: Reorganisation 79

Developing Countries:

Vaccination 79


Development Office 80

Malawi: Elections 80

Overseas Aid: National

Income 81

Schools: Females 81

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid 81

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 82

Ceramics: Manufacturing

Industries 82

Comprehensive and

Progressive Agreement for

Trans-pacific Partnership:

Stoke On Trent 82

Contracts: Developing

Countries 83


Trade: Buildings 83


Trade: Carers 84


Trade: Overseas Aid 84

Import Duties 84

Manufacturing Industries:

Government Assistance 85

Overseas Aid 85

Supermarkets: Brazil 86

Trade Agreements: Dispute

Resolution 86

Trade Agreements: Food 87

Trade Agreements:

Staffordshire 87

Trade Agreements: USA 88

Trade Remedies Authority:

Public Appointments 88

Whisky: Scotland 88

JUSTICE 89

Administration of Justice:

Equality 89

Courts: Opening Hours 89

Domestic Violence: Legal Aid

Scheme 90

Lewes Prison: Standards 91

Prison Accommodation:

Construction 92

Prisoners' Release:

Coronavirus 93

Prisoners' Release:

Homelessness 93

Prisons and Young Offender

Institutions: Coronavirus 94

Prisons and Youth Custody:

Coronavirus 101

Prisons: Coronavirus 103

LEADER OF THE HOUSE 110

Electronic Government:

Petitions 110

House of Commons:

Coronavirus 110

Overseas Aid: Parliamentary

Scrutiny 111

NORTHERN IRELAND 111

Marriage and Civil

partnerships: Northern Ireland 111

Marriage: Northern Ireland 112

Terrorism: Northern Ireland 112

PRIME MINISTER 113

Official Meetings: Prime

Minister 113

Overseas Aid: Select

Committees 113

TRANSPORT 113

Airlines: Coronavirus 113

Aviation: Coronavirus 113

Bus Services: Concessions 116

Driving Instruction:

Coronavirus 117

Driving Tests: Coronavirus 117

Driving: Licensing 118

Government Car Service 118

Official Cars 120

Public Transport: Exhaust

Emissions 120

Public Transport: Staff 121

Railways: Coronavirus 121

Railways: Franchises 122

Railways: Manufacturing

Industries 123

TREASURY 123

Airports: Coronavirus 123


Scheme 123


Scheme: Islam 124

Corporation Tax: Coronavirus 124

Duty Free Allowances:

Northern Ireland 125

Food: Wholesale Trade 125

Hospitality Industry: Social

Distancing 126

Insurance Companies:

Compensation 127

Pensions: Coronavirus 128

Public Expenditure 128

Remote Working: Coronavirus 129

Self-employment Income

Support Scheme: Greater

London 129

Top Glove: Imports 129

Treasury: Overseas Aid 130

VAT: Tax Rates and Bands 131

WALES 131

Hospitality Industry and

Tourism: Wales 131

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES 132

Ethnic Groups: Equality 132

Gay Conversion Therapy 132

WORK AND PENSIONS 133

Department for Work and

Pensions: Written Questions 133

Employment: Contact Tracing 133

Offshore Industry: Coronavirus 133

Social Security Benefits 134

Thriving at Work Leadership

Council 135

Unemployment: Slough 135

Universal Credit 136

Universal Credit: Coronavirus 136

Universal Credit: Immigrants 137

MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS 138

CABINET OFFICE 138

Industrial Diseases: Death

Certificates 138

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 138

Comprehensive and

Progressive Agreement for

Trans-pacific Partnership:

Stoke On Trent 138

WRITTEN STATEMENTS 140

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 140

Business Update 140

CABINET OFFICE 141

Procurement Update 141

EDUCATION 142

Education Update 142

TREASURY 142

Notification of Contingent

Liability 142

Notes:

Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an

oral question and has since been unstarred.

ANSWERS

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Aerospace Industry: Government Assistance

Gavin Robinson: [59788]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much

financial support his Department has allocated to the aerospace sector since the start of

the covid-19 lockdown; and what plans he has to provide further support to that sector.

Aerospace companies have benefitted from the Government’s extensive financial

support package, on top of existing support measures for the sector.

The UK’s aviation and aerospace sectors can expect to benefit from over £6 billion of

support through UK Export Finance, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Finance

Facility, research and development grants, and other measures.

We will continue to support the UK aerospace industry to get back on its feet to

protect jobs across the UK.

Business: Coronavirus

Alex Norris: [59875]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what

assessment he has made of the adequacy of the preparation undertaken by businesses

to support people that are vulnerable to covid-19.

Paul Scully:

Employers have a duty under UK law to protect the health and safety of their workers

and other people who might be affected by their business. This includes considering

the risks that COVID-19 represents.

Our guidance outlines steps employers should consider, and employers should use

the guidance to create specific plans for their business in consultation with those who

are affected by their operations, including workers and contractors.

We know that every organisation is different. Each business’s plan will depend on the

nature of the business, such as the sector, and the details of the workforce and

operations.

Businesses: Scotland

Douglas Chapman: [59793]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he last

met the Secretary of State for Scotland to discuss the safeguarding and promotion of

Scottish business.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-06-16/59788



Paul Scully:

My ministerial colleagues and I are in regular contact with the Office for the Secretary

of State for Scotland to discuss the safeguarding and promotion of Scottish business.

In April, my Hon. Friends the Minister for Business and Industry and the then

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Scotland Office jointly held a webinar

with Scottish Council for Development and Industry to discuss the Government’s

Covid response to safeguard and support busines in Scotland.

In May, the Minister for Business and Industry also attended the joint Scottish

Government and UK Government Ministerial-led Scottish Business Growth Group to

discuss support for businesses during Covid and future economic recovery.

Businesses: Voucher Schemes

Ian Mearns: [59213]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his

Department has any plans to increase the protections afforded to those who buy gift

cards for businesses in cash, in line with those offered through the Chargeback scheme

and Consumer Credit Act, in circumstances where businesses enter administration.

Paul Scully:

The Department asked the Law Commission to examine the protection given to

consumer prepayments, including gift vouchers, and consider whether such

protections should be strengthened. The Law Commission concluded that gift

voucher losses were relatively uncommon, and mandatory regulation on gift vouchers

in an insolvency context would be disproportionate. Costs arising to businesses from

regulation could also be passed on to consumers.

The Government has worked with the industry and consumer groups to publish better

guidance for insolvency practitioners on the information that should be made

available to consumers when a retailer becomes insolvent.

Climate Change Convention

Jamie Stone: [60843]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether

accredited observer organisations will have access to the Blue Zone at COP26.

Paul Scully:

The engagement of observer organisations will be of fundamental value to COP26.

IGOs and NGOs are firstly required to register for observer status via the UNFCCC’s

online registration system. Once observer status has been obtained, organisations

can then register delegates to attend UNFCCC conferences and meetings.

Accredited delegates will have access to the Blue Zone at COP26.



Coal: Imports and Exports

Mr Richard Holden: [59906]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much

coal in (a) tonnes and (b) cash terms the UK has (i) imported and (ii) exported in each of

the last 10 years.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

Information on UK coal trade is published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics

(DUKES) table G.2.

YEAR

COAL IMPORT

VOLUME,

THOUSAND

TONNES

COAL EXPORT

VOLUME,

THOUSAND

TONNES

COAL IMPORT

VALUE (C.I.F.), £M

COAL EXPORT

VALUE (F.O.B.), £M

2009 36,504 646 2,635 77

2010 23,579 715 1,850 86

2011 31,966 986 2,987 159

2012 42,235 726 3,133 110

2013 45,523 843 2,988 129

2014 39,386 617 2,323 84

2015 22,517 486 1,255 60

2016 8,679 638 621 67

2017 8,205 488 924 60

2018 10,128 701 1,153 119

Source: H.M. Revenue and Customs

In this table coal includes steam coal, coking coal, coke and anthracite. Data for 2019

will be published on 30 July 2020.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Owen Thompson: [60827]


lenders accredited under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme are offering

interest rates of 10 per cent or more.



Paul Scully:

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is being delivered by a

network of more than 90 accredited lenders operating across the market. Individual

lending decisions are at the discretion of these lenders.

The Government pays the interest and any lender-levied fees in the first 12 months of

any CBILS facility. Interest rates after 12 months will vary between lenders and will

depend on the specific lending proposal. The Government also guarantees 80% of a

CBILS facility and lenders must pass the economic benefit of the existence of this

guarantee to the borrower through lower pricing than it may otherwise have had.

For further information about interest rates after the initial 12 month period,

businesses should speak to their lender on what interest rates they will charge after

this time.


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the

interest rates that a lender sets for CBILS loans is a factor in determining whether that

company is accredited as a CBILS lender.

Paul Scully:

Interest rates are one of a range of factors taken into consideration when the British

Business Bank reviews a lender’s application to become a Coronavirus Business

Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) delivery partner.

The accreditation agreement makes clear that the interest rate at which the lender is

prepared to lend at, and any associated fees, should be based on a lender’s normal

pricing framework.

The Government expects that the benefit of the CBILS guarantee is passed through

to the borrower. This should be reflected in the interest rate and lender-levied fees

that are charged on each CBILS facility, both during the period of the Business

Interruption Payment and for the remainder of the facility.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Clive Lewis: [60831]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference

to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 3

June 2020, official report, column 847, that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, what

steps the Government is taking to prevent employers from using that scheme to fund the

wages of employees only for those employers to put the same staff on notice of

redundancy during the furlough period.

Paul Scully:

An employer can opt to make a worker redundant under certain conditions, if they

deem this to be the best course of action to take for their business. The employee will

maintain rights against unfair dismissal and to redundancy payments during the



period of furlough. Any redundancy process should be fair and reasonable, with

appropriate equalities considerations.

Pay during the redundancy notice period is based on the individual’s rights under

their contract of employment and the statutory right to notice pay (under section 86

and the following sections of the Employment Rights Act 1996).

In these difficult times, we would not expect an employer to take advantage of CJRS,

which has brought benefit to employers and employees alike, to make someone

redundant on less favourable terms than they would otherwise have received. Please

visit the Gov.uk page for updates and changes to the scheme at

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-

retention-scheme.

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

Andy McDonald: [59781]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the

Government plans to maintain participation in the European Foundation for the

Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

Paul Scully:

As the UK has left the European Union, the UK is no longer a member of the

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Only

Member States of the EU can be members of the Foundation. The UK will continue to

have access to the research produced by the Foundation, and if the Foundation or

the EU wish the UK to be involved in any discussions, meetings or research, the UK

Government will consider any such request on its merits.

Future Fund

Chi Onwurah: [59767]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many

businesses have received support from the Future Fund, by region.

Paul Scully:

As of 14 June, 155 convertible loans have been approved under the Future Fund,

with a total value of £146 million.

Regional figures for the Future Fund will be published monthly and the first release of

data will be later this month.

Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: [59188]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he

is taking to help ensure the (a) financial sustainability and (b) growth of the hospitality

sector after the covid-19 outbreak subsides.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme






Paul Scully:

The Government is engaging with representatives from across the hospitality sector

to help ensure its financial sustainability after the current Covid-19 outbreak. Work is

progressing to develop guidance following consultation with representatives from the

industry to allow the sector to reopen and return to trading in a Covid-secure way. As

my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has already announced, the

Government’s Job Retention Scheme has been extended until October in order to

support businesses through the reopening phase.

Andrew Gwynne: [60711]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate

he has made of the number of small (a) cafes, (b) restaurants, (c) bars and (d) other

hospitality businesses which will be unable to reopen because of social distancing rules

due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully:

We recognise the challenges facing this industry during this time. Our extensive

package of support continues to be available, including our furlough scheme which

has been extended until October, 100% business rates holidays, and tens of bullions

of pounds’ worth of business loans and guarantees.

Information regarding the number of hospitality businesses which are currently

unable to reopen is not in the public domain and is, therefore, classed as

commercially sensitive information.

We are working with the sector at pace to develop guidance on how these

businesses can reopen safely. The Pubs and Restaurants working level Technical

Group comprised stakeholders from a cross-section of the sector, with representation

from trade bodies to small and medium sized operators, unions, as well as the supply

chain, Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive. We consulted

these stakeholders due to their expertise and real-life knowledge and experience of

the challenges faced by the industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This Guidance will be published ahead of time to allow the sector to prepare.

Industrial Health and Safety: Coronavirus

Simon Baynes: [59262]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what

discussions officials in his Department have had with (a) businesses, (b) trade unions and

(c) workers on developing guidance on workplace safety during the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully:

There was an extensive series of engagements to support the drafting process for

guidance on safe return to work, with several roundtables chaired by my Rt. Hon.

Friend the Secretary of State, meetings with businesses, unions and other

representative organisations and written consultations.




To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to

the Answer of 8 June 2020 to Question 54118, on Industrial Health and Safety:

Coronavirus, what plans his Department has to monitor the recommendation that

employers with over 50 workers publish risk assessments online as announced in his

statement on 12 May 2020.

Paul Scully:

We worked closely with the Health and Safety Executive to develop this guidance,

including the risk assessment content. Existing health and safety legislation requires

risk assessments to be carried out, and our guidance does not change this.

We are asking companies to consider publishing the results of their risk assessments

whenever possible, although publishing risk assessments is not a legal obligation.

The Government expects larger organisations – those with over 50 workers – to

publish the results of their risk assessments.

We think businesses will want to do this to help build the confidence of their workers

and their customers.

In order to help with this, the Government has provided a new notice which

employers can display to show they have followed the guidance on managing the

risks of COVID-19.

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

Robert Halfon: [59740]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his

Department will publish guidance on the safe reopening and operation of tanning and

beauty salons that operate from home.

Paul Scully:

On 13 May, five ministerial-led taskforces were set up to develop plans for how

closed sectors could reopen safely, including Close Contact Services such as tanning

and beauty salons.

As part of this work, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is

engaging constructively with the Close Contact Services industry to develop guidance

for them to reopen safely, given the higher risk of transmission in these environments

where long periods of person to person contact is required. This work is progressing

well.

Post Offices: Convictions

Chris Loder: [59250]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many UK

citizens are currently imprisoned having been convicted of crimes in relation to the Post

Office Horizon system.




Paul Scully:

Post Office has not prosecuted any cases relating to its Horizon system since 2015.

According to Post Office’s records, no-one is currently imprisoned as a result of its

historical prosecutions.

Records of cases prosecuted by the UK’s public prosecution agencies which may

also relate to Horizon will be kept by the Crown Prosecution Service, Crown Office

Procurator Fiscal Service and the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland

respectively.

Post Office has made those agencies aware of the concerns relating to Horizon and

Judge Fraser’s findings in the recent Horizon court case.

Self-employed: Adoption

Sir Desmond Swayne: [59662]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make

it his policy to extend Statutory Adoption Pay to self-employed people.

Paul Scully:

As part of the Spring Budget 2020, the Government committed to consider how to

provide appropriate support to self-employed parents, including adopters, so that they

can continue to run their businesses, as part of the Government’s wider review of

Parental Pay and Leave.

Currently, adopters may be eligible for adoption allowance from their local authority to

help them cope with the extra costs adoption brings about.

Vaccination: Research


To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what criteria

were used in the the decision making process which led to the award of £126 million to

experimental vaccines at Oxford University and Imperial College London and the

rejection of funding for vaccine projects at Bristol University and Nottingham University.

Amanda Solloway:

In Oxford and Imperial, we have two of the global front-runners in C-19 vaccine

development. The teams at Oxford University and Imperial College are the most

progressed in terms to developing a vaccine candidate and entering clinical trials, in

the UK. As such, the Vaccine Taskforce has worked to ensure that Oxford and

Imperial receive the investment from BEIS and DHSC to accelerate the development

of a successful COVID19 vaccine.

The Vaccines Taskforce will continue to review and engage with other candidates

and the Government is rightly proud of the work that many of our academic

institutions are conducting in response to COVID 19.



CABINET OFFICE

Conservative Party: Finance

Steve Reed: [60765]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list all meetings he has had

with donors to the Conservative Party since he became Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Chloe Smith:

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.

Contact Tracing: Computer Software

Helen Hayes: [60837]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a Government Digital Service peer

review of the contact tracing app has been completed.

Chloe Smith:

The Government is committed to ensuring that public services, including digital

services, continue to be delivered to the highest standards.

In line with this commitment, peer reviews are conducted to ensure such services are

secure, resilient, accessible and able to evolve to meet citizens’ needs.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: [59692]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many independent, regulated newspapers

have not been selected to be included in the All in, all together advertising campaign.


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2020 to

Question 45460 on Coronavirus: Disease Control, if his Department will list which

newspapers are included in the All in, all together advertising campaign.


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether newspapers whose owners do not pay

tax in the UK are receiving payments for services relating to the Government's All in, all

together advertising campaign.


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason more local and independent

newspapers were not used as part of the All in, all together advertising campaign.








To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that only

newspapers who engage in independent regulation benefit from the All in, all together

advertising campaign.


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department made of the

(a) size and (b) profitability of newspaper publications when deciding which should be the

beneficiaries of the All in, all together advertising campaign.


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department made of the

wealth of newspaper owners prior to their publications receiving state money from the All

in this Together advertising campaign.

Chloe Smith:

I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQ 46692 given on 29 May 2020.

Justin Madders: [60777]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to Answer of 16 June to Question

54932, whether all articles published in the All together advertising campaign are

compliant with the Government Communication Service Propriety Guidance.

Chloe Smith:

It is vital that we provide public information to citizens during the COVID-19

pandemic. The Government has negotiated a new and unique partnership with

national and local newspapers to use their powerful, familiar voices as part of the All

In, All Together campaign.

The partnership involves a combination of traditional advertising and sponsored

content. This content is produced by participating newspapers and the Government

has no editorial sign-off.

Electronic Government

John Spellar: [59372]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to prevent individuals

seeking information from Government Departments being diverted to fee-charging

websites.

Chloe Smith:

Government Departments have processes in place to ensure users seeking

information from Government Departments are not diverted to fee-charging or

misleading websites.

We work to ensure that government information and services are correctly listed and

rank highly in search engine results so that they are easy for people to find and

identify as government information and services.






We also challenge sites that pay for prominent positioning in search returns, by

reporting them to the relevant search provider.

If fee-charging websites are operating outside of legal boundaries, we will pursue site

owners through trading standards bodies or legal challenge.

GOV.UK is the government's website and online brand. We take steps to ensure

people can rely on it as a trusted source for information.

Official Residences: Energy Performance Certificates

Sir Edward Davey: [59186]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Energy Performance Certificate rating

was in each official Ministerial residence, in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018, (e)

2019 and (f) 2020.

Chloe Smith:

This information is available on the website of the Ministry for Housing, Communities

and Local Government, and,

https://www.ndepcregister.com/reportSearchAddressSelectAddress.html?id=1968099

93823dc3ff0591fb2f90d96fd and,

https://www.ndepcregister.com/reportSearchAddressListAddresses.html?id=db2f961

3e6cf3d07ab140dd8a34870ef.

Prime Minister: Energy


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much energy the Prime Minister's

departmental buildings have used in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020 to date.


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much energy his departmental buildings

have used in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020 to date.

Chloe Smith:

The information requested is published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and

Accounts, the latest edition of which is available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm

ent_data/file/819251/CO-ARA-2018-19-Final.pdf

Protective Clothing: Coronavirus


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what checks on standards are carried out

before suppliers are listed in the Crown Commercial Service’s COVID-19: Catalogue of

supplier offers.

Chloe Smith:

Details of the Covid-19 catalogue are published here:

http://gov.uk/

http://gov.uk/





https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/covid-19/covid-19-buyer-information/catalogue-

of-supplier-offers/

Public Sector: Recruitment

Andrew Selous: [59379]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government (a) practices and (b)

encourages the public sector to practice name blind recruitment; and if he will make a

statement.

Chloe Smith:

'Anonymised' recruitment (where candidates' personal details are removed from the

application form prior to shortlisting) is considered the "default" for external Civil

Service recruitment.

DEFENCE

Annington Homes

Stephen Morgan: [60854]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of military homes provided for

service people and their families by Annington Homes meet the decent homes standard.

Jeremy Quin:

As of 18 June 2020, the Ministry of Defence leased 38,136 Service Family

Accommodation (SFA) properties from Annington Homes. Of this figure 36,785,

(96.46%), meet the UK Government Decent Homes Standard as a minimum. All SFA

properties allocated to Service personnel and their families meet Decent Homes

Standard as a minimum.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with

representatives of Annington Homes on the changes in cost for military home rental

ahead of the first rent review in 2021.

Jeremy Quin:

Ministry of Defence officials engaged with Annington Homes Ltd on the issue of rent

payable for the lease of the Service Family Accommodation estate.

The parties could not agree the rent, therefore the matter is now subject to a formal

arbitration process, with an arbitral panel chaired by Lord Neuberger, former

President of the Supreme Court, appointed by the parties.

An initial determination on the first sites selected for arbitration is expected later in

2020.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cases there are of military homes

owned by Annington Homes that are awaiting repairs.

https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/covid-19/covid-19-buyer-information/catalogue-of-supplier-offers/







Jeremy Quin:

As of 18 June 2020, 3,584 Annington Homes properties occupied in England and

Wales (of 38,136 leased) were awaiting reported response repair action. The Ministry

of Defence provides a 24/7 prioritised response repair service for all Service Family

Accommodation in the UK. These properties awaiting repair action will be attended to

in line with the contractual timeframes for repairs categorised as Emergency, Critical,

Urgent or Routine.

In the month of May 2020, 95.93% of all repairs reported were responded to within

their required timeframes and either met or exceeded their performance targets.

Armed Forces: Coronavirus

Aaron Bell: [59643]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces have

been deployed in each (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency part of

the Government's covid-19 response.

James Heappey:

The information is not held in the format requested. As of 15 June, our Armed Forces

are deployed to support the work of 10 Joint Military Commands (JMCs) and three

other teams across the UK, broken down as follows:

REGION TOTAL

JMC East 447

JMC London 500

JMC North East 414

JMC North West 145

JMC Northern Ireland 98

JMC Scotland 361

JMC South East 437

JMC South West 323

JMC Wales 467

JMC West Midlands 274

Logistics Support Team 42

Standing Joint Command Reserve 20

Works Group (Engineers) 10

Total 3,538


Cadets

John Healey: [59184]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the Community Cadet Forces

centres in each local authority.

James Heappey:

There are approximately 3,000 community cadet units across the UK comprising Sea

Cadets, the Volunteer Cadet Corps, the Army Cadet Force and the Air Training

Corps. These units are administered and supported in various ways by the single

Service cadet HQs. However, locations of cadet units are not recorded by local

authority and to determine this data would incur disproportionate cost.

Combined Cadet Force

John Healey: [59183]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the names of the schools that

receive funding allocated by his Department for Combined Cadet Forces.

James Heappey:

Every school hosting a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) unit receives funding from the

Ministry of Defence. The majority of this support is provided indirectly through the

supply of equipment, uniforms and stores, and the delivery of summer camps and

training activities.

In addition, a small monetary grant, with the amount dependant on the number of

cadets within the school's unit, is given directly to the school to assist with

administration. The list of CCF schools is provided in the attached table.

Attachments:

1. 59183 - Combined Cadet Forces Schools [59183 - CCF schools (1).xlsx]

Military Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: [60699]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department made of the

cost to the public purse of (a) support, (b) infrastructure and (c) training costs prior to the

procurement of (i) P-8 Poseidon and (ii) E-7 Wedgetail.

Jeremy Quin:

It is taking longer than expected to gather the information needed to answer the hon.

Member's question, and I will write to him shortly.

Navy: Coronavirus

Dr Julian Lewis: [60642]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether outbreaks of covid-19 infection have

occurred on (a) Royal Naval and (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels; whether those vessels'





deployments have been affected as a result of covid-19 infection; whether naval

personnel are kept in barracks for a sufficient period to check for infection with covid-19

before deployment at sea; and what his policy is to minimise the effect of naval personnel

embarking on a deployment soon after taking leave in numerous different locations within

the UK.

James Heappey:

For reasons of operational security, we cannot comment on the number of COVID-19

cases that have occurred on Royal Navy (RN) or Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels.

As of 31 May, there have been 45 confirmed cases of Royal Navy Service personnel

with COVID-19. No deployments of RN or RFA vessels have been affected as a

result of these infections.

The RN has a policy on COVID-19 risk mitigation measures, which includes direction

on the use of quarantining and COVID-19 testing to minimise the risk of COVID

infection onboard deploying RN vessels to as low as reasonably practicable. The

nature of these measures depends on the vessel and activity that is being

undertaken, and may require personnel to be quarantined ashore in a cabin or

onboard the vessel if they display symptoms or have been in contact with others who

have displayed symptoms.

Sentinel Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: [60698]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to fill the

overland surveillance capability gap after the retirement of the R-1 Sentinel.

Jeremy Quin:

I refer the right hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth

South on 11 June 2020 to Question 56145.

Attachments:

1. 56145 - Ministry of Defence - Sentinel Aircraft [56145 - Ministry of Defence - Sentinel

Aircraft.docx]

Veterans: Commonwealth


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance is provided to Commonwealth

Service personnel on discharge from the UK armed forces on the steps they must take to

regularise their immigration status when seeking to exercise their right to remain in the

UK after having served for at least four years; and how that guidance has changed since

that right to remain was first granted.

James Heappey:

When Commonwealth citizens (and Gurkhas) are enlisted in the UK Armed Forces

the Home Office grant them Exempt from Immigration Control status under section

8(4) of the Immigration Act 1971. This is valid for the duration of their Regular



Service, and they receive a letter from the Home Office advising them of this and that

on discharge they must regularise their UK immigration status or leave the UK.

The Home Office has immigration rules specific to the Armed Forces – the Appendix

Armed Forces – under which they can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK

on discharge if they meet all necessary criteria including having served for a

minimum of four years. The Home Office allows applications to be submitted up to 10

weeks before discharge.

The Army has produced guidance for Units since 2004 which summarises these

immigration rules including the need to regularise immigration status on discharge or

leave the UK. Units must also notify the Home Office when a Commonwealth citizen

(or Gurkha) is being discharged so their Exempt status can be cancelled, and the

individual signs the notification to indicate they understand the need to regularise

their status At that point the Home Office will write to the individual to advise them

that they have 28 days from days from date of discharge to either regularise their UK

immigration status, if they have not already submitted an application, or leave the UK.

Although the Guide is regularly updated to reflect any changes to the immigration

rules it has always included the requirement for regularising immigration status on

discharge and to notify the Home Office. The guidance is used by all three Services.

Information is also included within Ministry of Defence and single Service policy

documents such as Joint Service Publication 100 – Defence Holistic Transition Policy

and the Service Leavers Guide which is issued to all personnel on discharge. These

give clear instruction to both the Chain of Command and the individual about their

responsibilities.

Voyager Aircraft: Repairs and Maintenance

Daniel Zeichner: [60776]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse is of the

repainting of the RAF Voyager plane used by senior members of the Government.

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: [60814]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish (a) the cost of, (b) who

requested and (c) which Department approved the planned works to RAF Voyager.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the

public purse of repainting RAF Voyager.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of

repainting RAF Voyager; and which Department will fund it.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which company he plans to contract to re-paint

RAF Voyager.






Ruth Jones: [60864]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the

public purse of the proposals to repaint the RAF Voyager aircraft.

Jeremy Quin:

The total forecast cost for completing the repaint of the RAF Voyager VIP aircraft

(including related costs) is approximately £900,000. The project will be carried out by

Marshall Aerospace Defence Group (MADG) in Cambridge.

The decision to repaint the VIP Voyager - and approval of a design that best

projected Global Britain - was taken on a cross-Government basis, to be funded by

the Ministry of Defence.

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC: Political Impartiality


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he

has had with the BBC on the impartiality of its news coverage for children.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will hold

discussions with the BBC on their processes for ensuring that BBC journalists and

presenters uphold their impartiality.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent

discussions he has had with the BBC on the importance of impartiality.

Mr John Whittingdale:

When speaking to Tim Davie to congratulate him on his appointment as the new

Director General of the BBC, the Secretary of State welcomed Tim Davie’s

commitment to impartiality at the BBC. In an age of fake news and self reinforcing

algorithms, the need for genuine impartiality is greater than ever.

The BBC has a duty to deliver impartial and accurate news coverage and content

under its Royal Charter. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of

government, and it is for the BBC Board to ensure that all of the BBC’s output meets

the highest standards the public expects. Ofcom is the independent regulator of the

BBC, and is responsible for holding the BBC to account in this regard.

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he

has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on bed and breakfast owners; and if he

will make a statement.






Nigel Huddleston:

We are aware that these are extremely difficult conditions for tourism businesses

such as bed and breakfasts. My officials and I continue to hold detailed discussions

with representatives of the holiday accommodation industry, including the Bed and

Breakfast Association, to gather as much intelligence as possible on COVID-19’s

economic impacts.

The UK Government has announced a comprehensive support package to protect

businesses and workers, including B&B owners, against the current economic

emergency. This includes the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. We have also introduced a Bounce Back Loan

scheme to help small businesses access loans of up to £50,000, with a 100%

government-backed guarantee for lenders.

To accommodate certain small businesses previously outside the scope of the

business grant funds schemes, the Government has allocated additional funding to

Local Authorities in England in the form of a discretionary grant fund of up to £617m.

The guidance pertaining to this fund specifically refers to Bed and Breakfasts that pay

council tax as being in scope.

We are committed to helping tourism businesses through this crisis – and we will

actively encourage people to book holidays as soon as it is safe to do so.

Creative Europe

Jo Stevens: [59810]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has

taken to establish a replacement programme for Creative Europe.

Caroline Dinenage:

While the Government has taken the decision not to seek participation in Creative

Europe’s 2021-27 programme, we remain committed to supporting the UK’s thriving

cultural and creative economy. We will continue to invest money directly into the UK's

cultural and creative sectors, continuing to support and grow their world-class activity

on the international stage. Now we have taken back control of our money, we are

able to focus spending on specific UK priorities including on our world class arts,

heritage and creative industries. Officials are developing options for domestic

alternatives to Creative Europe, which will be considered in line with upcoming fiscal

events including the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Dance: Coronavirus

Nickie Aiken: [58780]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will

publish guidance on the safe re-opening of dance studios; and whether those studios will

be allowed to reopen before the end of June 2020.



Caroline Dinenage:

The ambition is to reopen the arts sector as part of Step 3 of the government’s

roadmap, no earlier than the 4th July, subject to the scientific and medical advice at

the time.

In order to ensure appropriate support and guidance is given to the cultural sector,

DCMS has established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and the Entertainment and

Events working group which include extensive membership from artists and

performers. These groups specifically include representatives for the dance sector,

such as One Dance UK. Full details of the Taskforce can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-

taskforce, and the Entertainment and Events Working Group can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-

working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members.

DCMS officials and ministers have also held regular calls with representatives from

across the arts and cultural sector and these have included a number of dance

organisations and representatives including Sadler’s Wells and Northern Ballet.

The Taskforce and Working Groups will be focusing on ensuring that COVID-19

secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing ambitions and public health

directions, building on the existing guidance and providing intelligence and sector-

specific expert input.

Gambling: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when adult gaming

centres and arcades will be able to re-open as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Nigel Huddleston:

As detailed in the Government's roadmap “Our Plan to Rebuild” the next phase of

easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions will begin no earlier than 4 July, subject to

public health advice. My Department is working through the next steps with the

arcades sector in line with further announcements on the roadmap.

Horse Racing: Coronavirus

Kenny MacAskill: [59256]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on how many

occasions has (a) he, (b) officials from his Department and (c) other Government

representatives have met the British Horseracing Authority to hold discussions on (i) race

horse welfare during the covid-19 outbreak and (ii) the financial effect of covid-19 on the

ability of race horse owners to ensure the welfare of those horses.

Nigel Huddleston:

Following the suspension of racing on 18 March 2020, DEFRA, which leads on horse

welfare, worked with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on a weekly basis to

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-taskforce



https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members





quickly agree guidance for the care of racehorses during this lockdown period in line

with social distancing.

DCMS officials have also been in regular communication with the BHA and the

Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) regarding the economic impacts of Covid on

the industry and the measures being taken to uphold horse welfare. The BHA has

also taken part in regular calls with the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage and

representatives of the sporting sector on these issues and the resumption of racing

and other sports behind closed doors.

The government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure

sectors, which includes the racing industry, given the acute impacts of COVID-19 on

those sectors. A range of measures to support all businesses were made available,

including business rates relief, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme. The government has provided

access to £10k grants to 700,000 small and medium enterprises who are currently

eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief.

On 17 April, the HBLB and Racing Foundation agreed an immediate £22 million cash

flow and hardship funding package to support racing. The HBLB has reported on

these packages on a weekly basis with the main racing bodies including the BHA.

Independent Press Standards Organisation


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his

Department has plans to undertake a review of the role of Independent Press Standards

Organisation in the regulation of the news media.


The media landscape has changed significantly since the Leveson Inquiry, with

crucial changes to press self-regulation. The government is committed to self-

regulation and we now have a stronger system through The Independent Press

Standards Organisation (IPSO).

IPSO is independent of government. In 2016 it commissioned its own external review

which found it had made some important achievements in demonstrating it was an

independent and effective regulator.

Music: Coronavirus

Dame Cheryl Gillan: [57877]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance he has

issued for singers and choirs in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage:

In order to ensure appropriate support and guidance is given to the cultural sector,

DCMS has established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and the Entertainment and

Events working group which include extensive membership from artists and



performers. I have also held a roundtable with representatives from the choral sector

to enable choral groups to feed in views to the development of guidance.

The Taskforce and Working Groups will be focusing on ensuring that COVID-19

secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing ambitions and public health

directions, building on the existing guidance and providing intelligence and sector-

specific expert input. Full details of the Taskforce can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-

taskforce and the Entertainment and Events Working Group can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-

working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members.

Newspaper Press: Democracy


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent

assessment he has made of the contribution of independent and local newspapers as

regulated by the Press Regulation Panel to the functioning of democracy.


The government recognises the importance of reliable, trustworthy news, which is

vital to helping ensure a healthy democracy both nationally and at a local level.

Local and independent newspapers play an invaluable role in the fabric of our

society. They remain uniquely placed to undertake the investigative journalism and

scrutiny of public institutions, including local councils and our courts.

Newspaper Press: Regulation


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his

Department is taking to ensure that newspapers and their websites are properly

regulated.


The government is committed to a free and independent press, and does not

intervene in what the press can and cannot publish.

There now exists a strengthened, independent, self-regulatory system for the press.

The majority of traditional publishers—including 95% of national newspapers by

circulation—are members of IPSO. A small number of publishers have joined

IMPRESS.

Press Freedom


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many hon.

Members have written to him on the campaign to Save the Independent Press.











The Department has received correspondence from a range of stakeholders,

including from Members.

This Government is clear that newspapers play an invaluable role in the fabric of our

society and we continue to work with stakeholders from across the Press sector and

political landscape in order to ensure the effectiveness of our policies in relation to

supporting all news publishers, including independent outlets. The Government will

continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining

high-quality news journalism across the sector.

Sports: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his

Department has issued on the (a) reopening and (b) operation of (i) indoor sports halls

and (ii) sports clubs and activities as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to

enable indoor sports clubs and activities to operate as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions

are lifted.

Nigel Huddleston:

Indoor sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting people to

be active and the Government is committed to reopening facilities, including sports

halls, as soon as it is safe to do so.

We are holding regular discussions with representatives from the leisure sector and

national sports organisations to develop guidance that will support them to open their

facilities in a timely and safe manner once lockdown measures are eased.

As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by

the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity

safely.

Tourism: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he

has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on tourism in each of the English regions;

and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston:

We recognise the COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted tourism across

England. Both DCMS and VisitEngland remain in regular contact with tourism

stakeholders and Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) around the country

to closely monitor the situation and to assess the economic effects.




The Chancellor has announced a host of measures to support businesses and

individuals through the crisis, including those in the tourism sector. This includes the

recently extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Bounce Back Loans

scheme.

Through VisitEngland, we announced a £1.3 million scheme to provide financial

support to DMOs at risk of closure due to COVID-19. This allowed DMOs to continue

their vital business support work, providing advice and guidance for tourism

businesses across England.

My Department has established a Cultural Renewal Taskforce to help our sectors’

prepare to safely reopen. Within this taskforce, I chair a specific Visitor Economy

Working Group which is developing guidance to help tourism businesses to safely

reopen.

We will continue to engage with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively

support the tourism sector’s recovery from Covid-19. As soon as it is safe to do so,

we will encourage people to book trips and support domestic tourism.

EDUCATION

[Subject Heading to be Assigned]

Ruth Cadbury: [903530]

What discussions he has had with Ofqual on the arrangements for awarding GCSE, AS

and A level grades for the 2019-20 academic year.

Nick Gibb:

I meet the Ofqual Chief Regulator regularly as do our officials. Given the current

unprecedented circumstances, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for

Education, has also issued a direction to Ofqual to help shape its work in developing

calculated grades for students in place of exam results, ensuring outcomes are as fair

as possible.

Craig Williams: [903533]

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that students due to sit exams in academic

year 2019-20 will be able to progress into employment or the next stage of education.

Nick Gibb:

Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, has put in place arrangements that

will enable students to receive a grade wherever possible.

The calculated grades awarded this summer will be formal grades, with the same

status as grades awarded in any other year. They will therefore be accepted by all

institutions.

University representatives have already confirmed that they expect universities to do

all they can to support students and ensure they can progress to higher education.



Students who cannot get a grade or would like the opportunity to improve their

grades will be able to sit exams in the autumn.


What assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support for early years

providers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford:

We know this is a challenging time for many businesses.

I am in continual contact with early years sector organisations through regular

meetings and working groups and are feeding those messages right into the heart of

government.

This year we plan to pay £3.6 billion into early years entitlements.

We will continue to ensure that early years providers get the best possible support

from the numerous government schemes.

Debbie Abrahams: [903540]

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of educational support for disabled

children during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford:

Every family has had challenges during this period but those families with disabled

children face the greatest.

We have surveyed families, schools and local authorities to monitor the situation.

90% of special schools were open last week, and we have invested £10 million in the

Family Fund and provided specialist online resources.

Assessments: Ethnic Groups

Afzal Khan: [59881]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with

representatives from (a) Ofqual and (b) exam boards to ensure that BAME students are

not disadvantaged by grade predictions.

Nick Gibb:

The independent qualifications regulator, Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and

Examinations Regulation, has been working with awarding organisations to develop a

robust process for awarding grades this year.

Whilst these are matters for Ofqual, the Department has been keeping in close touch

with Ofqual as it has worked up its proposals and has joined some meetings that

Ofqual has held with the awarding organisations. Our shared aim is that the

arrangements should deliver the fairest possible outcomes for all students, including

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students.




GCE A-level and GCSE: Ethnic Groups

Afzal Khan: [59882]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to

ensure that unconscious bias against BAME students in not a factor in predictive (a)

GCSE and (b) A Level grades in 2020 exams.

Nick Gibb:

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I

have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to the hon. Member and a copy

of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

GCSE: Nature Conservation


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he will introduce a natural history

GCSE; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb:

The exam board OCR has launched a consultation to gather views on what people

think should be in a proposed GCSE in natural history. The Government has not

made any commitment to introducing a GCSE in natural history, but we have

indicated that we would consider any proposal put forward. Any such proposal would

need to meet the same high standards and regulatory rules that we and the

independent qualifications regulator Ofqual require from all GCSEs.

Health Services: Students


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if final year healthcare students who worked

in healthcare due to the covid-19 outbreak will have to repay their student loans for tuition

fees accrued in that year.

Michelle Donelan:

Healthcare students will continue to be required to repay student loans for tuition fees

for the current year. Students who have opted in to paid clinical placements to

support the COVID-19 response are receiving a salary and automatic NHS pension

entitlement at the appropriate band. Time spent on paid placements as part of the

COVID-19 response counts towards the requirement for students to complete a

specified number of training hours in order to successfully complete their degrees.

Student loan borrowers are only required to make repayments from the April after

they have finished their course, and once they are earning over the relevant

repayment threshold. The amount borrowers are required to repay each week or

month is linked to their income, not the interest rate or the amount borrowed.

Repayments are calculated as a fixed percentage of earnings above the repayment

threshold, and any outstanding debt is written off at the end of the loan term with no

detriment to the borrower.




Primary Education

Rachael Maskell: [60821]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that all

children in year 6 have the opportunity to meet their current classmates before

transitioning to secondary school.

Nick Gibb:

From the week commencing 1 June 2020, primary schools have been welcoming

back children in nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, alongside priority groups.

The three year groups within mainstream primary - including Year 6 - have been

prioritised because they are key transition years. We recognise that Year 6 children

are finishing Key Stage 2 and are preparing for the transition to secondary school and

will benefit immensely from time with their friends and teachers to ensure they are

ready.

We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the

scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we

know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with

their peers, carers and teachers. We are working towards bringing all children and

young people back to school in September.

Primary Education: Assessments

Tim Loughton: [60644]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the results of Reception

Baseline Assessments will not be shared with the school attended by the pupil until that

child is about to leave primary school.

Nick Gibb:

The Department has always been clear that the reception baseline assessment

(RBA) is not a diagnostic assessment and should not be used to track or group

individual children or hold early years settings to account. Data gathered from the

assessment will only be used to create a baseline for school-level progress measures

and will not be shared with schools, teachers, or parents. However, teachers will

receive a series of short, narrative statements on how each child did at that time,

which can be used to inform teaching.

Primary Education: Sports

Tracey Crouch: [60737]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the

effectiveness of the Primary PE and Sport Premium; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb:

The primary PE and sport premium survey, published in July 2019, assessed the

impact of the doubling of the PE and sport premium to £320 million from September

2017.




The findings indicated that a large majority of schools identified that, following the

doubling of the premium, there had been increases in:

• the profile of PE and sport in supporting whole school improvement;

• the confidence, knowledge or of all staff in teaching PE, or both;

• the level of competitive sport being offered; and

• the range of PE and sport being offered.

The detailed findings can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/primary-pe-and-sport-premium-survey.

Local Active Partnerships also conduct an annual review of a large sample of

schools’ uses of their PE and sport premium, including impact, and report the results

of this review to the Department.

Schools: Sanitary Protection

Stella Creasy: [59447]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department (a) has

made and (b) plans to make of the effectiveness of the free sanitary products in all

primary schools scheme (i) while all pupils are not attending school due to the covid-19

outbreak and (ii) over the summer holidays.

Vicky Ford:

On 20 January 2020, the department launched a new scheme which makes free

period products available for state-funded primary schools, secondary schools and

colleges in England.

This is an important step to ensure that menstruation does not present a barrier to

learning and that no-one is held back from reaching their potential.

We are continuing to monitor schools’ engagement with the scheme during the

COVID-19 outbreak. All schools and colleges continue to be able to order period

products and distribute them to learners according to their own local arrangements.

Schools: Temporary Accommodation


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of

temporary classrooms used in schools by each local authority for each of the last five

years.

Nick Gibb:

The number of temporary classrooms used in schools by each local authority is not

held centrally within the Department.

The Department does collect information on the condition of the school estate

through the Condition Data Collection programme. This information is collected at the

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/primary-pe-and-sport-premium-survey

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/primary-pe-and-sport-premium-survey



school building level; as it does not collect information on individual classrooms, we

do not have a central record of the number of temporary classrooms used by schools.

Teachers: Universal Credit

Dan Jarvis: [59774]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made

of the effect of the universal credit taper for teachers in receipt of universal credit who

receive payments under the (a) Mathematics and Physics Teacher Retention Payments

Pilot scheme and (b) Teachers’ Student Loan Reimbursement Pilot scheme.

Nick Gibb:

The Mathematics and Physics Teacher Retention Payments Pilot and Teachers’

Student Loan Reimbursement Pilot are designed to reward early career secondary

school teachers who are teaching in certain areas of the country. We know there are

particular challenges in retaining early career teachers in these areas, especially

those teaching mathematics and the sciences. These pilots are testing whether

offering these payments incentivises these teachers to remain in the profession.

Universal Credit awards are calculated in a way that ensure fairness of treatment for

all claimants. This means that as earnings increase Universal Credit is gradually

reduced, which is a long-standing principle of means-tested benefits. The payments

made under the two pilot schemes are treated in the same way as any other

earnings. All earnings are subject to the Universal Credit taper rate and a work

allowance where appropriate.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Land Use

Caroline Lucas: [59208]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent

estimate his Department has made of the total area of farmland (a) in the UK and (b)

abroad used to grow (i) fruit and vegetables for UK consumption, (ii) animal feed crops for

UK use and (iii) bioenergy crops for UK use; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis:

The latest available areas of crops grown in the UK are in the table below. We do not

collect any information on the end use of the crops so we are unable to quantify how

much of this area is used for UK consumption. Similarly, we have no information on

the areas grown abroad that are used for UK consumption (trade data is only based

on volumes).



YEAR CROP AREA(THOUSAND HECTARES)

2019 Fruit and vegetables 149

2019 Animal feed crops (1) 412

2018 Bioenergy crops 94

Source: June 2019 Agricultural and Horticultural Survey, United Kingdom.

Department for Transport Renewable Fuels Transport Obligation data.

Notes: (1) Animal feed crops include forage maize (England only), field beans and

peas for harvesting dry, root crops, brassicas, fodder beet and all other crops for

stockfeeding. Cereals are excluded as we are unable to split between animal feed

and human uses.

Agriculture: Northern Ireland

Paul Girvan: [59867]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is

taking to help ensure the participation of Northern Ireland in the Pick For Britain

recruitment plan.

Victoria Prentis:

Defra discussed with officials at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and

Rural Affairs (DAERA) regarding the plans for the Pick for Britain website and their

thoughts on a future public facing campaign, to attract more seasonal workers from

the UK. The feedback received was that DAERA was working closely with industry

representatives in Northern Ireland and would use the existing Department for

Communities website – JobCentre Online (JCOL) to advertise local opportunities.

The website also provided a link to the Pick for Britain initiative.

We continue to work with Devolved Administrations and hold regular meetings in

order to understand the labour needs and specific issues they may be facing.

Agriculture: Subsidies


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to

his Department's document entitled, Farming for the Future - Policy and progress update,

published in February 2020, what estimate his Department has made of the number of

Direct Payments that will be subject to the 25 per cent reduction in 2021.

Victoria Prentis:

Our Farming for the Future policy statement, published in February 2020, sets out the

maximum reductions that will apply to Direct Payments for 2021. This includes a

maximum reduction of 25% for the portion of the payment which exceeds £150,000.



Based on 2018 data, we estimate that around 1,000 farmers will fall into this

category. No farmers will receive an overall reduction of 25%.

Air Pollution: North West

Ms Angela Eagle: [60685]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has

to ensure that air quality levels in (a) Wallasey and (b) the North West remain lower than

they were prior to the covid-19 outbreak.

Rebecca Pow:

Our ambitious plans to improve air quality and support more active forms of travel

have not changed, including the £3.8 billion we are already investing to clean up our

air. Our recent rapid call for evidence will ensure we can fully understand the impact

that coronavirus is having on changes to air pollution emissions, concentrations and

exposure.

On 9 May, the Government announced a £2 billion funding package for cycling and

walking: the largest ever investment in active travel. This includes £250 million to be

spent in the current financial year on measures to get people cycling and walking,

such as pop-up bike lanes, wider pavements, safer junctions, and cycle and bus-only

corridors and a bike repair voucher scheme.

Local authorities already have a range of powers to take action to reduce pollution

from road vehicles. Through the Environment Bill we are improving co-operation

within the Local Air Quality Management framework to widen the range of bodies that

play a role in improving local air quality, including neighbouring local authorities and

relevant public bodies, ensuring action is taken by all key players to tackle pollution

sources and to improve air quality locally.

Additionally we are working hard to implement our world-leading Clean Air Strategy,

which focuses on reducing broader emissions beyond road transport.

Aquaculture: Coronavirus

Sir Greg Knight: [60690]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he

has, after the covid-19 restrictions are lifted to encourage the development and

expansion of the UK's aquaculture industry with regard to shellfish production; and if he


Victoria Prentis:

Defra supports industry led growth in aquaculture. We are actively involved in

developing the English Aquaculture Growth Strategy through the Aquaculture

Leadership Group set up by Seafish under the Seafood 2040 strategic framework.

The strategy, to be published this autumn, will include growth targets and a short to

long-term delivery plan.



Recognising the adverse impact of Covid-19 on the aquaculture sector as export and

domestic markets have fallen away, Defra has provided some £725,000 to 79

aquaculture businesses as part of the Fisheries Response Fund.

Dairy Farming: Coronavirus

Chris Loder: [59613]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers

have received support from the Coronavirus Hardship Fund for Dairy Farmers.

Victoria Prentis:

The new dairy response fund opened for applications on 18 June 2020. Full details of

the application process can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/dairy-

response-fund-2020. The funding will provide eligible dairy farmers in England with

up to £10,000. Payments will commence from 6 July 2020. The scheme will help

those dairy farmers most in need of support to sustain their businesses by

maintaining production capacity without impacts on animal welfare.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Energy


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much energy

his departmental buildings have used in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020 to

date.

Victoria Prentis:

The amounts of energy used by Defra Group on the estates that it manages in the

last five years are included in an attachment.

This data has been taken from our annual report and accounts over the previous four

years, with the 2019-20 data to be published shortly. This includes energy use in both

the office and the operational estates.

Attachments:

1. Table attachment of ARA data for PQ 59351, 19-21 [PQ 59351 - Buildings Energy

Usage with ARA Data - Parliamentary Session 19-21.pdf]

Food: Standards


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is

taking to ensure that Britain retains high quality food standards when the transition period

concludes.

Victoria Prentis:

The UK Government will not compromise on our standards. Our manifesto is clear

that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental

protection, animal welfare and food standards. We remain firmly committed to

upholding our high environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards outside




the EU. The EU Withdrawal Act will transfer all existing EU food safety provisions,

including existing import requirements, onto the UK statute book.

The UK’s food standards, for both domestic production and imports, are overseen by

the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland. These are agencies that

provide independent advice to the UK and Scottish Governments. They will continue

to do so in order to ensure that all food imports comply with the UK’s high safety

standards. Decisions on these standards are a matter for the UK and will be made

separately from any trade agreement.

The Government has committed to a serious and rapid examination of what could be

done through labelling in the UK market to promote high standards and high welfare

goods. The Government is also prepared to consult, as I reiterated at the despatch

box. Any scheme could not be devised until we have competed the transition period

and would need to recognise World Trade Organization obligations.


To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions

he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for International Trade and (b) other Cabinet

colleagues on the establishment of a commission to ensure that British food standards

are not lowered in the context of future free trade agreements struck after 31 December

2020.

Victoria Prentis:

Our manifesto is clear that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on

our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.

We are already engaging with the agricultural sector as part of our trade discussions.

The Secretary of State regularly discusses a wide range of issues with Cabinet

colleagues, and the Government will continue to work closely with the National

Farmers' Union and other relevant stakeholders across the food chain to understand

the key concerns about the impact of new trade deals. The Government has in place

a range of stakeholder groups to feed into our policy development on trade. These

include the Strategic Trade Advisory Group, the Agri-Food Expert Trade Advisory

Group which are subject to regular review, and the various engagement groups such

as the Arable Group, Livestock Group and Food and Drink Panel.

Imports: Israel

James Murray: [56193]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to

the import of (a) fresh fruit, (b) vegetables and (c) dairy products, from Israel, whether

HMRC accepts Israeli certificates of conformity with marketing standards (i) where the

place of origin is within the internationally recognised borders of Israel and (ii) where

goods originate from settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.



Victoria Prentis:

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs take steps to exclude the possibility that goods

of West Bank origin enter the United Kingdom incorrectly described as being Israeli.

This is to prevent them benefitting from preferential tariffs in accordance with the

terms of EU-Israel Association Agreement and the technical arrangements which flow

from this.

EU rules do not allow the authorities in any exporting third country (such as the State

of Israel) to issue valid certificates of conformity with EU marketing standards for fruit

and vegetables originating outside that third country. This includes territories under

Israeli administration since June 1967, for example, the West Bank. The situation

referred to by the hon. Member in respect of imports originating in Israeli settlements

on the West Bank cannot, therefore, arise.

EU rules allow third countries to issue a certificate of conformity, confirming

compliance with marketing standards. However, that does not mean that every import

consignment will be accompanied by such a document. Importers can also apply for

a certificate directly from an EU Member State’s authority.

For dairy products, certificates of conformity with marketing standards are not

required regardless of the origin of imports. The EU marketing standards legislation

will form part of UK statute and will continue to apply in the UK after the transition

period.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Lilian Greenwood: [59742]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the

Government plans to publish its plan to reduce air pollution on the Strategic Road

Network to within legal limits; and whether that plan will include Highways England’s

recently approved Road Investment Strategy 2.

Rebecca Pow:

The Government’s UK Plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations was

published in July 2017 and detailed the approach that would be taken forward by

Highways England in order to deliver compliance on the Strategic Road Network

(SRN) in the shortest possible time. Since the publication of the 2017 Plan, the

Government has been working closely with Highways England (HE) on the delivery of

their air quality programme of work. Some measures to tackle illegal roadside

nitrogen dioxide concentrations have already been implemented on the SRN by HE.

The second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) also refers to HE bringing road links on

the SRN into compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits in the shortest possible

time.

Lilian Greenwood: [59743]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many of each

type of air quality monitors Highways England have put into operation along the Strategic



Road Network; whether the pollution concentrations at each monitoring location have

been published by Highways England.

Rebecca Pow:

Highways England (HE) currently has 74 air quality monitoring stations alongside the

Strategic Road Network. 57 of these are part of its National Air Quality Monitoring

Network. The type and number of stations is set out in the table below.

TYPE OF AIR QUALITY MONITORING STATION* NUMBER

MCERTS nitrogen oxide chemiluminescent

analyser

61

MCERTS ozone analyser 11

MCERTS Beta Attenuation Mass Measuring

particulate analyser

2

*MCERTS (Monitoring Certification Scheme) is the Environment Agency’s Monitoring

Certification Scheme.

HE annual site monitoring reports have not been published; however, information

from the reports has been provided on request. HE has annual monitoring reports for

the number of sites set out in the table below.

YEAR**

NUMBER OF SITES FOR WHICH ANNUAL

MONITORING REPORTS ARE HELD

2016 15

2017 31

2018 43

2019 57 (in draft)

**2016 is the first year of data for the first monitoring sites installed.

Total Allowable Catches

Barry Gardiner: [59663]

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the

Government has to remove Total Allowable Catch limits from particular stocks.

Victoria Prentis:

We have no plans to remove total allowable catch limits. Any decision to remove a

stock from management by setting a total allowable catch would need to be guided

by robust scientific evidence. Scientific advice for 2020 for most stocks in the North


East Atlantic will be published by the International Council for the Exploration of the

Sea on 30 June.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Baltic States and Scandinavia: Foreign Relations

Catherine West: [60840]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the

Government is taking to increase co-operation with the Baltic and Nordic states after the

transition period.

Wendy Morton:

As we leave the EU, we remain committed to our deep relationships with all our

Nordic and Baltic Partners. We want the UK to have increasingly strong future

partnerships with the Nordic and Baltic countries, and to ensure we maintain the

closest possible links with our European allies. This includes for example ministerial

engagement in the Northern Group and our Joint Expeditionary Force commitments

which underline the importance of our cooperation.

The UK has close and robust ties across the region spanning people to people links,

trade and investment, security and defence, and science and innovation. We

continue to work closely at the highest levels with our Nordic and Baltic partners on a

range of shared interests, underpinned by common values and a mutual desire to

work together for the security and prosperity of our people.

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

Kate Osamor: [59528]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what debt recovery

agency his Department plans to refer debts relating to emergency repatriation loans to in

the event that they have not been repaid within six months.

Nigel Adams:

British nationals who are overseas and wish to return to the UK, but cannot afford

travel costs and have no other options for getting funds to return home, may apply for

an emergency loan from the Government as a last resort.

Those eligible must sign an Undertaking to Repay (UTR) in which they agree to repay

the loan within 6 months. Loan recipients are unable to renew their passport until they

repay the loan in full. If loan recipients do not repay the loan or set up a repayment

plan with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) within 6 months, their

passport may be cancelled, and their details passed to Indesser, a cross Government

debt management service. The FCO will always work with British nationals to agree

flexible repayment plans tailored to individual circumstances. We will not cancel the

passports of those actively seeking to repay their loan. All loans are interest free.




To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK

citizens are stranded in (a) Spain and (b) Europe as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Adams:

Since the outbreak in Wuhan, we estimate that over 1.3 million people have returned

to the UK via commercial routes - the majority supported by our work to keep vital

routes open. We have now brought home over 38,000 people on 186 special charter

flights organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from 57 countries and

territories. We believe the vast majority of British travellers seeking to return to the

UK - and who don't have commercial options - have now done so. The welfare of

British nationals remains our top priority. We remain committed to ensuring that

British travellers around the globe are able to return and that commercial routes are

maintained.

At the current time, there remain commercial options to return to the UK from Spain

and most countries in Europe. Our Embassy in Madrid have been working closely

with the Government of Spain, airlines and other travel providers to keep vital routes

open and help bring back British travellers to the UK. Our consular team continues to

work around the clock to provide support, advice and information to British travellers

in Spain. Our travel advice and social media pages are also regularly updated to

ensure that those wishing to return are aware of further developments.

Through our embassies, and a dedicated central team, we are continuing to monitor

whether there are more British travellers abroad seeking to return home immediately,

how many, where they are located, whether there are commercial routes available to

them and whether support is required.

Department for International Development


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he

has made of the total costs that will be incurred from the abolishing of the Department for

International Development.

James Cleverly:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International

Development are merging to form a new international department - the Foreign,

Commonwealth and Development Office. We will implement these changes in the

most cost effective way possible. While we anticipate there will be cost savings in the

long term as a result of using our resources more effectively and efficiently, it is not

the primary goal of the merger of these two Departments. This is primarily about

bringing together our international efforts so we can maximise the UK's influence

around the world. By aligning our efforts, the merger will maximise our influence and

expertise and ensure we are in the best position to confront the challenges that lie

ahead. This will strengthen our ability to lead the world's efforts to recover from the



coronavirus pandemic and allow us to seize the opportunities ahead, as we prepare

to take on the G7 presidency and host COP26 next year.

Department for International Development: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [59863]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what

representations he has received from (a) Ambassadors and (b) other stakeholders on the

merging of his Department and the Department for International Development.

James Cleverly:

We will engage closely with interested stakeholders in the weeks and months to

come as we work to create a new department, which will unite our development

expertise and first class diplomatic service to deliver in the national interest and seize

the opportunities that lie ahead.

Ethiopia: Dams

Mr Alistair Carmichael: [59708]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether officials in

his Department have had discussions with their (a) Egyptian, (b) Sudanese and (c)

Ethiopian counterparts on the Grand Renaissance Dam.

James Duddridge:

We are aware of reports on the ongoing dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. We continue to urge all parties involved to come

to an agreement and to avoid taking any unilateral action. The Foreign Secretary

spoke to Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry on these terms on 8 June, as did the

Minister for Africa with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu on 20 May. We welcome the

resumption of talks between the Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt to work towards a

peaceful resolution.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Carers


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in

his Department had caring responsibilities in each of the last five years.

Nigel Adams:

From the 2019 Civil Service People Survey, 2,855 employees in the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office stated that they had caring responsibilities. This is from 11,466

respondents (85% of the organisation). Data on caring responsibilities previous to

2019 is not held centrally and to compile it would incur disproportionate cost.




Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Department for International Development

Patrick Grady: [59816]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he

has made of the cost of merging the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the

Department for International Development.

James Cleverly:

We will implement these changes in the most cost effective way possible. While we

anticipate there will be cost savings in the long term as a result of using our

resources more effectively and efficiently, it is not the primary goal of the merger of

these two Departments. This is primarily about bringing together our international

efforts so we can maximise the UK's influence around the world. By aligning our

efforts, the merger will maximise our influence and expertise and ensure we are in

the best position to confront the challenges that lie ahead. This will strengthen our

ability to lead the world's efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and allow

us to seize the opportunities ahead, as we prepare to take on the G7 presidency and

host COP26 next year.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Lisa Nandy: [59747]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the

Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 16 June 2020 on Global Britain, what estimate he has

made of the cost to the public purse of merging the Department of International

Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to create a new department,

the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

James Cleverly:

We will implement these changes in the most cost effective way possible. While we

anticipate there will be cost savings in the long term as a result of using our

resources more effectively and efficiently, it is not the primary goal of the merger of

these two Departments. This is primarily about bringing together our international

efforts so we can maximise the UK's influence around the world. By aligning our

efforts, the merger will maximise our influence and expertise and ensure we are in

the best position to confront the challenges that lie ahead. This will strengthen our

ability to lead the world's efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and allow

us to seize the opportunities ahead, as we prepare to take on the G7 presidency and

host COP26 next year.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what date he

expects the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to assume the functions of

the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development.




James Cleverly:

Work will begin immediately on the merger and the new department - the Foreign,

Commonwealth and Development Office - will be formally established in early

September under the leadership of the Secretary of State for Foreign,

Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the costs

of rebranding and renaming the proposed Foreign, Commonwealth and Development

Office will count towards the spending target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for

Official Development Assistance.

James Cleverly:

We will make the change in the most cost-effective way possible and set out full

details in due course. Spending 0.7 percent of our national income on aid is

enshrined in law and the UK continues to abide by the Organisation for Economic Co-

operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee rules for aid. We

anticipate that in the long term the merger may bring efficiency savings to the cost of

administering the aid budget, but that's not the primary goal of the merger, which is

about uniting our international efforts so we can maximise the UK's influence around

the world.

Georgia: Foreign Relations


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is

taking to increase British-Georgian economic co-operation.

Wendy Morton:

The UK is committed to deepening its bilateral cooperation with Georgia and to

growing our strong economic relationship. We do so through ongoing initiatives such

as the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue and the UK's Good Governance Fund, which is

supporting economic reforms and Georgia's economic recovery from COVID-19. We

have recently expanded the commercial section at the British Embassy Tbilisi, which

works to identify new opportunities for UK businesses and address barriers to trade

where they exist. This is underpinned by the UK-Georgia Strategic Partnership and

Cooperation Agreement, and in particular it's Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade

Area element, which is expected to take effect from 1 January 2021.

Hong Kong: National Security

Lisa Nandy: [57191]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions

he plans to have with representatives of HSBC and Standard Chartered on recent




statements of support from both companies for the introduction by China of new national

security legislation for Hong Kong.

Nigel Adams:

[Holding answer 15 June 2020]: The UK Government speaks regularly with

international financial services firms about a range of issues. It is for individual

companies to make their own judgements. We have made our own position very

clear on China's proposal to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong.

This proposal undermines the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework, under which

Hong Kong is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy with executive, legislative and

independent judicial powers. If China proceeds it would be in direct conflict with its

obligations under the Joint Declaration

Israeli Settlements: Companies

Ben Lake: [60846]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the

Answer of 8 June 2020 to Question 55878 on Israeli Settlements: Companies, what

assessment he has made of the applicability of United Nations Security Council

Resolution 465 to those companies.

James Cleverly:

The UK supports existing UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), including

UNSCR 465, and will do so until an agreement is negotiated by the parties. Our

position on settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law and damaging

to renewed efforts to launch peace negotiations. As I made clear in my answer of 8

June 2020 (55878), ultimately it is the decision of an individual or company whether

to operate in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The British

Government is clear that it neither encourages nor offers support to such activity.

Malawi: Elections


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions

he has had with his counterpart in the Government of Malawi on the free and fair conduct

of the presidential election planned for 23 June 2020.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the

Government is supporting any international observer missions to monitor the free and fair

conduct of the presidential election in Malawi planned for 23 June 2020.

James Duddridge:

The UK is closely monitoring the political and security situation in Malawi ahead of

fresh Presidential elections on 23 June. We have taken every opportunity to

encourage all sides to respect the rule of law, follow due process under the

constitution, and to respect the rulings of Malawi's courts. We have also urged de-




escalation of inflammatory rhetoric and peaceful campaigning from all sides. I

reiterated these messages in a phone call with Malawi's Minister for Justice and

Constitutional Affairs on 15 May, as did the UK Chargé d'Affaires in his meeting with

President Mutharika on 11 May.

The risks of the Covid-19 endemic have impacted the possibility for international

organisations to observe the elections, however the UK's High Commission in

Lilongwe is working closely with civil society organisations engaged in electoral

observation ahead of polling day to encourage due diligence in the electoral process.

Nigeria: Human Rights

Jim Shannon: [59461]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent

assessment he has made of the effect of Operation Safe Corridor in Nigeria on human

rights standards in that country.

James Duddridge:

We are concerned by allegations of human rights abuses in Amnesty International's

recent report, We Dried Our Tears. The British High Commissioner has raised the

report's findings with the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, calling for a full

investigation into the allegations and prosecution of any individuals found to have

committed abuses in military detention facilities. The UK Government does not

provide any support to the military detention facilities mentioned. The UK

Government does not provide funding directly to the Government of Nigeria.

We are also concerned by criticisms in the report of Operation Safe Corridor. The

programme is run by the Federal Government of Nigeria and is intended to provide

defectors from Boko Haram with a voluntary way to disarm and reintegrate with

society through de-radicalisation, psychosocial support and livelihood training. By

providing a way to disengage from conflict, these programmes are an essential part

of peacebuilding, but they must be fit for purpose and conducted in a way that fully

respects human rights.

The UK, alongside the US and EU, provides funding to the International Organisation

for Migration (IOM) to assist in the reintegration element of the Operation Safe

Corridor. All UK Government programme spend is subject to regular monitoring and

review. We are urgently following up points raised in the report with IOM, in particular

in relation to the process for screening participants, the conditions in which they are

detained and the timeline for rehabilitation. IOM have assured us that no children are

currently enrolled. The UK's position on human rights is clear: they are universal and

must apply equally to all people. The UK will continue to call on all parties to the

conflict in North East Nigeria to respect human rights and abide by international

humanitarian and human rights law.


Pakistan: Christianity

Jim Shannon: [55971]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what

representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on releasing the Christian

prisoners of conscience (a) Shagufta Kausar and (b) Shafqat Emmanuel detained in that

country.

Nigel Adams:

We continue to actively monitor the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel

who remain in detention in Pakistan. We understand that their hearing has been

rescheduled to 22 June. We remain deeply concerned about reports of discrimination

against the Christian community and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

We regularly raise at a senior level the issue of the blasphemy laws with the

authorities in Pakistan. In Pakistan and elsewhere these laws have targeted Muslims

and non-Muslims. The UK Government condemns any instance where the content or

application of blasphemy legislation encourages or justifies violence or discrimination,

or causes a violation of a person's Human Rights. The British High Commissioner to

Pakistan met the Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights on 20 January and raised

issues surrounding blasphemy and the death penalty, which the UK remains firmly

opposed to in all circumstances. In February, the Minister for South Asia, Lord

Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the UK's concerns about the situation for prisoners in

detention under trial in Pakistan, particularly for blasphemy cases. Most recently,

Lord Ahmad raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the death

penalty in Pakistan by letter with Dr Mazari on 5 June. In addition, The British High

Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner CMG, met with Dr Mazari and raised our

concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the death penalty on 8 June.

Religious Freedom

Zarah Sultana: [59261]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his

Department provides to projects (a) with and (b) for religious communities facing

discrimination throughout the world.

Nigel Adams:

Since 2018, the FCO has allocated more than £1 million for Freedom of Religion or

Belief (FoRB) projects through the Magna Carta Fund for human rights. This included

projects to combat intolerance and encourage respect among individuals of different

faiths, beliefs and those of no belief. Following the Bishop of Truro's independent

Review of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, we also launched the John

Bunyan Fund for FoRB, through which we funded 15 research projects that looked at

the challenges facing different communities, including Christians, Yazidis and

Humanists. John Bunyan Fund projects also looked at cross-cutting issues such as

migration and the double vulnerability experienced by women from minority faith



backgrounds. Programme funding allocations for financial year 2020-2021 are yet to

be confirmed.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund

Sir Graham Brady: [57906]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will amend

the guidance for allowable expenses under the Infection Control Fund to include the

purchase of (a) specialist infection control equipment and (b) specialist infection control

services from contractors.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 15 June 2020]: On 15 May we published details of an additional

£600 million Infection Control Fund for Adult Social Care. This funding is to support

adult social care providers in England reduce the rate of transmission in and between

care homes and to support workforce resilience. A small percentage of it may be

used to support domiciliary care providers and support wider workforce resilience to

deal with COVID-19 infections.

Given the evidence of the prevalence of asymptomatic transmission, Public Health

England strongly recommends that care homes do all they can to restrict staff

movement wherever feasible. The specific purpose of this fund is to support the

implementation of a new set of measures, identified in the Care Home Support

Package published alongside the fund. This includes measures such as ensuring, as

far as possible, that members of staff work in only one care home and helping to limit

their use of public transport – steps that we believe not all providers would ordinarily

be taking without specific support.

We published further information on the use of this funding on 9 June. This can be

found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-infection-control-

fund/about-the-adult-social-care-infection-control-fund

The Government has already provided local government with £3.2 billion of

unringfenced additional funding to help deal with the pandemic and has committed to

keeping future funding under review.

Asthma: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made

of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the access of severe asthma patients to (a)

specialist care in severe asthma centres and (b) biologic therapies.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-infection-control-fund/about-the-adult-social-care-infection-control-fund




Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 16 June 2020]: Specialist respiratory services for severe asthma

have continued during the COVID-19 outbreak; in most cases people with severe

asthma have been able to receive their biologic medication at home instead of having

to attend hospital. Given the pivotal role of respiratory medicine in treating patients

with COVID-19, it is likely that the ability of some centres to commence patients on

biologics may have been impacted at the peak of the surge.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence COVID-19 rapid guideline on

severe asthma provides guidance on starting or continuing on biological treatments,

for people with severe asthma during the COVID-19 outbreak. The guideline is

available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng166


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, until what date the

recommendations in the NICE COVID-19 rapid guideline: severe asthma will remain in

place.

Helen Whately:

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is unable to confirm a date on

which the recommendations in the COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma

[NG166] will cease to be in place at this time.

COVID-19 rapid guidelines, and their individual recommendations, will be kept under

review and may be considered for withdrawal:

- If the guideline or recommendations are no longer needed or become

redundant/obsolete because service delivery has changed (e.g. normal services have

resumed), or the recommendations are likely to have limited relevance for the service

beyond the timeframe of the current crisis;

- If there are safety issues, for example, the recommendations may harm patients,

service users or health and social care practitioners; and

- To remove duplication of recommendations if guideline content or certain

recommendations within the COVID-19 suite are merged.

Asthma: Medical Treatments


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients began

biologic therapies for severe asthma in each month in 2020; and how many patients in

total were prescribed biologic therapies for severe asthma in each of those months.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 16 June 2020]: The following table shows the number of patients

with severe asthma each month where biologic drug costs have been reimbursed to

centres providing severe asthma services.





. JANUARY 2020 FEBRUARY 2020 MARCH 2020

Total patients 4,906 4,732 4,444

New Starters 152 91 63

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Olivia Blake: [53669]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made

of the implications for his policy on covid-19 restrictions for care homes of the findings in

the Statistical data set COVID-19: number of outbreaks in care homes – management

information published on gov.uk on 28 May 2020 that 38 percent of care homes had

cases of covid-19 between 20 March and 7 May 2020.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 8 June 2020]: In the face of an unprecedented global pandemic,

since the start of this pandemic we have been working closely with the sector and

public health experts to put in place guidance and support for adult social care.

We keep our policies under continuous review based on the emerging international

and domestic evidence.

In February, the first guidance for the sector was published; in March, we announced

£1.6 billion funding for local government and £1.3 billion to go to the National Health

Service and social care for discharge support; in April we announced a further £1.6

billion for local government and our detailed Adult Social Care Action Plan.

Steve McCabe: [57078]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason Public Health

England will not assist in the testing of symptomatic care home residents until a (a) case

or (b) outbreak of covid-19 is suspected.

Helen Whately:

Every care home in England can access whole home testing, regardless of whether

residents have symptoms. This testing can be arranged through the Department’s

online testing portal at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-care-home

Responsibility for whole home testing lies with the Department.

Public Health England (PHE) is responsible for the testing of symptomatic residents

at the point a case or an outbreak is first suspected in a care home. When a PHE

local Health Protection Team is notified of a suspected resident case or outbreak of

COVID-19 in a care home, they will undertake a risk assessment, offer public health

advice (including infection prevention and control advice) and, where appropriate,

arrange for testing to be done for all symptomatic residents at the time of reporting.


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/879639/covid-19-adult-social-care-action-plan.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/879639/covid-19-adult-social-care-action-plan.pdf




The risk assessment is undertaken to ensure that the symptoms being reported are

consistent with COVID-19 infection.

Department of Health and Social Care: Care Badge Community Interest Company


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the Government

paid to transfer the CARE badge brand rights from the CARE Badge Community Interest

Company to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Helen Whately:

The CARE Badge Community Interest Company transferred the brand rights for the

CARE logo to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care free of charge.

When this transfer took place, the Government purchased the remaining stock of

badges held by the previous brand owner. As of 19 June, 15,000 of these badges, or

about 95% of the amount purchased from the previous rights holder, have been

distributed at no cost to social care providers or members of the workforce.

Additional badges have been procured and we expect to be able to start delivery of

these badges in July. Details of how they will be distributed to people working in

social care who want to wear this badge with pride will be available in due course.

Department of Health and Social Care: Renewable Energy


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) solar panels and

(b) wind turbines his Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the

last five years.

Edward Argar:

The Department has not had any buildings with wind turbines or solar panels in the

last five years.

Exercise Cygnus: Health and Social Services

Sir Mark Hendrick: [57915]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Exercise

Cygnus that took place in 2016, whether an assessment was made of the potential effect

of a pandemic on the mental health of (a) health and (b) care workers.

Helen Whately:

Whilst the scope of Exercise Cygnus did not cover the effect of a pandemic on the

mental health of health and social care workers specifically, staff wellbeing is a core

part of United Kingdom pandemic preparedness planning. This includes

strengthening the health and social care sector to surge and flex beyond normal

operations, as demonstrated by the considerable increase in capacity and capabilities

to respond to the current COVID-19 pandemic.




The wellbeing of health and social care staff has been central to the COVID-19

response, and the Government has implemented several measures to support staff,

including a dedicated helpline and free access to several wellbeing apps for National

Health Service and social care workers, and a CARE app which provides advice and

wellbeing support to social care staff.

Health Services: Labour Turnover


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is

taking to retain healthcare staff who returned to provide additional capacity during the

covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately:

The Government is grateful for the positive response from the large numbers of

former healthcare staff who came forward in response to the COVID-19 emergency.

We are working closely with key stakeholders including NHS England and NHS

Improvement and local employers to ensure that the opportunities for employment

are maximised for those who wish to continue working.

Hospices: Coronavirus

Olivia Blake: [54281]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report

published by Public Health England on 2 June 2020 entitled Disparities in the risk and

outcomes of covid-19, for what reasons there were no excess deaths in hospices

compared with in care homes between 20 March 2020 to 7 May 2020.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 8 June 2020]: There were 20,457 excess deaths in care homes

between 20 March 2020 and 7 May 2020.

This is stated within the report on page 59 in the text:

“Overall the model suggests that there have been 20,457 excess deaths in care

homes between 20 March and 7 May 2020 and 16,016 in hospitals. The care home

finding is consistent with the finding reported in section 1, that 75% of excess deaths

are in people aged 75 and over. It is not possible to say whether these excess deaths

in care homes have been concentrated in a few with outbreaks or distributed among

many. There have been no excess deaths in hospices.”

Hospitals: Coronavirus

Dr Dan Poulter: [53383]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to allow

close family members to visit patients in hospital and not infected with covid-19.




Helen Whately:

On 5 June 2020, NHS England revised its guidance on how National Health Service

organisations may choose to facilitate visiting across healthcare inpatient settings

during the COVID-19 pandemic. The national suspension on visiting imposed under

previous guidance was lifted with immediate effect.

Visiting is now subject to local discretion by trusts and other NHS bodies. The

number of visitors at the bedside is limited to one close family contact or somebody

important to the patient. However, where it is possible to maintain social distancing

throughout the visit, a second additional visitor can be permitted in certain

circumstances including those individuals receiving end-of-life care.

Joint Biosecurity Centre


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the remit is of the new

Joint Biosecurity Centre with reference to that Centre's relationship with (a) the devolved

Administrations, (b) Government departments and (c) SAGE.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 2 June 2020]: The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) will need to work

with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including Government Departments,

the devolved administrations, and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, to

carry out its functions. The United Kingdom Government will continue to engage with

the devolved administrations to explore how the centre can operate most effectively

across the UK and work is underway to ensure the right relationships are in place to

enable the JBC to operate as effectively as possible.

Steve Reed: [53440]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the new Joint Biosecurity

Centre will interact with Local Resilience Forms and Local Health Protection Boards.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 8 June 2020]: 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.



Lung Diseases: Health Services

Rosie Cooper: [60724]


taking to ensure that people with (a) asthma, (b) COPD and (c) other lung conditions (i)

receive timely diagnoses and (b) access emergency and routine care during the covid-19

lockdown.

Helen Whately:

Specialist respiratory services for severe asthma, along with urgent and emergency

treatment for other serious complaints, have continued throughout the COVID-19

outbreak. In most cases people with severe asthma have been able to receive their

medication at home instead of having to attend hospital.

Whilst routine treatments were suspended to provide capacity to treat COVID-19

patients, we are now working closely with the National Health Service and other

partners to restart these in a safe way, with excellence in infection prevention and

control as a key principle. Guidance has already been issued on this, and

approaches are being tailored at local level according to local capacity and local

demand, with the most urgent services being restarted first.

NHS: Mental Health

Sir Mark Hendrick: [57909]


taking to assess the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the mental health of NHS staff.

Helen Whately:

The Government takes the health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff very

seriously. At the beginning of the COVID-19 response, the Department

commissioned NHS England and NHS Improvement to develop a comprehensive

package of emotional, psychological, and practical support for all NHS staff. NHS

England and NHS Improvement launched the support package on 8 April 2020 which

can be accessed via the following link:

people.nhs.uk/help/

Development of the support package has been informed by both the experiences of

NHS staff contacting the national telephone and text service, as well as expert advice

and research into mental health needs following major incidents. The support

package will continue to be updated by listening to feedback from NHS staff who use

the services, including how COVID-19 response has affected them.

NHS: Procurement


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has

amended its NHS procurement practices as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.



https://people.nhs.uk/help/

https://people.nhs.uk/help/


Edward Argar:

The Department has not amended National Health Service procurement practices.

Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published

on 18 March at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-

responding-to-covid-19

Social Services


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the social care White

Paper will be published; and if it will include policies related to the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately:

The Government’s number one priority for adult social care is for everyone who relies

on care to get the care they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are complex questions to address in considering the future of social care,

which is why we have invited cross-party talks. These talks will take place at the

earliest opportunity given the current circumstances.

We do not want to pre-empt the outcome of any cross-party talks. However, we are

committed to bringing forward a plan for social care to ensure that everyone is treated

with dignity and respect and to find long term solutions for one of the biggest

challenges we face as a society.

Supported Housing: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to extend

covid-19 testing for all eligible care homes to residents in supported living settings.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 18 June 2020]: Further expansion of testing to other adult social

care settings will be guided by clinical advice on relative priority and available testing

capacity.

We are listening to views about how different groups may be affected by the virus

and are continuing to explore how we can support other parts of the sector such as

those in supported living settings.

We have significantly increased testing capacity so everyone with symptoms of

COVID-19 can be tested. Anyone with suspected symptoms in these settings can

also access testing by self-refer via the following link:

www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19





http://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test

http://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test

HOME OFFICE

Airguns: Reviews

Stephen McPartland: [59761]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to

publish its response to the review of the regulation of air weapons in England and Wales,

published in October 2017.

Kit Malthouse:

The Government fully understands the interest that Members of Parliament and

others have in the outcomes of the review of air weapons regulation, and the

concerns that have been expressed about the consequences, sometimes tragic,

arising from the misuse of these weapons.

We intend to publish our conclusions in due course, alongside a consultation on

firearms safety issues, to which we committed during the passage of the Offensive

Weapons Bill.

Asylum

Tim Farron: [59205]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made

of the potential merits of enabling people to apply for asylum at Regional Intake Units.

Chris Philp:

We take the wellbeing of asylum seekers extremely seriously.

As part of our response to COVID-19, we have introduced regional intake units to

allow asylum claims to be registered in a safe way that adheres to social distancing

guidance and minimises travel.

The introduction of the regional intake units in Glasgow, Belfast, Liverpool, Leeds,

Solihull and Cardiff, is a temporary measure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

and these changes do not represent a new operating model. These are contingency

measures put in place to allow asylum claims to be registered in a safe manner and

ensure those that are at immediate risk of destitution can access support.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is

taking during the covid-19 outbreak to improve the (a) provision and (b) accessibility of

Government guidance and information on asylum to people seeking asylum.

Chris Philp:

In March, we set up a dedicated engagement channel with key stakeholders to cover

the impact of Covid-19 on asylum and resettlement, and to ensure that the necessary

guidance and information was reaching asylum seekers across the UK. The British

Red Cross were nominated by the sector as the single point of contact; officials

speak to them on a regular basis and calls are often accompanied by written updates,




which the British Red Cross share with the wider sector, and onto asylum seekers.

We have also set up a similar engagement channel with the Strategic Migration

Partnership, which also includes a weekly call and regular written updates.

Our liaison with British Red Cross as a single point of contact has successfully

ensured that asylum seekers have the information they require in recent months. We

are now in the process of drafting additional guidance, which will be published on

GOV.UK, on asylum interviewing and decision-making during the period in which our

operations are still affected by the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK. This will provide

greater provision of information to asylum seekers.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been

waiting more than six months for an asylum decision; and if she will grant those people

the right to work and access education.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics

Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-

quarterly-release). Data on the number of asylum applications awaiting an initial

decision or further review are published in table Asy_D03 of the asylum and

resettlement detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-

sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets). Information on how to use the dataset can

be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year

ending September 2019. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level

overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains

an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the

‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-

statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5

D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest).

Asylum seekers can work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months,

through no fault of their own. Those allowed to work are restricted to jobs on the

Shortage Occupation List, which is published by the Home Office and based on

expert advice from the Migration Advisory Committee.

Asylum seeker right to work is a complex issue. A review of the policy is ongoing, and

we are considering the evidence put forward on the issue.

There is nothing in the Immigration Rules to prevent asylum seekers studying.

However, asylum-seekers who wish to access higher education courses can expect

to be charged the full cost of their course by the university concerned.

Attachments:

1. Asylum summary tables [Copy of asylum-summary-sep-2019-tables.xlsx]



To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been

waiting more than 12 months for an asylum decision; and if she will grant those people

Discretionary Leave to Remain.

Chris Philp:

The Home Office does not publish data on the number of people waiting for more

than 12 months for an asylum decision.

The latest Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release, on data to the year ending March

2020, can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Table Asy D03 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’ contains

information on the number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision or

further review and are published in. Information on how to use the dataset can be

found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.

All asylum claims are carefully considered on their individual merits on the evidence

available to the decision maker. We are committed to ensuring that asylum claims are

considered without unnecessary delay, so that those who need protection are

granted as soon as possible.

Discretionary Leave (DL) is granted outside the Immigration Rules in accordance with

published Home Office policy. DL covers those few individuals who do not qualify for

any leave under the Rules, but where there are exceptional or compassionate

reasons for allowing them to remain in the UK; as such, it is intended to be used

sparingly and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Delays in decision

making occur for a number of reasons, some of which are outside of the Home

Office’s control, and it would generally not be appropriate to grant DL under these

circumstances.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what feedback mechanism her

Department has put in place for asylum seekers to communicate how well the

Department has met their needs throughout their application process; and what recent

assessment her Department has made of the quality of the support it provides to asylum

seekers.

Chris Philp:

UKVI uses feedback from complaints, reports and audits, surveys and customer

focus groups to make sure that we are continually improving the service we provide

to those who seek asylum in the UK.

UKVI work closely with our key partners and stakeholders to seek and share this

feedback to identify ways in which we can improve the quality of experience of people

seeking asylum in the UK.



We have recently set up a Customer Experience Management Team, based across

the UK, who will work closely on a local level with stakeholders, to identify key areas

to improve the overall experience for people seeking asylum in the UK.

Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are provided with free

accommodation and a weekly cash allowance to cover their other essential living

needs. With effect from 15 June, the allowance was raised from £37.75 to £39.60, an

increase of around 5%. The increase is significantly higher than general inflation,

which Office of National Statistics data shows was only 0.8% in the 12 months period

to April 2020. Food inflation over the same period was only 1.4%. Asylum seekers

also receive free NHS healthcare and free education for their children.

Asylum: Housing

Tim Farron: [59206]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to

end enforced room sharing between non-related persons in asylum support

accommodation.

Chris Philp:

Room sharing take place in a number of sectors and is not limited to supported

asylum seekers.

There asylum accommodation contracts set out clearly when room sharing can take

place and the numbers of people sharing rooms is minimal.

There are currently no plans to end room sharing for unrelated asylum seeking

adults.

British National (Overseas): Visas

Lisa Nandy: [60750]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8

June 2020 to Question 53418 on British National (Overseas): Visas, whether the

arrangements to extend visa rights for British National (Overseas) passport holders will

also apply to the dependants of those passport holders.

Kevin Foster:

The UK will continue to defend the rights & freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.

Should China push ahead and impose national security legislation on Hong Kong

then we will provide a generous offer to BN(O)s of a bespoke immigration route

providing unrestricted access to work and study with a pathway to apply for

citizenship.

We are working closely with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and domestic

departments on the offer to British Nationals (Overseas) and will set out more detail

in due course.



Hamas

Brendan Clarke-Smith: [58078]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria the Government

uses to distinguish between the political and military wings of Hamas in relation to the

proscribing of organisations.

James Brokenshire:

The elements of Hamas which meet the criteria for proscription under section 3 of the

Terrorism Act 2000 are listed in Schedule 2 to that Act. The relevant entry proscribes

“Hamas Izz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades (Hamas IDQ)”. Those parts of Hamas which

do not fall within the Schedule 2 entry are not proscribed.

Hamas IDQ, the military wing of Hamas, was proscribed in March 2001. The political

wing of Hamas is not proscribed as it is considered that there is a clear distinction

between Hamas’s military and political wings.

In distinguishing between the political and military wings for the purposes of

proscription, the Government's aim is to proscribe only those parts of Hamas which

are directly concerned in terrorism.

Home Office: Carers


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in her

Department had caring responsibilities in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire:

The following numbers of Home Office staff have declared they had caring

responsibilities in each of the last four years. No data is held for the period ending 31

Mar 16.

31-MAR-20 31-MAR-19 31-MAR-18 31-MAR-17

10,272 9,914 9,401 9,256

Home Office: Energy


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much energy was used by

her Department's buildings in (a) 2020 to date and (b) each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire:

The amount of energy used by the Home Office in each of the last five years is as

follows:




FINANCIAL

YEAR 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20

Energy (MWh) 128,067 132,752 124,560 114,134 115,858

Data is not yet available for any part of 2020-21 as this is collated quarterly in arrears.

The department is committed to reducing its carbon emissions on a trajectory to Net

Zero by 2050 or sooner; and has reduced its total emissions by 55% by 2019-20

compared to 2009-10.

Home Office: Written Questions

Grahame Morris: [59735]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to

Question 8998 tabled on 27 January 2020 by the hon. Member for Easington.

Kit Malthouse:

The response for UIN 8998 was given on 19th June 2020.

Immigrants: Fees and Charges


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse

is of not extending the (a) fee for applications to enter or remain in the UK, (b) fee for

sponsorship licenses, (c) immigration health surcharges, (d) immigration skills charges in

relation EU citizens in the UK who have will no longer have the right of free movement

after the transition period.

Kevin Foster:

Further analysis into the impact of the ending of free movement in the UK on EEA

and Swiss citizens is currently underway and will be published at a later date.

The Border, Immigration and Citizenship System (BICS) is predominately funded by

the user. The Home Office believes it is right those who use it contribute to its cost,

thereby reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer. Income collected from the

Immigration Skills charge is used to address skills gaps in the UK workforce and

income generated by Immigration Health Surcharge payments go directly to NHS

services, helping to protect and sustain our world-class healthcare system for

everyone who uses it.

EU citizens in the UK have access to the EU Settlement Scheme, which is open until

30 June 2021 and is free of charge for eligible individuals. An Impact Assessment for

the EU Settlement Scheme was published and can be found at:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2019/74/pdfs/ukia_20190074_en.pdf



Immigrants: Health Services


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of

the cost of excluding EEA and Swiss citizens from the immigration health surcharge to (a)

the UK, (b) England and (c) in Barnett consequentials for the devolved Administrations.

Kevin Foster:

Analysis on the impact of the ending of free movement in the UK on EEA and Swiss

citizens is currently underway and will be published at a later date. This will include

analysis of the impact of the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Income generated by Immigration Health Surcharge payments go directly to NHS

services, helping to protect and sustain our world-class healthcare system for

everyone who uses it.

An Impact Assessment for the planned increase to the Surcharge was published

alongside the statutory instrument. It can be found at

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2020/30/pdfs/ukia_20200030_en.pdf

Religious Buildings: Security

Stephen Doughty: [309]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her

Department has allocated to improving security at places of worship in the South Wales

Police area in the last 12 months.

Kit Malthouse:

The Places of Worship Protective Security Fund (POW) is a key commitment in the

Hate Crime Action Plan published in 2016. The Scheme provides funding to places of

worship that have been victims of or are vulnerable to hate crime attacks for physical

protective measures such as alarms, fencing and access control. The scheme is

currently in its fourth year of funding, and successful applicants for this scheme will

be announced in due course. There was only one application from Wales in Year 3.

However, the criteria were set across all applications and this application did not

meet the minimum requirements to receive funding.

Over the first three years of the scheme we provided £1.5m funding for over 130

grants and have £1.6m committed for this financial year (2019/20). There was not

any funding allocated under the POW scheme in the South Wales Police area in year

three (2018/19). However, the scheme is open to places of worship across England

and Wales, and we will continue to promote the scheme across Wales for future

rounds of funding.

Following the attacks in Christchurch, we supported Faith Associates to deliver

security training prior to and during Ramadan. They delivered 22 workshops across

England and Wales, and distributed advice and guidance to over 2,000 mosques,

madrassahs and community centres.



The Jewish Community Protective Security Grant was introduced in 2015 following a

series of terrorist attacks against Jews and Jewish locations across Europe. In 2018-

19 a grant of £13.4m was provided to fund additional protective security measures,

primarily guarding, at Jewish state, free and independent schools, colleges, nurseries

and some other Jewish community sites, including synagogues. A grant of £14m is to

be provided in 2019-20. We do not keep a breakdown of funding by region.

Retail Trade: Abuse and Violence


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date she plans to

publish the call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff.

Kit Malthouse:

During the Westminster Hall debate on 11 February, I committed to publish the

Government response to the call for evidence on violence and abuse towards

shopworkers by the end of March 2020. Unfortunately, given the current

circumstances, the Government must focus its communications on tackling Covid-19.

Therefore, the publication of the Government response is delayed. I am, however,

keen to publish it as soon as I am able to.

Shoplifting

Grahame Morris: [8998]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to ONS statistics

released on 23 January 2020, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the 14

per cent increase in police recorded incidents of shoplifting in England and Wales over

the last decade.

Kit Malthouse:

We recognise the significant costs on communities, businesses and the economy that

shop theft can have which is why we changed the law in 2014 to enable some cases

to be dealt with more quickly and efficiently.

The Office for National Statistics has commented that improvements in recording

practices by the police have made a substantial contribution to rises in recorded

crime over the last five years.

Slavery: Victims

Sarah Champion: [59777]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on the

provision of accommodation for individuals supported through the Modern Slavery Victim

Care Contract at the end of the three month period of government-funded safe

accommodation announced by her Department on 6 April 2020.




Victoria Atkins:

This Government is absolutely clear that the safety and well-being of those supported

through the modern slavery Victim Care Contract (VCC) remains a top priority.

Contingency planning has, and continues to, consider how essential services and

support for all victims of modern slavery can continue throughout the COVID-19

pandemic and as lock down begins to ease.

To help ensure the safety and support of individuals receiving support from the Victim

Care Contract, and in line with Public Health England guidance, we announced on

the 6 April that all individuals accommodated by the Victim Care Contract would not

be required to move on from their Government-funded accommodation for a period of

three months, and that this policy would be reviewed at the end of June 2020.

This temporary guidance is currently being reviewed and next steps will be

announced shortly.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Mr Steve Baker: [59744]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward

legislative proposals before the 2020 summer recess to tackle unauthorised traveller

camps through (a) giving the police new powers to arrest and seize the property and

vehicles of trespassers who set up unauthorised encampments, (b) making intentional

trespass a criminal offence and (c) giving local authorities greater powers within the

planning system.

Kit Malthouse:

On 5 November 2019, the Government launched a consultation seeking views on

measures to strengthen police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments The

consultation closed on the 5 March. We will announce the outcome of this

consultation in due course.

The government is committed to strengthening national policy so local planning

authorities have stronger grounds to reject retrospective planning applications where

there has been intentional unauthorised development. MHCLG will also extend the

time period for temporary stop notices giving local planning authorities more time to

build their case for enforcement action. MHCLG intend to consult on the details of

these proposals shortly.

Visas: British National (Overseas)

Stephen Kinnock: [59784]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the extension from six

months to 12 months of the rights of BN(O) passport holders to work in the UK in the

event that China imposes its national security law on Hong Kong will be conditional on

having a sponsor and a job offer that meets a minimum-salary threshold.




To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under the terms of the

Government's offer to extend the rights of BN(O) passport holders to work in the UK from

six months to 12 months should China's national security law be imposed on Hong Kong,

for how long will BN(O) passport holders need to be resident in the UK before they can

apply for citizenship.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the extension

from six months to 12 months of the rights of BN(O) passport holders to work in the UK in

the event that China imposes its national security law on Hong Kong, if she will confirm

whether people wishing to apply for British citizenship will not be deported back to Hong

Kong when their 12 months comes to an end.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the offer to

extend the rights of BN(O) passport holders to work in the UK from six months to 12

months should China's national security law be imposed on Hong Kong, whether people

wishing to apply for British citizenship will be allowed to remain in the UK for as long as it

takes for them to qualify for citizenship rights, and for their applications to be processed.

Kevin Foster:

The UK will continue to defend the rights & freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.

Should China push ahead and impose national security legislation on Hong Kong

then we will provide a generous offer to BN(O)s of a bespoke immigration route

providing unrestricted access to work and study with a pathway to apply for

citizenship.

We are working closely with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and domestic

departments on the offer to British Nationals (Overseas) and will set out more detail

in due course.

Visas: Musicians


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Australians used the

Tier 5 visa route in 2019.

Kevin Foster:

The Home Office publishes data on Tier 5 visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics

Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-

quarterly-release).

Data on grants of Tier 5 visas by nationality are published in table Vis_D02 of the

entry clearance detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-

sets/managed-migration-datasets#entry-clearance-visas-granted-outside-the-uk).





Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the

workbook. The latest data relates to year ending March 2020. Additionally, the Home

Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the entry clearance summary

tables (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-

ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#entry-clearance-visas). The ‘contents’ sheet

contains an overview of all available data on entry clearance visas.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the

‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-

statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics

&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).

Visas: Working Holidays


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK citizens travelled

to Australia under the Working Holiday Visa in 2019.

Chris Philp:

The Home Department does not currently hold this information. UK nationals’ usage

of Australia’s working holiday provision is provided on an annual basis by the

Australian Home Affairs department.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliament: Coronavirus


To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of

Commons Commission, whether the House has in accordance with Regulation 9(b) of the

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 kept

records of every case of a staff member and MP who has contracted covid-19 in

Parliament and reported them to the Health and Safety Executive; and whether all

breaches of the regulations and of Government guidance in Parliament have been

reported to the Health and Safety Executive and/or relevant officer of Westminster City

Council.

Pete Wishart:

There have been no reports of any covid-19 related incident which would require

reporting under Regulation 9(b) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous

Occurrences Regulations 2013.

If there is reason to believe that a causal occupational link has been established in

relation to any person who develops covid-19 in connection with work on the

parliamentary estate, the incident will be reported as per legislation and appropriate

records maintained.



All reported accidents, incidents or work-related ill health where the Clerk of the

House is a duty holder are reported to the Health and Safety Executive as required

by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations

2013.

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Building Safety Fund

Andy Slaughter: [59385]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, where

an external wall system has windows installed and a similar system tested to BR135 does

not, whether those systems will be considered to match in terms of assessing eligibility

for the Building Safety Fund.



an external wall system has a different number of cavity barriers installed to a similar

system tested to BR135, whether those systems will be considered to match in terms of

assessing eligibility for the Building Safety Fund.



an external wall system has ventilation openings installed and a similar system tested to

BR135 does not, whether those systems will be considered to match in terms of

assessing eligibility for the Building Safety Fund.


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether

an A2 cladding/C class combustible insulation system which has passed a BS 8414 test

will be eligible for funding under the Building Safety Fund.

Christopher Pincher:

The Building Safety Fund prospectus was published 26 May. The prospectus sets out

the buildings and non-ACM cladding systems, in the technical annex e, that are

eligible for funding. During the registration and application process, the Department

will be able to engage individually with building owners regarding questions specific

to individual buildings.

Business: Coronavirus

Emma Hardy: [59880]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he

plans to publish the list of businesses allowed to open in phase three of the covid-19

lockdown restrictions; and whether he plans to issue guidance to those companies on

being covid-19 secure.






Mr Simon Clarke:

Following scientific evidence and advice, on 10 May, the Prime Minister announced a

roadmap for reopening. As part of Step three of the roadmap, the ambition is to open

at least some of the remaining businesses and premises that have been required to

close, including personal care (such as hairdressers and beauty salons) hospitality

(such as food service providers, pubs and accommodation), public places (such as

places of worship) and leisure facilities (like cinemas).

They should seek to meet the COVID-19 Secure guidelines provided by the

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to continue to limit the

spread of the virus. Some venues where it may prove difficult to enact distancing may

not be able to re-open safely at this point, or may be able to open safely only in part.

The Government’s current planning assumption is that this step will be no earlier than

4 July, subject to the five tests, and further scientific advice provided closer to the

time.

Devolution: North Yorkshire


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he

plans to announce the devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire.

Mr Simon Clarke:

We are in early discussions with York and North Yorkshire about devolution, and are

committed to negotiating more devolution settlements like the West Yorkshire

Devolution Deal agreed in March.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Julie Elliott: [60754]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what

assessment he has made of the safety of cladding on high rise buildings in England.


The Government has made clear that building safety is the responsibility of the

building owner.

Acting on advice from the Expert Panel, the Government has commissioned research

to support further understanding of the fire performance of external wall systems and

cladding materials :

• Aluminium Composite Material: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aluminium-

composite-material-cladding

• High Pressure Laminates: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-test-

report-mhclg-bs-8414-hpl ; and

• Non-Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) external wall systems:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-performance-of-cladding-

materials-research/non-acm-research-summary.



https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fguidance%2Faluminium-composite-material-cladding&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7Cfadf1177548f4b4011a008d814758bc8%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637281842374735430&sdata=P43OujwGrATycW70oSOff8gd3OfuyRh2BB0XGMekflA%3D&reserved=0



https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Ffire-test-report-mhclg-bs-8414-hpl&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7Cfadf1177548f4b4011a008d814758bc8%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637281842374745383&sdata=d15do2NavitxYJm2USXZT3Z89ZZy5VPF5WbFySACiw0%3D&reserved=0



https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Ffire-performance-of-cladding-materials-research%2Fnon-acm-research-summary&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7Cfadf1177548f4b4011a008d814758bc8%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637281842374745383&sdata=JwOaqxigX72xJzSYciPgD1yxua8yW943HZH9prowXBQ%3D&reserved=0



We have published advice (updated in January 2020) to building owners on the

actions they should take with regards to external wall systems and managing the

safety of buildings of all heights.

Julie Elliott: [60755]


steps he has taken to ensure the safety of people who live in high rise buildings; and if he



In November 2018, the Government introduced a ban on combustible materials in

and on the external walls of certain buildings, including blocks of flats more than 18

metres in height. We have more recently consulted on extending the scope of the ban

and we will publish the results in due course.

The Government has committed £600 million for the remediation of high-rise

residential buildings with unsafe ACM cladding. In March 2020, the £1 billion Building

Safety Fund was then announced, aimed at remediating other unsafe cladding types

on high-rise residential buildings. For high-rise residential buildings with unsafe ACM

cladding, the Government has worked closely with local authorities and Fire and

Rescue Services to ensure that interim safety measures, where needed, are in place

until the cladding is replaced.

We have also published advice from the Independent Expert Advisory Panel on the

measures building owners should take to ensure their buildings are safe. This can be

found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-advice-for-

building-owners-including-fire-doors

James Murray: [60885]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant

to the Answer of 16 June 2020 to Question 58821 on High Rise Flats: Insulation, in

relation to how many of the 10 buildings, against which the Department is aware of

enforcement action having been taken, the Joint Inspection Team provided support to

local authorities.


Of those that only had an 'intent' to remediate in December 2019, the Joint Inspection

Team provided support to local authorities for enforcement on two of these buildings,

resulting in two improvement notices being issued.

Local Government Finance: Coronavirus

Steve Reed: [60767]


steps he plans to take to help ensure that local authorities do not need to set emergency

budgets to reduce services as a result of increased costs and lost revenues during the

covid-19 outbreak.


https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fbuilding-safety-advice-for-building-owners-including-fire-doors&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7Cfadf1177548f4b4011a008d814758bc8%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637281842374755339&sdata=HwMgv%2F7qhPZPbEGmhRVjLDQt2WyoYXNCpbKdHnFwrwM%3D&reserved=0





Mr Simon Clarke:

The Government has provided an unprecedented £3.2 billion of additional

unringfenced support to local authorities to address the pressures they are facing in

response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is on top of the 4.4 per cent real terms

increase in Core Spending Power this year. Furthermore, as I set out to the House on

Monday 15 June, the Secretary of State and I are working closely with ministerial

colleagues on the further steps the Government will take as part of a comprehensive

plan to ensure councils' financial sustainability over the financial year ahead.

Ministers will continue to keep the House informed as these plans develop.

Local Government: Meetings


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how

many local authorities are holding full council meetings; and of those councils how many

are holding those meetings (a) virtually, (b) as a hybrid mix of virtual and in person and

(c) in person with social distancing; and which local authorities are meeting in all formats.

Mr Simon Clarke:

The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local

Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations

2020  enable all local authority meetings to be held remotely and do not preclude

physical meetings or a hybrid form of meeting where these can be held in accordance

with public health regulations and guidance. It is for each local authority to determine

what is appropriate in their specific circumstances, taking legal advice as necessary.

The Government is not monitoring how many councils are holding full council

meetings or the extent to which these are being held remotely.

Property Development: Isle of Dogs

Apsana Begum: [60881]


his Department conducted an Equalities Impact Assessment of his decision to grant

planning permission for the Westferry Printworks site, PA/18/01877/A1 before Tower

Hamlets Council made changes to its Community Infrastructure Levy.



his Department conducted an Equalities Impact Assessment of his decision to grant

planning permission for the Westferry Printworks site, PA/18/01877/A1.



estimate his Department has made of the amount of revenue Tower Hamlets’ Council's

new Community Infrastructure Levy would have raised for the public purse with regard to

the Westferry Printworks site, PA/18/01877/A1 had he not granted planning permission

before changes were made to that Levy.







assessment his Department has made of the effect of his decision to grant planning

permission for the Westferry Printworks site, PA/18/01877/A1 on the provision of

affordable housing in Tower Hamlets.


The Secretary of State’s Decision Letter of 14 January and the Inspector’s Report,

set out the reasons for the decision, including in relation to the Community

Infrastructure Levy and the implications of providing the proposed quantum and type

of affordable housing.

The proposed development would have provided nearly 300 new affordable homes

and a brand new school for the local community.

Religious Buildings: Coronavirus

Stuart Anderson: [59249]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a)

guidance and (b) financial support is available to help places of worship safely resume

their activities after the covid-19 situation.

Luke Hall:

We have published guidance for the safe use of places of worship during the

pandemic. This includes guidance to assist places of worship to prepare to reopen for

individual prayer from 13 June in a manner that is safe and in line with social

distancing guidelines.

We will continue to review when it might be safe to ease other restrictions on places

of worship, including for communal prayer. This is subject to the five tests for easing

measures and further detailed scientific advice. We expect that places of worship will

not be permitted to open for communal prayer until 4 July at the earliest.

MHCLG continues to play a facilitative role in ensuring Government understands how

it can support faith groups to respond to the pressures they face during this period

and throughout the Government's recovery strategy.

There are a range of Government-backed financial support measures that places of

worship can access.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Large

Business Interruption Scheme are both available to registered charities, and therefore

places of worship registered with the Charities Commission. Any organisation,

including a place of worship, that is unable to pay any HMRC bill due to COVID-19

should contact the HMRC Coronavirus helpline. If charities or places of worship are

VAT registered, they are also able to use the VAT deferral scheme.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme provides support for any entity with a UK

payroll - small or large, charitable or non-profit - to be reimbursed 80 per cent of

furloughed worker wages by HMRC, up to a cap of £2,500 per month.



However, we know that some charities cannot furlough staff as they are contributing

to the frontline response. There is a substantial package of targeted support for

charities on the frontline of responding to COVID-19. Further details can be found

here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-support-for-voluntary-community-and-

social-enterprise-vcse-organisations-to-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19#further-

financial-support.

Afzal Khan: [59883]


to his Answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 55024 on Religious Buildings: Coronavirus, for

what reason his Department has no plans to engage with the Muslim Council of Britain.

Luke Hall:

Our engagement on the issue of reopening places of worship has been broad and

has drawn on the expertise of all the key faiths including a broad spectrum of Muslim

voices. The decision on who Government engages with is based on a number of

factors and the decisions are regularly reviewed on a case by case basis.

Rough Sleeping: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: [60807]


many and what proportion of rough sleepers housed through the Everybody In initiative

were still accommodated on 1 June 2020, by local authority area.



many and what proportion of rough sleepers who were accommodated by the Everybody

In initiative have been placed in (a) move-on accommodation and (b) permanent

accommodation by 1 June 2020, by local authority.



many and what proportion of rough sleepers accommodated by the Everybody In

initiative had returned to rough sleeping by 1 June 2020.



many units of (a) move on accommodation and (b) permanent accommodation have

been identified for people accommodated under the Everybody In initiative, by local

authority.



estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have become street

homeless since the start of the Everybody In initiative who have not been accommodated

in emergency accommodation, by local authority area.

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fguidance%2Ffinancial-support-for-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-organisations-to-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19%23further-financial-support&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7Cdb4084d6400042d75afc08d816bd160b%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637284348651620262&sdata=4ZqffbnLRx1FnF6OqgAmNJLocTU6Hj1FzNGCcwJ1PM4%3D&reserved=0










Luke Hall:

On 3 June, the Government published the management information that supports the

announcements from the Secretary of State and Dame Louise Casey that 15,000

people have been accommodated by local authorities in response to COVID-19.  You

can find this information at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-

covid-19-rough-sleeper-accommodation-survey-data-may-2020.

This information is collected from over 300 local authorities nationally.  We are

continuing to work with local authorities to understand the work they are doing to help

the most vulnerable in our society.



assessment the Government has made of the cost of specialist non-housing support

needed by the 15,000 rough sleepers accommodated by the Everybody In initiative in

order to prevent those people returning to rough sleeping.

Luke Hall:

We have provided £3.2 billion to councils across England to manage the impacts of

the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be used to provide support to vulnerable people

such as rough sleepers. This is in addition to £3.2 million in targeted funding for

councils to support vulnerable rough sleepers.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning

specialist services, such as alcohol and drug services. This includes providing

services for people who experience homelessness and rough sleeping and those

who have been supported into emergency accommodation sites.

Most local authorities are using their existing locally commissioned drug and alcohol

treatment services to provide support in accommodation sites. This support includes

harm reduction, prescribing services and managing related health issues like alcohol

withdrawal. They are also drawing on wider NHS services to provide mental and

physical health support in accommodation sites. Local authorities hold the most up to

date information regarding the costs of non-housing support for people they are

currently assisting

We are continuing to work closely with local authorities to understand the work they

are doing to help the most vulnerable in our society and, as we have been clear, are

committed to working to ensure that the needs of these individuals are met and that

as few people as possible return to the streets.

Towns Fund

David Linden: [59870]


much in cash terms has been spent from the Towns Fund to date.



Mr Simon Clarke:

In December, we paid out £16.4 million in capacity funding to local authorities from

the initial 100 towns selected to agree Town Deals. This was to support the

development of a Town Deal Board and Town Investment Plan for each of the

shortlisted towns in their area.

To date we have also allocated £14.5 million in Future High Streets Fund revenue

funding to places to develop detailed business cases for their proposals.


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will

provide a breakdown of any capital funding which has been allocated to local authorities

from the Towns Fund.

Mr Simon Clarke:

Local authorities have not yet received any capital funding from the Towns Fund.

Now that we have published the Towns Fund further guidance, I am looking forward

to Towns coming forward with their transformative proposals through their Town

Investment Plans



to the Answer of 24 March 2020 to Question 32301, on Towns Fund, whether the further

guidance for local authorities has been published; and if he will place a copy in the

Library.

Mr Simon Clarke:

I am delighted to say that the Towns Fund further guidance has now been published.

This will enable towns to finalise their Town Investment Plans and ultimately to agree

their Town Deals with Government.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bangladesh: Migrant Camps

Yasmin Qureshi: [59720]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what additional funding her

Department has allocated to programmes in Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh to (a) support the

covid-19 response and (b) maintain and expand gender-based violence services in

response to the prevalence of that violence in those camps.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she

has made to UN agencies and the Government of Bangladesh to ensure that gender-

based violence (GBV) services are designated as essential in order to allow for continuity

of GBV service provision in Cox’s Bazar during the covid-19 response.





Nigel Adams:

The UK has provided an initial £11 million to support COVID-19 preparedness and

response efforts in the Rohingya camps and surrounding host communities. This has

been allocated to existing UN and Non-Governmental Organisation UK partners. It is

also maintaining essential humanitarian services in the camps, such as shelter, food,

registration and civil documentation, healthcare, water and sanitation, and hygiene.

Part of this funding is focused on ensuring critical gender-based violence and child

protection services keep operating for all those who need them. For example, the UK

has provided additional funding to UNFPA for gender-based violence (GBV) services,

including activities disseminating anti-GBV messaging and anti-GBV role modelling

activities with adolescent boys and girls.

The Rohingya Refugee response in Cox’s Bazar district has been reduced to only

critical services since 8 April. While women and girls’ safe spaces are not functioning

as normal (to prevent the spread of the virus), all protection services including GBV

services have continued throughout. DFID officials are collaborating with UN

agencies on the provision and continuity of GBV services. UN agencies have worked

closely with the Bangladesh government to prepare and respond to COVID-19 in the

refugee camps and ensure vital and lifesaving operations are not jeopardised.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her

Department has made of the level of gender-based violence in Cox’s Bazar (a) before

and (b) during the covid-19 pandemic; and what plans her Department has to maintain

and expand provision of services to tackle gender-based violence in response to the

recent International Rescue Committee research indicating at least one in four women

and girls they screen have experienced GBV.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has

made of the implications for her policies of the International Rescue Committee’s report

entitled The Shadow Pandemic: Gender-Based Violence amongst Rohingya refugees in

Cox’s Bazar; and what steps she is taking to ensure funding for gender-based violence

services is (a) maintained and (b) increased in Cox’s Bazar.

Nigel Adams:

Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a constant threat in refugee camps,

especially to women and girls. The scale of GBV in the Rohingya camps is too high,

though still not fully known. As GBV is generally underreported due to stigma and

fear, the recorded cases are likely to represent only a small fraction of the overall

number. However, an information management system is ensuring vital data is

collected and analysed from recorded cases.

We agree with the International Rescue Committee that the international community

need to expand GBV programming to address unmet needs, including prevention

activities; and that these needs are likely to be exacerbated by COVID-19. The UK is



the second largest donor to the Rohingya response, contributing £256 million to-date,

and we play a leadership role in ensuring anti-GBV efforts are prioritised. DFID has

continuously supported efforts to reduce GBV in Rohingya and also in host

communities. UK aid-supported GBV activities are being implemented across 34

camps, in 35 women friendly spaces/integrated women centres, and have helped

more than 12,000 individuals receive GBV case management support since 2017.

The UK has provided £11 million to support COVID-19 preparedness and response

efforts in the Rohingya camps and surrounding host communities. Part of this funding

is focused on ensuring critical gender-based violence and child protection services

keep operating for all those who need them. For example, the UK has provided an

additional £400,000 to UNFPA for GBV services, including disseminating anti-GBV

messaging and anti-GBV activities with adolescent boys and girls during the COVID-

19 pandemic.

Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust Fund: EU Trade

Mark Pritchard: [59402]


made of the effectiveness of the Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust

Fund in helping countries agree trade agreements with the European Union.

Nigel Adams:

The Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust Fund (CARTFund) was

launched by the UK Government in 2009 to help Caribbean countries and businesses

implement and take advantage of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership

Agreement (EPA) and support the region’s own economic integration initiative. DFID

published an evaluation report in October 2015 at the end of the project, which found

that it performed relatively well, particularly in relation to activities relating to the

implementation of the EPA.

The UK has now signed the CARIFORUM-UK EPA with 13 CARIFORUM States,

providing assurance to businesses, consumers and investors on the continuity of

trade arrangements at the end of the transition period. Building on the

recommendations from the CARTFund evaluation, DFID continues to deliver

economic development objectives in the Caribbean including the UK Trade

Partnerships Programme, which will support CARIFORUM States to implement and

maximise the benefits of the CARIFORUM-UK EPA.

Department for International Development: Carers


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will place in the

Library a list of the workplace benefits that her Department provides to its staff with caring

responsibilities.



Nigel Adams:

DFID encourages managers to take a positive, proactive approach in working

together with employees to agree arrangements for caring, taking account of both

caring and business needs. DFID has signed up to the Carer’s Charter and

encourage managers and employees to record caring arrangements on our HR

systems.

In terms of workplace benefits, DFID offers:

• Flexible working to enable carers to combine their work and caring responsibilities.

For those looking to move to working on a job share basis, we also promote use of

the Civil Service job-share finder.

• Access to various forms of leave for those who need it over and above annual

leave (either on a short or longer term basis): short term discretionary leave; long

term unpaid discretionary leave; parental leave.

• Employee Assistance Programme : offers support for a range of scenarios. For

caring, they can advise on sources of help and advice and provide counselling

should people require it.

To strengthen our support and learn from best practice, we have also recently signed

up to Employers for Carers.

Department for International Development: East Kilbride

Ian Murray: [59734]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has

made of the potential effect of the proposed merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office and the Department for International Development (DFID) on employment at

DFID’s office at Abercrombie House, East Kilbride.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan:

Merging the departments will bring together the best of what we do in aid and

diplomacy, and create new opportunities for staff. There are no plans to close DFID’s

office in Scotland, where staff play a vital role in ensuring UK aid delivers results for

the world’s poorest and value for UK taxpayers.

Wendy Chamberlain: [59888]


made of the effect of the merger of her Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office on the number of staff employed by her Department in East Kilbride.



diplomacy, and create new opportunities for staff. There are no plans to close DFID’s

office in Scotland, where staff play a vital role in ensuring UK aid delivers results for

the world’s poorest and represents value for money for UK taxpayers.

https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmy-eap.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cmonica-cook%40dfid.gov.uk%7C2fff96ed68754115089e08d811fed003%7Ccdf709af1a184c74bd936d14a64d73b3%7C0%7C0%7C637279133392370577&sdata=TiQM%2FC27MrTCWAWzEKwTyJFu2ko93r5ITBJ%2F1yzY42Y%3D&reserved=0

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https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.employersforcarers.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cmonica-cook%40dfid.gov.uk%7C2fff96ed68754115089e08d811fed003%7Ccdf709af1a184c74bd936d14a64d73b3%7C0%7C0%7C637279133392380567&sdata=CGH%2FsEoiaEXDuyccEUzXLymxFjLbl6md3Q0CuyISTas%3D&reserved=0

https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.employersforcarers.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cmonica-cook%40dfid.gov.uk%7C2fff96ed68754115089e08d811fed003%7Ccdf709af1a184c74bd936d14a64d73b3%7C0%7C0%7C637279133392380567&sdata=CGH%2FsEoiaEXDuyccEUzXLymxFjLbl6md3Q0CuyISTas%3D&reserved=0



Department for International Development: Reorganisation


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he

has had with the Prime Minister on the merger of his Department and the Department for

Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.


The Prime Minister discussed the merger with both Secretaries of State ahead of his

announcement in the House.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made

of the cost to the public purse of the merger of her Department with the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office.


The Government will implement these changes in the most cost effective way

possible. While we anticipate there may be cost savings in the long term as a result

of using our resources more effectively and efficiently, it is not the primary goal of the

merger of these two Departments. This is primarily about bringing together our

international efforts so we can maximise the UK’s influence around the world. By

aligning our efforts, the merger will maximise our influence and expertise and ensure

we are in the best position to confront the challenges that lie ahead. This will

strengthen our ability to lead the world’s efforts to recover from the coronavirus

pandemic and allow us to seize the opportunities ahead, as we prepare to take on the

G7 presidency and host COP26 next year.



made of the effect of the merger of her Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office on the number of staff employed by her Department.



diplomacy, and create new opportunities for staff. The ambition, vision and expertise

of DFID staff will be at the heart of the new department – taking forward the work of

UK aid, which will remain central to our mission. There will be no compulsory

redundancies.

Developing Countries: Vaccination

Chris Law: [59796]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to

ensure that the provision of vaccines following the Global Vaccine Summit achieves the

Sustainable Development Goal to leave no one behind by prioritising the poorest and

most marginalised children.





Wendy Morton:

The UK is proud to have raised $8.8 billion for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance at the

Global Vaccine Summit on 4 June. This funding, which includes the UK’s world-

leading £1.65 billion pledge, will support Gavi’s strategy to leave no one behind with

immunisation over the next five years.

The UK’s central priority for Gavi is equity. Gavi immunises nearly half of the world’s

children, and since 2000, has increased basic immunisation coverage levels in Gavi-

supported countries from 59% to 80%. Despite increases in overall immunisation

coverage levels, health systems in the poorest countries are still not reaching almost

one in five children with a full course of basic vaccines.

These remaining pockets of under-immunised children are often the hardest to reach.

The UK is working closely with Gavi to ensure that we remove barriers to

immunisation for the most marginalised children. Gavi is working closely with its

Alliance Partners, WHO and UNICEF, to adopt new strategies in-country to address

gender, poverty, fragility and intra-country barriers to immunisation.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Lisa Nandy: [59748]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Prime

Minister's Oral Statement of 16 June 2020 on Global Britain, if the Department for

International Development budget will be ring-fenced for use within the new Foreign,

Commonwealth and Development Office.


The budget of the new department will combine the FCO and DFID budgets. The

government remains committed to the target of spending 0.7 percent of our national

income on aid, which is enshrined in law. As the Prime Minister has said and as

reflected in the name of the new department, the development work of DFID will

remain central to the new department’s mission.

Malawi: Elections


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her

Department is providing to civil society organisations in Malawi that promote free and fair

participation in the presidential election planned for 23 June 2020.

James Duddridge:

The UK, together with the US, is supporting two national civil society networks in

Malawi to independently observe the election on the 23 June. Independent

observation is an important contribution to free and fair elections. The Catholic

Commission for Justice and Peace and the Public Affairs Committee, an ecumenical

body, will between them deploy 500 observers across the country to observe the

polls and the counting of ballot papers.



The UK is also supporting the Centre for Multiparty Democracy, an association of

political parties, to train political party monitors, disseminate peace messaging, and to

host multi-party dialogue sessions in hotspot areas to prevent violence.

Overseas Aid: National Income

Chris Law: [59794]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to

protect funding for (a) health and (b) education in the event that reductions in the aid

budget are required as a result of a reduction in Gross National Income.

Wendy Morton:

All government departments are working through how their plans need to change in

light of the risk of a recession this year. No decision has been taken, but we are

considering the full range of our work. It is absolutely in Britain’s interest to use ODA

to make the world a healthier, safer and more prosperous place, either through

tackling coronavirus, providing humanitarian aid in crises or helping girls get a quality

education.

Schools: Females

Chris Law: [59795]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department

has to help ensure that girls are not prevented from returning to education as schools

reopen following the covid-19 pandemic.

Wendy Morton:

Ensuring 12 years of quality education for all girls remains a UK priority. As the

effects of the COVID-19 crisis play out, the impact on girls’ education is becoming

increasingly clear. The UK’s response to the pandemic aims to tackle the

preventative measures to girls returning to education by mitigating short term risks by

focussing on safety, nutrition, wellbeing and learning whilst schools are closed; and

supporting countries to protect and maintain education budgets in the longer term.

DFID is adapting its bilateral education programmes in 18 countries. The Global

Partnership for Education, to which the UK is the largest donor, is flexing over £200

million to support education sector stability in response to the pandemic. The UK has

also announced £20 million for UNICEF’s crisis appeal, which includes education,

and a further £5 million to the Education Cannot Wait fund to support emergency

education in fragile contexts.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Mr Gregory Campbell: [59691]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department

is taking to ensure that (a) food, (b) water and (c) medicines are supplied to people in

Yemen.




James Cleverly:

As part of our £160 million aid commitment for Yemen in the 2020/21 financial year,

the UK expects to provide support to at least 300,000 vulnerable people each month

to help them buy food and household essentials, treat 40,000 children for malnutrition

and provide 1 million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation.

Our funding will also help tackle the spread of COVID-19 in Yemen and we expect

this new package to provide over 700,000 medical consultations, train 12,000

healthcare workers to work safely in a COVID-19 environment and provide a much-

needed boost to nearly 4,000 health centres to continue providing existing health

services.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Ceramics: Manufacturing Industries

Jonathan Gullis: [58828]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment she has

made of the potential effect of a UK global tariff on the viability of UK ceramics

manufacturers.

Greg Hands:

In setting tariffs on ceramics goods, we have reflected carefully on the interests of UK

businesses, manufacturers and consumers as well as to the views expressed through

the UK’s public consultation conducted in February 2020. Tariffs have been retained

for most ceramic products. For example, tariffs on table and kitchenware are being

retained at 12%.

Tariffs are a tax, therefore the Government will publish a Tax Information and Impact

Note (TIIN) alongside the secondary legislation, which will be made under Section 8

of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018. This is standard practice. More

analysis will be available in the TIIN when it is published.

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-pacific Partnership: Stoke On

Trent



made of the potential economic benefit to Stoke-on-Trent joining the Comprehensive and

Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Greg Hands:

Joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership

(CPTPP) would open up new opportunities for our exporters in strategically important

sectors, helping to support an industrial revival in the UK. Trade with members of

CPTPP already benefits the region. In 2018, Shropshire and Staffordshire exported

around £431m worth of goods to CPTPP countries and imported around £801m



worth of goods from CPTPP countries[1]. In 2019, the West Midlands as a whole

exported over £2.4 billion worth of goods to CPTPP member countries, representing

around 8 per cent of the region’s exports. The West Midlands imported over £1.9

billion worth of goods from CPTPP member countries, representing just over 5% of

goods imports to the region[2].

Before applying, we will publish an outline approach and a scoping assessment

setting out our negotiating objectives and the economic impact and benefits of

accession.

At that stage, we will provide a formal response to the government’s public

consultation on the UK potentially seeking accession to CPTPP, outlining how our

decisions and approach to accession have been informed by the submissions

received from members of the public, businesses and civil society organisations. The

input we have received through this consultation continues to inform our

preparations.

[1] Source: HMRC Regional Trade in Goods Statistics, disaggregated by smaller

geographical areas, NUTS2 level (released November 2019). Note data on regional

trade with Brunei in unavailable.

[2] Source: HMRC Regional Trade in Goods Statistics (April to June 2020 release).

Note data on regional trade with Brunei in unavailable.

Contracts: Developing Countries

Rushanara Ali: [59466]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is able to take to

uphold the UK's global reputation as a reliable market as a result of UK companies

reportedly ignoring contracts with suppliers in developing countries.

Greg Hands:

The Government is engaging with businesses in the UK and in developing countries

to understand the huge challenges they are facing in response to the global Covid-19

pandemic. The UK is also providing support to Business Fights Poverty to accelerate

a global learning process to enable businesses to support vulnerable workers in

global supply chains.

Department for International Trade: Buildings

Rachel Hopkins: [54306]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May

to Question 43779, in how many multi-hub locations employees of her Department are

working together with employees of another department or agency in London managed

by the Government Property Agency; what those other departments or agencies are; and

in which locations that work is taking place.

Greg Hands:

I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQ 54314 on 12th June 2020.



Department for International Trade: Carers


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will place in the Library a list

of the workplace benefits that her Department provides to its staff with caring

responsibilities.

Greg Hands:

The Department for International Trade is committed to supporting those members of

our workforce with caring responsibilities. Building a diverse and inclusive department

continues to be a key priority. For carers specifically we have adopted the Civil

Service Carers Passport and aligned our policies to the Civil Service Carers Charter

developed by Cabinet Office. We also have policies to support flexible working and

provide access to special leave and career breaks. All employees have access to our

Employee Assistance Programme and we have active employee networks for carers.

A library deposit has been made with a list of workplace benefits provided to the

department’s staff with caring responsibilities.

Department for International Trade: Overseas Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: [59847]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the criteria her

Department plans to use for prioritising Official Development Assistance spending in the

event of a decrease in GNI.

Greg Hands:

To tackle poverty and advance our Global Britain objectives, the Department for

International Trade (DIT) takes evidence-based spending decisions and maintains

high standards of programme delivery that are consistent with Her Majesty’s

Governments (HMG) best practice.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department's share of

the Official Development Assistance will be reduced in the event of a decrease in GNI.

Greg Hands:

The UK has a legal commitment to spend 0.7% of its Gross National Income (GNI)

each year on Official Development Assistance (ODA). Since this commitment is

linked to the size of the economy, the level of ODA spend is likely to decrease this

year. HM Treasury allocates ODA budgets to departments and is responsible for

decisions on changes to these.

Import Duties



made of the effect on consumers of the proposals for a UK Global Tariff.





Greg Hands:

Liberalisation is typically beneficial for consumers. Consumers should benefit from

the removal of tariffs on certain products that we do not produce, or do not produce

much of in the UK. Removing these tariffs may lower cost pressures for UK

households and businesses. The UK Global Tariff might expand consumer choice,

driving competitive prices for households.

Tariffs are a tax, therefore the Government will publish a Tax Information and Impact

Note (TIIN) alongside the legislation, as is standard practice. More analysis will be

available in the TIIN when it is published.

Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance

Lee Anderson: [60866]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether Government bailouts

during the covid-19 outbreak of foreign automotive and aerospace companies located in

the UK will be conditional upon those companies increasing their supply chain spending

to UK manufacturing companies.

Graham Stuart:

The Government has put in place unprecedented levels of support to help all

businesses get through this crisis. Separate to this package of support, but to ensure

the UK has resilient and diverse supply chains, the Department for International

Trade is leading work across Government (Project Defend) to look at our trading

relationships with a range of international partners. As part of this work, we have

consulted widely with stakeholders across the advanced manufacturing sectors. We

continue to champion free trade and the benefits that brings, across the economy,

and to the automotive and aerospace sectors in the UK.

Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department is signing

new funding agreements for projects from the Official Development Assistance budget.

Greg Hands:

The Government reviews the Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding it

allocates to projects on a regular basis in order to ensure delivery of its commitment

to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) on ODA.

The Department for International Trade has no current plans to enter into new

funding agreements utilising the UK’s ODA.

Fleur Anderson: [59900]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she last met the Secretary of

State for International Development to discuss Official Development Assistance

spending.




Greg Hands:

The Secretary of State for International Trade and the Secretary of State for

International Development meet at the Cabinet to discuss a broad range of issues.

Officials from the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Department for

International Development (DFID) meet regularly to discuss Official Development

Assistance (ODA), and provide updates to Ministers.

Supermarkets: Brazil

Fleur Anderson: [59901]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of

the potential effect of Brazil’s proposed new legislation (PL 2633/2020) on the ability of

UK supermarkets to trade with Brazil.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena:

I am aware of the proposed legislation to which the Hon. Lady has drawn attention. It

will not, in itself, affect the legal capacity of British companies to trade with Brazil, but

I am aware of concerns raised by a number of supermarkets over the environmental

implications.

HM Government is concerned about deforestation in the Amazon and is working

closely with Brazil to combat illegal deforestation. We have already committed £200m

through international climate finance programmes that are aimed at tackling this

issue.

Trade does not have to come at the expense of the environment. We are working

closely with international partners and British businesses to grow trade in legal,

sustainable products.

Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution

Dan Jarvis: [59773]


the potential merits of ruling out investor-state dispute settlement provisions in future

trade agreements.


The precise details of any future Free Trade Agreement are a matter for formal

negotiations, and we would not seek to pre-empt these discussions.

HM Government recognises the important role that Investment protections with

Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) can play in protecting British investors

abroad, including pensioners across the country through their pension funds and

SMEs. Where ISDS is included in future agreements, we will seek to ensure fair

outcomes of claims and high ethical standards for arbitrators, with increased

transparency and efficiency of proceedings.



Trade Agreements: Food


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to her letter to MPs

on food standards and future trade deals dated 5 June 2020, what assessment her

Department has made of its ability to exercise power over production methods and

standards overseas including on (a) environmental protection, (b) animal welfare and (c)

pesticides; and if she will make a statement.


The approach of HM Government to food standards in trade deals is clear. We

remain firmly committed to upholding our high environmental, food safety and animal

welfare standards. Having left the EU, we will decide how we set and maintain our

own laws, standards and regulations. We will remain global leaders in environmental

protection and animal welfare standards, maintaining the high-quality of our produce

for consumers at home and overseas.

The United Kingdom’s food standards, for both domestic production and imports, are

overseen by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland. These

agencies provide independent advice to HM Government and the devolved

administration in Scotland respectively. They will continue to do so in order to ensure

that all food imports comply with the United Kingdom’s high standards.

Decisions on our standards are a matter for the United Kingdom and will be made

separately from any trade agreement. HM Government will stand firm in trade

negotiations to make sure that any future trade deals live up to the values of farmers

and consumers across the United Kingdom.

Trade Agreements: Staffordshire



the potential effect of Free Trade Agreements in (a) levelling up communities and (b)

accelerating an industrial revival in (i) Stoke-on-Trent and (ii) Staffordshire.

Greg Hands:

Securing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) will be a key driver in levelling-up the UK.

The potential benefits of FTAs include better jobs, higher wages, more choice and

lower prices for UK consumers and businesses.

Our scoping assessments show that the West Midlands could benefit from future

FTAs with the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Stoke-on-Trent exported

£458m and imported £696m worth of goods globally in 2018. Similarly, Staffordshire

exported £4.6bn and imported £5.6bn worth of goods globally in 2018.



Trade Agreements: USA


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had on

food safety and standards with her US counterpart during the UK-US trade negotiations.

Greg Hands:

As part of negotiations with the United States, the Secretary of State remains in

regular contact with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

From 5-15 May the UK and U.S. conducted the first round of negotiations for a Free

Trade Agreement. The second UK-US Free Trade Agreement negotiating round

began on 15 June and will take place over two weeks.

The UK is clear that it will not compromise on its high standards of food safety and

animal welfare. Our position was restated by the Secretary of State for International

Trade and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in a letter

to MPs on 6 June 2020.

Trade Remedies Authority: Public Appointments

Jonathan Edwards: [60736]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure

that there are representatives of the devolved Administrations on the Trade Remedies

Authority.


The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) Board will be crucial to safeguarding the TRA’s

impartiality and making sure that it acts in the interest of all parts of the United

Kingdom.

We are engaging with the devolved administrations, in line with HM Government’s

commitments during the passage of the Trade Bill in 2017-18, and recently sought

their proposals on recruiting TRA Board Members with knowledge of the United

Kingdom as a whole, a broad range of skills and diverse experience. However, it is

essential that members are appointed on merit, rather than due to their affiliations

with any particular part of the United Kingdom or special interest group.

Whisky: Scotland

David Mundell: [57100]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make her policy to

maintain the protections granted in the 2018 Economic Partnership Agreement in relation

to Scotch Whisky exports to Japan.

Greg Hands:

The UK and Japanese governments started negotiating a UK-Japan Free Trade

Agreement on 9 June. The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will be used as

the basis and may be enhanced in areas of mutual interest.




Regarding the protection of the Scotch Whisky Geographical Indication (GI) in Japan,

the UK’s published negotiating objectives for trade negotiations with Japan state that

“the UK will secure protections for UK GIs”. The UK Government recognises the high

value of GIs to both the communities that produce them and as illustrations of the

wide range of quality British products enjoyed around the world.

Regarding tariffs, UK exporters will continue to be able to export Whisky to Japan

duty free as Japan applies no tariffs to their Whisky imports regardless of which

country the imports come from.

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice: Equality


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking in response to the

publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report entitled Inclusive

Justice, published on 22 April 2020, and if he will make a statement.

Chris Philp:

The government welcomes the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report,

Inclusive Justice, the interim findings of which were published on 22 April, and the full

report on 11 June 2020. The recommendations made in the report are being carefully

considered.

Courts: Opening Hours


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hearings proceeded in the family

Flexible Operating Hours pilot scheme.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many legal professionals with caring

responsibilities participated in the civil and family Flexible Operating Hours pilot scheme,

by (a) sex, (b) jurisdiction and (c) location.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many litigants in person with caring

responsibilities took part in the Flexible Operating Hours pilot scheme for civil and family

courts, broken down by sex, jurisdiction and location.

Chris Philp:

40 family cases were heard at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre during the Flexible

Operating Hours pilots.

HMCTS has appointed a consortium of IFF Research and Frontier Economics to

carry out an independent evaluation of the Flexible Operating Hours pilots at

Manchester Civil Justice Centre and the County Court at Brentford. The evaluation is





being conducted as set out in the evaluation plan, published July 2019:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexible-operating-hours-evaluation-plan-

and-summary.

Data has been collected on the number of cases heard in Flexible Operating Hours

sessions rather than on numbers of participants. Legal professionals, including those

who participated in the pilots and those who opted out, were contacted to take part in

in-depth research interviews. Public user surveys distributed to all participants in FOH

sessions contained 19 optional questions related to equality and diversity, including

questions on caring responsibilities. Data was also collected on reasons for opting

out of FOH sessions by way of surveys that included the same equality and diversity

questions and by interviews. Analysis of data on legal professionals and litigants in

person with caring responsibilities who participated in the pilots in Brentford and

Manchester will be included in the independent evaluation report.

Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the review into means testing of legal aid

for victims of domestic violence will conclude; and if he will make a statement.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the

adequacy of the capital threshold for means testing legal aid for domestic violence

victims; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Chalk:

Victims of domestic abuse must have access to the help they need - including legal

aid, which is subject to a means and merits test. Our comprehensive review of the

legal aid means test commenced in February 2019. The review is considering how

the current arrangements adequately protect access to justice, and as part of this we

have explicitly committed to look at means testing for victims of domestic abuse,

including the existing capital thresholds.

Whilst the Government had previously committed to complete the review by Summer

2020, and to mark this with publication of a consultation paper, the impact of the

Covid-19 crisis has meant this work has been temporarily paused and a revised

timetable for delivery of the review will be announced shortly.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications have been (a) granted

and (b) rejected for legal aid from victims of domestic violence in each of the last five

years.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of legal aid applications made

by victims of domestic violence have been rejected as a result of capital threshold means

testing in each of the last five years.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexible-operating-hours-evaluation-plan-and-summary







Alex Chalk:

The information requested is not held centrally.

Lewes Prison: Standards


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report of the Independent

Monitoring Report published in June 2020, if he will provide the financial and other

resources required to improve the accommodation at HMP Lewes to a decent standard.

Lucy Frazer:

HMPPS and the Governor of HMP Lewes are committed to making improvements to

accommodation standards at the prison.

At HMP Lewes, around £188,000 has been allocated to the plastering of cells in the

healthcare wing and around £150,000 has been committed for shower

refurbishments on A and K wings levels two and three.

As was noted in the Independent Monitoring Board report improvements have

already been made to the decoration of cells, doors, railings and walls. This was

considered to be ‘a very considerable improvement’ by the Board.

In addition, trained prisoners now work on every residential unit to keep landings

decorated, and to repaint vacant cells or those cells highlighted as requiring

improvements.

To tackle cleanliness issues the use of cleaning products has been reviewed, and

additional items such as descaling agent, steam cleaners, pressure washers and wet-

vacs been ordered to for use in landings, cells, serveries and showers. Significant

efforts are being made across all residential units during 2019, including the

introduction of daily cleanliness checks by the Heads of Residence and decency

checks carried out by the whole Senior Leadership Team, with a focus on décor,

graffiti, cleanliness, equipment and facilities. Funds have been allocated for the deep

clean completed in December 2019 to be repeated annually.

Cleanliness remains a particularly key focus in responding to the Covid-19 outbreak,

but is limited due to social distancing requirements. Serveries and showers are

cleaned before and after use to minimise the spread of infection, and all door

handles, handrails, and commonly touched areas are cleaned throughout the day.

In regard to the Board’s comments on damage to cells or lack of prisoner equipment,

any issues are logged and reported to the facilities management provider and repairs

are tracked. These are reported to the Governor and senior managers on a daily

basis. This includes issues with a lack of furniture, and orders are placed regularly to

try to maintain sufficient stock levels to deal with damage or wear and tear to in-cell

furniture.


Prison Accommodation: Construction

Ms Lyn Brown: [57148]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average cost

to the public purse per unit of the (a) construction or conversion, (b) delivery and

deployment on site and (c) maintenance of temporary accommodation cells in England

and Wales (i) monthly and (ii) over the expected timespan of cell usage; and what

estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (A) security and support from

prison staff for that accommodation (1) monthly and (2) over the expected timespan of

cell usage and (B) other costs relating to those cells.

Lucy Frazer:

The Government acted quickly to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in prisons by

implementing restricted regimes to comply with national social distancing guidance

and limiting inter-prisons transfers. Prisons are also implementing a

‘compartmentalisation’ strategy to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and

quarantine new arrivals. Latest public health advice suggests these measures have

limited the spread of the virus and minimised the number of deaths.

HMPPS has deployed temporary accommodation units across some parts of the

prison estate to provide additional accommodation to support us in rolling out our

compartmentalisation measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. Temporary

accommodation is not being used to increase the operational capacity at each site.

The measures allow us to isolate prisoners with symptoms, shield the vulnerable and

to quarantine new arrivals.

There have been no direct construction or conversion costs for temporary

accommodation units. We have, however, hired and purchased units. The total spend

on hire and purchase costs (including delivery) at end May 2020 was £3.58m,

inclusive of VAT. The overall spend as of the end of May was £4.25m. It is not yet

possible to provide the average cost for the delivery and deployment on site, as the

installation of all the units is still underway. The total spend on installation costs at

end May 2020 was £675k, inclusive of VAT. Installation costs vary according to

location and the type of unit being installed.

To date, we have not incurred any maintenance costs for the temporary

accommodation cells we have purchased. There are no ongoing maintenance costs

involved in units that are hired, however, there are costs associated with restitution

and making good once each unit is returned at the end of the hire period.

At some establishments additional security measures, such as additional CCTV and

provision of staff offices, have been installed. Where appropriate this has been

funded centrally and is reflected in the installation total costs set out above. Some

establishments have made further additions which have been absorbed through local

budgets or within existing maintenance arrangements. Locally agreed staffing plans

are also in place to reflect the needs of each establishment to effectively manage the

use of the temporary units, which are funded from existing establishment budgets.


Other than installation costs, there are no centrally managed additional costs or

uplifts for the management or security of this accommodation, or recurring costs, as

the temporary cells have been deployed in the context of an emergency management

plan.

Whilst we continue with the current plan, there is no projection that costs will change.

Should prisons move to new regime arrangements, however, local changes will be

needed that could have impact on ongoing and recurring costs. We will nonetheless

always seek to gain the best possible value for the taxpayer.

Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners in prisons and Young

Offender Institutions have been (a) released under End of Custody Temporary Release

Scheme and (b) granted temporary release under each of the three categories eligible for

Covid-19 Release on Temporary Licence on Compassionate Grounds.

Lucy Frazer:

On 31 March, we announced that pregnant women and prisoners with their babies in

custody will be considered for Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) on

compassionate grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Friday 12 June, 23

pregnant women and mothers with babies in custody have been released.

In addition, prisoners identified as ‘extremely vulnerable’ as defined in the NHS

guidelines will merit consideration for ROTL on compassionate grounds during the

COVID-19 pandemic. As of Friday 12 June,19 extremely vulnerable individuals have

been released.

On 4 April, we announced the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme. This

scheme enables risk-assessed prisoners, who are within two months of their release

date, to be temporarily released from custody, as part of the national approach to

managing public services during this challenging period. As of Friday 12 June, 113

offenders have been released from a prison or a young offenders institution under

this scheme

Alongside the careful release of low-risk offenders, we are also implementing our

compartmentalisation strategy to manage different cohorts of the prison population,

working to expedite remand cases and temporarily expanding the estate through the

installation of single occupancy units. This is to strike a balance between limiting the

spread of COVID-19 in prisons while ensuring the public is protected.

Prisoners' Release: Homelessness

Daisy Cooper: [58798]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners

were released without a fixed address from each prison in financial year 2016-17.



Lucy Frazer:

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Government has now decided that because of public health and public protection

considerations, there is a need to provide accommodation for prison leavers during

the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Justice has secured appropriate funding for a

time-limited period to support the provision of accommodation for all individuals

released from prison during this period, who are at risk of homelessness. The

temporary accommodation scheme will run until 26th June at which point it will be

reviewed, taking account of the situation at that time. This is an exceptional measure

reflecting the current challenges. Additionally, we are also working in collaboration

with other government departments and interested parties to help to secure a range

of accommodation options for prisoners on their release.

Whilst our immediate concern is to support those individuals released from prison into

suitable accommodation, in the long-term we will analyse the lessons learned during

this period, to further develop how we can improve the accommodation offer for those

with a history of offending.

Prisons and Young Offender Institutions: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prisoners and (b) prison staff in

each of Prisons and Young Offender Institutions have (i) been tested, (ii) tested positive

and (iii) died of covid-19.

Lucy Frazer:

The Government has put robust measures in place to protect staff and offenders from

COVID-19 and introduce ‘compartmentalisation’, to isolate those prisoners with

symptoms, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals.

The Department of Health and Social Care is solely responsible for testing for

COVID-19 both in the community and in secure settings. As such, we do not hold

data on the total number of prisoners and staff who have been tested.

Overall, prisons are seeing a decline in the numbers of new cases. The data in the

table below shows the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases broken down by

establishment as of Friday 12 June 2020. These figures reflect the total number of

recorded positive cases of COVID-19 since the first confirmed cases in mid-March,

not the number of live cases. It includes individuals that have recovered.

The numbers reported will be affected by a number of variables, including the

availability of testing locally which can result in differences between sites and regions

and as self-reported (for staff) through HMPPS management lines for central

collation. As figures are as reported by prisons they may be subject to revision.


ESTABLISHMENT STAFF CASES PRISONER CASES

TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Altcourse 24 15 39

Ashfield 0 0 0

Askham Grange 4 0 4

Aylesbury ~ 0 ~

Bedford 6 ~ ~

Belmarsh 12 7 19

Berwyn 33 40 73

Birmingham 22 ~ ~

Brinsford 22 5 27

Bristol ~ 0 ~

Brixton 0 ~ ~

Bronzefield 6 ~ ~

Buckley Hall ~ ~ 5

Bullingdon ~ 0 ~

Bure ~ 0 ~

Cardiff 24 22 46

Channings Wood 15 9 24

Chelmsford 10 ~ ~

Coldingley 5 ~ ~

Cookham Wood ~ ~ ~

Dartmoor ~ ~ 4

Deerbolt 8 ~ ~

Doncaster 12 8 20

Dovegate 8 ~ ~

Downview 4 0 4


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Drake Hall 25 41 66

Durham 46 4 50

East Sutton Park 0 0 0

Eastwood Park ~ 0 ~

Elmley 5 0 5

Erlestoke ~ ~ ~

Exeter 0 0 0

Featherstone ~ ~ 5

FelthamA ~ ~ ~

FelthamB 6 ~ ~

Ford ~ ~ ~

Forest Bank 4 5 9

Foston Hall ~ ~ ~

Frankland 12 ~ ~

Full Sutton 6 0 6

Garth 7 0 7

Gartree 25 9 34

Grendon 0 0 0

Guys Marsh 0 0 0

Hatfield ~ ~ 5

Haverigg ~ 6 ~

Hewell 37 9 46

High Down 14 ~ ~

Highpoint 12 ~ ~

Hindley 10 ~ ~


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Hollesley Bay ~ ~ ~

Holme House 23 17 40

Hull ~ 0 ~

Humber 41 10 51

Huntercombe ~ ~ 5

Isis 4 6 10

Isle of Wight ~ 0 ~

Kirkham 5 ~ ~

Kirklevington Grange ~ 0 ~

Lancaster Farms ~ 0 ~

Leeds 4 ~ ~

Leicester 6 5 11

Lewes ~ 0 ~

Leyhill 0 0 0

Lincoln ~ 4 ~

Lindholme 10 0 10

Littlehey 9 6 15

Liverpool 20 ~ ~

Long Lartin ~ ~ 5

Low Newton 0 ~ ~

Lowdham Grange ~ 0 ~

Maidstone ~ ~ ~

Manchester 19 20 39

Medway (Adult) 0 0 0

Moorland ~ ~ ~


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

New Hall ~ 5 ~

North Sea Camp ~ 0 ~

Northumberland 14 ~ ~

Norwich 6 0 6

Nottingham ~ 0 ~

Oakwood 25 19 44

Onley 16 7 23

ParcA ~ 0 ~

ParcB 4 7 11

Pentonville 15 4 19

Peterborough Female 0 0 0

Peterborough Male 16 ~ ~

Portland 0 0 0

Prescoed 4 ~ ~

Preston 43 16 59

Ranby 7 5 12

Risley 20 16 36

Rochester 0 0 0

Rye Hill 6 ~ ~

Send ~ 0 ~

Stafford 5 0 5

Stanford Hill 0 ~ ~

Stocken 4 ~ ~

Stoke Heath ~ 4 ~

Springhill 0 ~ ~


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Styal ~ 0 ~

Sudbury ~ ~ 4

Swaleside ~ 0 ~

Swansea 10 12 22

Swinfen Hall 5 6 11

Thameside 4 10 14

The Mount 9 5 14

The Verne ~ 0 ~

Thorn Cross ~ 0 ~

Usk 13 16 29

Wakefield ~ ~ 6

Wandsworth ~ 11 ~

Warren Hill 0 0 0

Wayland 0 0 0

Wealstun ~ 0 ~

Werrington 0 0 0

Wetherby ~ 0 ~

Whatton 0 ~ ~

Whitemoor 10 6 16

Winchester 23 ~ ~

Woodhill 23 0 23

Wormwood Scrubs 14 6 20

Wymott 14 15 29

Total estate wide 963 495 1458

The symbol ~ denotes suppressed values of 3 or fewer (and totals that would allow

values of 3 or fewer to be calculated) to avoid the risk of identifying individuals.

* Data is split between Feltham A and Feltham B to account for different age groups

**Data is split between Parc A and B to account for different age groups

***Data is split for male and female sites at Peterborough

The tables below show the number of prisoners and prison staff who have sadly died

having tested positive for COVID-19 or having shown symptoms. It is a matter for

coroners to determine a cause of death. The data in the tables is correct as of Friday

12 June 2020.

ESTABLISHMENT NUMBER OF PRISONER DEATHS

HMP/YOI Altcourse 2

HMP/YOI Bedford 1

HMP/YOI Belmarsh 1

HMP Berwyn 1

HMP Channings Wood 2

HMP Durham 1

HMP Gartree 1

HMP Leicester 1

HMP Littlehey 3

HMP/YOI Low Newton 1

HMP/YOI Manchester 1

HMP/YOI New Hall 1

HMP Oakwood 1

HMP/YOI Peterborough 1

HMP Rye Hill 1

HMP/YOI Sudbury 1

HMP Usk 1

HMP Whatton 1

HMP Winchester 1

Total 23

ESTABLISHMENT NUMBER OF PRISON STAFF DEATHS

HMP Dovegate 1

HMP/YOI Hollesley Bay 1


HMP/YOI Pentonville 2

HMP Thameside 1

HMP Usk 1

HMP/YOI Wymott 2

Total 9

Prisons and Youth Custody: Coronavirus

Liz Saville Roberts: [58036]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the number of covid-19 related deaths was

for (a) inmates and (b) staff in each (i) prison, (ii) youth offending institution, (iii) secure

training centre and (iv) other secure units in (A) Wales and (B) England as at 15 June

2020; and if she will publish a weekly update of those figures.

Lucy Frazer:







12 June 2020.


HMP/YOI Altcourse 2

HMP/YOI Bedford 1

HMP/YOI Belmarsh 1

HMP Berwyn 1


HMP Durham 1



HMP Gartree 1

HMP Leicester 1

HMP Littlehey 3



HMP/YOI New Hall 1

HMP Oakwood 1


HMP Rye Hill 1

HMP/YOI Sudbury 1

HMP Usk 1

HMP Whatton 1

HMP Winchester 1

Total 23


HMP Dovegate 1




HMP Thameside 1

HMP Usk 1

HMP/YOI Wymott 2

Total 9

Sadly, a member of NHS healthcare staff who worked at Rainsbrook Secure Training

Centre has also died having tested positive for COVID-19.

We currently publish deaths in custody, within our quarterly Safety in Custody

statistics bulletin. The next Safety in Custody statistics bulletin is planned for

publication on the 30 th July and will include a breakdown of COVID-19 related

deaths.

Prisons: Coronavirus

Mr David Lammy: [51547]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many covid-19 (a) infections and (b)

deaths have taken place in each prison in England and Wales.

Mr David Lammy: [51550]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many tests for covid-19 his Department

has supplied to (a) prisoners and (b) prison officers who have presented as being

asymptomatic.

Lucy Frazer:




Overall, prisons are seeing a decline in the numbers of new cases. The data in the

table below shows the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases broken down by prison

as of Friday 12 June 2020. These figures reflect the total number of recorded positive

cases of COVID-19 since the first confirmed cases in mid-March, not the number of

live cases. It includes individuals that have recovered.

The numbers reported will be affected by a number of variables, including the

availability of testing locally which can result in differences between sites and regions

and as self-reported (for staff) through HMPPS management lines for central

collation. As figures are as reported by prisons they may be subject to revision.

To date the Ministry of Justice has not collected data on asymptomatic prisoners and

staff as it is not the government policy to test asymptomatic cases.


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Altcourse 24 15 39

Ashfield 0 0 0

Askham Grange 4 0 4

Aylesbury ~ 0 ~

Bedford 6 ~ ~

Belmarsh 12 7 19




TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Berwyn 33 40 73

Birmingham 22 ~ ~

Brinsford 22 5 27

Bristol ~ 0 ~

Brixton 0 ~ ~

Bronzefield 6 ~ ~

Buckley Hall ~ ~ 5

Bullingdon ~ 0 ~

Bure ~ 0 ~

Cardiff 24 22 46

Channings Wood 15 9 24

Chelmsford 10 ~ ~

Coldingley 5 ~ ~

Cookham Wood ~ ~ ~

Dartmoor ~ ~ 4

Deerbolt 8 ~ ~

Doncaster 12 8 20

Dovegate 8 ~ ~

Downview 4 0 4

Drake Hall 25 41 66

Durham 46 4 50

East Sutton Park 0 0 0

Eastwood Park ~ 0 ~

Elmley 5 0 5

Erlestoke ~ ~ ~


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Exeter 0 0 0

Featherstone ~ ~ 5

FelthamA ~ ~ ~

FelthamB 6 ~ ~

Ford ~ ~ ~

Forest Bank 4 5 9

Foston Hall ~ ~ ~

Frankland 12 ~ ~

Full Sutton 6 0 6

Garth 7 0 7

Gartree 25 9 34

Grendon 0 0 0

Guys Marsh 0 0 0

Hatfield ~ ~ 5

Haverigg ~ 6 ~

Hewell 37 9 46

High Down 14 ~ ~

Highpoint 12 ~ ~

Hindley 10 ~ ~

Hollesley Bay ~ ~ ~

Holme House 23 17 40

Hull ~ 0 ~

Humber 41 10 51

Huntercombe ~ ~ 5

Isis 4 6 10


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Isle of Wight ~ 0 ~

Kirkham 5 ~ ~

Kirklevington Grange ~ 0 ~

Lancaster Farms ~ 0 ~

Leeds 4 ~ ~

Leicester 6 5 11

Lewes ~ 0 ~

Leyhill 0 0 0

Lincoln ~ 4 ~

Lindholme 10 0 10

Littlehey 9 6 15

Liverpool 20 ~ ~

Long Lartin ~ ~ 5

Low Newton 0 ~ ~

Lowdham Grange ~ 0 ~

Maidstone ~ ~ ~

Manchester 19 20 39

Medway (Adult) 0 0 0

Moorland ~ ~ ~

New Hall ~ 5 ~

North Sea Camp ~ 0 ~

Northumberland 14 ~ ~

Norwich 6 0 6

Nottingham ~ 0 ~

Oakwood 25 19 44


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

Onley 16 7 23

ParcA ~ 0 ~

ParcB 4 7 11

Pentonville 15 4 19

Peterborough Female 0 0 0

Peterborough Male 16 ~ ~

Portland 0 0 0

Prescoed 4 ~ ~

Preston 43 16 59

Ranby 7 5 12

Risley 20 16 36

Rochester 0 0 0

Rye Hill 6 ~ ~

Send ~ 0 ~

Stafford 5 0 5

Stanford Hill 0 ~ ~

Stocken 4 ~ ~

Stoke Heath ~ 4 ~

Springhill 0 ~ ~

Styal ~ 0 ~

Sudbury ~ ~ 4

Swaleside ~ 0 ~

Swansea 10 12 22

Swinfen Hall 5 6 11

Thameside 4 10 14


TOTAL NUMBER OF

CASES BY

ESTABLISHMENT

The Mount 9 5 14

The Verne ~ 0 ~

Thorn Cross ~ 0 ~

Usk 13 16 29

Wakefield ~ ~ 6

Wandsworth ~ 11 ~

Warren Hill 0 0 0

Wayland 0 0 0

Wealstun ~ 0 ~

Werrington 0 0 0

Wetherby ~ 0 ~

Whatton 0 ~ ~

Whitemoor 10 6 16

Winchester 23 ~ ~

Woodhill 23 0 23

Wormwood Scrubs 14 6 20

Wymott 14 15 29

Total estate wide 963 495 1458

The symbol ~ denotes suppressed values of 3 or fewer (and totals that would allow

values of 3 or fewer to be calculated) to avoid the risk of identifying individuals.

* Data is split between Feltham A and Feltham B to account for different age groups

**Data is split between Parc A and B to account for different age groups

***Data is split for male and female sites at Peterborough




12 June 2020.


HMP/YOI Altcourse 2

HMP/YOI Bedford 1

HMP/YOI Belmarsh 1

HMP Berwyn 1


HMP Durham 1

HMP Gartree 1

HMP Leicester 1

HMP Littlehey 3



HMP/YOI New Hall 1

HMP Oakwood 1


HMP Rye Hill 1

HMP/YOI Sudbury 1

HMP Usk 1

HMP Whatton 1

HMP Winchester 1

Total 23


HMP Dovegate 1




HMP Thameside 1


HMP Usk 1

HMP/YOI Wymott 2

Total 9

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Electronic Government: Petitions


To ask the Leader of the House, whether he has made an assessment of the potential

merits of bringing forward proposals to enable the Petitions Committee to schedule

debates based on petitions created on websites other than the UK Parliament e-petition

website.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg:

The Government acknowledges the important role that petitions and debates on

petitions play in allowing people to scrutinise the government on their own terms. The

e-petitions website is jointly owned by Parliament and Government but is overseen by

the House of Commons Petitions Committee. It is for the Petitions Committee to bring

forward petitions for debate under Standing Order No. 10 (1)(a) and Standing Order

No. 145A.

House of Commons: Coronavirus


To ask the Leader of the House, what steps (a) the Government and (b) House

Authorities plan to take to mitigate the higher risk to BAME (a) staff and (b) hon. Members

of contracting covid-19.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg:

The Government is clear that the House Authorities must continue to ensure that the

Estate is safe and that we must all continue to work in line with public health advice.

The House Authorities have been undertaking risk assessments of various work

spaces and are in direct contact with Public Health England (PHE) on any specific

concerns. PHE also published its review at the beginning of June to help us

understand how Covid-19 may affect different ethnic groups. The Equalities Minister

is taking forward further work following the PHE Review so that we can better

understand the disparities. The Government continues to advise members of the

parliamentary community, such as Members’ staff and most House staff, to continue

to work from home where they can. I would like to commend the House Authorities

for their work in ensuring that the Parliamentary Estate is a Covid-19 secure



workplace, and I have every confidence in their efforts to make sure House staff at

increased risk of contracting coronavirus are suitably protected.

Overseas Aid: Parliamentary Scrutiny


To ask the Leader of the House, if he will bring forward amendments to Standing Orders

to create a Development Aid Oversight Committee similar to the Environmental Audit

Committee to ensure Parliamentary oversight of UK aid spending.


To ask the Leader of the House, whether he has received instructions from Cabinet

Colleagues to bring forward amendments to Standing Orders to create a Development

Aid Oversight Committee similar to the Environmental Audit Committee to ensure

Parliamentary oversight of UK aid spending.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg:

The Government’s view is that select committees in the House of Commons should

generally mirror Government departments, though this is ultimately a matter for the

House. Precise changes will be announced in due course.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Marriage and Civil partnerships: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: [59265]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to bring forward

regulations under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 to enable (a)

religious marriage for same-sex couples and (b) conversion of Northern Ireland civil

partnerships to marriages.

Mr Robin Walker:

On 13 January 2020, the Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership

(Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 came into force in

Northern Ireland, extending eligibility to same-sex couples to form civil marriages and

allowing opposite-sex couples to enter into a civil partnership.

We are committed to delivering on two remaining areas - same-sex religious

marriage and conversion entitlements. A consultation on these two issues closed on

23 February 2020, and we are considering all of the submissions received before

bringing forward the necessary legislation as soon as possible before the end of

2020.




Marriage: Northern Ireland

Colum Eastwood: [59919]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had

with Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Minister on plans to legislate for same-sex

religious marriage.

Mr Robin Walker:

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has not had any recent discussions with

the First and deputy First Minister specifically on plans to legislate for same-sex

religious marriage.

The Northern Ireland Executive is aware of the duty that the Government is under in

section 8 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019, which led to

the making of The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex

Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019. These Regulations came into force on

13 January and legalised same-sex civil marriage and opposite-sex civil partnerships

in Northern Ireland.

We have been clear that there were two remaining areas we are committed to

delivering on - same-sex religious marriage and conversion entitlements - following

publicly consulting on these two issues earlier this year. We will continue to work

closely with the Northern Ireland Civil Service, following confirmation from the

Minister for Finance, Conor Murphy MLA, that the working relationship with his

officials should continue. We intend to make regulations on same-sex religious

marriage as soon as possible before the end of 2020 to provide similar rights and

protections to the law in other parts of the UK.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

John Spellar: [59685]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the costs of Operation Kenova

have been to date.

Mr Robin Walker:

Operation Kenova is the independent investigation into a range of activities

surrounding an alleged agent codenamed Stakeknife, led by former chief constable

Jon Boutcher. Since it was established in 2016, Operation Kenova has taken on three

further investigations at the request of the Chief Constable of the Police Service of

Northern Ireland.

As this is an independent investigation, funding is the responsibility of the Police

Service of Northern Ireland.



PRIME MINISTER

Official Meetings: Prime Minister

Steve Reed: [60766]

To ask the Prime Minister, how many times and on what dates he has met with Richard

Desmond since he became Prime Minister.

Boris Johnson:

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

Overseas Aid: Select Committees


To ask the Prime Minister, whether he has provided instructions to the Leader of the

House to amend the Standing Orders to create a Development Aid Oversight Committee

similar to the Environmental Audit Committee to ensure Parliamentary oversight of UK aid

spending.

Boris Johnson:

I refer the hon Member to the answer my Rt Hon Friend the Foreign Secretary gave

to the hon Member for North East Fife on 18 June, Official Report, Col 947.

TRANSPORT

Airlines: Coronavirus

Sarah Owen: [59892]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2020 to

Question 57393, on Airlines: Coronavirus, whether an airline company has reached the

point of all avenues being exhausted (a) before or (b) after proposing a high volume of

redundancies.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The Department for Transport is in regular contact with airlines, airports and unions to

understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on the sector and its workers.

We expect companies to pursue all possible actions to preserve cash and maximise

liquidity, including engaging with shareholders, lenders and the markets, and utilising

all available assets and facilities. However, we do not comment on discussions held

with individual companies, as this information is commercially sensitive.

Aviation: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the (a) names of the

representatives on and (b) terms of reference for the aviation restart and recovery expert

group.






To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what responsibilities does the aviation restart

and recovery expert group have in relation to ensuring that the future of UK aviation is

aligned with (a) carbon budgets and the Climate Change Act 2008 and (b) the 1.5 degree

temperature goal of the Paris Climate Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The aviation sector is important to the UK economy and the government recognises

the challenging times facing the sector as a result of COVID-19. The Expert Steering

Group (ESG) was set up to bring together all the interested parties from across

government and industry to co-produce solutions where possible.

Membership of the ESG compromises of a range of industry experts and relevant

Government departments. Working closely with trade bodies such as Airport

Operators Association and Airlines UK, DfT agreed the following membership

comprising of representatives from across the sector along with relevant Government

departments:

SECTOR

ORGANISATIO

N

Airlines BA/ IAG

EasyJet

Jet2

Loganair

TUI

Airports AGS

(Aberdeen,

Glasgow &

Southampton)

CWL (Cardiff)

City of Derry Airport

Gatwick

Heathrow

MAG (Manchester, Stansted & East Midlands)

RCA (Bournemouth, Exeter, Norwich)

Ground Handlers Swissport

Regulator CAA


SECTOR

ORGANISATIO

N

Airlines BA/ IAG

Air Traffic

Management

NATS

ACL

Industry/Trade

Associations

ADS group

Association of International Courier and Express Services

Airlines UK

Airport Operators Association

Board of Airline Representatives in the UK

British Business General Aviation Association

Association of British Travel Agents

International Air Transport Association

Unions TUC / Unite

Other

Government

Departments

Border Force

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Welsh Government - Department for Energy, Planning and

Rural Affairs

Department for Health and Social Care

HM Inspector of Health & Safety

Department for International Trade

Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland)

Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

HM Treasury

Public Health England

SECTOR

ORGANISATIO

N

Airlines BA/ IAG

Transport Scotland

Terms of Reference

The initial focus of the group is to act as a representative advisory group on restarting

the aviation industry. To this end, the group has worked to produce health guidance

for the sector, which was published on 11 June. The group will also identify the key

operational requirements for restart, when and how restart will happen, and how to

build and maintain consumer confidence.

The second phase of the group’s work will focus on recovery of the aviation sector.

This work will include a coherent plan to support the sector’s recovery. Achievement

of Government climate change objectives will be a key part of this recovery work.

Membership of the ESG will be reviewed to reflect this second phase of work.

Sarah Champion: [60764]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with

representatives of the Civil Aviation Authority on enforcement action to ensure that

airlines comply with their obligations to passengers when issuing refunds for cancelled

flights.

Kelly Tolhurst:

My department works closely with the Civil Aviation Authority and it has regular

discussions with them about the range of issues that have arisen from the COVID-19

crisis – including issues relating to enforcement action in respect of refund payments.

We recognise the need to take a balanced and proportionate approach to

enforcement during this crisis, recognising the challenges businesses are facing, but

have been clear that where the consumer asks for a cash refund then this must be

paid. We have also been clear of the need to review this situation.

Bus Services: Concessions

Sarah Olney: [59244]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his letter to the Mayor on

London of 3 June 2020 on ending of free travel for under 18 year olds in London, if he will

place in the Library a copy of the academic research referred to in concluding that young

people using the free travel concession made up half of all bus users during the morning

rush hour, many of them for extremely short journeys which would not have been made

had they not been free.



Rachel Maclean:

The Government set a number of conditions alongside the funding provided to

Transport for London to reduce demand on public transport so that those who need

to use services can do so safely. The temporary suspension of free travel for under

18s in London is one of those measures. The academic research to which the

Secretary of State referred in his letter of 3 June 2020 is a study called ‘On the

buses: a mixed-method evaluation of the impact of free bus travel for young people

on the public health’ (full reference below). This makes clear that before the crisis,

young people using the free travel concession made up half of all bus users during

the morning rush hour, many of them for extremely short journeys which would not

have been made had they not been free.

Research reference

Green J, Steinbach R, Jones A, et al.

Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2014 Feb

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK263964/

Driving Instruction: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance he has issued on when

driving instructors can return to work as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Rachel Maclean:

As the health and safety of staff and customers is key, the Driver and Vehicle

Standards Agency (DVSA) is working closely with the Department for Transport to

prepare for a safe return to testing. It will announce details of resumption in due

course.

In the meantime, approved driving instructors (ADI) should continue to limit driving

lessons to critical workers who are preparing for an emergency driving test.

The DVSA’s priority remains to protect the public and save lives. Driving lessons and

tests have not yet been able to restart because the risk of transmission of the virus in

vehicles is higher.

On 15 June 2020, the DVSA’s Chief Executive wrote to all ADIs updating them on the

planning it is doing to help return to life that is as close to normal as possible, as

quickly and fairly as possible, in a way that avoids a second peak of infections. That

letter can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-letter

Driving Tests: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he plans to resume driving tests at all

venues that were in use prior to the covid-19 lockdown.




https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-letter

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-letter


Rachel Maclean:

As the health and safety of staff and customers is key, the Driver and Vehicle

Standards Agency (DVSA) is working closely with the Department for Transport to

prepare for a safe return to testing. It will announce details of resumption of testing in

due course.

Driving: Licensing

Gerald Jones: [59837]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason there are delays in the

reissuing of driving licences by the DVLA to (a) people aged over 70 and (b) in cases

where licences have been suspended for health reasons which are preventing those

people from driving.

Rachel Maclean:

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services, including

renewals for drivers over 70 are available and have continued to operate as normal

throughout the pandemic.

DVLA is currently working with reduced staff on its site in Swansea to meet social

distancing requirements. Paper applications are therefore taking longer to process as

they must be dealt with in person.

As healthcare professionals are rightly focused on their response to the COVID-19

pandemic, the DVLA is experiencing delays where information is needed from

medical professionals in order to make a licensing decision where a driver has

declared a medical condition.

Government Car Service


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Government Car Service

departmental pool cars are allocated to each Department; and what the fuel type is of

each car.

Chris Heaton-Harris:

The table below lists the number of Departmental Pool Cars allocated to each

Government Department including fuel type:

DEPARTMENT NUMBER OF CARS FUEL TYPE

Cabinet Office 3 Battery Electric

Cabinet Office 3 Diesel

Cabinet Office 1 Petrol

BEIS 2 Petrol Hybrid

BEIS 1 Battery Electric



DEPARTMENT NUMBER OF CARS FUEL TYPE

BEIS 1 Petrol

MHCLG 4 Petrol Hybrid

DCMS 1 Battery Electric

DCMS 2 Petrol Hybrid

DCMS 1 Petrol

DEFRA 1 Petrol Hybrid

DEFRA 1 Petrol

DFE 1 Battery Electric

DFE 1 Petrol

DFID 1 Battery Electric

DFID 1 Petrol Hybrid

DfT 3 Petrol Hybrid

DfT 1 Battery Electric

DHSC 2 Petrol Hybrid

DHSC 1 Petrol

DHSC 1 Battery Electric

HMT 1 Battery Electric

HMT 1 Petrol

Home Office 4 Petrol Hybrid

AGO 1 Battery Electric

AGO 1 Petrol Hybrid

DIT 1 Battery Electric

DIT 1 Petrol

DWP 2 Diesel

With the support of DfT, the Government Car Service (GCS) is replacing its fleet with

Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) as vehicles become due for replacement.

Currently 48% of the GCS fleet is now either battery electric, petrol/electric hybrid or

hydrogen, and we are actively looking at options to accelerate this transition.

Official Cars


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) make and (b) fuel type is of cars

allocated to each Minister.


In 2012, the Government Car Service introduced the Departmental Pool Car Service

where cars and drivers are allocated to Government Departments as a shared

resource. This service is managed by each individual Department to provide better

utilisation; cars are no longer allocated to individual ministers.

Public Transport: Exhaust Emissions

Kerry McCarthy: [60705]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of

jobs that could be created in (a) research and development, (b) manufacturing and (c)

other sectors as a result of Government investment in low emission forms of public

transport.

Rachel Maclean:

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of jobs in research and

development, manufacturing and other sectors that could be created across all forms

of low emission public transport as a result of Government investment. However, we

recognize that transport has a key role to play in the economy reaching net zero

greenhouse gas emissions and we are developing an ambitious plan to accelerate

the de-carbonisation of transport.

In February, the Government announced plans for investment in 4,000 zero emission

buses, as part of a £5 billion funding package for buses and cycling. This investment

supports the Government's decarbonisation plans and the bus sector and will help to

stimulate a green economic recovery from COVID-19. There are a number of UK-

based bus manufacturing companies well-placed to benefit from this investment. The

recent £48m Ultra Low Emission Bus competition allocated 88% of funding to UK

companies.

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has also designed and funded a series

of R&D competitions with Innovate UK, focusing on demonstrating low and zero

emission road transport technology, strengthening UK industrial and supply chain

capability. These projects include public transport applications. For example, OLEV

has funded a project to develop a new, highly efficient, zero emission bus with lower

total cost of ownership and maximisation of passenger numbers.

For rail transport, the use of electrification and new technologies to decarbonise the

railway will create long-term employment opportunities, and previous electrification

projects have supported hundreds of UK jobs.



Public Transport: Staff

Kerry McCarthy: [60706]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of

the number of people employed by (a) public rail, (b) tram, (c) bus and (d) ferry operators.


Based the ONS’s Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), in 2018, there

were 52 thousand people employed in interurban rail passenger transport. There

were 19 thousand people employed in urban and suburban rail passenger transport

(including underground and metro). There were 113 thousand people employed in

other urban, suburban or metropolitan passenger transport (excluding taxi operators).

There were 7 thousand people employed in sea and coastal water transport.

Railways: Coronavirus

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [59868]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support the Government has provided

to rail component manufacturing companies affected by a reduction in orders as a result

of the covid-19 outbreak.


My Department is engaging closely with the rail supply industry in order to

understand its issues and ensure that it remains robust and able to support the

continued provision of essential rail services during these challenging times.

The Chancellor has announced unprecedented support for business, including

manufacturing companies in the rail supply chain, to protect them against the current

economic emergency. These measures include the Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme, deferral of VAT payments and £30 billion of government-backed and

guaranteed business loans.

In addition, last week the Cabinet Office published new procurement guidance

(Procurement Policy Note 04/20) on the Recovery and Transition from Covid. This

note builds on recommended measures for supplier relief to ensure service continuity

during and after the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Ms Karen Buck: [60669]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has required train

operators with franchise agreements with his Department to provide (a) weekly and (b)

periodic management accounts showing financial performance in light of the additional

resources provided to train operators by the Government in response to the covid-19

outbreak.


The Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) continue existing Franchise

Agreement obligations to require train operators to provide periodic management

accounts to the Department. An equivalent obligation also applies to the two




operators that are in direct public ownership. The management accounts include a

periodic profit and loss account, balance sheet and cash flow statement.

The EMAs have also introduced a formal process of periodic budget reviews to

enable additional financial scrutiny of operators.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on

train companies that received additional Government funding during 2020-21 paying

dividends to shareholders.


The Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) place a number of new restrictions

on operator’s financial transactions in recognition of the risk that the government

bears while they are in place. This includes restrictions on the payment of dividends

to shareholders during the EMA term.

Railways: Franchises


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to undertake a review of

the future financial (a) position and (b) structure of each train operating company that

holds a franchise agreement with his Department.


The Department is reviewing its approach to the contractual arrangements following

the period in which the Emergency Measures Agreements apply. Work is underway

to determine the most effective approach once this period ends. This work will take

account of the impact of COVID-19 on demand for passenger rail travel in both the

short and long term, and the associated economic and financial impacts on the

railway.

The Department continues to monitor the financial position of all train operators to

ensure to continuity of passenger services.


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether each train company with a franchise

agreement has been asked by his Department to provide information on its (a) balance

sheet and (b) financing structure and policy.


The Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) continue existing Franchise

Agreement obligations to require train operators to provide periodic management

accounts to the Department. An equivalent obligation also applies to the two

operators that are in direct public ownership. The management accounts include a

periodic profit and loss account, balance sheet and cash flow statement.




Railways: Manufacturing Industries


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to support rail component

manufacturing companies in transitioning to manufacturing components for newer train

fleets.


While the supply of components to build new trains is ultimately a matter for the

manufacturers, government encourages manufacturers to use the UK supply chain

where possible. Through our engagement process we stress to the rail industry that it

should take every opportunity to make use of local components wherever practical,

and support businesses across the country. Indeed, Covid-19 has highlighted the

value of resilient local supply chains and that it is whole-life value rather than lowest

upfront cost that matters.

TREASURY

Airports: Coronavirus

Seema Malhotra: [59775]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he is providing to airports in

England and Wales in response to the economic effects of the covid-19 pandemic.

Kemi Badenoch:

The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation sector as a

result of COVID-19 and firms experiencing difficulties as a result of COVID-19 can

draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor,

including schemes to raise capital, flexibilities with tax bills, and financial support for

employees.

As the Chancellor set out in his letter to the aviation sector, should individual firms

still find themselves in difficulty after exhausting all other options, the Government is

willing to enter discussions with them as a last resort. Any intervention would need to

represent value for money for taxpayers.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people placed on the Coronavirus

Job Retention Scheme have subsequently been made redundant.

Jesse Norman:

Employers are not required to inform HMRC of redundancies.

CJRS is a new scheme and HMRC are currently working through the analysis they

will be able to provide based on the data available.




Afzal Khan: [59596]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential

merits of operating local furlough schemes due to the regional differences in the R rate of

infection of covid-19.

Jesse Norman:

The CJRS scheme has been extended to the end of October. After eight months, it

will then close. As the economy re-opens, support will be adjusted in a way that

ensures people can get back to work, protecting both the UK economy and the

livelihoods of the British people. The aim of the CJRS is to protect jobs that may have

been made redundant and to gradually enable firms to bring staff back to work as

non-pharmaceutical interventions begin to be lifted, in order to help restart the

economy.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what protections are in place to ensure that all

furloughed workers are guaranteed to receive the equivalent of the national minimum

wage.

Jesse Norman:

Individuals are only entitled to the National Living Wage, National Minimum Wage or

Apprentice Minimum Wage for the hours they are working or treated as working

under minimum wage rules. Hours spent on furlough are, by definition, not hours

spent working.

It should be noted that time spent training while furloughed is treated as working time

for the purposes of the minimum wage calculations and must be paid at the

appropriate minimum wage rate.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Islam

Gareth Thomas: [59338]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the

accessibility the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for businesses that are unable to

access that scheme as a result of Sharia law restrictions on taking interest bearing loans.

Jesse Norman:

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme provides grants. These do not accrue

interest.

Corporation Tax: Coronavirus


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to suspend interest

on outstanding corporation tax bills for those who have had to defer payment due to the

covid-19 outbreak.





Jesse Norman:

The Government has announced an unprecedented package of support for

businesses and individuals during the Covid-19 outbreak.

This includes the deferral of certain VAT and Self-Assessment payments in 2020-21,

and the waiving of associated interest and penalties.

HMRC have scaled up their Time to Pay (TTP) service, where individual and

business taxpayers can agree tailored plans to defer certain tax payments due and

repay them over an agreed period of time. These arrangements can include any tax

or duty administered by HMRC, including Corporation Tax (CT). Interest will continue

to accrue on TTP arrangements including those for CT, in the usual way, to cover the

costs to Government of late payment.

Incorporated businesses may have access to a wide range of Government support to

help with finances and cashflow, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme,

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the Small Business Grant

Scheme.

Duty Free Allowances: Northern Ireland


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of

the ability of Northern Ireland's airports to offer duty free sales after the transition period.

Jesse Norman:

The Government continues to work through the implications of the Northern Ireland

Protocol, and the unique situation in Northern Ireland that it creates for VAT and

excise.

The Government is committed to providing guidance on how the NI Protocol will

work, including for duty-free goods, ahead of the end of the transition period.

Food: Wholesale Trade

Julian Sturdy: [59442]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the application of business rates

relief to food and drink wholesalers who supply hospitals, schools, care homes and the

hospitality industry.

Jesse Norman:

The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief to

businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and leisure given the

direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published

guidance for local authorities on eligible properties. As set out in the guidance,

support is targeted at premises that are wholly or mainly being used as shops,

restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; for

assembly and leisure; or as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering



accommodation. It is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs, having

regard to guidance issued by the Government.

A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for

the business rates holiday, such as wholesalers, has also been made available.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason his Department has not

allocated financial support to food and drink wholesalers; whether food and drink

wholesalers are classified as part of the same supply chain as the supermarkets which

they supply; and if he will make it his policy to extend (a) business rates relief and (b) the

Hospitality, Retail and Leisure Grant, to the food and drink wholesale sector.

Jesse Norman:

The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief and

business grants to businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and

leisure given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those

sectors.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published

guidance for Local Authorities (LAs) in England on eligible properties for the business

rates relief. It is for LAs to determine eligibility for reliefs, having regard to guidance

issued by the Government.

LAs can choose to make discretionary grants to businesses in wider supply chains,

like the wholesale food and drink sector, if the LA considers there is a particular local

economic need.

Businesses that are not eligible for business rates relief or business grants can still

benefit from the wider business and employment support package the Government

has made available.

Hospitality Industry: Social Distancing


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential

merits of providing additional fiscal support for (a) small cafes, (b) restaurants, (c) bars

and (d) hospitality businesses unable to re-open as covid-19 restrictions are eased while

the two metre social distancing rules continue to apply.

Kemi Badenoch:

The Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to

protect them against the current economic emergency including almost £300 billion of

guarantees – equivalent to 15% of UK GDP. Businesses in the hospitality sector

continue to have access to a range of support measures including, but not limited to:

• A 12-month business rates holiday for all eligible retail, leisure and hospitality

businesses in England

• The retail, hospitality and leisure grant fund (RHLGF)



• A Discretionary Grant Fund for Local Authorities in England

• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)

• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) for small and micro enterprises

• VAT deferral for up to 12 months

• The Time To Pay scheme, through which businesses in financial distress, and with

outstanding tax liabilities, can receive support with their tax affairs

• Protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-

payment until June 30, 2020 – with an option for the Government to extend if

needed.

The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses

can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible and how to

apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

On 11 May the Government published its COVID-19 recovery strategy which sets out

our plan for moving to the next phase of our response. The strategy sets out a

cautious roadmap for easing existing measures in a safe and measured way. The

roadmap will be kept constantly under review, and we will continue to work hard to

support business and workers as the situation evolves.

Insurance Companies: Compensation


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with

representatives of the insurance sector on extending compensation for people that are

affected by business closures as a result of covid-19 that are not covered by their

insurance policy; and what additional support the Government plans to provide to

businesses that have not had their business interruption cover triggered as a result of the

covid-19 outbreak.

John Glen:

The Government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector and is

encouraging insurers to do all they can to support customers during this difficult

period. Furthermore, the Government is working closely with the Financial Conduct

Authority (FCA) to ensure that the rules are being upheld during this crisis and fully

supports the regulator in its role.

In addition, on the 1st of May the FCA outlined its intention to seek a court

declaration, to resolve uncertainty for many customers making business interruption

claims. This court case refers to a sample of policy wordings designed to be

representative of the majority of disputed cases. On the 1st of June, the FCA

announced the policy wordings that would be tested in the court action and insurers it

had invited to participate directly, along with an initial list of policy wordings and

insurers that will potentially be impacted by the Court’s decision on the representative

https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder

https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder


sample. The FCA expects to publish a final list of all the relevant insurers and policies

that may have impacted wordings in early July, and expects a court hearing to take

place in late July.

However, the Government recognises that businesses who do not have appropriate

insurance cover will require support from elsewhere, and encourages businesses to

seek assistance through the wider support package if they are in financial difficulty,

which includes measures such as business rates holidays, the Coronavirus Business

Interruption Loan Scheme, and wage support.

Pensions: Coronavirus

Patricia Gibson: [59820]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to enable people facing

financial difficulties during the covid-19 outbreak to draw down more than one quarter of

their pension early without incurring 40 per cent tax.

John Glen:

The Government wishes to encourage pension saving, to help ensure that people

have an income, or funds on which they can draw, throughout retirement. This makes

pensions tax relief one of the most expensive reliefs in the personal tax system. In

2017/18 income tax and employer National Insurance Contributions relief cost £54

billion.

The Government therefore imposes a charge on early withdrawals, which can be

from 40% to 55% depending on the circumstances, both to recoup its investment

through tax relief and to provide individuals with a strong incentive to save through

their pension for the long-term.

It is for these reasons that the Government does not have any plans to remove tax on

pension payments in response to this outbreak. As with all tax policy, this will be kept

under review.

Public Expenditure


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government plans to undertake the

next comprehensive spending review.

Steve Barclay:

As announced in March, the Spending Review has been delayed to later this year to

ensure that HM Treasury and departments can remain focused on responding to the

immediate public health and economic emergency caused by COVID-19. Further

details about the next Spending Review will be set out in due course.



Remote Working: Coronavirus


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking with HMRC

to provide financial assistance for increased utilities costs to those working from home

during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman:

Employees who have been advised to work from home during the COVID-19

outbreak are eligible to claim tax relief for the additional cost of heating and lighting

the room in which they work and for the cost of business telephone calls. They can

claim relief on a fixed amount of £4 per week up to 5 April 2020 and £6 per week

thereafter. This increase was announced at Budget. Alternatively, employees can

claim relief on the actual amounts incurred, subject to them being able to provide

evidence, such as phone bills.

In addition, the Government has introduced legislation so that, where an employer

encourages their staff to purchase their own home office equipment and reimburses

the expense, an exemption will ensure that employees now receive the full

reimbursement free from tax and Class 1 National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

This is a temporary exemption which applies from 16 March 2020 until 5 April 2021.

Relevant guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-

expenses-are-taxable-if-your-employee-works-from-home-due-to-coronavirus-covid-

19.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Greater London

Sir David Evennett: [60689]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many self-employed people have

successfully applied for grants under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme in (a)

Bexley borough and (b) Greater London.

Jesse Norman:

As of 31 May 2020, 10,500 individuals had applied for the Self-Employment Income

Support Scheme in the Bexley local authority area.As of 31 May 2020, 433,000

individuals had applied for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme in the

London region.

Top Glove: Imports



rubber gloves manufactured by Malaysian company Top Glove have been imported into

the UK in the last six months.


https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-expenses-are-taxable-if-your-employee-works-from-home-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19






Jesse Norman:

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are responsible for the collection and publication of

data on UK imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC release this

information monthly, as a National Statistic: the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics.

The trade data collected does not enable HMRC to determine the manufacturer of

goods.

There is aggregated trade data available for the goods and the periods requested on

the uktradeinfo.com website, under ‘Build your own data tables’. The site also

contains a ‘Help’ function with information on how to extract trade data.

Trade data relating to the value of rubber gloves imported from Malaysia can be

searched for using commodity codes 4015110000 for surgical gloves and

4015190000 for other rubber gloves. These data sets may include gloves

manufactured outside but imported through Malaysia, and exclude gloves

manufactured within Malaysia but imported indirectly through other countries.

Treasury: Overseas Aid


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the criteria his Department

plans to use for prioritising Official Development Assistance spending in the event of a

decrease in GNI.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is signing new funding

agreement for projects from the Official Development Assistance budget.


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has notified other

Departments of the required savings on their share of the Official Development

Assistance budget in the event of a decrease in GNI.

Steve Barclay:

The UK has a legal commitment to spend 0.7% of its gross national income (GNI)

each year on Official Development Assistance (ODA). The government reviews the

ODA funding it allocates to projects on a regular basis in order to ensure delivery of

its commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on ODA.

HM Treasury allocates ODA budgets to departments and is responsible for decisions

on changes to these. We take evidence-based spending decisions and ensure

departments maintain high standards of programme delivery that are consistent with

HMG best practice.




VAT: Tax Rates and Bands

Mr Gregory Campbell: [60694]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an urgent assessment of the

potential merits of reducing the VAT rate for on street retail shopping.

Jesse Norman:

Raising over £130 billion in 2019/2020, VAT is an important source of revenue for the

Exchequer and plays an important part in funding the Government’s spending

priorities including hospitals, schools and defence.

A VAT reduction would therefore come at a considerable cost to the Exchequer.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has announced a range of

measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants,

loans and relief from business rates worth more than £300 billion.

The Government keeps all taxes under review.

WALES

Hospitality Industry and Tourism: Wales

Gerald Jones: [59838]

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether the Government plans to provide

additional support to the hospitality and tourism industry in Wales via the Welsh

Government during the recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.

Simon Hart:

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on how best to reopen the

hospitality and tourism sector in Wales to make the most of the summer season,

whilst respecting social distancing. Helping the sector to reopen will allow the industry

to start rebuilding.

Through the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-

Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), the UK Government has supported

over 400,000 jobs in Wales. Over £2.3bn in Barnett consequential funding has been

allocated to date to the Welsh Government to support its response to the virus. This

demonstrates the value to Wales of being part of the United Kingdom.

Using the scientific advice available, the UK Government has set out a clear plan on

how we will rebuild the UK for a world with Covid-19 whilst respecting devolved

decision-making. Subject to scientific advice, next month will see the partial

reopening of some of the tourism and hospitality sector in England, Scotland and

Northern Ireland. I welcome the Welsh Government’s plans for a partial reopening of

the sector in July. However, given its importance to the Welsh economy, with over

9.5% of the workforce directly employed in the visitor economy and over £6 billion in

visitor spending in 2018, I would urge the Welsh Government to do more to ensure

that Wales is not left behind the rest of the UK.



WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Ethnic Groups: Equality


To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Race Disparity Audit,

whether her Department has undertaken an impact assessment of the explain or change

approach adopted by the Race Disparity Unit when working with the Home Office; and

what changes to the Home Office that unit recommended as a result of data that it has

gathered since its inception.

Kemi Badenoch:

‘Explain or Change’ was a short-term communications campaign that was launched

in 2018, on the one year anniversary of the Race Disparity Audit. The campaign

concluded in June last year, and the Race Disparity Unit continues to work with other

Government Departments, to address disparities highlighted by the Audit. This

includes work with the Home Office to improve trust between police forces and the

local communities they serve, increasing diversity in the police workforces

themselves, and developing a new strategy to act on and prevent hate crime.

Gay Conversion Therapy

Afzal Khan: [59593]

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer on 5 June 2020 to

Question 52328 on Gay Conversion Therapy, when the research into the scope of

practices and experiences of people subjected to conversion therapy was begun; when

that research is expected to conclude; and if she will publish the findings.

Kemi Badenoch:

In January 2019, the Government commissioned research to improve our

understanding of evidence on the practice, experience, and effect of conversion

therapy. We received a draft of the report on Friday 12th June 2020. Once we have

reviewed the findings, we intend to publish the report.


To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what estimate she has made of the

number of LGBTQ+ people being given conversion therapy in 2020 in each of the last five

years; and if she will make a statement.

Kemi Badenoch:

According to the Government’s 2017 National LGBT Survey which surveyed over

100,000 LGBT people across the UK, 2% of respondents said they had undergone

conversion therapy, and a further 5% of respondents said they had been offered it.

The Government takes this issue very seriously and fundamentally disagrees with

any attempt to forcibly change someone’s sexuality. I am working with colleagues

across Government on this issue, and we will outline plans to end its practice in due

course.




WORK AND PENSIONS

Department for Work and Pensions: Written Questions


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to answer

Questions 55997, 55998 and 55999 tabled on 8 June 2020 by the hon. Member for

Middlesbrough.

Mims Davies:

I apologise for the delay and refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 June

2020 to questions 55997, 55998 and 55999.

Employment: Contact Tracing

Stephen Timms: [60645]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to support

people who earn less than the Lower Earnings Limit who are required to stop work to

self-isolate under the covid-19 test and trace system.

Will Quince:

Those who are not already in receipt of benefits may be able to claim Universal

Credit and/or new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on their

personal circumstances, to support them when they are unable to work.

Offshore Industry: Coronavirus

Alex Cunningham: [59220]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has

had with the Health and Safety Executive on the provision of covid-19 guidance in the

workplace for (a) employers and (b) staff in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Mims Davies:

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a contributing member of the Oil and Gas

UK (OGUK) Pandemic Steering Group (PSG), which also includes members from

OGUK, helicopter operators, oil and gas companies, industry associations, medical

professionals, Step Change in Safety (SCiS), Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and

trade unions, including Unite and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport

Workers.

The PSG has developed and published a range of guidance for offshore oil and gas

companies on measures required to manage the risks of COVID-19 infection. The

PSG has also produced guidance specifically for the offshore workforce on the

measures oil and gas companies should have in place to manage the risks of

COVID-19 offshore: https://oilandgasuk.co.uk/covid-19/ and

https://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/workgroups/covid-19/. HSE has also supported

the PSG in formulating Scottish Government sector guidance which supports working

safely offshore during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-




https://oilandgasuk.co.uk/covid-19/

https://oilandgasuk.co.uk/covid-19/

https://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/workgroups/covid-19/

https://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/workgroups/covid-19/

https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/guidance-for-prevention-and-management-of-cases-of-covid-19-on-offshore-installations/


resources-container/guidance-for-prevention-and-management-of-cases-of-covid-19-

on-offshore-installations/.

Alex Cunningham: [59221]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with

the (a) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) Scottish Government on the

(i) provision and (ii) uptake of public covid-19 test facilities for offshore oil and gas

workers.

Mims Davies:

The Secretary of State and I engage with a wide variety of stakeholders on a regular

basis.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) supports the testing of offshore workers to

identify and manage the risks from COVID-19. HSE has given its full support to the

Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) Pandemic Steering Group (PSG) to help deliver testing for

all offshore workers. HSE is in regular communication with the Department for

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to further support the availability of testing

for all offshore workers, including those who are asymptomatic.

Social Security Benefits

Vicky Foxcroft: [59519]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May

2020 to Question 43084, how many requests for mandatory reconsideration of (a)

employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payment were completed

by her Department in (i) March, (ii) April and (iii) May 2020.

Justin Tomlinson:

Statistics on Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) clearances for Personal Independence

Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability

Assessments (WCA) covering the period up to April 2020 are published and can be

found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml

Guidance for users is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Statistics for May 2020 are due to published in September 2020.

Ms Angela Eagle: [60687]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her Department's

policy to extend the temporary suspension of reviews and reassessments for all benefits

beyond 24 June 2020.

Justin Tomlinson:

Our priority throughout this health emergency continues to be to protect the public

and staff, while ensuring people get the benefits they are entitled to quickly and










safely. Reviews and reassessments remain suspended while we review what activity

we can gradually start reintroducing in line with the latest public health advice.

Thriving at Work Leadership Council


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on which dates the Thriving at

Work Leadership Council met since its inaugural meeting on 17 January 2019; and on

which of those meetings that Council discussed mental health at work during the covid-19

outbreak.

Justin Tomlinson:

Since its inaugural meeting on 17 January 2019, The Thriving at Work Leadership

Council has met on the 24th April 2019, 24th June 2019 and 28th January 2020.

The next meeting is to be held on 26th June 2020 which will discuss Mental Health at

Work during COVID-19.

Unemployment: Slough


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the

rate of unemployment over the last three months in Slough constituency.

Mims Davies:

Estimates of the number of people who are unemployed for sub-regional geographies

in the UK are compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is done using

the Annual Population Survey (APS), a large household survey of people in the UK.

Estimates are based on a sample of cases and therefore subject to sampling

uncertainty. The latest available data covers the period January – December 2019.

The ONS’s central estimate is that the unemployment rate for those aged 16 or over

in Slough constituency is 4.0% (with the true rate lying somewhere between 2.5% -

5.5%).

The next update is scheduled for 16 July 2020 when data for the April 2019 - March

2020 survey period will be released on the NOMIS website.

( https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/ )

The DWP publishes, via its Stat Xplore website, official statistics on the number of

people claiming unemployment-related benefits by parliamentary constituency area

(the ‘Alternative Claimant Count’), which are more timely.

In February 2020, there were 3,216 people claiming unemployment-related benefits

in Slough. This equates to 3.5% of the working age population.

Updated Alternative Claimant Count figures up to May 2020 will be published at

9:30am on Thursday 16th July.



https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/

Universal Credit

Neil Gray: [60774]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what costing model her

Department uses to estimate the annual cost of converting the universal credit advance

loan to a grant.

Neil Gray: [60775]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the cost estimated by her

Department for turning the universal credit advance loan to a grant is predicated on the

grant being made on the claimant having qualified for universal credit.

Will Quince:

The Department uses internal advances modelling which is based on inputs from the

Department’s INFORM and Policy Simulation Models.

Costs estimated only include claimants who are deemed eligible for payment.

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

Sir Peter Bottomley: [59177]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether British citizens stranded

abroad during the covid-19 outbreak who would be eligible to receive universal credit in

the UK can apply for universal credit from abroad.

Justin Tomlinson:

As with most benefits, one of the basic rules of entitlement to UK benefits, including

Universal Credit, is that a claimant must be resident in the UK at the time of

application and satisfy other qualifying conditions. We have no plans to change this.

Sir Peter Bottomley: [59178]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a British citizen returned to

the UK after more than one month stranded abroad can be entitled to receive universal

credit extended beyond the one month limit to include the period that person was unable

to claim the benefit because they were not in-country.

Justin Tomlinson:

Universal Credit claims may be backdated by up to one calendar month in only

certain circumstances for vulnerable claimants, who may be delayed in claiming

Universal Credit through no fault of their own. Claims may also be backdated in

specific circumstances when a couple separates, to ensure that there is no gap in

entitlement between the couple claim and the new claim made by a single claimant.

FCO consular staff continue to provide advice and support to British nationals who

face financial difficulties overseas due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Those in real

financial distress whilst stranded overseas can seek advice and support from their

local consular team, who will be able to advise on any local support that may be

available as well as facilitate contact with friends and families who may be able to





help. The FCO are also working with Non-Governmental Organisations to facilitate

support to British nationals in need, including accommodation, food and medicine.

If a British national cannot afford travel costs back to the UK or essential living costs

while they are waiting to return and have exhausted all other options they may be

eligible to apply for an emergency loan from the government. These loans are

interest free. This is a last resort option, with repayment required in full. However, the

FCO would work with those British nationals’ currently stranded overseas to ensure

flexible repayment plans are in place if they cannot afford to repay the loan within six

months.

Universal Credit: Immigrants

Stephen Timms: [59665]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a UK citizen who is

married to a person with leave to remain in the UK but has no recourse to public funds is

permitted to claim universal credit; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson:

Where only one member of a couple is eligible for UC (for example the other adult in

the couple is subject to immigration control) then that ineligible person’s

circumstances will not be brought to bear in calculating how much the maximum

amount of UC payable is. Their capital, income and earnings will, however, be taken

into account in adjusting the actual UC award. The term ‘assessment unit’ is used to

capture both members of a couple where one adult is not eligible for UC.

Non-UK nationals and family members who are issued with a residence permit with a

NRPF condition are not eligible to access taxpayer-funded benefits such as Universal

Credit, Child Benefit or housing assistance for the duration of their leave.

Contributions-based benefits and the State Pension are not classed as public funds.

DWP has no powers to award taxpayer-funded benefits to an individual whose Home

Office immigration status specifies no recourse to public funds.

DWP decision makers undertake rigorous training and are expected to offer a high

standard of support to help people identify the evidence they need to provide as part

of their application for income-based benefits.


MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS

CABINET OFFICE

Industrial Diseases: Death Certificates

Stephanie Peacock: [44015]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many death certificates refer to industrial

disease in (a) each year since 2010, (b) March and April 2019, and (c) March and April

2020.

An error has been identified in the written answer given on 12 May 2020. The

correct answer should have been:

Chloe Smith:

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have

therefore asked the Authority to respond. A copy of the UKSA response has been

placed in the library of the House.

Attachments:

1. PQ44015 HR.pdf

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-pacific Partnership: Stoke On

Trent



made of the potential economic benefit to Stoke-on-Trent joining the Comprehensive and

Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 June 2020. The

correct answer should have been:

Greg Hands:

Joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership

(CPTPP) would open up new opportunities for our exporters in strategically important

sectors, helping to support an industrial revival in the UK. Trade with members of

CPTPP already benefits the region. In 2018, Shropshire and Staffordshire exported

around £431m worth of goods to CPTPP countries and imported around £801m

worth of goods from CPTPP countries[1]. In 2019, the West Midlands as a whole

exported over £2.4 billion worth of goods to CPTPP member countries, representing

around 8 per cent of the region’s exports. The West Midlands imported over £1.9

billion worth of goods from CPTPP member countries, representing just over 5% of

goods imports to the region[2].



Before applying, we will publish an outline approach and a scoping assessment

setting out our negotiating objectives and the economic impact and benefits of

accession.

At that stage, we will provide a formal response to the government’s public

consultation on the UK potentially seeking accession to CPTPP, outlining how our

decisions and approach to accession have been informed by the submissions

received from members of the public, businesses and civil society organisations. The

input we have received through this consultation continues to inform our

preparations.

[1] Source: HMRC Regional Trade in Goods Statistics, disaggregated by smaller

geographical areas, NUTS2 level (released November 2019). Note data on regional

trade with Brunei in unavailable.

[2] Source: HMRC Regional Trade in Goods Statistics (April to June 2020 release).

Note data on regional trade with Brunei in unavailable.

Joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific

Partnership (CPTPP) would open up new opportunities for our exporters in

strategically important sectors, helping to support an industrial revival in the

UK. Trade with members of CPTPP already benefits the region. In 2018,

Shropshire and Staffordshire exported around £431m worth of goods to CPTPP

countries and imported around £801m worth of goods from CPTPP

countries[1]. In 2019, the West Midlands as a whole exported over £2.4 billion

worth of goods to CPTPP member countries, representing around 8 per cent of

the region’s exports. The West Midlands imported over £1.9 billion worth of

goods from CPTPP member countries, representing just over 5% of goods

imports to the region[2].

If the UK Government decides to formally apply for accession, we will publish

an Outline Approach and a Scoping Assessment setting out our negotiating

objectives and the potential benefits of accession, to the UK and the UK’s

nations and regions.

[1] Source: HMRC Regional Trade in Goods Statistics, disaggregated by

smaller geographical areas, NUTS2 level (released November 2019). Note data

on regional trade with Brunei in unavailable.

[2] Source: HMRC Regional Trade in Goods Statistics (April to June 2020

release). Note data on regional trade with Brunei in unavailable.

WRITTEN STATEMENTS

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Business Update

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Alok Sharma):

[HCWS305]

Today, the Government will lay two separate pieces of secondary legislation to amend

the Enterprise Act 2002. The first will allow the Government to intervene in qualifying

mergers, including acquisitions, to maintain UK capability to combat and mitigate the

impact of public health emergencies.

The second will lower the thresholds for intervention in mergers on public interest

grounds for three sensitive sectors of the economy, intended to address any national

security risks that may arise related to these sectors.

The Enterprise Act 2002 (Specification of Additional Section 58 Consideration)

Order 2020

The Enterprise Act 2002 (Specification of Additional Section 58 Consideration) Order

2020 introduces a new public interest consideration for Government intervention in

mergers and acquisitions. This new public interest consideration allows the Government

to intervene in mergers involving businesses with a role in combatting or mitigating the

impacts of public health emergencies, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The economic disruption caused by the pandemic may mean that some businesses with

critical capabilities are more susceptible to takeovers – either from outwardly hostile

approaches, or financially distressed companies being sold to malicious parties.

These new powers will enable the Government to intervene if a business that is directly

involved in a pandemic response, for example, a vaccine research company or personal

protective equipment manufacturer, finds itself the target of a takeover.

As this instrument is subject to the made affirmative procedure it has been made today

and will come into effect tomorrow.

The draft Enterprise Act 2002 (Share of Supply Test) (Amendment) Order 2020

The draft Enterprise Act 2002 (Share of Supply Test) (Amendment) Order 2020 will

amend the Secretary of State’s powers to scrutinise mergers in three sensitive sectors of

the economy on public interest grounds: artificial intelligence, cryptographic

authentication technology and advanced materials. These changes are intended to

address any national security risks that may arise relating to these sectors. The

Government made similar changes in 2018 for three other critical sectors: military/dual-

use technologies, computing hardware and quantum technology.

Separately, the Government will lay an accompanying instrument, the Enterprise Act

2002 (Turnover Test) (Amendment) Order 2020, which will be subject to the negative

resolution procedure. Together, these two instruments will add the enterprise categories

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2020-06-22/HCWS305/


to a list of ‘relevant enterprises’ which are subject to lower intervention thresholds. The

turnover test for intervention in these sectors will be lowered to £1 million; and the ‘share

of supply’ will be met where an enterprise supplies at least one quarter of all goods of a

particular description and there is no longer a requirement for a merger to increase the

share of supply.

These Orders will therefore allow the Government to intervene on public interest grounds

when smaller companies in these critical sectors might be vulnerable as a consequence

of a merger or takeover. They will send an important signal to those seeking to take

advantage of those struggling as a result of the pandemic that the UK government is

prepared to act where necessary to protect our national security.

I will also be placing copies of the non-statutory guidance relating to these amendments

in the House libraries.

CABINET OFFICE

Procurement Update

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Michael Gove):

[HCWS306]

I previously provided a Written Ministerial Statement on 29 April 2020 in relation to

indemnities granted for IP infringement, in respect of the designs, and against product

liability claims against the manufacturers of Rapidly Manufactured Ventilator System

(RMVS) products through the Ventilator Challenge. I also laid a Departmental Minute

before Parliament setting out the detail of these indemnities.

The Ventilator Challenge has been a resounding success, with four designs in production

and over 7,500 devices delivered to the NHS. The Cabinet Office intends to grant similar

indemnities in letters with other parties involved in the BlueSky Ventilators consortium.

The contents of these letters are still under negotiation in the majority of cases.

It is normal practice, when a government department proposes to undertake a contingent

liability in excess of £300,000 for which there is no specific statutory authority, for the

Department concerned to present to Parliament a Minute giving particulars of the liability

created and explaining the circumstances; and to refrain from incurring the liability until

fourteen parliamentary sitting days after the issue of the Minute, except in cases of

special urgency.

Due to the urgent need to finalise the letters and release payments due to designers and

manufacturers, it is not possible to allow the required 14 days’ notice prior to the liabilities

going live. Any delay would result in an unacceptable delay in payments due to designers

and manufacturers who are supported by a largely SME supply chain.

The precise commercial terms which have been negotiated for each supplier are, and will

remain, commercially confidential. While it is difficult to estimate the potential liability

exposure, it could exceed £300,000. For this reason, I am informing Parliament of these

arrangements.


On this basis, I have today laid before Parliament a Departmental Minute setting out what

these indemnities are.

The Treasury has approved these liabilities. However, if any Member of Parliament has

concerns they can contact the Cabinet Office who will be happy to provide a response.

Attachments:

1. Departmental Minute [Departmental Minute- Indemnities to Ventilator Project.pdf]

EDUCATION

Education Update

The Secretary of State for Education (Gavin Williamson): [HCWS304]

Every pupil in the country has experienced unprecedented disruption to their education

as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). Those from the most vulnerable and

disadvantaged backgrounds will be amongst those hardest hit. The aggregate impact of

lost time in education will be substantial: the scale of our response must match the scale

of the challenge. Returning to normal educational routines as quickly as possible will be

critical to our national recovery, which is why the government is working towards all pupils

returning to school in September.

To further support pupils to catch up, the government has announced a package worth £1

billion to ensure that schools have the resources they need to help all pupils make up for

lost teaching time, with extra support for those who need it most.

£650 million will be spent on ensuring all pupils have the chance to catch up and

supporting schools to rise to the challenge. Whilst headteachers will decide how the

money is spent, the Education Endowment Foundation has published guidance on

effective interventions to support schools to make the best use of resources.

Alongside this universal offer, we will roll out a National Tutoring Programme, worth £350

million, which will deliver proven and successful interventions to the most disadvantaged

young people, accelerating their academic progress and preventing the gap between

them and their more affluent peers widening. The evidence shows that tutoring is an

effective way to accelerate learning, and we therefore believe a targeted tutoring offer is

the best way to narrow the gaps that risk opening up due to school closures.

TREASURY

Notification of Contingent Liability

The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rishi Sunak): [HCWS303]

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England decided at its meeting

ending on 17 June to ask for an expansion in the maximum limit of purchases that may

be undertaken by the Asset Purchase Facility (APF). This will encompass up to £100

billion of further purchases of gilts to support the economy.



In light of the latest economic conditions, the MPC judged further asset purchases

financed by the issuance of central bank reserves should be undertaken to enable the

MPC to meet its statutory objectives, and thereby support the economy. I have therefore

authorised an increase in the total size of the APF of £100 billion. This will bring the

maximum total size of the APF from £645 to £745 billion.

In line with the requirements in the MPC remit, the amendments to the APF that could

affect the allocation of credit and pose risks to the Exchequer have been discussed with

Treasury officials. The risk control framework previously agreed with the Treasury will

remain in place, and HM Treasury will keep monitoring risks to public funds from the

Facility through regular risk oversight meetings and enhanced information sharing with

the Bank.

There will continue to be an opportunity for the Treasury to provide views to the MPC on

the design of the schemes within the APF, as they affect the Government’s broader

economic objectives and may pose risks to the Exchequer.

The Government will continue to indemnify the Bank and the APF from any losses arising

out of, or in connection with, the facility. If the liability is called, provision for any payment

will be sought through the normal supply procedure.

A full departmental Minute has been laid in the House of Commons providing more detail

on this contingent liability.

Documents

Daily Report Monday, 22 June 2020 CONTENTS · 6/22/2020 · Daily Report Monday, 22 June 2020 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 22 June 2020 and the information