Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020 CONTENTS · 2020-06-24 · Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 24 June 2020 and

Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020

This report shows written answers and statements provided on 24 June 2020 and the

information is correct at the time of publication (06:35 P.M., 24 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 6

ATTORNEY GENERAL 6

Intestacy 6

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 7

Bounce Back Loan Scheme 7

Bounce Back Loan Scheme:

Scotland 7

Clinical Trials: Finance 8

Derelict Land: Regeneration 8

Electric Scooters: Safety 9

Employment: Domestic Abuse 10

Enterprise Zones: Coronavirus 10

Future Fund 10

Post Offices: Closures 11

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure

Grant Fund 11

Sub Post Offices: Staff 12

Tattooing: Coronavirus 12

CABINET OFFICE 13

Cabinet Office: Ministerial

Responsibility 13

Government Departments:

Carers 13

UK Trade with EU: Small

Businesses 13

DEFENCE 14

Ministry of Defence: Overseas

Aid 14

Royal Navy Museum:

Coronavirus 14

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND

SPORT 15

Actors and Theatres:

Coronavirus 15

Caravan Sites: Coronavirus 15

Caravans: Second Homes 16

Channel Four: Privatisation 16

Department for Digital,

Culture, Media and Sport:

Renewable Energy 16

Leisure: Coronavirus 17

Newspaper Press: Regulation 17

Tourism 17

Voluntary Organisations:

Finance 18

EDUCATION 18

Apprentices 18

Children in Care: Coronavirus 19

Children: Computers 19

Children: Coronavirus 20

Children: Ethnic Groups 22

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

2 Wednesday, 24 June 2020 Daily Report

Department for Education:

Overseas Aid 22

Financial Services: Education 23

Free School Meals: Voucher

Schemes 24

Further Education:

Coronavirus 25

Higher Education: Coronavirus 26

Higher Education: Finance 28

Higher Education: Internet 29

Home Education: ICT 30

Pupils: Coronavirus 30

Schools: Coronavirus 31

Students: Finance 32

Students: Rented Housing 33

Teaching Methods:

Coronavirus 34

Universities: Foreign Students 35

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND

RURAL AFFAIRS 36

Agriculture: Coronavirus 36

Air Pollution: Pollution Control 37

British and Irish Association of

Zoos and Aquariums 38

Highly Protected Marine Areas 38

Supermarkets: Coronavirus 39

FOREIGN AND

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE 40

Aviation: Coronavirus 40

Department for International

Development: Foreign and

Commonwealth Office 40


Development: Reorganisation 40

Nigeria: Human Rights and

Violence 41

Nigeria: Violence 41

Trade Agreements: Brazil 42

Turkey: Human Rights 42

USA: Police Brutality 43

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 43

Blood Cancer: Drugs 43

Blood: Contamination 44

Cannabis: Medical Treatments 45

Care Homes: Coronavirus 46

Carers: Protective Clothing 47

Contraceptives: Finance 47

Coronavirus: Air Pollution 48

Coronavirus: Death 48

Coronavirus: Disease Control 49

Coronavirus: New Zealand 49

Coronavirus: Social Distancing 49

Coronavirus:

Thromboembolism 50

Diabetes: Coronavirus 50

Drugs: Coronavirus 51

Drugs: Imports 51

Drugs: Prices 52

Drugs: Procurement 52

Epilepsy: Cannabis 53

Exercise Cygnus: North West 53

Food: Allergies 53

Free School Meals: Fruit 54

Hydroxychloroquine:

Coronavirus 54

Lacri-lube 54

Mental Health Services:

Coronavirus 55

Mental Health Services:

Finance 55

Wednesday, 24 June 2020 Daily Report 3

Mental Illness: Coronavirus 56

NHS Trusts: Training 56

NHS: Drugs 57

NHS: Recruitment 57

Paediatrics: Coronavirus 58

Parkinson's Disease: Mental

Health Services 58

Pharmacy: Coronavirus 60

Vaccination: Coronavirus 61

HOME OFFICE 61

Arrests: Domestic Abuse 61

Children: Domestic Abuse 61

Coronavirus: Disease Control 62

Crime: Gambling 62

EU Nationals: Northern Ireland 63

Home Office: Written

Questions 63

Immigration: EEA Nationals 63

Immigration: EU Nationals 65

Marriage: Licences 66

Marriage: Registration 67

Migrant Workers: Visas 67

Opiates: Crime 67

Passports 67

Police: Dismissal and

Disciplinary Proceedings 68

Sexual Offences 68

Visas: Coronavirus 69

HOUSE OF COMMONS

COMMISSION 69

Parliament: Coronavirus 69

Parliamentary Estate:

Coronavirus 69

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENT 70

Business Improvement

Districts: Coronavirus 70

Domestic Abuse: Hotels 71

Private Rented Housing 71

Reopening High Streets Safely

Fund 72

INTERNATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT 72


Development: Renewable

Energy 72


Development: Reorganisation 73

Independent Commission for

Aid Impact 73

Israel: Palestinians 74

Nigeria: Agriculture 74

Occupied Territories:

Overseas Aid 75

Yemen: Coronavirus 76

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 76

Agriculture: Exports 76

Trade Agreements:

Coronavirus 76

Trade Agreements: Food 77

Uk Export Finance: Arms

Trade 77

JUSTICE 77

Administration of Justice:

Ethnic Groups 77

Community Orders 78

Gambling: Crime 78

Justice and Security Act 2013 79

Prisoners' Release:

Coronavirus 79

4 Wednesday, 24 June 2020 Daily Report

Prisoners: GCE A-level and

GCSE 79

Prisons: Coronavirus 80

NORTHERN IRELAND 81

[Subject Heading to be

Assigned] 81

TRANSPORT 82

Air Traffic: Electric Vehicles 82

Cars 82

Cycling and Walking: Sheffield 83

Driving Instruction:

Coronavirus 83

Railways 84

Railways: Chester and North

Wales 84

Railways: Coronavirus 84

Railways: North Wales 85

Shipping: Coronavirus 85

Thames Gateway Bridge:

Costs 86

Tolls 86

Wrexham-Bidston Railway

Line 86

TREASURY 87

[Subject Heading to be

Assigned] 87

Business: Coronavirus 87

Business: Tax Allowances 88

Businesses: Non-domestic

Rates 88

Consumer Credit Act 1974 89

Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme 89

Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme: Hospitality Industry

and Tourism 91

Debts: Mental Illness 91

Non-domestic Rates:

Coronavirus 92

Public Expenditure: Wales 93

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure

Grant Fund 93

Self-employment Income

Support Scheme 93

Silver: VAT 94

Tax Avoidance: Multinational

Companies 95

Tolls: Greater London 95

Working Tax Credit 96

WORK AND PENSIONS 96

Bereavement Support

Payment 96

Bereavement Support

Payment: Appeals 97

Child Maintenance Service 97

Child Maintenance Service:

Coronavirus 97

Children: Maintenance 98

Debts: Coronavirus 100

Department for Work and

Pensions: Overseas Aid 100

Food Poverty 101

Future Jobs Fund: Greater

Manchester 101

Health and Safety Executive:

Finance 102

Jobcentres: Staff 102

Local Housing Allowance:

Coronavirus 102

Personal Independence

Payment 103

Social Security Benefits 103

Wednesday, 24 June 2020 Daily Report 5

State Retirement Pensions 103

State Retirement Pensions:

Coronavirus 104

Unemployment 104

Unemployment: Slough 105

Universal Credit 105

Wind Power: Coronavirus 105

WRITTEN STATEMENTS 107

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND

LOCAL GOVERNMENT 107

Additional Funding for Rough

Sleeping 107

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.

6 Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020 ANSWERS

ANSWERS

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Intestacy

Wera Hobhouse: [58045]

To ask the Attorney General, whether she has made a recent assessment of levels of

compliance among local authorities with the guidance issued by the Government Legal

Department on the referral to the Bona Vacantia Division of estates of people who have

died without (a) known entitled relatives and (b) leaving a will and instead passing the

details directly to a single heir hunting firm.

Michael Ellis:

The Bona Vacantia Division (BVD) of the Government Legal Department (GLD) deals

with the estates of people domiciled in England & Wales who appear to have died

without leaving a valid will or relatives entitled to share in their estates in priority to

the Crown. Estates which potentially fall to be dealt with as bona vacantia may be

referred to BVD by a variety of routes, for example, banks, other financial institutions,

solicitors or members of the public.

There is no statutory obligation to refer estates to BVD but guidance on the referral

process and the circumstances in which a referral will be accepted are published on

BVD’s website ( https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/bona-vacantia ). It is

for local authorities to determine whether an estate should be referred to BVD.

In 2017-2018, 2768 estates were referred to BVD of which 909 were referred by local

authorities. In 2018-2019, 1971 estates were referred to BVD of which 575 were

referred by local authorities.

In 2019-2020, 2336 estates were referred to BVD of which 561 were referred by local

authorities

GLD has no responsibility for overseeing local authorities or their compliance with

guidance issued by GLD about the handling of estates. Such information – including

whether an estate has been referred to the Bona Vacantia Division of GLD, or

whether the local authority has instructed an heir hunter – will be held by the

particular local authority concerned.

Wera Hobhouse: [58046]

To ask the Attorney General, if she will make it her policy to strengthen the guidance

issued by the Government Legal Department to local authorities on handling the estates

of people who have died without (a) known entitled relatives and (b) leaving a will to

ensure that they refer all eligible estates as soon as possible after death to the Bona

Vacantia Division and do not pass the details directly to a single heir hunting firm.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-06-10/58045

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/bona-vacantia

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/bona-vacantia


Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020 ANSWERS 7

Michael Ellis:

The Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department (GLD) handles the

estates of people who die without known entitled relatives, and without leaving a will.

There is no statutory obligation to refer estates to GLD. However, GLD publishes

guidance on the matter. In addition, local authorities can and do seek advice from

GLD about the referral of specific cases.

GLD does not provide advice to local authorities on the use of heir hunters.

BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Martyn Day: [61544]

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

has taken to accredit more lenders to the Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Paul Scully:

In order to offer the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), finance providers must be

accredited by the Government-owned British Business Bank. Accrediting new lenders

for the BBLS is a priority for the Bank. It is working at pace to accredit more lenders

to further extend the scheme’s reach and provide more choice for businesses.

The Bank has put substantial additional resources in place to create a streamlined

process to help onboard new lenders seeking accreditation.

There are currently 23 accredited lenders for the BBLS.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Scotland

David Mundell: [59710]

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

Bounce Back Loans have been approved in Scotland to date; and what the total value is

of those loans.

Paul Scully:

As of 21 June, 921,229 loans have been issued under the Bounce Back Loan

Scheme (BBLS), with a total value of £28.09 billion.

Issuing new loans is the priority for lenders and the Government.

At this time, we are unable to provide a breakdown of lending or number of

applications by region or devolved region. We are working with the British Business

Bank, HM Treasury and the lenders on regular and transparent data publication going

forward.




Clinical Trials: Finance

Julian Sturdy: [60748]

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

proportion of the core science budget was allocated to fund medical trials of new drugs

during the last period for which data is available.

Amanda Solloway:

UK Research and Innovation is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and

Industrial Strategy and supports basic research into the development of new drugs

including pre-clinical research and early stage clinical trials. It does not routinely

analyse data on the number of trials specifically relating to the development of new

drugs.

UK Research and Innovation supports clinical trials through the Medical Research

Council (MRC) including early phase clinical stage trials through ‘response mode’

schemes such as the Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme, which supports pre-

clinical development and early clinical trial of novel therapeutics including new and

repurposing of existing therapies.

Later stage trials are funded through the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation

Programme (which is a jointly funded partnership between MRC and the National

Institute for Health Research). The MRC also supports:

• The Joint Global Health Trials programme in partnership with the National Institute

for Health Research, the Department for International Development and the

Wellcome Trust.

• The European Developing Countries Clinical Trials programme (EDCTP), with a

specific focus on poverty-related infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa.

These provide funding to later stage trials including studies evaluating the efficacy

and effectiveness of interventions with potential to make a step-change in the

promotion of health, treatment of disease and improvement of rehabilitation or long-

term care.

A recent example of a clinical trial project for a new medicine is the award of over

£2.7 million for a Clinical Trial of a Novel Treatment for Clostridium difficile (

associated diarrhoea) from Innovate UK as part of the Biomedical Catalyst. This was

awarded to MGB Biopharma Ltd based in Glasgow for this new class of small

molecule antibiotic.

Derelict Land: Regeneration

Andrew Gwynne: [61680]

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

has made an assessment of the potential merits of a new industrial site reclamation

scheme to help bring regional strategic employment sites forward for development.





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

will meet with (a) the Hon Member for Denton and Reddish and (b) officers from

Tameside Council to discuss plans for bringing the Ashton Moss regional strategic

employment site forward for development.


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

Department will provide support to Tameside Council to help bring forward the borough’s

employment site investment strategy.

Nadhim Zahawi:

Officials in the Department recently met with Greater Manchester Combined Authority

and will continue discussions on plans for Tameside and the vision for the city region.

The Government has made funding available to support these types of scheme. This

includes £663.4 million from the Government’s Local Growth Fund 1, 2 and 3 to

Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, of which £3.5 million went to the

Tameside Minors project for highway and rail access improvements, as well as cycle

links.

Tameside will soon have the opportunity to apply for further funding to support local

regeneration. This includes a further round of the Future High Streets Fund to

welcome proposals from local authorities to change their high streets. There are also

plans to enable further places to benefit from the Towns Fund.

It is vital that we have well-resourced, efficient, and effective planning frameworks in

place to unlock regeneration, investment, and business growth. Our ambitions build

on the Government’s recent Planning White Paper, which aims to make the planning

system clearer and more accessible. The White Paper includes options to introduce a

new planning fee structure to ensure that planning authorities are resourced to

improve the speed and quality of decisions.

Electric Scooters: Safety

Yvonne Fovargue: [61479]

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps (a)

his Department and (b) the Office for Product Safety and Standards are taking to raise

public awareness on the safe charging of e-scooters in homes.

Paul Scully:

Manufacturers are required to ensure the safety of their products under reasonably

foreseeable use, and to issue instructions for safe use.

The Government is considering the requirements for electric scooters as part of its

Future of Transport Regulatory Review. Following this review any necessary public

awareness information or guidance will be issued.





Employment: Domestic Abuse

Darren Henry: [61825]

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

Department is taking to ensure that businesses have a robust policy to safeguard (a)

victims and (b) survivors of domestic abuse in the workplace.

Paul Scully:

On 9 June 2020, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

launched a review into support for victims of domestic abuse in the workplace. The

review aims to ensure victims of domestic abuse are given the support they deserve

within the workplace, whether that is an outlet for reporting abuse, financial

assistance or as a source of emotional support. The review will also look specifically

at employer policies and best practice when it comes to practically supporting victims.

The review features a call for written evidence which is open until 9 September, and

the Government will respond by the end of 2020.

The Government also continues to support the important work of the Employers’

Initiative on Domestic Abuse to mobilise employers to work together and improve the

support available to employees affected by domestic abuse.

More widely, the Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill, which is going through

Parliament, will provide significant and important changes in the law to ensure that

victims of domestic abuse get the support they need.

Enterprise Zones: Coronavirus

Dr Luke Evans: [61605]

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

assessment he has made of the potential for Enterprise Zones as part of his plans for

covid-19 recovery planning.

Nadhim Zahawi:

Enterprise Zones (EZs) are designated areas that create local economic growth by

supporting businesses to grow.

Currently, the Government has no plans to extend or create new EZs. However, the

Government remains committed to creating up to ten new innovative Freeports

across the UK, to level up the country and make sure businesses and communities

benefit from the opportunities of leaving the EU. The consultation concludes on the

13 th July, after which the Government will make further announcements.

Future Fund

Chi Onwurah: [59769]

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

he has made of the number of UK start-ups whose Future Fund loans will be converted to

equity.





Paul Scully:

As of 21 June, 252 convertible loans have been approved under the Future Fund,

with a total value of £236.2 million.

We are currently monitoring scheme uptake and total uptake statistics are published

weekly here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-treasury-coronavirus-

covid-19-business-loan-scheme-statistics.

The convertible loans issued under this scheme will automatically convert to equity in

recipient companies in the next qualifying equity financing round. There may also be

other circumstances in which loans would either convert into shares or be repayable,

such as: specific exit events; maturity of the Loan; or on an event of default by the

Investee Company.

As a result, we are unable to make an estimate on the number of conversions at this

time.

Post Offices: Closures

Marion Fellows: [59822]

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

each post office branch type have been temporarily closed in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c)

Northern Ireland and (d) each region of England as of (i) 31 March 2020 and (ii) since 1

April 2020.

Paul Scully:

The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and

for small businesses across the UK.

While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the

company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent

business. As such, the number of Post Offices which are temporarily closed across

the UK is an operational matter for Post Office Limited.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund

Sir Edward Davey: [59677]

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

bed and breakfast, (b) hotel and (c) guest house owners have accessed the Retail,

Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, by (i) region, (ii) local authority area and (ii) the value

of that support.

Paul Scully:

Government is working closely with all local authorities to help them make payments

to businesses in scope of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF)

as quickly and effectively as possible. As of 14 June, £10.36 billion has been paid out

to over 844,000 business properties in scope of Small Business Grants Fund and

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund. We do not hold data from local

authorities broken down by sector. We have, however, published a full breakdown of

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-treasury-coronavirus-covid-19-business-loan-scheme-statistics






grant funding allocated to and distributed by each local authority here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-

authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.

Sub Post Offices: Staff

Marion Fellows: [59821]

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

average age is of Sub-Postmasters in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and

(d) each region of England.

Paul Scully:

The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and

for small businesses across the UK.

While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the

company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent

business. As such, the average age of Postmasters across the UK is a matter for

Post Office Limited.

Tattooing: Coronavirus

Alex Sobel: [61570]

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

reasons tattoo shops, in which personal protective equipment, non re-usable needles are

used and strict hygiene standards apply, are included in the same category as

hairdressers and beauty salons in respect of when they may reopen after the covid-19

outbreak.

Paul Scully:

The Government is committed to reopening businesses in a phased approach,

guided by the science to ensure it is safe to do so. As such, we have now published

(23 June) new guidance for working safely during coronavirus for close contact

services and restaurants, pubs and bars. This supports the Prime Minister’s

announcement on 23 June for their reopening from 4 July where they can do so in a

safe and COVID-secure way, and their preparation for reopening at a later date

where they cannot reopen on 4th July – as in the case of some close contact services.

Close Contact Services are defined as work where someone is in close physical

proximity to other individuals outside their household for a sustained period of time

throughout their working day. This includes tattoo artists who need to be in close

physical contact and often in touching distance with people outside their household

for long periods of time to do their work.

Some of these sectors remain closed because the risk of transmission in these

environments is higher due to the indoor environment and closer physical contact.

We will work with the sector to develop safe ways for them to open at the earliest

point at which it is safe to do so.




CABINET OFFICE

Cabinet Office: Ministerial Responsibility

Mr William Wragg: [61731]

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June to Question

59509 on Cabinet Office: Ministerial Responsibility, if he will publish the time taken for the

updated list of ministerial responsibilities to be published after each (a) Ministerial

reshuffle and (b) General Election in each of the last ten years.

Chloe Smith:

Details of the updates to the List of Ministerial Responsibilities are published on

GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-ministers-and-

responsibilities#history

Government Departments: Carers


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants in each Government

Department have used the Civil Service's Carers Passport in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith:

The Civil Service Carer’s Passport was launched in June 2018. We do not currently

collect information centrally about civil servants completing a carer’s passport but are

already looking to capture this data better in future.

UK Trade with EU: Small Businesses


To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that a future

trade agreement with the European Union will benefit small businesses.

Penny Mordaunt:

The UK wants to start a new chapter in the history of our country, in which we move

forward, unleashing the enormous potential of the British people. Leaving the EU will

allow us to shape the UK’s economy in our best interests, including those of small

businesses, and open up market access around the world with an independent trade

policy.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of our economy and we are

committed to helping them to seize the opportunities that will become available when

we strike new deals with our trading partners, including the EU.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-ministers-and-responsibilities#history






DEFENCE

Ministry of Defence: Overseas Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: [59846]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, 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.

James Heappey:

The Ministry of Defence's Official Development Assistance spend is already reducing

where some planned activity cannot be delivered during the current pandemic.

Should it be necessary to make further reductions, we will protect those programmes

which have the greatest impact on development objectives.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's share of the Official

Development Assistance will be reduced in the event of a decrease in GNI.

James Heappey:

The UK has a legal commitment to spend 0.7% of its gross national income each

year on Official Development Assistance (ODA). ODA budgetary allocations to

Departments are decided by HM Treasury.


To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is signing new

funding agreements for projects from the Official Development Assistance budget.

James Heappey:

The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Official Development Assistance programmes are

delivered primarily using MOD assets and personnel, and do not involve funding

agreements with external delivery partners.

Royal Navy Museum: Coronavirus

Stephen Morgan: [61765]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date his Department plans to issue

further information to the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth on the

provision of funding support during the covid-19 outbreak.

Stephen Morgan: [61766]

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

Department regarding cash-flow during the covid-19 outbreak at the National Museum of

the Royal Navy, Portsmouth.

Johnny Mercer:

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been liaising with the Department for Digital,

Culture, Media and Sport to consider appropriate support for the National Museum of







the Royal Navy (NMRN) during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assist with its

recovery once visitors are able to return.

The MOD has provided the NMRN with an advance of Grant in Aid as immediate

assistance and is working with the museum to explore additional emergency funding

options.

DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Actors and Theatres: Coronavirus

Seema Malhotra: [60763]

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

providing to (a) self-employed actors and (b) theatres who lost income as a result of the

covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage:

In order to support the sustainability of the arts sector, including self-employed actors

and theatres, DCMS has worked closely with Arts Council England (ACE) to provide

a tailored package of financial support. In March, ACE announced a £160m

emergency response package to complement the financial measures already

announced by the Government and to ensure immediate resilience of this vital sector.

This includes £20 million of financial support for individuals, including self-employed

actors, and £140 million of support for organisations, including theatres, so they can

better sustain themselves, and their work, in the coming months. To date over 9000

individuals and organisations have been successful in applying for this support.

Furthermore, self employed visual artists are among the millions of people (including

self-employed actors) who can now benefit from the Self-Employed Income Support

Scheme, which will provide those eligible with cash grants worth up to £2,500 per

month. We expect that the Self-Employed Income Support scheme will cover 95% of

people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment.

Caravan Sites: Coronavirus

Mr Clive Betts: [61664]

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

plans to allow (a) mobile caravan sites to reopen and (b) allow users of mobile caravans

to stay in them overnight.

Nigel Huddleston:

Forms of holiday accommodation such as caravan parks will be allowed to reopen for

overnight stays in Phase 3 of the government’s recovery strategy on 4 July.

My Department has been working closely with the sector, including the British Holiday

& Home Parks Association (BH&HPA), through the Visitor Economy Working Group

to produce guidance on the reopening of the tourism sector. This will include




guidance on reopening hotels, caravans and other guest accommodation. The

guidance will be published shortly.

VisitEngland are working on a common industry standard quality mark. While work is

ongoing, it will be designed to complement COVID-19 Secure Guidelines produced

by the Government.

Caravans: Second Homes

Mr Clive Betts: [61663]

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

Government's timeline is for the opening of sites for static caravans owned as a second

home.

Nigel Huddleston:

People will be allowed to travel to second homes - including static caravans - for

overnight stays in England from 4 July, in Phase 3 of the government’s recovery

strategy

My Department has been working closely with the holiday accommodation sector,

including the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA), through the

Visitor Economy Working Group to produce guidance on the reopening of the tourism

sector. This will include guidance on reopening hotels, caravans and other guest

accommodation. The guidance will be published shortly.

VisitEngland are working on a common industry standard quality mark. While work is

ongoing, it will be designed to complement COVID-19 Secure Guidelines produced

by the Government.

Channel Four: Privatisation

Bill Wiggin: [59699]

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

Government has plans to privatise Channel 4.

Mr John Whittingdale:

The government has no current plans to privatise Channel 4.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Renewable Energy


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

Caroline Dinenage:

The Department’s energy is supplied by HMRC, from whom DCMS leases office

space. The department has no buildings of its own.





Leisure: Coronavirus

Kate Osborne: [61607]

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when (a) soft play

centres, (b) trampoline parks and (c) other leisure facilities will be allowed to reopen

during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston:

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and

children to be active and the Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon

as it is safe to do so. The government has announced that indoor fitness and dance

studios, and indoor gyms and sports venues/facilities would remain closed but from 4

July other indoor facilities, including indoor games, recreation and entertainment

venues would reopen.

The Secretary of State has established a task force with the sport and leisure sector

to help them become Covid-secure and re-open as soon as possible.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.

Newspaper Press: Regulation

Bill Wiggin: [61435]

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

Department plans to work with IMPRESS or other independent regulators.


An independent press is vital to a strong and healthy democracy. The government is

supportive of the independence of self-regulatory bodies. Ministers and officials are

open to engagement with such bodies.

Tourism

Jamie Stone: [61758]

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

Minister for Tourism, held discussions with his counterpart in the Scottish Government on

specialized support for the tourism Industry; and if he will publish the minutes of

discussions between the Government ministers and the Scottish Government on support

for the tourism industry between 24 March and 18 June 2020.

Nigel Huddleston:

The Minister for Sports, Tourism and Heritage holds regular discussions with his

three counterparts in the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the

Northern Ireland Executive. The dates on which such meetings have taken place

since the start of the Coronavirus crisis are: 25th March, 8th April, 21st April, 7th May,

27th May, and 9th June.

There are no plans at present to publish the minutes of these discussions.





Voluntary Organisations: Finance

Rachael Maskell: [60818]

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

is taking to provide additional financial support for the Voluntary and Community Sector in

addition to the £750 million announced on the 8th April 2020.


The Government has announced a broad package of support for businesses and

charities to ensure that organisations that need support are able to access it. This

includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Coronavirus Business

Interruption Loan Scheme, and the option to defer VAT payments due between 20

March and 30 June 2020.

In addition to the broad package of support and the £750m to specifically support the

Voluntary and Community Sector, the government has also unlocked a further £150

million from dormant bank and building society accounts. These will be distributed to

organisations to support urgent work for groups in need to tackle youth

unemployment, expand access to emergency loans for civil society organisations and

help improve the availability of fair, affordable credit to people in vulnerable

circumstances.

EDUCATION

Apprentices


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

representatives of employers on the continuation of planned apprenticeships in (a) 2020

and (b) 2021.

Gillian Keegan:

Apprenticeships will have an important role to play in creating employment

opportunities, particularly for young people, and supporting employers in all sectors to

access the skilled workforce they need to recover and grow post COVID-19. The

flexibilities we have introduced are enabling apprenticeships to continue. We are

looking to support employers of all sizes, and particularly smaller businesses, to take

on new apprentices this year. We will set out further details in due course. We will

also ensure that there is sufficient funding to support small businesses wanting to

take on an apprentice this year.

We are continuing to meet with employers and their representative organisations. I

hosted a series of round tables with employers and business representative groups to

discuss what more is needed to support employers, including the Department for

Work and Pensions and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The National Apprenticeship Service continues to support employers, intermediary

organisations and stakeholders through regular virtual meetings, and timely




communications about changes to apprenticeship policies in response to COVID-19.

Insight gathered from our engagement with employers and their representative

bodies is used to help shape further flexibilities.

Children in Care: Coronavirus

Sarah Champion: [61714]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to issue revised guidance to

local authorities on facilitating face to face contact between parents and looked after

children during covid-19 restrictions.

Vicky Ford:

Revised COVID-19 guidance for children’s social care services is currently being

updated and is expected to be published by the end of June.

Children: Computers

James Wild: [59897]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution of 9

June 2020, Official Report, column 180, how many laptops have been distributed to

children in Norfolk.

James Wild: [59898]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will list for each Academy Trust in North

West Norfolk (a) the date on which the Trust was invited to apply for digital devices for

disadvantaged children under the scheme announced on 19 April 2020 and (b) the

number of devices that have been delivered.

Nick Gibb:

The Government has committed over £100 million to support vulnerable and

disadvantaged children in England to access remote education and social care

services, including by providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers.

We are providing laptops and tablets to disadvantaged children who would otherwise

not have access and are preparing for examinations in Year 10, receiving support

from a social worker or are a care leaver. Where care leavers, children with a social

worker at secondary school and children in Year 10 do not have internet connections,

we are providing 4G wireless routers.

The Department has ordered over 200,000 laptops and tablets and allocated devices

to local authorities and academy trusts based on its estimates of the number of

eligible children that do not have access to a device. Local authorities and academy

trusts are best placed to identify and prioritise children and young people who need

devices. The Department is working to provide these devices in the shortest possible

timeframe; deliveries to schools and local authorities began in May and will continue

throughout June. So far we have shipped over 100,000 laptops and 20,000 4G

routers, including 1,803 to Norfolk local authority for children with a social worker and

care leavers.





As a priority we will be delivering devices and connectivity to children with a social

worker and care leavers. Social distancing presents a risk to the safety and wellbeing

of vulnerable children since Children’s Social Care services have reduced face-to-

face contact with families. This creates a need for remote safeguarding measures,

but these are reliant on digital infrastructure which is not available in every

household. Families that require Children’s Social Care services are put at a greater

risk if they cannot be seen virtually and monitored by safeguarding services online.

Vulnerable care leavers also risk social isolation and associated mental health

problems.

The Department has published information about how many laptops, tablets and 4G

wireless routers we have delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy

trusts as of 14 June, which can be viewed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-

progress-data.

Children: Coronavirus

Derek Twigg: [61666]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what basis the £1bn fund announced by

the Prime Minister on 18 June 2020 to help children catch up on what they have missed

while schools have been closed as a result of the covid-19 outbreak was determined.

Nick Gibb:

Children and young people have experienced unprecedented disruption to their

education during lockdown. We expect the most disadvantaged children to have

fallen further behind than their peers. The Education Endowment Fund’s (EEF)

median estimate suggests the attainment gap between children from economically

deprived households and their peers could widen by 36% as a result of school

closures [1].

The Government has therefore announced a package of support to ensure that

schools have the support they need to help all children and young people make up

for lost teaching time, with extra support in the form of a tutoring programme for those

who need it most.

This package of measures includes:

• A universal catch up premium for state-funded primary and secondary schools in

England of £650 million to help them make up for lost teaching time.

• A new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils.

The evidence strongly shows that tutoring is an effective way to accelerate

educational attainment. We therefore believe targeted tutoring is the best way to

narrow the gaps that emerged during the closure of schools.

To support schools to make best use of the catch up premium, the EEF has

published a COVID-19 Recovery Guide for Schools with evidence-based approaches

to catch-up for all students:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data





https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Covid-

19_Resources/Covid-19_support_guide_for_schools.pdf.

[1] https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/EEF_(2020)_-

_Impact_of_School_Closures_on_the_Attainment_Gap.pdf

Attachments:

1. 61666_PDF_1 [61666_Impact_of_School_Closures_on_the_Attainment_Gap.pdf]

2. 61666_PDF_2 [61666_COVID19_Support_Guide_for_Schools.pdf]


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of the £1bn

fund announced by the Prime Minister on 18 June 2020 to help children catch up on what

they have missed while schools have been closed as a result of the covid-19 outbreak

will be allocated to Halton.

Nick Gibb:

The Government has announced a package of support worth £1 billion to ensure that

schools have the support they need to help all children and young people make up

for lost teaching time, with extra support in the form of a tutoring programme for those

who need it most.

This package of measures includes:

• A universal catch up premium for schools of £650 million to help them make up for

lost teaching time.

• A new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils.

The universal catch up premium will be paid as a grant to all state-funded primary

and secondary schools in England over the 2020/21 academic year.

This premium will be in addition to schools’ core budgets for 2020-21. We will confirm

the timetable for publishing institution-level allocations in due course.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to provide

support for pre-school children affected by the closure of nurseries during the covid -19

outbreak.

Vicky Ford:

We know that young children have missed out on early education at a crucial period

of cognitive and behavioural development. This is especially significant for vulnerable

and disadvantaged children, which may widen the early development gap.

The most effective intervention government can take to address this is to get children

back into early education.

Since 1 June, early years settings have been able to welcome back children of all

ages. We want to ensure councils and early years providers can get children back

into settings as quickly as possible, where they can be fully supported during this

crucial period for their development.

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Covid-19_Resources/Covid-19_support_guide_for_schools.pdf



https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/EEF_(2020)_-_Impact_of_School_Closures_on_the_Attainment_Gap.pdf






Fifteen hours of high quality free early education is provided for all three- and four-

year olds and disadvantaged two-year olds. An additional fifteen hours (30 hours) is

provided for eligible working parents for three- and four-year olds.

We will work with the sector to explore how best to continue to support children’s

early development, including through the department’s Hungry Little Minds campaign

which we will use to continue to provide support for parents to develop their children’s

early language and literacy.

Information on the Hungry Little Minds campaign can be found at:

https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk.

Children: Ethnic Groups

Apsana Begum: [61818]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the children who have

continued to attend school during the covid-19 outbreak are from Black, Asian and

minority ethnic backgrounds.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children

who have reattended school from 1 June 2020 following the covid-19 outbreak are from

BAME backgrounds.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the staff who have

continued to work onsite in schools during the covid-19 outbreak are from Black, Asian

and minority ethic backgrounds.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of staff

working in schools since 1 June 2020 are from BAME backgrounds.

Nick Gibb:

The information requested is not held centrally.

Department for Education: Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, 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 Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department's share of the

Official Development Assistance will be reduced in the event of a decrease in GNI.

https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/

https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/









To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department is signing new

funding agreements for projects funded by Official Development Assistance.

Nick Gibb:

The Department’s spending on official development assistance (ODA) primarily

relates to the provision of education to child and unaccompanied child asylum

seekers in the 12 months after they make an asylum claim in the UK. The ODA

contribution is an estimate of how much of the wider core schools funding for England

is allocated due to having these children on schools’ rolls. As such, our ODA

spending in future years will be primarily dependent on the number of asylum seeker

children arriving in the country.

Fleur Anderson: [59899]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he last met the Secretary of State for

International Development to discuss Official Development Assistance spending.

Nick Gibb:

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education regularly meets with his

Cabinet colleagues, including my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for

International Development, to discuss a range of issues.

Financial Services: Education

Emma Hardy: [59878]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the effect of the covid-19

outbreak on access to education, what steps he is taking to ensure that children are

provided with the skills to (a) manage money effectively and (b) prepare them for making

future financial decisions.

Nick Gibb:

Financial education is taught within the national curriculum in maths and citizenship.

The Department will continue to work closely with The Money and Pension Service

and HM Treasury to consider how we can further support the teaching of financial

education in schools.

At present, due to the unprecedented challenges for schools caused by COVID-19,

the Government understands that schools will need flexibility around the education

they are providing to their pupils, both at home and at school. We expect schools and

teachers to use their professional judgement, and knowledge of their pupils’

educational needs and home circumstances, to plan appropriate content that enables

education to continue.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under

review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.





Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

Tim Farron: [61699]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to tackle delays in

delivery of food vouchers through the free school meals scheme.

Vicky Ford:

Since the launch of the free school meals voucher scheme, it has been upgraded and

is working well for thousands of schools and families. Our supplier Edenred has

indicated that orders are currently processed well within the 4-day period specified

within our guidance to schools. Edenred has reported that over £169 million worth of

voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket e-gift cards by schools and

families through the scheme as of Friday 19 June, and that over 17,500 schools had

placed orders for the scheme.

Tim Farron: [61700]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to increase the number of

supermarkets where free school meal vouchers are redeemable; and if he will take steps

to help ensure that those vouchers are redeemable at (a) Co-op, (b) Spar and (c) all other

supermarkets.

Vicky Ford:

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are at home and

eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals by providing meals or food

parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. We know that many

schools are successfully delivering food parcels or arranging food collections for

eligible children, and we encourage this approach where it is possible. However, we

recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all

schools. That is why on 31 March, we launched a national voucher scheme as an

alternative option, with costs covered by the department.

The vouchers for free school meals can currently be spent in a variety of

supermarkets. Initially, the scheme included supermarkets that already have e-gift

card arrangements in place with our supplier, Edenred, including Asda, Sainsbury’s,

Tesco, Morrisons, M&S and Waitrose. On Monday 27 April, we added Aldi to this list

and on Wednesday 29 April, we added McColl’s. We have been working with other

supermarkets to encourage them to join. Any additional supermarkets would need to

have the right infrastructure to deliver e-gift cards across their network of stores.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate free school

meal arrangements for eligible pupils during this period.

As schools open more widely, and their kitchens reopen, we expect schools to make

food parcels available for collection or delivery for any children that are eligible for

free school meals who are staying at home.

Where this is not possible, schools can use the national voucher scheme or make

alternative voucher arrangements locally. Our guidance for schools sets out that they

can be reimbursed for costs incurred where the national voucher scheme is not




suitable for their families, and this can include alternative voucher arrangements with

supermarkets that are not part of the national voucher scheme.

Tim Farron: [61701]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he will take to ensure infants

eligible for free school meals that receive vouchers under the universal infant free school

meals will continue to receive those vouchers during summer holiday 2020.

Vicky Ford:

Provision for free school meals is ordinarily term time only. However, owing to the

COVID-19 outbreak, the government understands that children and parents face an

entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we will be providing

additional funding for a COVID-19 Summer Food Fund which will enable children who

are eligible for benefits-related free school meals to receive food vouchers covering

the six-week holiday period. This is a specific measure to reflect the unique

circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Infant pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 who are eligible for benefits-related free

school meals will be eligible to receive vouchers as part of the COVID-19 Summer

Food Fund. However, this provision is not available for children who receive universal

infant free school meals and who are not eligible for benefits-related free school

meals. It is right that we concentrate resources on those who are eligible for benefits-

related free school meals at this time.


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

of the effect of his Department's initial decision not to implement the national voucher

scheme during the 2020 school summer holiday on (a) BAME children and adults and (b)

people with other protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010; and if he will

place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

Vicky Ford:

Owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government understands that children and

parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we

will be providing additional funding for a Covid Summer Food Fund that will enable

families with children who are eligible for free school meals to receive food vouchers

covering the six-week holiday period. This is a specific measure to reflect the unique

circumstances of the outbreak. As we have announced this provision will take place,

we will not publish an assessment of any alternative scenarios.

Further Education: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to provide additional

funding for any additional transport required by Further Education Colleges due to the

covid-19 outbreak.





Gillian Keegan:

The department provides a range of financial support for students, including a

bursary fund for 16 to 19 year-olds and learner support funds for students aged 19

and over, to help disadvantaged and vulnerable people pay for things necessary for

education which they could not otherwise afford, including amongst other things, the

cost of travel. We are also working with stakeholders to identify and evidence

additional costs that might arise as a result of COVID-19.

We do recognise the costs as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak may have put some

further education providers under pressure, and we are working to understand this

further as we look at the overall support the sector requires.

Higher Education: Coronavirus

Esther McVey: [59753]

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

representatives from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in England on

ensuring that universities maintain a high quality of education during the covid-19

pandemic.

Michelle Donelan:

The department is working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher

Education (QAA) to ensure that higher education providers are given advice on the

practical steps they can take to support students during the COVID-19 outbreak. The

QAA has published a series of guides on how providers can maintain quality and

standards. This guidance has been developed in consultation with the government,

regulators and funders of higher education as well as sector representative bodies.

We will remain in close contact with the QAA throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.


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

support students that are dissatisfied with the support provided by their university during

the covid-19 outbreak; and what processes are in place for students to obtain a refund if

that support has not met the guidelines set out by the Quality Assurance Agency for

Higher Education.

Michelle Donelan:

We welcome the series of guides which the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher

Education (QAA) has published to support providers to secure academic standards

and to support student achievement during the outbreak.

The government expects universities to continue delivering a high-quality academic

experience and help students to achieve qualifications that they and employers value.

We are working with the Office for Students (OfS) to make sure all reasonable steps

are being taken to enable students to continue their studies to the best of their

abilities. Where it is clear to the OfS that reasonable steps have not been taken by

providers, the OfS has a range of sanctions at its disposal.




The OfS has published guidance on student and consumer protection during the

COVID-19 outbreak. This sets out that providers must make sure students can

access complaints processes which are accessible, clear and fair.

If students have concerns, they should first raise their concerns with their university. If

their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask

the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider their

complaint.


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

adequacy of universities' response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Michelle Donelan:

We are very proud and grateful for the leadership that we have seen from our higher

education providers in the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the incredibly

creative and pragmatic ideas they have managed to develop in such a short space of

time.

This sector is one of those at the frontline in the battle we are facing – from

developing ground-breaking research and supplying equipment to releasing

thousands of volunteers to support our NHS.

We also know this has been a difficult and uncertain time for students, but we are

working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable

students to continue their studies. We have seen some fantastic and innovative

examples of high-quality online teaching being delivered by providers across the

country.

Furthermore, for the next academic year, providers are planning for a blended

approach where teaching is delivered through a mix of online and face-to-face

provision, or a dual approach with face-to-face provision replicated online to support

those who are unable to attend in person and to allow self-isolation as and when

required as societal and personal circumstances change. This will ensure a high

quality academic experience can be delivered for students during 2020-21.


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many refunds have been issued by

universities to students who made complaints about the quality of tuition provided during

the covid-19 pandemic.

Michelle Donelan:

Higher education (HE) providers in England are independent and autonomous

bodies. They are responsible for the management of their own internal affairs,

complying with any relevant legislation and for addressing student complaints. As

such, responsibility for handling student complaints in the first instance and offering

redress, including refunds where they consider it appropriate, is a matter for the

relevant HE provider.




Regarding how many universities have offered refunds to students, this information is

not held centrally.

For students who exhaust the internal university procedures and remain dissatisfied

with the final outcome, they can contact the Office of the Independent Adjudicator

(OIA) for Higher Education.

The OIA publishes an annual report each year which sets out the number and

outcomes of complaints they received and closed as well as examples of complaints

and the OIA’s recommendations.

Higher Education: Finance

Emma Hardy: [61761]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what methodology his Department used to

determine the values of a continuation rate of ≥90% and a skilled employment/further

study rate of ≥75% as minimum qualifying thresholds for higher education establishments

to bid for funding for 5,000 non-health care places.

Michelle Donelan:

The process for bidding for the additional 5,000 non healthcare places, the details of

which were published on 1 June, is for one year only. The intention is that it is simple,

competitive, and places minimal burden on higher education providers.

The Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) Year Four data

was used, as it provides a comprehensive overview of quality measures for higher

education providers in England, including continuation and high-skilled employment

and further study metrics. It is publicly available and requires no additional

aggregation or calculation, ensuring transparency. Other data sources are or will be

available, but do not average across multiple years of data as is done in TEF.

The combination of the continuation rate of ≥90 per cent and the skilled

employment/further study rate of ≥75 per cent as minimum qualifying thresholds,

ensures that the 5,000 places are awarded on a competitive basis, by restricting

eligibility to only the top performing providers.

The methodology used for student number controls more broadly, already allows for

the substantial growth forecast by the sector, plus another 5%. This allows providers

to increase their student numbers compared to previous years.

Emma Hardy: [61762]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason values of the continuation

rate of ≥90 per cent and the skilled employment/further study rate of ≥75 per cent as

minimum qualifying thresholds for higher education establishments to bid for funding for

5,000 non-health care places were chosen in place of indicators available from the

Teaching Excellence Framework.




Michelle Donelan:

The process for bidding for the additional 5,000 non healthcare places, the details of

which were published 1 June, is for one year only. The intention is that it is simple,

competitive and places minimal burden on higher education providers.

The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Year Four data was used, as it provides

a comprehensive overview of quality measures for higher education providers in

England, including continuation and high-skilled employment/further study metrics. It

is publicly available and requires no additional aggregation or calculation, ensuring

transparency. Other data sources are or will be available, but do not average across

multiple years of data as is done in TEF.

The combination of the continuation rate of ≥90 per cent and the skilled

employment/further study rate of ≥75 per cent as minimum qualifying thresholds,

ensures that the 5,000 places are awarded on a competitive basis, by restricting

eligibility to only the top performing providers.

The methodology used for student number controls more broadly, already allows for

the substantial growth forecast by the sector, plus another 5%. This allows providers

to increase their student numbers compared to previous years.

Higher Education: Internet


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to support students that

wish to defer their 2020-21 academic year as a result of their academic tuition potentially

being taught in-part or fully online.

Michelle Donelan:

There is no need for students to defer entry this year unless they want to.

We understand this has been a difficult and uncertain time for students, but we are

working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable

students to continue their studies. We have seen some fantastic and innovative

examples of high-quality online teaching being delivered by providers across the

country.

Furthermore, for the next academic year, providers are planning for a blended

approach, where teaching is delivered through a mix of online and face-to-face

provision, or a dual approach with face-to-face provision replicated online to support

those who are unable to attend in person and to allow self-isolation as and when

required as societal and personal circumstances change.

If students do want to defer, it is a matter for individual providers and not the

government, so students should speak to their providers directly to determine what

flexibility exists.

Given the exceptional circumstances, the government would encourage all providers

to offer as much flexibility as possible for all students, whether they are international

or domestic.



Home Education: ICT

Ms Angela Eagle: [57917]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2020 to

Question 51606 on Home Education: Computers, how many (a) laptops, (b) tablets and

(c) 4G wireless routers his Department has allocated to Wirral Council.

Nick Gibb:

The Department has published information about how many laptops, tablets and 4G

wireless routers we have delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy

trusts: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-

routers-progress-data.

The Department is providing over 200,000 laptops and tablets to vulnerable and

disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for

examinations in Year 10, receiving support from a social worker, including pre-school

children, or are a care leaver.

Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and

disadvantaged children in Year 10 do not have internet connections, we are providing

4G wireless routers.

Local authorities and academy trusts are best placed to identify and distribute the

laptops and tablets to children and young people who need devices. In May, the

Department invited local authorities to order devices for the most vulnerable children

first - children with a social worker and care leavers.

Earlier this month, the Department started inviting academy trusts and local

authorities to order their devices for disadvantaged year 10 pupils. Thousands of

devices continue to be delivered each day. Laptops and tablets will continue to be

ordered and delivered throughout June.

Pupils: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many headteachers he consulted in (a)

Halton and (b) England on the resources required to help pupils catch up following the

closure of schools as a result of covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb:

We have consulted with stakeholder groups across the sector. We have also

conducted more than 300 social and user research interviews with school leaders,

teachers and parents from schools across England and Wales to inform our response

to the COVID-19 outbreak.




Schools: Coronavirus

Sir Desmond Swayne: [59329]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether additional funding will be made

available to schools to acquire additional space in which to teach appropriately distanced

classes during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb:

From 1 June, primary schools have been able to welcome back children in nursery,

reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside children of critical workers and vulnerable

children. Each school’s circumstances will be slightly different. Any school that cannot

achieve the small group sizes set out in the protective measures guidance for the

current phase of wider opening should discuss options with their local authority or

academy trust. If necessary, schools have the flexibility to focus first on continuing to

provide places for priority groups and then, to support children’s early learning,

schools should prioritise groups of children as follows:

• infant schools - nursery (where applicable) and reception

• primary schools - nursery (where applicable), reception and year 1.

We know that in some schools, there will be capacity to welcome more children back,

in group sizes of no more than 15, before the summer holidays. Primary schools have

the flexibility to do this, but should only welcome back additional children where

provision for eligible groups has already been made, and where they do not require

additional funding, staff or classrooms to do so.

We have published guidance on the additional funding we are providing to schools to

cover unavoidable costs incurred due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that

cannot be met from their existing resources. The fund is targeted towards the costs

we have identified as the biggest barrier to schools operating as they need to at this

challenging time.

The cost categories covered by the fund are clearly set out in the guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-

for-schools/school-funding-exceptional-costs-associated-with-coronavirus-covid-19-

for-the-period-march-to-july-2020. These are: the increased premises-related costs of

opening over school holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who

are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and

additional cleaning costs relating to cases or suspected cases of coronavirus, above

the cost of existing cleaning arrangements.

James Cartlidge: [59839]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) teachers, (b) pupils and (c)

other members of school staff who have been attending or working at school in England

since 1 June 2020 have tested positive for covid-19 since that date.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-schools/school-funding-exceptional-costs-associated-with-coronavirus-covid-19-for-the-period-march-to-july-2020






Nick Gibb:

Please note that the Department does not hold the information in the format required.

The latest national data on pupil attendance in educational establishments since 23

March was published on Tuesday 16 June at the following link and covers data up to

Thursday 11 June:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-attendance-in-

education-and-early-years-settings.

The data is collected from individual education establishments and the published

figures include estimates for non-response.


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

of the effect of his Department's decision to reopen schools on 1 June 2020 following the

covid-19 outbreak on (a) BAME children and adults and (b) people with other protected

characteristics under the Equality Act 2010; and if he will place a copy of that assessment

in the Library.

Nick Gibb:

When making decisions about asking schools to welcome back more children, we

have had due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and to advance equality

of opportunities and foster good relations between people who share a protected

characteristic and people who do not as required by section 149 of the Equality Act

2010. We continue to keep our assessment of those matters under review.

In respect of BAME children and adults specifically, we continue to assess the

emerging evidence, including Public Health England’s review into disparities in

COVID-19 outcomes and the report on the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups,

and consider what this means for the education system.

There is further work to do to understand the key drivers of these disparities and the

relationships between the different risk factors. In the meantime, we continue to

encourage schools to be particularly sensitive to the needs and concerns of BAME

pupils, parents and carers, and staff, considering if any additional measure or

reasonable adjustments may need to be put in place to mitigate those concerns.

Students: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding has been allocated by (a) his

Department and (b) universities to support students during the (i) 2017-18, (ii) 2018-19

and (iii) 2019-20 academic year.

Michelle Donelan:

In the academic year 2017/18, the total amount paid/awarded through the Student

Loans Company to students domiciled in England and students domiciled in the EU

and studying in England was £16.5 billion [1]. This included grants, allowances and

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings






tuition fee and maintenance loans. The equivalent figure for 2018/19 was £17.1

billion. Equivalent figures are not yet available for the 2019/20 academic year.

The value of the government’s contribution via the Student Loans Company loans is

contingent upon future repayments and interest rates.

The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for distributing funding to the sector on

behalf of the Department for Education. While the OfS distributes funding to higher

education providers based on the academic year, the department allocates funding

based on the financial year.

In the financial year 2017/18, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (the

OfS’s predecessor) allocated £1.607 billion [2] in recurrent and capital teaching

funding. The equivalent figures for 2018/19 and 2019/20 were £1.538 billion and

£1.487 billion respectively. The 2019/20 allocation was published in February 2019.

The teaching grant is allocated to providers to support various activities, including

high-cost subject funding, where tuition fees alone do not cover the full costs of

provision, and the costs of supporting students most at risk of discontinuing their

studies.

Information on the full range of financial support made available to students from their

providers is not held by the department.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-support-for-higher-education-in-

england-2019

[2] https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/guidance-

from-government/

Students: Rented Housing

Fabian Hamilton: [59374]

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance the Government is giving

landlords of student accommodation on collecting rent on unoccupied accommodation.

Michelle Donelan:

As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer

have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected

by COVID-19.

We expect universities to communicate clearly with residential students on rents for

this period and to administer accommodation provision in a fair manner.

While it is for universities and private accommodation providers to make their own

decisions about charging rents to absent students, we encourage them to consider

the fairness of doing so and to clearly communicate their policies to students. We are

aware that a number of universities and large companies have waived rents for the

summer term or released students early from their contracts.

Students who are tenants with individual private landlords can discuss the possibility

of an early release from their lease. If they face financial hardship and struggle to pay

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-support-for-higher-education-in-england-2019



https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/guidance-from-government/





their rent, support is available: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-support-

available-for-landlords-and-renters-reflecting-the-current-coronavirus-covid-19-

outbreak . In the first instance, a student should speak to their landlord if they think

they will have difficulty meeting a rental payment, and in this unique context, tenants

and landlords are encouraged to work together to put in place a rent payment

scheme.

Information published by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gives

guidance on the COVID-19 outbreak’s effects on consumer contracts and may be

helpful to students, including those who have already paid deposits for

accommodation: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-

concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-

coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds.

The guidance sets out the CMA’s view on how the law operates to help consumers

understand their rights and to help businesses treat their customers fairly. Students

may be entitled to refunds from certain accommodation providers depending on the

terms of their contract and their particular circumstances. If students need help,

organisations such as Citizens Advice offer a free service, providing information and

support.

If a student thinks their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can

raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their

provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: https://www.thesac.org.uk/ ;

https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain and

https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml.

To support landlords who are experiencing a temporary loss of income, mortgage

lenders have agreed to offer payment holidays of up to 3 months where this is

needed due to COVID-19-related hardship, including for buy-to-let mortgages. On 2

June, the Financial Conduct Authority confirmed that borrowers can apply for an

extension to any holiday already taken while extending the window for new

applications to 31 October. Landlords should contact their lender at the earliest

possible opportunity to discuss if the payment holiday is a suitable option for them.

We have also amended the COVID-19 regulations to make clear that people who

wish to move home can do so. Landlords can now advertise and let properties where

they are empty or where the current tenants have agreed to move. Landlords are also

encouraged to contact their local authority homelessness departments or private

rented sector procurement team who can discuss renting their property to a homeless

household, which may guarantee an income during this time.

Teaching Methods: Coronavirus


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

number of tutors that (a) will be required and (b) are available in the 2020-21 academic

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-support-available-for-landlords-and-renters-reflecting-the-current-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak




https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds




https://www.thesac.org.uk/

https://www.thesac.org.uk/

https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain

https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain

https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml

https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml



year to help disadvantaged students catch up following the closure of schools as a result

of the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb:

As plans continue for a full return to education from September, we have announced

a £1 billion Covid “catch-up” package to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching

time.

£650 million will be shared across state primary and secondary schools over the

2020/21 academic year. This one-off grant to support pupils recognises that all young

people have lost time in education as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, regardless

of their income or background.

In addition, a National Tutoring Programme, worth £350 million, will increase access

to high-quality tuition for the most disadvantaged young people. This will help

accelerate their academic progress and prevent the gap between them and their

more affluent peers widening.

We are working closely with our delivery partners, including the Education

Endowment Foundation, Sutton Trust, Impetus and Nesta, to roll out a programme

that ensures we reach the maximum number of disadvantaged students possible

while ensuring that tutors all meet a high quality bar.

We will be supporting the highest quality tutoring organisations to increase their

recruitment of tutors. Alongside this, we will be supporting a small number of schools

in the most disadvantaged areas to directly employ tutors. We will be publishing more

detail of the scheme shortly.

This £1 billion package is on top of the £14.4 billion three-year funding settlement

announced last year - recognising the additional work schools will need to do to help

students to catch up.

Universities: Foreign Students


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

in the number of international students starting at UK universities in the 2020-21

academic year.

Michelle Donelan:

In the 2018/19 academic year, tuition fees from international students at UK higher

education providers accounted for around £7 billion of sector income. The

government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unparalleled impact

on all elements of the global and UK economy. The higher education sector, including

student recruitment, is no exception. We have been working closely with the sector to

monitor the likely impacts of COVID-19 on international student numbers, including

restrictions on travel. We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak and a possible

reduction in the number of international students poses significant challenges and we

stand ready to help the sector with various mitigations.



On Monday 4 May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education,

announced the package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn

and ensure sustainability in higher education at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.

Full details of the package have been published on GOV.UK:

www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-

students.

The government is also working to ensure that existing rules and regulations,

including visa regulations, are as flexible as possible for international students under

these unprecedented circumstances. For example, on 16 June, the government

confirmed that distance/blended learning will be permitted for the 2020/21 academic

year, provided students intend to transition to face-to-face learning as soon as

circumstances allow. In addition, higher education providers will be flexible in

accommodating applicants’ circumstances where possible, including if applicants are

unable to travel to the UK in time for the start of the academic year.

The new graduate route, due to be launched in summer 2021, provides an

opportunity for international students who have been awarded their degree to stay

and work in the UK at any skill level for 2 years. This week, the government also

confirmed that those studying by distance/blended learning will be eligible to apply for

the graduate route provided they are in the UK by 6 April 2021.

On Friday 5 June, the Department for Education announced Sir Steve Smith as the

International Education Champion, a key deliverable of the 2019 International

Education Strategy. Sir Steve will assist with opening up export growth opportunities

for the whole UK education sector, tackling international challenges such as those

posed to attracting international students and forging lasting global connections. The

International Education Strategy, published in March 2019 by the Department for

Education and the Department for International Trade, set out a commitment to

review progress following its publication.  The review, which we intend to publish this

autumn, will ensure that the International Education Strategy responds to this new

context and the challenges that are posed by COVID-19.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Coronavirus

Mr Richard Holden: [59913]

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

he has made of the potential merits of providing further ongoing long-term support for

agriculture on a similar basis to the scheme for the dairy industry announced on 6 May

2020.

Victoria Prentis:

The Government wants a profitable and resilient farming sector. We will always

champion our farmers and growers by supporting them to produce more of our great

British food and drink, providing a reliable and sustainable food supply to the British

http://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students





public. The Agriculture Bill provides the legislative basis for a transition from old-style

subsidies to investment in a more productive and sustainable farming sector.

The Bill will allow us to introduce ambitious new land management schemes in

England, based on the principle of “public money for public goods”, so that we can

reward farmers and land managers who protect our environment, improve animal

welfare and produce high quality food in a more sustainable way. It will also help

farmers to stay competitive, with measures to increase productivity and invest in new

technology.

The dairy response fund is a temporary measure introduced to deal with COVID-19

and is not meant as a long-term solution. We have also announced other measures

to support the farming sector during COVID-19, including relaxation of driver’s hours,

competition easements in the sector and promotion campaigns for beef and dairy.

We remain in regular contact and continue to work with our food and farming sector

to ensure that they have the support they need. This includes working closely with

farmers and processor representatives to understand specific challenges sectors are

facing.

Air Pollution: Pollution Control

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: [59866]

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

assessment he has made of the potential effect of a policy of aiming for (a) World Health

Organization guideline levels on particulate matter pollution by 2030 and (b) other stricter

than existing environmental targets on the environmental sustainability of (i) general

Government policy and (ii) business investment.

Rebecca Pow:

In July 2019, we published a report assessing the progress that will be made towards

World Health Organization (WHO) PM2.5 air quality guidelines with actions outlined in

the Clean Air Strategy by 2030. This report showed that significant progress would be

made towards achieving WHO guideline levels through the actions outlined in the

Strategy, but that additional action would be needed to reach WHO guideline levels in

specific locations (i.e. central London). The Government is committed to evidence-

based policy making and will consider independent expert advice alongside evidence

and analysis on a diversity of factors in setting air quality targets outlined in the

Environment Bill. This will include the health benefits, the practical feasibility and

economic viability of taking different actions to ensure that the targets are based on

realistic pathways, robust science and full economic analysis such that they are

ambitious, achievable and deliver the greatest public health benefits.

The Government plans to bring forward at least one target in each of the four priority

areas by the Environment Bill’s 31 October 2022 deadline. Legally binding targets are

an important tool. They will drive action by successive governments to protect and

enhance our natural world. They allow for robust, objective scrutiny and



accountability of government’s progress and they provide much-needed long-term

certainty to businesses and society, to support planning, innovation and investment.

Stuart Anderson: [59885]

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

to ensure that air quality levels in (a) Wolverhampton South West and (b) the rest of

England remain lower than they were prior to the covid-19 outbreak.

Rebecca Pow:

Air pollution poses one of the biggest environmental threats to public health. Our

ambitious plans to decarbonise transport, 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 in air pollution

emissions, concentrations and exposure. Wolverhampton is part of the 2017 UK plan

to tackle roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations; for Wolverhampton this includes

the retrofitting of existing bus fleet and implementation of traffic management

measures.

British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Andrew Rosindell: [60700]

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

his Department has met with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums

since March.

Victoria Prentis:

Since 25 March, Defra officials have been meeting (via teleconference or by

telephone) BIAZA representatives at least once a week.

Highly Protected Marine Areas

Sarah Olney: [59840]

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

to designate areas of UK coastal fishing waters as Highly Protected Marine Areas.

Victoria Prentis:

We welcome the publication of the review into Highly Protected Marine Areas

(HPMAs), which was published on 8 June 2020 and is available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highly-protected-marine-areas-hpmas-

review-2019. I am grateful to Richard Benyon and the advisory panel for their work.

We will consider Richard Benyon's report and issue a formal response to him in due

course, recognising our continued priority to support the cross-Government response

to Covid-19. From there on, we have an opportunity to develop a programme of work

to bring forward highly protected areas for the first time in English waters. We would

of course consult widely with the public and stakeholders, including fishers, before

any decision to designate an HPMA.





A healthy and sustainable fishing industry in the long-term is dependent on a healthy

marine environment, and the Fisheries Bill creates a robust framework for managing

our fisheries sustainably in the future. The panel has concluded that HPMA can be a

valuable tool to help deliver healthy seas. However, we recognise that some

members of the fisheries community may be concerned by the impact of the Review’s

recommendations on their livelihoods. The report suggests several ways in which

government can reduce the impact on the fishing industry, for example by siting

protected areas within existing protected areas and be adopting early, continuous

engagement with all stakeholders when considering the location for an HPMA.

Extensive consultation will take place before any decisions are made.

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Tom Tugendhat: [59825]

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

taking with representatives from supermarkets to ensure that people on the covid-19

shielded patient list have access to supermarket home deliveries after support from the

Government has ended; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis:

Those who have been advised that they need to shield will still be able to register for

support to access food until 17 July. This includes access to emergency food parcels

and priority access to supermarket delivery. After this date, the National Shielding

Service will no longer accept registrations. From 1 August, the advice to shield ends

and so will delivery of emergency food parcels.

Supermarkets and convenience stores have played a phenomenal part in ensuring

sure the nation has access to food and essential supplies. Supermarkets have

confirmed that shielded individuals who have requested help to access food will

retain their priority access to online delivery slots after 1 August.

If an individual registers for support before the deadline, and does not yet have an

online account with supermarkets, supermarkets will continue to update their priority

matching lists until 31 July. If a supermarket delivery slot is needed, please

encourage shielded individuals to create online accounts with supermarkets as soon

as possible. We are working continuously across Government and with supermarkets

to remove barriers to accessing online delivery.

When the advice to shield ends, there will still be options in place to support people to

access food if they need help. If someone cannot access delivery slots, and friends

and family are not able to help, then the NHS Volunteer Responders will continue to

offer support with getting access to food. There are also other commercially available

options including telephone ordering, food box delivery, prepared meal delivery and

other non-supermarket food delivery providers. Local Authorities can help people in

urgent need of support.



FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Aviation: Coronavirus

Paul Maynard: [59406]

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

he has had with his counterparts from (a) Australia, (b) EU member states and (c) New

Zealand on the establishment of air bridges.

James Duddridge:

The Government is considering the concept of international travel corridors, including

air bridges, and how they could be implemented in practice along with other

measures. We want to open up as a country as soon as we responsibly and safely

can, but we have to do it safely and responsibly. We are, of course, continuing to

engage with all partners on all aspects of the global response to the Coronavirus

pandemic.

Department for International Development: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Mary Kelly Foy: [60867]

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

international aid organisations and (b) humanitarian and development experts were

consulted by the Foreign Office as part of the decision to merge the Department for

International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

James Cleverly:

[Holding answer 22 June 2020]: The Prime Minister has decided to merge the

Department for International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office to form a new international department - the Foreign, Commonwealth and

Development Office. The Government will continue to engage closely with interested

stakeholders, including UK and international Non-Governmental Organisations, in the

weeks and months to come as we work to create the new department, which will

unite our development expertise and first class diplomatic service to make the UK a

force for good in the world.

Department for International Development: Reorganisation


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

Government did not wait for the conclusion of the review into foreign, defence and

development policy before making the decision that the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office and the Department for International Development should merge.

James Cleverly:

[Holding answer 23 June 2020]: The Prime Minister has been considering this

question for some time. Covid-19 has demonstrated just how important it is that our

development and diplomatic efforts are fused together more closely. The integrated

foreign policy review is expected to conclude later in the year, linked to the spending





review. The review will define the Government's ambition for the UK's role in the

world and its outcomes will shape the objectives of the new department. Both the

review and the merger are evidence of the PM's commitment to a unified British

foreign policy that will maximise our influence around the world.


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the

internal review that informed the decision to merge the Department for International

Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

James Cleverly:

[Holding answer 23 June 2020]: The Prime Minister discussed the merger with both

Secretaries of State, and has concluded that in the next decade, international issues

will be even more important to the lives of our citizens and our own national interest;

that the world will become even more complex and competitive, with growing,

interconnected challenges and opportunities for the UK; and that therefore we need a

new all-of-government approach if we are to secure our values and interests in a

changing world.

Nigeria: Human Rights and Violence


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make

representations to the Government of Nigeria on investigating cases of military complicity

in (a) violence against Christians and (b) human rights abuses.

James Duddridge:

The UK Government is firmly committed to promoting and protecting human rights

around the world. We have made clear to the Nigerian authorities, at the highest

levels, the importance of protecting civilians, including all ethnic and religious groups,

and human rights for all Nigerians. We are aware of allegations of military complicity

in attacks on communities of all faiths. We call for allegations of human rights abuses

and excessive use of force to be investigated and those responsible for any abuses

to be held to account.

Following allegations of human rights abuses made regarding Nigerian military

detention facilities in Amnesty International's recent report, We Dried Our Tears, the

British High Commissioner raised these with the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs,

and called for a full investigation into the allegations and prosecution of any

individuals found to have committed abuses. We reiterate that the UK Government

does not provide any support to the military detention facilities mentioned.

Nigeria: Violence

Ruth Jones: [61797]

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

he has made of the implications for his policies of the report published by the all-party





Parliamentary group on International Freedom of Religion or Belief on 15 June 2020

entitled Nigeria: unfolding genocide.

Ruth Jones: [61799]

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will provide (a)

financial, (b) technical and (c) capacity building support to his Nigerian counterpart to

implement the recommendations in the report published by the all-party Parliamentary

group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief on 15 June 2020 entitled Nigeria:

unfolding genocide.

James Duddridge:

We welcome the APPG's report and the detailed analysis it provides on the complex

issues of intercommunal violence across multiple states of Nigeria and acts of

terrorism committed by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa in North East

Nigeria. The UK Government strongly condemns all acts of violence in Nigeria. We

are considering the report and its recommendations in detail and I will provide a full

response in due course.

Trade Agreements: Brazil


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

Department plans to take to ensure that the UK's trade facilitation programme with Brazil

upholds internationally agreed climate commitments.

Wendy Morton:

The Prosperity Fund's Trade Facilitation Programme aims to support Brazil's

integration into international markets in a sustainable and inclusive way. It will support

a simplified and more stable business environment, which will contribute to increasing

economic growth, inward investment and opportunities for international business,

including for the UK. The UK Government's partnership with Brazil will reduce the

economic and environmental costs of international trade, while strengthening

Brazilian commitments and capacity to low carbon growth as part of our COP26 aims.

The Trade Facilitation Programme's work to ensure climate and environmental

standards will enable Brazil to build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turkey: Human Rights

Dr Lisa Cameron: [59805]

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

representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on the upcoming trial of Amnesty

International Turkey’s (a) honorary Chair Taner Kılıç and (b) former Director Idil Eser and

their nine co-defendant human rights defenders.


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

representations has he made to his Turkish counterpart Turkey on (a) that country's






treatment of human rights defenders and (b) the condition of detention facilities in which

they are kept in that country.

Wendy Morton:

We remain concerned by the Amnesty arrests in the summer of 2017 of eleven

human rights defenders, including Amnesty Turkey's former director, Idil Eser, and

former chair, Taner Kılıç. We have followed the cases closely, including attendance

at court hearings. We have raised their cases at Ministerial level with the Turkish

Government on several occasions, as well as raising them in January this year

through the UN's Universal Periodic Review of Turkey. We hope that the outstanding

charges against them can be brought to a timely and equitable conclusion. We will be

monitoring the next hearing in early July.

The United Kingdom recognises that human rights defenders play an essential role in

promoting and protecting democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.

We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Turkish authorities at the

highest level, particularly around detentions, freedom of expression and association.

We continue to urge the authorities to ensure that all detainees are treated in

accordance with relevant international human rights standards, such as access to

legal representation and medical care We will continue to engage the Turkish

Government on these important issues. We are clear in our expectation that Turkey,

like all countries, should live up to its human rights obligations towards all its citizens.

USA: Police Brutality


To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he and his

Ministers have made representations to their counterparts in the US on the issue of police

brutality in that country following the murder of George Floyd; and if he will make a

statement.

Wendy Morton:

The Foreign Secretary has been clear that the death of George Floyd was appalling,

inexcusable and deeply distressing. We hope and trust that justice will be done. The

violence we've seen in the US around this is very alarming. We've been clear that

people must be allowed to protest peacefully. Our Embassy in the US has raised the

issue of the protests with the US Administration and have explained the very strong

interest in this issue among the British public.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Blood Cancer: Drugs

Martyn Day: [56072]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to

ensure that NICE recommendations for newly licensed medicines for (a) blood cancer

and (b) multiple myeloma are not delayed as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.




Martyn Day: [56073]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment has

been made of the effectiveness of NICE’s methodology for assessing combination

therapies.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 11 June 2020]: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) adapted its priorities to

support the National Health Service, local authorities and the wider health and social

care sector. In March, NICE paused the publication of topics that were not COVID-

19-related or therapeutically critical to avoid distracting the NHS at a time of

unprecedented pressure. However, on 1 June NICE began a phased restart of

publishing guidance that had previously been paused.

All cancer appraisals were identified as being therapeutically critical and kept to their

planned timelines. NICE is currently developing guidance on eight technologies for

treating multiple myeloma and leukaemia, and the timescales for these are available

at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/search?om=[{%22gst%22:[%22In%20development%22]}]&ps

=15&q=blood+cancer&sp=on

NICE is an independent body and is responsible for the methods it uses in

developing its guidance. NICE is currently undertaking a review of its methods for

health technology evaluation.

Blood: Contamination

Dame Diana Johnson: [59714]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of

17 December 2014 to Question 218002 on monthly payments from MFET Ltd to people

who contracted HIV through NHS treatment and the Answer of 7 January 2014 to

Question 181908 on monthly payments through the Skipton Fund State 2 to people who

contracted hepatitis C through NHS treatment, what estimate his Department has made

of the average length of time for monthly payments to be made from the England Infected

Blood Support Scheme to people affected by NHS contaminated blood products.

Ms Nadine Dorries:

The Government established the England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS) in

2017 to provide dedicated ex-gratia financial and non-financial support to people

infected by HIV and/or hepatitis C through treatment with National Health Service-

supplied blood or blood products, and their affected families. This scheme is currently

administered by the NHS Business Services Authority.

EIBSS provides tiered non-discretionary annual payments to eligible infected

beneficiaries, based on their type and stage of infection (hepatitis C and/or HIV). The

majority of beneficiaries opt for these payments to be split into monthly instalments.


https://www.nice.org.uk/search?om=%5b%7b%22gst%22:%5b%22In%20development%22%5d%7d%5d&ps=15&q=blood+cancer&sp=on





EIBSS aims to process new applications within 30 working days of receipt. Eligible

beneficiaries’ payments are then transferred within 10 days after their application has

been approved. These payments are backdated to the month that the beneficiary’s

application was initially received by EIBSS.

The Department hold EIBSS to account via monthly review meetings. EIBSS is

required to maintain a key performance indicator of 90% around the time frame for

processing new applications, which it has met.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Alex Sobel: [57344]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is

taking to support research into cannabis-based medicines for epilepsy.

Alex Sobel: [57345]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made

of the potential merits of including cannabis-based medicines in the remit of the proposed

Innovative Medicines Fund.

Alex Sobel: [57346]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department

has made on implementing the recommendations contained in the report published by

NHS England and NHS Improvement, entitled Barriers to accessing cannabis-based

products for medicinal use on NHS prescription, published in March 2019.

Alex Sobel: [57347]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to

improve access to (a) cannabis-based medicines and (b) unlicensed medicinal products

for children with severe and treatment-resistant conditions where clinically appropriate.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 15 June 2020]: Guidelines published by the National Institute for

Health and Care Excellence (NICE) demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to

support routine prescribing and funding decisions of cannabis-based medicines for

severe treatment resistant epilepsy and other conditions. We are working hard with

the health system, industry and researchers to improve the knowledge base

available. The link to the guidance can be found at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng144

Central to this, NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with

partners to deliver the recommendations from the NHS process evaluation report

entitled ‘Barriers to Accessing Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal Use’. Progress

has been made as follows:

- On 20 December 2019 a letter was published reminding prescribers of General

Medical Council guidance on the prescribing and use of unlicensed medicines – and

to clarify the procedure for prescribing and supplying cannabis-based products for








medicinal use. This complements training material put in place by Health Education

England for all healthcare professionals. A link to the letter can be found at the

following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/guidance-prescribing-

cannabis-based-products-medicinal-use.pdf

- To support research, the National Institute for Health Research has run two

research calls for applications on medicinal cannabis for epilepsy. Following these a

workshop was held in November 2019 including applicants, NHS England and NHS

Improvement, the Department and other research experts on a study for treatment

resistant paediatric epilepsy. We expect this to have significantly cut the time required

to design a study and gain funding agreement;

- Funding was fast-tracked by NHS England and NHS Improvement and was

available from 6 January 2020 for patients who fulfil the criteria for the recently

published NICE Technology Appraisals for the use of cannabidiol (Epidyolex) in

conjunction with clobazam for adjuvant treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-

Gastaut and Dravet Syndrome, two rare forms of refractory epilepsies. This will

improve access to licensed cannabis-based products for appropriate patients;

- A new Refractory Epilepsy Specialist Clinical Advisory Network was launched in

February 2020. This offers timely and evidence-based specialist advice and guidance

from a United Kingdom national expert panel to support local discussions in relation

to the treatment of refractory epilepsy and suitability of cannabis-based medicines;

and

- A patient registry is being developed with input from specialist clinicians and other

advisory bodies, to monitor patient outcomes.

We have also changed the Government policy on imports to allow import of cannabis-

based medicines in anticipation of prescriptions, since 9 March 2020. This aims to

improve continuity of supply for those patients that have been prescribed these

products.

Care Homes: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to help

ensure that care home residents have access to (a) medical assessments and (b)

treatment irrespective of age.

Helen Whately:

Throughout the pandemic we have been working closely with the sector and public

health experts to put in place guidance and support for adult social care. Primary care

and community health services are key to ensuring care homes have the clinical

support they need. As part of the care home support package announced on 15 May,

the National Health Service has committed that this includes timely access to clinical

advice for care home staff and residents, a named clinical lead for every care home,

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/guidance-prescribing-cannabis-based-products-medicinal-use.pdf





proactive support for residents through personalised care and support planning, and

remote monitoring of residents with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

On 1 May, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were also asked to take immediate

steps to implement the delivery of consistent weekly care home ‘check ins’. These

check ins are to review patients identified as a clinical priority for assessment and

care, drawing on general practice and community services staff. They should include

appropriate and consistent medical oversight and input from a general practitioner

and/or geriatrician.

Carers: Protective Clothing


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will give

priority access to personal protective equipment to people providing unpaid care in (a) the

City of Durham and (b) England.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 16 June 2020]: The Government recognises the crucial role unpaid

carers play, especially during this difficult period. The Department is currently working

with Public Health England to review the advice to unpaid carers on use of personal

protective equipment.

On 8 April the Government published guidance for unpaid carers which provides

general advice, including advice on infection control, links to other information and

support, and advice on caring where someone has symptoms. This can be found at

the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-providing-unpaid-

care

The Government will continue to work closely with carer organisations and others to

support unpaid carers during this period and beyond. This includes working with

Carers UK to provide carers with practical advice which can be found at the following

link:

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-

health/coronavirus-covid-19

Contraceptives: Finance

Alex Norris: [58063]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his

Department has made of trends in the level of funding for contraception since 2015.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 15 June 2020]: No assessment has been made of trends in the

level of funding for contraception.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-providing-unpaid-care



https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19





Coronavirus: Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: [903702]

Whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report of

the all-party group on air pollution entitled, Air Quality Strategy to Reduce Coronavirus

Infection and its reference to Queen Mary University's research on the biological link

between air pollution and coronavirus.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 23 June 2020]: Long-term air pollution exposure is the leading

environmental risk to human health. We are working with relevant experts to

understand the relationship between air quality and increased risks from COVID-19

based on emerging science. This will be supported by the National Institute for Health

Research and UK Research and Innovation joint open call for projects on mitigating

the health, social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts of COVID-19.

We note that there is emerging evidence suggesting an association between COVID-

19 mortality and exposure to air pollution, but many of the emerging papers are, as

yet, generally not peer-reviewed and are of variable quality. Currently, there is no

clear evidence to suggest that air pollution has a direct link to the spread or severity

of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom.  In April, the Department for the Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs initiated work to conduct detailed statistical analysis of the

United Kingdom data, delivered in collaboration with the Department for Health and

Social Care, Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics, and with

input from the relevant Air Quality Expert Group and Committee on the Medical

Effects of Air Pollution experts. The work will be published in due course. The

Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs continues to have extensive

discussions with the Department for Health and Social Care and other departments

on the relationship between air quality and health.

Coronavirus: Death

Catherine West: [56097]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people that died of

non-covid-19 causes in (a) care homes and (b) the community had been tested for covid-

19 and received a negative result in each week from 2 March to 4 May 2020.

Jo Churchill:

The data is not currently available in the format requested.

Alexander Stafford: [59645]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with

his Cabinet colleagues on establishing a remembrance event on Whitehall to mark the

work of (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) people who lost their lives during the covid-19

outbreak.





Helen Whately:

We are incredibly proud of the hard work and courage of health and care workers

during the COVID-19 response. Officials from the Department are working with

colleagues across Government to consider options to commemorate those who have

lost their lives and to recognise the service of key workers across all sectors -

including the National Health Service and social care.

Coronavirus: Disease Control


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment

he has made of the number of daily deaths caused by covid-19 infection in England and

EU member states; and what assessment he has made of effect of easing the lockdown

restrictions on the number of deaths due to that infection.

Jo Churchill:

The Government cannot make comparisons with the death rate of other countries yet

because countries measure deaths in different ways. We will learn lessons from our

response to this virus, but these must be drawn from an accurate international

analysis in the future.

As set out in “Our Plan to Rebuild”, the Government is introducing a range of

adjustments to current social distancing controls, timing these carefully according to

both the current transmission rate of the virus and the Government’s ability to ensure

safety. The steps for modifying social distancing measures are set out in the plan,

with strict conditions to safely move from each step to the next. We will make

changes if and, only if, we think it is safe to do so. Protecting the health and safety of

the British public is, and must always be, our number one priority.

Coronavirus: New Zealand


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions officials in his

Department have had with health officials in the New Zealand Government on that

country's approach to tackling covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 15 June 2020]: The Department is regularly in discussions with

other countries, including New Zealand, on a wide range of issues of issues relating

to COVID-19 and has been throughout the pandemic. COVID-19 presents a global

challenge which requires a collaborative response. The Department will continue to

work with other countries throughout the crisis and beyond.

Coronavirus: Social Distancing


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the scientific

evidence on the effect of social distancing in reducing the risk of covid-19 contagion.





Helen Whately:

The Government has published the minutes of the Scientific Advisory Group for

Emergencies (SAGE) meetings and supporting documentation (scientific data and

analysis used to inform SAGE discussions) and this can be accessed here at the

following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-

sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response

SAGE provides scientific and technical advice to support Government decisions

during emergencies and relies on external science advice and on advice from expert

groups. During COVID-19 as new evidence or data emerges, SAGE updates its

advice accordingly.

The webpage will be updated on a regular basis and the latest available evidence will

be published in the coming weeks that show how our understanding of the disease

has evolved.

Coronavirus: Thromboembolism

Ms Lyn Brown: [49625]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans NHS England has to

protect patients with covid-19 from the increased risk in that group of potentially fatal

venous thromboembolism.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when NHS England plans to

publish the expert clinical guidance that it commissioned on thrombosis and critical care

for patients with covid-19 which was submitted for dissemination on 28 April 2020.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 2 June 2020]: As COVID-19 is a new disease, there is no high

quality evidence to guide clinical management in protecting patients with the disease

from the increased risk of thromboembolism. NHS England and NHS Improvement

are urging clinicians to support research which may evaluate methods to prevent or

reduce harm from thromboembolism in the context of COVID-19.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are not planning to publish clinical guidance it

commissioned in relation to venous thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are engaging with other organisations and

professional bodies and looking to them to publish the guidance as soon as possible.

Diabetes: Coronavirus

Gill Furniss: [58757]


of the evidence on the risks of covid-19 to people with diabetes.

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response







Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 16 June 2020]: NHS England and NHS Improvement have

published a recent paper on type 1 and type 2 diabetes and COVID-19 related

mortality in England which can be found on their website and accessed via the

following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/type-1-and-type-2-diabetes-and-covid-19-

related-mortality-in-england/

Drugs: Coronavirus

Tim Farron: [48380]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of

the number of civil servants supporting the (a) development and (b) deployment of anti-

viral drugs to reduce covid-19 symptoms.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 2 June 2020]: The pursuit of safe and effective COVID-19

treatments is a cross-Government effort from people in UK Research and Innovation

looking at early stage research and development, to those in the National Institute for

Health Research supporting clinical trials, and the Department of Health and Social

Care, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Public Health

England (PHE) and NHS England overseeing medicine supply, manufacturing and

procurement strategies.

The Therapeutics Taskforce is driving forward, expediting and co-ordinating efforts to

research, produce and distribute safe and effective COVID-19 treatments to patients

as soon as possible.

We estimate that there are at least 50 civil servants (27.4 full-time equivalents)

working across the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and PHE on the development and

deployment of treatments for COVID-19. It is not possible to segregate this figure for

anti-viral drugs only.

Drugs: Imports

Emily Thornberry: [53334]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has

made of the UK’s ability to import prescription medications for supply to the NHS.

Jo Churchill:

As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, we

are doing everything we can to ensure patients continue to have access to safe and

effective medicines.

Ensuring supply chains remain open is a priority for this Government. We have world-

class systems in place to prevent supply problems and we are working closely with

industry and partners, both nationally and globally, to prevent shortages and continue

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/type-1-and-type-2-diabetes-and-covid-19-related-mortality-in-england/






to ensure that patients receive the medicines, including prescription-only medicines,

they need.

Drugs: Prices

Layla Moran: [54240]


of trends in the level of drug prices since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill:

The costs of branded medicines are controlled by the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for

Branded Medicines Pricing and Access and the statutory scheme for branded

medicines.

For unbranded generic medicines the Department relies on competition to keep

prices down. This has led to some of the lowest prices in Europe and allows prices to

react to the market. In an international market this ensures that when demand is high

and supply is low, prices in the United Kingdom can increase to help secure the

availability of medicines for UK patients.

We continuously monitor overall movements in changes in prices of medicines

through various methods including data from suppliers using the provisions in the

Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018.

However, it is too early to assess the full financial impact on the National Health

Service and pharmacies in light of COVID-19.

Drugs: Procurement

Tulip Siddiq: [54198]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his

Department has made of the adequacy of supply of (a) buprenorphine, (b) methadone

and (c) naltrexone during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 8 June 2020]: As part of our concerted national efforts to respond to

the COVID-19 outbreak, we are doing everything we can to ensure patients continue

to have access safe and effective medicines. Supplies of buprenorphine, methadone

and naltrexone continue to remain available.

The Department has well-established procedures to deal with medicine shortages

and is working closely with industry, the National Health Service and others in the

supply chain to reduce the likelihood of future shortages.

The Department shares regular information about impending supply issues and

management plans with the NHS via networks in primary and secondary care and will

liaise with relevant patient groups about issues affecting specific medicines, medical

devices and equipment.




Epilepsy: Cannabis

Alex Sobel: [57343]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions for (a)

Epidyolex and (b) unlicensed cannabis-based medicines were issued for people with

epilepsy by the NHS in each month since November 2018.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 15 June 2020]: The information requested is not held by the

Department. Prescription data collected by the NHS Business Services Authority

does not include what condition the medicine has been prescribed for.

Exercise Cygnus: North West

Sir Mark Hendrick: [57914]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Exercise

Cygnus that took place in 2016, what the key lessons learned from that exercise were for

the preparedness of North West England to respond to a pandemic.

Jo Churchill:

The Government has been extremely proactive in implementing lessons learnt

around pandemic preparedness, including from Exercise Cygnus, to ensure that the

United Kingdom remains well-prepared for infectious disease outbreaks. This

includes being ready with legislative proposals and improving health sector plans to

flex and expand systems beyond normal capacity levels.

The lessons learned from Exercise Cygnus continue to be considered by the

Government and have been shared with a range of stakeholders, including local

emergency planners, in reviewing response plans. Local planners are responsible for

identifying and implementing specific lessons which most affect their areas (such as

the North West).

Food: Allergies

Luke Pollard: [58779]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward

legislative proposals to require a food producer, shop or supermarket to immediately

inform the Food Standards Agency if a food they have made or sold has resulted in a

serious allergic reaction by a customer.

Jo Churchill:

Under Article 19 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002, food businesses have a legal

responsibility to immediately withdraw and/or recall their food if it is not in compliance

with food safety requirements and to notify the relevant local authority. Local

authorities are responsible for enforcement of the requirements on provision of

information on allergens.

Food businesses must also immediately inform the local authority if it considers or

has reason to believe that a food which it has placed on the market may be injurious





to human health. The Food Standards Agency is not the enforcing authority for these

incidents and therefore does not need to be informed directly by the food business.

There is a requirement in the statutory Food Law Code of Practice for local

authorities to notify the Food Standards Agency of a serious localised food hazard

which includes hospitalisation or death as a result of allergens.

Free School Meals: Fruit

Sir Charles Walker: [59194]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will undertake

a review its decision to withdraw funding for the distribution of fruit with free school meals;

and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 17 June 2020]: It was announced on 18 March that all schools in

England would remain open only for a very limited number of pupils (children of key

workers and vulnerable children) until further notice. At this time the Government

made a decision to pause the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) so that as

little fresh produce as possible would go to waste.

In the Government’s ‘Our Plan to Rebuild’, published on 11 May, primary schools

were asked to plan to welcome back nursery, reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils as

of 1 June 2020. However, it was not possible to restart the SFVS from 1 June.

The Department for Education and schools themselves are ensuring that children

who attend school continue to receive healthy and nutritious food at school, as well

as making provision to support families usually in receipt of free school meals and

whose children are not attending school.

Hydroxychloroquine: Coronavirus

Munira Wilson: [58098]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date the Government

placed the orders for £5 million worth of hydroxychloroquine for the potential treatment of

covid-19.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 15 June 2020]: A number of contracts were awarded valued at £4.2

million (excluding VAT) for hydroxychloroquine between 11 March and 22 April 2020.

Lacri-lube

Barry Gardiner: [55843]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has

of the availability of the dry-eye medication Lacrilube; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill:

The Department fully understands that maintaining access to dry eye medications is

vitally important to many people in this country.





We are aware that, due to long term manufacturing issues experienced by the sole

supplier, Lacri-Lube Eye ointment has not been available since 2018.

We have liaised with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists who has issued advice

for clinicians regarding suitable alternative treatments to manage affected patients

during this time. We have also communicated the supply issue with the National

Health Service and supplies of Lacri-Lube are expected to become available at the

end of this year.

We continue to work closely with industry and partners in the health system to help

prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when supply

issues do arise.

Mental Health Services: Coronavirus

Zarah Sultana: [59894]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his

Department has made of the need for the provision of increased mental health support to

(a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) other NHS staff (i) during and (ii) after the covid-19

outbreak.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 22 June 2020]: At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, we

recognised there would be a need for additional mental health support for all National

Health Service staff. We commissioned NHS England to develop a comprehensive

emotional, psychological and practical support package for all NHS staff in addition to

existing support that is already available.

NHS England and NHS Improvement launched the support package on 8 April 2020

and it includes a helpline and text service for counselling and support, a dedicated

bereavement helpline, and a range of well-being apps. All the support available can

be accessed via the following link:

people.nhs.uk/help/

The NHS is continuing to update the support available in this package, in line with the

feedback they receive.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Dr Dan Poulter: [59733]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16

June 2020 to Question 55941, on Mental Health Services: Finance, how many mental

health providers have been allocated funding from the £400 million capital investment

announced by the Government since July 2017.

Ms Nadine Dorries:

The Government has announced £400 million of national capital for mental health

schemes, on top of the day to day investments made by mental health trusts financed

from their own income sources.


https://people.nhs.uk/help/




Central funding allocation is provided to the National Health Service organisations

undertaking the investments once the Full Business Case (FBC) has been approved

and the construction contract is finalised. The funding allocations in place for the 16

schemes which have received FBC approval are listed in the attached table.

Attachments:

1. Table [Copy of PQ59733 - MH Capital Allocations.xlsx]

Mental Illness: Coronavirus

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: [55103]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to data on

deaths of people subject to the Mental Health Act 1983 from the Care Quality

Commission on 7 May 2020, what assessment he has of changes in the level of deaths

of people subject to that Act (a) where covid-19 was a factor in the death (b) overall since

1 March 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries:

The Care Quality Commission has reported that there have been 152 deaths of

people subject to the Mental Health Act 1983 (from 1 March to 5 June 2020). Around

half of these cases (75 deaths) are suspected or confirmed to be related to COVID-

19, according to mental health providers. The proportion of deaths associated with

COVID-19 is consistent with that reported on 7 May 2020, which the CQC reported

mirrored a rise in notifications from other sectors.

The CQC is continuing to monitor the numbers of deaths of patients under the Mental

Health Act. It has also written to providers asking them to continue reporting the

deaths of patients under the Mental Health Act regardless of whether they are

transferred to an acute trust for treatment.

NHS Trusts: Training


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role his Department has in

ensuring there is adequate mental health training for staff across all NHS trusts.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 22 June 2020]: NHS England and NHS Improvement are supporting

line managers, supervisors and teams to have psychologically informed

conversations. They are also offering peer support training as well as a range of

resources to help teams decompress and process their experiences. When National

Health Service staff require additional professional support, they will be offered

evidence-based treatment by trained and qualified mental health practitioners.

Additional psychological support has also been made available for all NHS staff

during and after COVID-19 response and can be accessed online at the following

link:

people.nhs.uk/help






NHS staff, frontline workers, and volunteers can now access a new psychological first

aid training course developed by Public Health England and launched on 15 June

2020. There has been significant interest in the course; 8,700 learners have enrolled

as of 17 June.

NHS: Drugs

John Spellar: [57086]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is his Department

taking to prevent the NHS being overcharged for off-patent drugs.

Jo Churchill:

The costs of branded medicines, whether they have patents on them or not, are

controlled by the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

and the statutory scheme for branded medicines.





availability of medicines for UK patients. Concerns about potential drug pricing

abuses are a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Where it has

concern about the price of a generic medicines, the Department asks the CMA to

investigate that price. The CMA has several ongoing investigations into excessive

prices of generic medicines.

Chi Onwurah: [57205]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of exemptions

and payment relief support through the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines

Pricing and Access was invested in innovative new medicines in the latest period for

which figures are available.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 15 June 2020]: The Department does not hold this information.

NHS: Recruitment

Jeremy Hunt: [60725]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many retired NHS (a)

doctors and (b) nurses returned to work during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately:

[Holding answer 22 June 2020]: Over 25,000 former doctors and nurses have come

forward to assist the National Health Service during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are

working with the regulators, NHS England and NHS Improvement and local

employers to explore opportunities for those professionals who wish to permanently

join the workforce.





Paediatrics: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: [48501]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is

taking to ensure the maintenance of an adequate provision of paediatric bladder and

bowel services during the covid-19 outbreak for people that are (a) subject to protection

plans, (b) looked after and (c) that are subject to high levels of professional concern.

Jo Churchill:

Throughout the pandemic the National Health Service has encouraged children,

young people and their families to continue accessing services should they need it.

The NHS is working to ensure that services continue to be available for patients. This

includes access the paediatric bladder and bowel services.

Using the Child Protection Information System (CPIS), NHS England and NHS

Improvement can track children who have a protection plan or looked after status.

However, it should be noted that CPIS does not have a specific medical diagnosis for

bladder or bowel conditions.

Parkinson's Disease: Mental Health Services

Mary Glindon: [59450]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure

people with Parkinson's can access psychological therapies during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries:

National Health Service mental health services have remained open for business

throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, including delivering support digitally and over the

phone where possible. In doing so, the NHS has been clear on the importance of

maintaining face to face care for those patients who need it, and of patient choice in

determining suitability for digital appointments.

When delivering face to face appointments, mental health services are expected to

follow the latest guidance on the use of personal protective equipment in healthcare

settings to support infection prevention and control. Services will be further enabled

by the roll out of the NHS Test and Trace service to reduce transmission risk and

deliver face to face services in as safe a way as possible.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has in place to

ensure that mental health service providers are able to meet the demand for

psychological services from people with Parkinson's who have not been able to access

those services during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries:

The National Health Service has issued guidance to services to support them in

managing demand and capacity across inpatient and community mental health

services and keeping services open for business.





There is broad consensus that there is the potential for an increase in demand and

we are working with the NHS, Public Health England and other key partners to gather

evidence and assess the potential longer-term mental health impacts and plan for

how to support mental health and wellbeing throughout the ‘recovery’ phase.



ensure that people with Parkinson's who do not have access to a digital device and have

symptoms of dysarthria are able to access psychological therapies during the covid-19

outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries:

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the National Health Service has been clear on

the importance of maintaining face to face care for those patients who need it, and of

patient choice in determining suitability for digital appointments.

When delivering face to face appointments, mental health services are expected to

follow the latest guidance on the use of personal protective equipment in healthcare

settings to support infection prevention and control. Services will be further enabled

by the roll out of the NHS Test and Trace service to reduce transmission risk and

deliver face to face services in as safe a way as possible.



support (a) carers and (b) family members of people with Parkinson's experiencing

distressing hallucinations during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately:

As set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline

‘Parkinson’s disease in adults’, published in July 2017, symptoms such as

hallucinations are an increased risk for people taking some Parkinson’s disease

medications. The guidance sets out that people with Parkinson’s disease should have

a comprehensive care plan agreed between themselves, their family members and

carers and specialist and secondary healthcare providers. Family members and

carers (as appropriate) should be provided with information about the condition, their

entitlement to a Carer’s Assessment and the support services available. Patients

should be regularly reviewed and offered an accessible point of contact with

specialist services. The guidance can be found at the following link:

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71/resources/parkinsons-disease-in-adults-pdf-

1837629189061

As a result of COVID-19, digital and remote general practitioner consultations and

outpatient appointments as means to support patients, where clinically appropriate,

have become the norm across England. Providers have been rolling out remote

consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services as a priority,

including for those with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.



http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71/resources/parkinsons-disease-in-adults-pdf-1837629189061




Where digital and remote consultations are not possible, clinicians should carry out

face to face consultations where necessary.


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he is providing to

(a) carers and (b) family members of people with (i) Parkinson's dementia and (ii)

dementia with Lewy bodies who are experiencing greater levels of agitation in response

to living in lockdown during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately:

We recognise the crucial role that unpaid carers play in supporting people with

conditions like dementia, especially during the pandemic.

On 8 April we published COVID-19 guidance for unpaid carers on GOV.UK to support

carers during the pandemic, which includes general advice on infection control and

caring where someone has symptoms. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-providing-unpaid-

care

We have commissioned research through the National Institute for Health Research

on the best ways to mitigate the psychological and social impact of COVID-19 on

people with dementia living in the community and their family carers. Work has

already started with phased outputs to August 2020.

Pharmacy: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to stop

wholesalers artificially inflating prices to pharmacies during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill:

The costs of branded medicines are controlled by the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for

Branded Medicines Pricing and Access and the statutory scheme for branded

medicines.





availability of medicines for UK patients.

Companies should not capitalise on the current COVID-19 situation by charging

unjustifiably high prices for drugs and other supplies. Concerns about pricing abuse

are a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority.







Vaccination: Coronavirus

Tim Farron: [48379]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of

the number of civil servants working on the (a) development and (b) distribution of a

covid-19 vaccine.

Jo Churchill:

[Holding answer 2 June 2020]: The Department has not made an estimate of the

number of civil servants working on development and distribution of a COVID-19

vaccine because it is a cross-Government effort, covering all aspects of vaccine

development and delivery, and includes people from a wide range of departments

and organisations, led by the new Vaccines Taskforce.

This includes, but is not limited to, civil servants in the Department for Business,

Energy, and Industrial Strategy, the Department of Health and Social Care, the

Department for International Development, Her Majesty’s Treasury and Cabinet

Office. This is in addition to people in the Medical Research Council looking at early

stage Research and Development, the National Institute for Health Research

supporting clinical trials, the Office for Life Sciences on working with industry, and

those in Public Health England working on areas such as vaccine procurement,

contracting, and training.

HOME OFFICE

Arrests: Domestic Abuse


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests there have

been as a result of domestic violence in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers in each

police force worked solely on domestic violence in each of the last five years.

Kit Malthouse:

This information is publicly available on www.gov.uk

Children: Domestic Abuse

Daniel Kawczynski: [59718]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is

taking to tackle child to parent abuse.

Victoria Atkins:

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of domestic abuse. On 3 March

2020 we reintroduced the landmark draft Domestic Abuse Bill alongside a wide-

ranging package of measures to protect and support victims. The Bill has recently






passed Committee stage. Our statutory definition of domestic abuse recognises that

abuse can also involve wider family members, including parental abuse by an

adolescent or grown child or between older siblings.

In 2015 the Government published an information guide on adolescent to parent

violence and abuse, which provides materials and advice to support professionals in

the police, the health system, the justice system, the education system, youth

services.

The Government has also committed to draw together best practice and develop

training and resources to improve the response to victims of adolescent to parent

violence; this work is ongoing.

Coronavirus: Disease Control


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made

of the ability of different police forces to implement regional covid-19 lockdowns

consistently.

Kit Malthouse:

The Home Secretary holds regular meetings with policing partners about a range of

issues linked to the response to Covid-19 and the ability of the police to respond

effectively.

In addition, we are working with other government departments and the Joint

Biosecurity Centre (JBC) to develop the framework for the local management of

further outbreaks.

As this work continues, we will maintain our close working relationship with the police

to fully understand the impact on local forces.

Crime: Gambling


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests for acquisitive

crimes there have been where the arrested person cited debts from gambling as the

reason for that crime in each of the last five years.

Mr Richard Holden: [R] [59909]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value was of (a) cash

and (b) goods stolen from acquisitive crime where the arrested person cited debts from (i)

gambling and (ii) gambling addiction as the reason for their criminal activity in each of the

last five years.

Kit Malthouse:

The Home Office does not hold the information requested centrally.





EU Nationals: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: [61835]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the

Government has made of the compatibility of the changes to the Immigration Rules for

Northern Ireland announced on 14 May 2020 with Government commitments under the

New Decade New Approach deal to bring domestic UK immigration rules in line with the

Good Friday Agreement; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of

bringing forward the date of the EU settlement scheme applications for Northern Ireland

from 24 August 2020.

Kevin Foster:

The statement of changes to the Immigration Rules laid before Parliament on 14 May

will amend the EU Settlement Scheme so family members of the people of Northern

Ireland can apply for immigration status on broadly the same terms as family

members of Irish citizens.  This delivers the commitment made in the New Decade,

New Approach agreement which restored the Northern Ireland Executive in January

2020.

Those living in Northern Ireland and currently eligible for leave under the EU

Settlement Scheme have been able to make an application since the scheme opened

fully in March 2019. In order for relevant operational preparations to be made for the

changes announced on 14 May, applications from relevant family members of the

people of Northern Ireland can be made from 24 August.

Home Office: Written Questions

Hywel Williams: [13432]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to

Questions 7123 and 7124 on Immigration: EU Nationals, tabled on 23 January 2020 by

the hon. Member for Arfon.

Kevin Foster:

The responses for UIN 7123 and 7124 were given on 24th June 2020.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Jamie Stone: [3285]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EEA (a) nationals and

(b) family members have permanent residence in the UK.

Jamie Stone: [3286]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion

of EEA nationals that applied for permanent residence (a) applied for and (b) were

granted settled status.






Jamie Stone: [3287]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EEA nationals that

applied for permanent residence (a) applied for and (b) were granted British Citizenship.

Jamie Stone: [3288]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is

taking to ensure that EEA nationals with permanent residence apply for (a) settled status

or (b) British citizenship before 30 June 2021.

Kevin Foster:

The latest published information on decisions on applications for permanent

residence documents by EEA nationals and their family members can be found in the

Home Office’s quarterly ‘Immigration Statistics’ publication, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-

2020.

Specifically, table ee_02_q ‘Issue and refusal of residence documentation (excluding

EU Settlement Scheme) to EEA nationals and their family members, by country of

nationality’ available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-

march-2020/list-of-tables#european-economic-area-eea.

The latest published information on EU Settlement Scheme applications received and

decided can be found in the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme monthly statistics’

available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-may-2020.

The total number of EUSS applications received up to 31 May 2020 was more than

3.6 million (3,612,400).

The latest published information on applications and decisions in respect of British

citizenship can be found in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Immigration Statistics’

publication, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-

2020

Specifically, datasets Cit_D01 – Applications for British citizenship, by application

type and nationality and Cit_D02 – Grants of British citizenship, by application type,

nationality, sex and age available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-

march-2020/list-of-tables#citizenship.

In order to ensure resident EEA nationals and their family members understand how

and by when to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, the Home Office has put in

place a comprehensive communications and engagement plan, using all available

channels to reach our audiences – such as marketing, presentations, email updates,

toolkits and webinars.



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#european-economic-area-eea



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-may-2020

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-may-2020




https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#citizenship




The Home Office delivered a £4 million marketing campaign last year to encourage

resident EEA nationals to apply and further campaign activity was undertaken earlier

this year. Alongside this, we have also undertaken extensive engagement and

outreach with stakeholder groups, including employers, local authorities and

community organisations. No-one will be left behind, which is why we are working in

partnership with representatives of vulnerable groups and other experts to make sure

everyone knows what they need to do and has the right level of support.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Neale Hanvey: [23399]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the funding allocated to

charitable organisations to support vulnerable EU citizens to apply for EU Settled Status

will be continued beyond March 2020.

Kevin Foster:

The current grant funded organisations have had their funding extended until

September 2020. In March, the Home Office announced a further £8 million would be

made available to ensure funding for support organisations could continue through to

March 2021. A new grant scheme has been launched and the bidding process

started in May 2020.

Neale Hanvey: [23400]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps will be taken by UK

Border Force to ascertain whether EU citizens entering the UK have settled status after

the transition period.

Kevin Foster:

After the Transition Period EU citizens will not be routinely asked to prove they have

been granted status under the EU Settlement scheme in order to re-enter the UK, but

systems will be in place to allow border officials to make such checks where

necessary.

Once the new points-based immigration system is fully introduced, Border Force will

be able to identify those individuals granted status digitally without the need for the

individual to provide evidence.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is

taking to increase the proportion of EU27 citizens in Wales who apply for settled status.


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will increase

the number of scanning centres in Wales to improve access for EU27 citizens applying

for settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme.






Kevin Foster:

The latest published information shows more than 3.6 million EU Settlement Scheme

applications had been received up to 31 May 2020. Of these, 59,400 applications had

been received in Wales. The latest figures can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics.

In order to ensure resident EEA and Swiss nationals, and their family members,

understand how and by when to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, the Home

Office has put in place a comprehensive communications and engagement plan,

using all available channels to reach our audiences – such as marketing,

presentations, email updates, toolkits and webinars.

The Home Office has delivered a £4 million marketing campaign to encourage

resident EEA and Swiss nationals to apply. During the first burst of campaign activity

billboards were placed in 186 locations in Wales with 50% of these posters in Welsh

and 50% in English.

No-one will be left behind, which is why we are working in partnership with

representatives of vulnerable groups and other expert organisations to make sure the

right level of support is available. This includes £9 million of funding awarded last

year to 57 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK to assist

vulnerable and at-risk EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members. Five

organisations are providing support for EEA and Swiss citizens in Wales: Newport

Mind Association, Tros Gynnal Plant, International Organisation for Migration, Royal

Association for Deaf People, and Rights of Women.

There are multiple ways applicants can have their identity documents checked as

part of the application process, including using the EU Exit: ID Document Check

smartphone app or by posting identity documents to the Home Office.

The identity document scanner locations are currently closed due to the COVID

pandemic, following the latest public health guidance to protect staff. However, the

Home Office and its delivery partners are keeping this situation under constant review

and will endeavour to reinstate identity document scanner locations to their original

capacity in line with public health guidance.

Marriage: Licences


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to

reopen registry offices as part of the lifting of covid-19 lockdown restrictions to enable

couples to obtain a licence to marry.

Kevin Foster:

The local registration service in England and Wales has been advised notices of

intention to marry or form a civil partnership can be taken where these can be safely

delivered in line with public health and local authority guidelines.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics



Marriage: Registration


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has

to reopen registry offices to enable registration of an intention to marry.

Chris Philp:

The local registration service in England has been advised that they can open to take

notices of intention to marry where these can be safely delivered in line with public

health and local authority guidelines. Restrictions in Wales have not yet been lifted.

Migrant Workers: Visas


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to

reverse her Department's plans to not issue visas to low-skilled migrants in response to

the covid-19 pandemic.

Kevin Foster:

We will not be introducing a route for employers to recruit at or near the legal

minimum wage those the member believes are “low-skilled migrants” based on job

offers which do not meet the requirements of the new skilled worker route.

Immigration policies should be considered as part of, not as an alternative to, efforts

to get those UK based workers who have lost their employment due to the impacts of

Covid-19 back into work or ensuring those who work in key roles are offered

appropriate salary packages.

Opiates: Crime


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department

has made of the level of illegal use of (a) fentanyl and (b) other opioids in the UK.

Kit Malthouse:

59687: Information relating to the number of illicit opiate users in England is provided

in these data tables, published by Public Health

England: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opiate-and-crack-cocaine-use-

prevalence-estimates-for-local-populations. Equivalent data for the other countries of

the UK is not available.

No estimate has been made by the Home Office of illegal use of fentanyl in the UK.

Passports

Kate Osborne: [61810]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what security safeguards have

been put in place since UK passport production was moved from De La Rue in the UK to

Gemalto in France in 2016.






Kevin Foster:

There are a range of safeguards in place to protect the security of the passport

service throughout the change of supplier. This has included assuring the sites used

by Thales (formerly Gemalto) to produce the UK passport against the UK Security

Policy Framework. In addition, they have been independently certified to the

international standard for the Management of Security Printing Processes, ISO 14298

and the international standard for Information Security Management, ISO27001.

All passports continue to be personalised with the passport holder’s personal details

such as name and photograph, in the United Kingdom. This ensures no personal

data leaves the UK.

The outgoing supplier has maintained the required standards of security throughout

the transition, with agreed plans in place for the secure decommissioning and

destruction of the assets from this service.

Police: Dismissal and Disciplinary Proceedings


To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have

been (a) dismissed and (b) disciplined for using excessive force in (i) each of the last five

years and (ii) 2020, by police force.

Kit Malthouse:

This information is publicly available on www.gov.uk

Sexual Offences

Karen Bradley: [R] [58699]


of the potential merits of imposing restrictions on the online activity of convicted sex

offenders.

Victoria Atkins:

The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and

we are committed to ensuring that the system is as robust as it can be. The

Government believes that the current legislation provides a sufficiently robust

framework to allow the police to monitor sex offenders and minimise the likelihood of

reoffending. We keep this legislation under constant review to ensure that law

enforcement continues to have the tools it needs to tackle the evolving threat of

online exploitation.

Under current legislation, sex offenders can have a range of restrictions placed on

them depending on what the court deems necessary to protect the public. This can

include; a condition that the individual cannot use any computer unless specialist

computer monitoring software is installed on it; prohibiting the offender from using

any device capable of accessing the internet unless it has the capacity to retain and

display the history of internet use; the offender makes the device available on request




for inspection by a police officer; and prohibiting the offender from deleting their

internet history.

Visas: Coronavirus

Patrick Grady: [59814]


of the potential merits of extending all visa categories to compensate for the time lost

during the covid-19 lockdown.

Kevin Foster:

This government has taken the unprecedented measure of extending visas until 31

July in order to support people unable to leave the UK, due to circumstances outside

of their control.

The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by

the covid-19 outbreak, full details of which are published on GOV.UK at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-

temporary-uk-residents.

We continue to monitor the situation closely and take exceptional circumstances into

account.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliament: Coronavirus


To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of

Commons Commission, how many Parliamentary staff have tested positive for covid-19;

what support is available to those staff members; and if he will make a statement.

Pete Wishart:

Testing is available to all staff of the House where they or a member of their

household are symptomatic. Testing is arranged directly by the individual, who then

receives the results directly. The records held by the House will only indicate whether

the member of staff is available for work or not. The full range of HR and wellbeing

support remains available for staff at all times.

Parliamentary Estate: Coronavirus


To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of

Commons Commission, how many hand sanitising stations there were on the

Parliamentary Estate in each of the last five years.

Pete Wishart:

Prior to March 2020 hand sanitiser was not centrally supplied or offered as standard.

Individual departments (eg Security) sometimes had their own supply according to





their requirements. In total there are 49 freestanding units and 28 wall-mounted

dispensers across the House of Commons estate.

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Business Improvement Districts: Coronavirus

Sir Greg Knight: [61672]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what

guidance his Department has issued to local authorities acting as billing authorities in

Business Improvement Districts that wish to (a) suspend, (b) alter and (c) reduce that levy

during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Greg Knight: [61673]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with

reference to the Local Government Act 2003, if he will take steps to enable local

authorities to (a) waive, (b) cancel and (c) discount levies in relation to Business

Improvement Districts.

Mr Simon Clarke:

[Holding answer 24 June 2020]: Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have a

significant role to play in high street regeneration and will be even more important in

the recovery from the current crisis.

That is why Government has introduced up to £6.1 million in funding. The funding is

intended to cover the equivalent of three months’ of core operational costs and is

based on a fair percentage of a BID's levy income from each BID’s operating year

ending in 2019/20.

My department undertook a light-touch information gathering exercise to collect

information needed from local authorities to prepare and process the section 31

grants. Following this information gathering exercise, the first batch of grant

payments to 70 local authorities were paid out early in the week commencing 2 June.

Other batches will follow shortly.

All local authorities who have submitted information to us by the initial deadline of 15

May should receive funding this month. We will provide funding to others as soon as

possible.

We have encouraged local authorities to be pragmatic in the collection of BID levies

while acknowledging that they have a statutory obligation to issue the BID levy

invoices. The BIDs support funding will enable authorities to take a more flexible

approach to the collection of BID levies at this difficult time for many businesses.

This funding is in addition to passing legislation which enables BIDs to extend the

maximum duration of their BID arrangements until 31 March 2021. This allows

businesses to focus on recovery from economic shock before deciding whether to




participate in BID arrangements for the following 5-year period, and allows BIDs to

coordinate their places’ recovery

We will continue to work closely with the sector to look at how further we can support

BIDs, and the businesses that contribute to them, during this time.

Domestic Abuse: Hotels


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether

his Department will allocate funding to the provision of empty hotel rooms to house

people fleeing domestic abuse during the covid-19 outbreak.

Luke Hall:

On 5 June my Department announced the allocation of £8.15 million funding to 147

refuge charities through 103 successful bids as part of the £10 million MHCLG

Domestic Abuse Emergency Support Fund. This funding will re-open bedspaces

which are currently closed due to COVID-19, as well as creating 1210 more

bedspaces to support more victims of domestic abuse. The remaining £1.85 million of

the Fund has been reopened for applications. This will enable refuge charities to

continue to respond during the crisis.

My Department have also put in place a system to enable local authorities who need

additional accommodation to meet demand during the pandemic to book rooms for

domestic abuse victims through Crown Commercial Services.

An additional £3.2 billion has been provided to support councils in responding to the

coronavirus pandemic, including supporting vulnerable people.

Private Rented Housing


To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what

guidance his Department has provided for the (a) letting and (b) management of houses

in multiple occupation in the private rented sector.

Christopher Pincher:

The Government has produced a raft of guidance on the letting and management of

houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

• Our guidance for landlords and tenants on their rights and responsibilities sets out

what makes a property an HMO, which HMOs require licences, how to apply for a

licence and the legal obligations landlords and agents have. This can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/landlord-and-tenant-rights-and-

responsibilities-in-the-private-rented-sector.

• Further guidance for landlords and managing agents on how to apply for an HMO

licence can be found at https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence.



https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Flandlord-and-tenant-rights-and-responsibilities-in-the-private-rented-sector&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C20b94e80db59400c1b0108d8175cbe95%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637285034379450377&sdata=pY1aNX8KL1H78ADOBQL2RaSsRHGAg2Cv%2FF4dEOO1XLI%3D&reserved=0



https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fhouse-in-multiple-occupation-licence&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C20b94e80db59400c1b0108d8175cbe95%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637285034379460333&sdata=4ZJUesbBrrc0mSnHvXqrD7DObgihYeJ5ZyIdnfaH%2Bc4%3D&reserved=0

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fhouse-in-multiple-occupation-licence&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C20b94e80db59400c1b0108d8175cbe95%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637285034379460333&sdata=4ZJUesbBrrc0mSnHvXqrD7DObgihYeJ5ZyIdnfaH%2Bc4%3D&reserved=0


• Landlords can also consult our specific guidance for tenants on HMOs, which can

be found at https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/houses-in-multiple-occupation.

• Landlords may also be interested in our guidance on HMO licence reform for local

authorities, which can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/houses-in-multiple-occupation-and-

residential-property-licensing-reform-guidance-for-local-housing-authorities.

• We’ve also produced guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities in the

private and social rented sectors in the context of COVID-19. This guidance covers

shared homes including HMOs and can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-

landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities.

Reopening High Streets Safely Fund

Steve Reed: [61715]

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant

to the Answer of 18 June 2020 to Question 59479, on Reopening High Streets Safely

Fund, what assessment his Department has made of the compatibility of the criteria of

the Re-opening High Streets Safely Fund with the Equality Act 2010.

Mr Simon Clarke:

[Holding answer 24 June 2020]: The public sector equality duty is complied with at

programme level for the European Regional Development Fund in England. This

compliance applies to all projects funded by the programme, including the Reopening

High Streets Safely Fund (RHSSF). Local authorities will be subject to that duty in

delivering this additional targeted funding. The RHSSF is targeted at specific ERDF

programme priorities, and is not designed to fund all of the activities covered by the

Safer Public Places guidance published on 13 May.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Department for International Development: Renewable Energy


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many (a) solar panels

and (b) wind turbines her Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of

the last five years.

Nigel Adams:

DFID has two Headquarter buildings in the UK: one at 22 Whitehall and the other at

Abercrombie House, East Kilbride.

Neither of the headquarter buildings have (a) solar panels nor (b) wind turbines.

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fprivate-renting%2Fhouses-in-multiple-occupation&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C20b94e80db59400c1b0108d8175cbe95%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637285034379460333&sdata=Dgi2X%2BAGkR9%2FORwEDVPAg6NfBjNfbTqn001kruWf2ko%3D&reserved=0

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fprivate-renting%2Fhouses-in-multiple-occupation&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C20b94e80db59400c1b0108d8175cbe95%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637285034379460333&sdata=Dgi2X%2BAGkR9%2FORwEDVPAg6NfBjNfbTqn001kruWf2ko%3D&reserved=0

https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fhouses-in-multiple-occupation-and-residential-property-licensing-reform-guidance-for-local-housing-authorities&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C20b94e80db59400c1b0108d8175cbe95%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637285034379470294&sdata=MCBOH6PijNZpitdfVGm9wrhUX9bSTDMF%2F7H1h6lojbE%3D&reserved=0



https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fcovid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities&data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C20b94e80db59400c1b0108d8175cbe95%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637285034379470294&sdata=ioDO%2FdobfOB7TtUurm0jMP7HFddwD3HMFp3aq1sq05A%3D&reserved=0






Department for International Development: Reorganisation


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with which civil society and

development partners she held discussions on the potential merger of her Department

with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before the decision to merge the

Departments was made.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan:

The Prime Minister has decided to merge the Department for International

Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to form a new international

department – the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The Government

will continue to engage closely with interested stakeholders, including UK and

international NGOs, in the weeks and months to come as we work to create the new

department, which will unite our development expertise and first class diplomatic

service to make the UK a greater force for good in the world.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate her

Department has made of the cost to the public purse of a potential loss in productivity as

a result of combining her Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.


The Government will implement the creation of the new Foreign Commonwealth and

Development Office in the most cost-effective way possible. This is primarily about

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

positive impact around the world. By aligning our efforts, we 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.

Independent Commission for Aid Impact


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the Government's

plans are for the Independent Commission for Aid Impact after the merger of her

Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.


The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be accountable to

parliament for how it spends UK aid. We remain committed to full transparency in our

aid spending and there will continue to be parliamentary and independent scrutiny of

the aid budget – the form this takes following the merger will be set out in due course.





Israel: Palestinians

Dr Matthew Offord: [60746]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of

11 June 2020 to Question 54900 on Israel: Palestinians, which other suppliers submitted

proposals for that project at the design phase.

James Cleverly:

No other suppliers submitted proposals for our people to people programme. DFID

has a range of procurement options available when developing programmes. One of

these is to award an Accountable Grant to a not-for-profit organisation, which is a

non-competitive process. While many organisations are clearly performing excellent

work in different fields of people to people work, Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

approached DFID and proposed a comprehensive programme based on international

best-practice. Based on our research, we judged that the SFCG proposal was the

best fit for the outcomes that we wished to pursue, and therefore awarded SFCG an

accountable grant to take the project forward.

Having SFCG as the sole implementer also offered a cost-effective approach to

managing the unique risks associated with the delivery of the people to people

programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. SFCG delivered some activities

directly and worked through partners in areas requiring specialist expertise.

Nigeria: Agriculture


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will identify NGOs that

are running effective reconciliation programmes between farmers and herders in Nigeria

and allocate funding to them to support the capacity building of their programmes.

James Duddridge:

We are deeply concerned by the inter-communal violence in Nigeria and the

devastating impact that this has had on affected communities, including heavy loss of

life. We continue to call for a solution that meets the needs of all the communities

affected. DFID is designing a programme to address natural resource conflicts

between farmers and herders, which may include support to non-governmental

organisations. We value the important role NGOs play in supporting affected

communities in Nigeria, and we will continue to work alongside them where possible.

Staff from the British High Commission in Abuja are actively engaged on the ground.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, along with staff, visited Plateau State in

December 2019 to further discuss the situation with the Governor, as well as

Christian and Muslim faith leaders. They also met NGOs working on reconciliation to

discuss the situation and the efforts they are taking to address it.




Occupied Territories: Overseas Aid

Andrew Percy: [60732]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has

made of the implications for her policies of recent reports by NGO Monitor that UK aid

dispensed by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs to support

coronavirus relief efforts in the West Bank and Gaza has been sent to organisations with

links to terrorism.


To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has

had with her international counterparts on reports by NGO Monitor that funds from the

Covid-19 emergency response plan for the West Bank and Gaza have been allocated to

NGOs with ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.



made of the implications for value for money of reports by NGO Monitor that UK aid

distributed by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs to support

covid-19 relief efforts in the West Bank and Gaza has been allocated to organisations

involved in political activism for the purpose of funding politically motivated letters and

press releases.



made of the implications for the efficacy of UK aid of reports by NGO Monitor that the UN

Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs has distributed funds for Covid-19

relief efforts to organisations that employ members of the Popular Front for the Liberation

of Palestine.

James Cleverly:

The UK maintains robust measures to ensure that UK aid is not diverted. DFID’s

funding agreements also commit partners to understand and comply with UK and

international counter terrorism legislation.

No UK funds have been provided to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of

Humanitarian Affairs for COVID-19 relief efforts in the Occupied Palestinian

Territories (OPTs). The UK has provided £840,000 to WHO and UNICEF to help

respond to COVID-19 in the OPTs. This funding did not go to any other partners and

was used to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical

care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing

capacity.






Yemen: Coronavirus

Mr Gregory Campbell: [61674]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make

representations to the World Health Organisation on publishing a detailed analysis of the

covid 19 outbreak in Yemen.

James Cleverly:

The World Health Organisation already works with the UN Office for the Coordination

of Humanitarian Affairs to produce regular analysis on the COVID-19 outbreak in

Yemen. Their most recent update can be found online here:

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-covid-19-preparedness-and-response-

snapshot-13-june-2020-enar.

Additionally, my officials remain in close and regular contact with the World Health

Organisation in Yemen to discuss the latest COVID-19 developments and ways of

improving the humanitarian response.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Agriculture: Exports

Simon Baynes: [59903]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to promote

UK agriculture exports.

Graham Stuart:

Our food and drink sector is vital to our economy. In 2019, exports increased by

nearly 5% to £23.7bn.

We want to see this success continue and on 22 June we launched, with the

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a ‘Bounce Back’ package which

includes facilitated UKEF access for SMEs and export masterclasses and webinars.

This package of focused activity will further boost our trade efforts for the agricultural

sector and prepare for the new opportunities presented by our future Free Trade

Agreements.

Trade Agreements: Coronavirus

Dr Luke Evans: [60874]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of

the effectiveness of using digital platforms to progress trade negotiations during the

covid-19 pandemic.

Greg Hands:

This Government aims to agree Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries

accounting for 80% of current UK trade within the next three years.





We have used digital platforms to launch our negotiation programme with the priority

countries of the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. These negotiations are now

proceeding at pace on a remote basis mirroring the long-established structures for

engagement on trade.

Trade Agreements: Food


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure

that UK food standards will not be lowered as part of future trade deals.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena:

HM Government has made it clear that any future trade deals must work for British

consumers, farmers and companies. We are proud of our high standards in food

safety and these will not be weakened. High standards and high quality are what our

domestic and global customers demand, and that is what we will provide.

It is vital that we explore new trading opportunities, but these should not mean a

dilution of the standards for which British food is world-renowned. The EU Withdrawal

Act transfers all existing EU food safety provisions on to the statute book and we

remain firmly committed to upholding our high food safety standards.

Uk Export Finance: Arms Trade


To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what processes her Department

has put in place to monitor UK Export Finance's distribution of the £1 billion fund

allocated to support overseas buyers of UK defence and security goods and services.

Graham Stuart:

In the March 2020 budget, UK Export Finance (UKEF) was allocated £1 billion of

direct lending capacity for defence and security projects, within its £8 billion overall

direct lending capacity. This £1 billion of direct lending is subject to the same

monitoring processes as UKEF’s overall direct lending facility.

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice: Ethnic Groups

Mike Amesbury: [60860]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to review racial

inequalities in access to justice.

Alex Chalk:

Access to justice is a fundamental right and one which this government is committed

to protecting. We want people to have confidence in a justice system that is fair, open

and accessible– one where no person faces discrimination and access to justice is

available for all.





We undertake equalities assessments of the direct and indirect impact on racial

inequality of policy changes we bring forward relating to access to justice, in line with

our duties under the Equality Act 2010. In addition, we engage with stakeholders who

represent particular communities to ensure our policy development remains alive to

issues raised.

In response to the Lammy Review we have already committed to embedding a

programme of work to address racial disparity within the Criminal Justice System,

and we remain committed to addresses inequalities across the justice system,

including in relation to access to justice.

Community Orders

Peter Kyle: [61746]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many breaches of community orders

imposed by (a) youth, (b) family, and (c) all courts have (i) been processed and (i) are

outstanding since 23 March 2020.

Chris Philp:

We cannot provide information from the beginning of 2020, as that information forms

a subset of the Criminal Justice Statistics data that is part of Ministry of Justice’s

(MoJ) National Statistics output, which will be published later in 2020 (quarter 1 2020

is due for publication in August 2020) in line with the Code of Practice for statistics.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused MoJ to change its data gathering, access and

release practices, focusing efforts on priority analysis and statistics. Their statement

explains this further.

Gambling: Crime


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people are in custody for acquisitive

crimes associated with gambling addiction.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people are in custody on (a) remand

and (b) as a result of a conviction for acquisitive crimes associated with gambling

addiction.

Alex Chalk:

In answering these questions we have interpreted people who are in custody for

acquisitive crimes associated with gambling addiction as people who are in custody

for these crimes because of their gambling addiction.

It has not been possible to estimate the numbers of people who are in custody for

acquisitive crimes because of their gambling addiction, and the numbers of people

who are remanded in custody post-conviction for these crimes, because this specific

data could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost to the department.


https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/statistics

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/statistics




Justice and Security Act 2013

Mr Andrew Mitchell: [60691]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has appointed a reviewer to

undertake the review of the operation of sections 6 to 11 of the Justice and Security Act

2013, as required by section 13 of that Act.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to announce the review of the

operation of sections 6 to 11 of the Justice and Security Act 2013, as required by section

13 of that Act to be begun as soon as reasonably practicable five years after section 6 of

that Act came into force in 2013.


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he will accord the review of sections 6

to 11 of the Justice and Security Act 2013 the status of a full public consultation.

Alex Chalk:

I can advise that discussions are still ongoing and an announcement will be made in

due course.

Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June to Question

54062, how much funding is being made available to support the Government’s provision

of accommodation for individuals released from prison who are at risk of homelessness.

Lucy Frazer:

The Ministry of Justice has secured up to £8.5 million to support individuals at risk of

homelessness on their release from prison for up to eight weeks and help to move on

into permanent accommodation. This scheme was originally due to run until 26th

June. We have recently undertaken a first review and, following this, have extended

the scheme until 31 July.

This project will help ensure vulnerable ex-offenders at risk of homelessness will get

the vital support they need to stay safe during the Covid-19 period and find suitable

accommodation and continue their rehabilitation during the pandemic. This will help

improve outcomes for ex-offenders and increase the chances of seeing fewer victims

of crime in the future.

Prisoners: GCE A-level and GCSE


To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to to provide (a)

examinations and (b) assessments in the next three months for registered prison learners

studying at (i) GCSE and (ii) A level (A) in prison education departments and (B) via

distance learning.







Lucy Frazer:

In accordance with advice from Public Health England (PHE) and in order to keep all

staff and prisoners safe, temporary measures have been introduced during the

pandemic to restrict prison regimes and cease all non-essential activities involving

groups of people. This includes education. We have, however, been working hard to

maintain education service delivery across the prison estate. Dynamic Purchasing

System (DPS) and Prison Education Framework (PEF) providers have worked to

provide in cell activity, distraction material and learning packs for as many prisoners

as possible. We will work with providers to resume education in accordance with

advice from PHE over the coming months.

We have also been working with the Open University (OU) to enable the continuation

of distance learning in prisons. Processes are in place to ensure that prisoners obtain

learning materials and that assignments are returned to the OU for assessment.

With regard to the youth secure estate the Youth Custody Service (YCS) is

continuously assessing the situation, and is keen to expand the regime as soon as it

is safe and sustainable to do so. Whilst this will not be immediate, the YCS are

looking to restarting particular aspects of regime over the coming weeks and months,

including increased education, in a safe and managed approach whilst noting the

latest available guidance.

The recently published recovery framework for prisons outlines how services

(including education) will start to recover from the restrictions imposed in response to

COVID-19 in prisons, and how these restrictions can be cautiously rolled back over

the coming weeks and months. The Framework was published on GOV.UK and can

be accessed via the following link;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-

regimes-and-services

Prisons: Coronavirus

Kenny MacAskill: [59254]

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison staff

(a) in administrative grades or (b) employed as instructional officers are currently (i)

working remotely, (ii) shielding, or (iii) attending prison establishments, by grade; and if

he will make a statement.

Lucy Frazer:

The vast majority of operational staff in prisons continue to attend the workplace – for

these staff we are providing Personal Protective Equipment where appropriate.

We are unable to provide data on the total number of prison staff working remotely as

this data is collected by exception. However, we are able to provide the number of

staff who are working from home and are unable fulfil all of their usual duties outside

of their usual place of work for Covid-19 related reasons. We are also able to provide

what data we do have as a proportion of our overall headcount of staff.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services





Of those, and as of 12 June, the number and proportion of public sector prison staff in

administrative grades and employed as instructional officers working remotely or not

working are as below:

WORKING FROM HOME NOT WORKING

(a) in administrative grades 19 0% 336 7%

(b) instructional officers

(excludes vocational

instructors)

~ 0% 98 8%

We do not hold information centrally on the number and proportion of prison staff who

are shielding.

Data Sources & Quality

Source: HMPPS COVID-19 absences data collection

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.

Excludes staff who have been reported absent from work but it is not clear if the staff

member continues to work remotely or not.

These figures have been drawn from the HMPPS COVID-19 data collection. Care is

taken when processing and analysing returns but the detail is subject to the

inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Although shown to the last

case, the figures may not be accurate to that level. This data has been self-reported

and has not yet been checked against our central databases

NORTHERN IRELAND

[Subject Heading to be Assigned]

Kerry McCarthy: [903620]

When he plans to issue guidance to businesses on the steps they will need to take under

the Northern Ireland Protocol.


When he plans to issue guidance to businesses on the steps they will need to take under

the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Brandon Lewis:

The Government is committed to having regular detailed discussions with business

about how the Protocol is implemented and to support preparation for the end of the

transition period.




Our Command Paper sets out clearly the approach we will take. We will publish

guidance for business this summer, and proactively communicate how processes will

change.

Jim Shannon: [903639]

What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on support for

implementing the payment scheme for victims of the Troubles.

Brandon Lewis:

I have written to - and had meetings with - the First and deputy First Minister on this

issue and will continue to engage with the Executive as a matter of urgency to try and

unblock progress.

My officials have been offering support to assist the Executive Office in making

progress on implementation.

Victims have waited too long already and we will continue to prioritise supporting the

Executive’s delivery of this scheme. The current framework provides a fair, balanced

and proportionate basis for helping those who suffered most throughout the Troubles.

It is therefore imperative that Sinn Féin enable the scheme to move forward by

agreeing with all the other parties and designating a department.

TRANSPORT

Air Traffic: Electric Vehicles


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

support electric short-haul flights in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The Government supports the development of new aviation technology such as

electric aircraft. We are providing £125m of funding to the Future Flight Challenge

and supported the Civil Aviation Authority establish an Innovation Hub to engage with

innovative aviation companies. Government will consult on Aviation and Climate

Change later this year.

Cars

Andy Slaughter: [59712]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether a

scrappage scheme that allowed older cars to be swapped for new diesel and petrol cars

would be compatible with the Government’s commitment to phase out sales of those

vehicles by 2035.

Rachel Maclean:

The Government has no current plans to introduce a scrappage scheme. We are

investing around £2.5bn, with grants available for ultra-low emission vehicles, as





well as funding to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces, on

residential streets and across the wider roads network. We are consulting on bringing

forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2035,

or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible, as well as including hybrids for the

first time. By talking to stakeholders about the best way to achieve that ambition, we

will more easily be able to identify what measures would be needed to support the

transition.

Cycling and Walking: Sheffield

Louise Haigh: [61735]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has

allocated to Sheffield City Council in relation to active travel.

Chris Heaton-Harris:

On the 29th May, indicative allocations to local authorities from the Emergency Active

Travel Fund were published on gov.uk. Sheffield City Region Combined Authority has

been indicatively allocated a total of £7,186,000. The Department will confirm

allocations from tranche 1 of the Emergency Active Travel Fund as soon as possible,

and will invite bids from authorities for tranche 2 of the fund shortly. Before receiving

any funding, authorities must submit satisfactory plans to the Department, and the

amount each authority receives will depend on it satisfying the Department that it has

ambitious plans in place to reallocate road space to cyclists and pedestrians.

Driving Instruction: Coronavirus

Daniel Zeichner: [59789]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to waive the charge for a

trainee driving instructor certificate for individuals who were advised by the DVSA to

rescind their existing certificates.

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.

Trainee driving instructors who have trainee licences that are due to expire and who

are observing Government guidelines not to work, should notify the DVSA as soon as

possible. Trainees do not have to return their licence to the DVSA, but instead they

will need to cut their licence in half and send a photo of the destroyed licence to:

[email protected]

The Registrar will take all information into account, including the current

circumstances, when deciding whether or not to grant a further trainee licence. As the

required checks had previously been conducted it will not be necessary for those

checks to be repeated before a further licence is granted.




There is no provision in legislation to extend the period of a trainee licence beyond

six months or to waive the fee.

Railways


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

improve rail services in (a) Nottinghamshire, (b) the East Midlands, and (c) England.


East Midlands Railway will introduce additional trains in 2021 to bring more carriages

on regional routes and a fully refurbished fleet is planned. The £1.5 billion investment

to deliver the Midland Mail Line Upgrade will enable at least a 70 per cent increase in

seats and quicker peak journeys to London for the Nottinghamshire and the East

Midlands.

In England as a whole, we are currently delivering a significant programme of

investment to upgrade both the infrastructure and the trains on our railway. The

Government is committed to invest around £48 billion in maintaining and upgrading

the rail network in the period from 2019 to 2024, focused on increasing reliability and

punctuality for passengers.

Railways: Chester and North Wales

Dr James Davies: [59833]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on linking railway stations

in (a) North Wales and (b) Chester to Northern Powerhouse Rail.


This month the HS2 Minister will meet with leaders from the Midlands and the North,

to discuss priorities for rail investment. During this meeting the Government will

present an Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands by the end of 2020, which

will look at how to deliver NPR, HS2 Phase 2b, and related connections more

effectively.

Some supporting infrastructure enhancements in this corridor, including line speed

improvements, are already under consideration through industry planning studies and

the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline.

Railways: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: [59836]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on

extending the validity period for Disabled Persons Railcard holders to compensate them

for lack of access to rail services during the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps he is

taking to ensure that the Rail Delivery Group tackles that issue.






The Disabled Persons Railcard is sold and managed by the Rail Delivery Group on

behalf on the rail industry. Therefore, any proposals for amending existing Railcard

policies are for the Rail Delivery Group to bring forward.

The Rail Delivery Group is working with train companies on a number of ways to

assist Railcard holders, in light of the current COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

Departmental officials have been engaging regularly with the Rail Delivery Group as it

considers possible changes to Railcard conditions.

Railways: North Wales


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2020 to

Question 52205, on Rolling Stock: Energy, what steps he is taking to ensure that North

Wales benefits from developments to low carbon rail transport solutions.


Rail decarbonisation will be an important element in the UK’s first Transport

Decarbonisation Plan. The Department is working with Network Rail and the rail

industry to determine which parts of the network are best suited to use of hydrogen

and battery trains and electrification.

Introduction of these technologies will deliver environmental improvements and

benefits for rail users across the rail network. Through the Transport Decarbonisation

Plan the Government will continue to support the UK economy through the

development of expertise on low carbon technologies.

Shipping: Coronavirus


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

facilitate maritime crew changes during the covid-19 pandemic.

Kelly Tolhurst:

The UK has not placed restrictions on the transit and transfer of seafarers. I have

previously written to UN organisations asking for an international solution to this

issue, confirming the UK’s position on crew changes, and also urged other countries

to allow crew changes to take place. The UK has also exempted seafarers from the

quarantine requirements

Mr David Jones: [61679]

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

UK seafarers stranded overseas and awaiting repatriation.

Kelly Tolhurst:

It is estimated that there are approximately 2-2,500 UK seafarers who either are

coming to the end of their contract or will already have had it extended.





Thames Gateway Bridge: Costs


To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected costs for the Thames

Gateway Bridge were; and what recent estimate he has made of the cost of the new

Thames Tunnel.

Rachel Maclean:

As you may be aware, transport in London is devolved. Proposals for river crossings

or tunnels in London are the responsibility of the Mayor.

Tolls

Andy Slaughter: [59711]

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

congestion charging in helping to reduce traffic in towns and cities; and whether his

Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of congestion charging for

helping to control levels of (a) traffic and (b) air pollution as the covid-19 lockdown is

lifted.

Rachel Maclean:

The decision to implement road charging in towns and cities is ultimately one for the

relevant Local Highways Authority. The Mayor of London recently reinstated the

Congestion and Ultra Low Emission Zone charges in the capital as a measure to

manage traffic and air quality.

A number of larger cities are developing proposals for charging Clean Air Zones to

reduce air pollution and our recent rapid call for evidence will ensure we can fully

understand the impact that coronavirus is having on changes in air pollution

emissions, concentrations and exposure.

Wrexham-Bidston Railway Line


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

local stakeholders on the future of the Wrexham to Bidston Railway line.


My Department is actively engaged with Transport for Wales’s work to progress plans

for a North Wales Metro and is providing strategic planning support and guidance on

funding mechanisms.

Interventions to deliver service frequency improvements are currently being

progressed and my officials will continue to engage with regional bodies on wider

proposals and to provide advice on how they might be funded in the future.





TREASURY

[Subject Heading to be Assigned]

John Redwood: [55717]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on (a)

UK output and (b) tax revenues of changing the social distancing guidance from two

metres to one metre.

Kemi Badenoch:

We cannot isolate the impact of shifting from two metres to one metre in the social

distancing guidance on UK output and tax revenues. However, it is clear that Covid-

19 and the wider social distancing measures are having an unprecedented impact on

the economy which has suffered a 20.4% fall in GDP in April.

We recognise the challenges facing businesses in adapting to the Covid-19 guidance

during this time.

It is for this reason that the Prime Minister has commissioned a comprehensive

review of the 2m guidance, which has been published and can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-two-metre-social-distancing-

guidance

As he announced to the House on Tuesday 23 June, where it is not possible to keep

two metres apart, businesses will be able to maintain a social distance of ‘one-metre

plus’ from 4 July, provided that they take precautionary steps to reduce risks to

protect and customers.

The Government continues to publish Covid-secure guidance to help sectors reopen

in the safest way possible, as well as continuing to take robust actions to protect jobs,

income and support businesses while fighting the virus during this challenging and

unique period.

Business: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: [61711]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many of the businesses that closed or

partially closed because of lockdown he expects to be fully open and trading from 1st

July; whether he is aware that HMRC have issued businesses with notices that VAT due

after 30th June cannot be deferred and must be paid in full and on time; and whether he

will make it his policy to extend coronavirus VAT deferral period.

Jesse Norman:

The Prime Minister has already set out next steps on the Government’s response to

COVID-19. In the publication “Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19

recovery strategy”, the Government sets out which businesses can be expected to

open when, and under what conditions.

The VAT payments deferral scheme is ending on 30 June as planned. HMRC have

reminded businesses of this so that they are better prepared and ready to reinstate


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-two-metre-social-distancing-guidance





payments with VAT returns due after this date. HMRC’s Time To Pay service is still

available for businesses struggling to pay their tax bills.

Business: Tax Allowances


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the

potential merits of providing tax relief for businesses which have enhanced safety

measures due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman:

Businesses should make every effort to ensure their workplace is COVID-19 secure

to protect their customers and workers before they open.

The Government recognises this challenge and therefore set up ministerial-led

taskforces last month to work with sectors to develop safe ways for them to reopen at

the earliest point when safe to do so, as well as pilot re-openings to test businesses’

ability to adopt the guidelines.

In addition, the Government is providing an unprecedented package of support to

help businesses through this period. Fiscal support worth £20bn has been directed to

businesses in England through tax relief and cash grants to help them manage cash

flow.

This package includes cash grants of up to £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure

businesses with a rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000 and further grants

of £10,000 for several hundred thousand businesses eligible for business rate relief

and rural rate relief. Further, the Government also removed all eligible properties in

the retail, hospitality and leisure sector from business rates, so that no pub, hotel, or

high street shop will pay business rates for 12 months.

The Government will continue to consider appropriate measures to protect lives and

livelihoods during this period.

Businesses: Non-domestic Rates

Felicity Buchan: [59918]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support his Department provides to owners

of shared office spaces which remain liable for business rates and are ineligible for other

forms of Government support.

Kemi Badenoch:

The Business Rates Relief has been directed towards the retail, hospitality and

leisure sectors as these are properties that are wholly or mainly being used by visiting

members of the public. However, shared office spaces owners who are ineligible for

the Local Authority (LA) grant schemes may be eligible for the Discretionary Grant

Scheme in England. This has made up to £617m of additional funding available to

LAs to enable them to make payments of up to £25,000 to businesses. LAs have

received guidance regarding which kinds of businesses should be considered a




priority, which includes those in shared offices. LAs may also choose to pay grants to

businesses according to local economic need, so long as businesses meet the

following criteria:

• They face ongoing fixed building-related costs

• They can demonstrate that they have suffered a significant fall in income due to

COVID-19

• They have fewer than 50 employees;

• They were trading on or before 11th March

Small businesses operating out of shared offices also continue to have access to a

range of support measures including, but not limited to:

• 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.

Consumer Credit Act 1974


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an

assessment of the potential merits of amending the Consumer Credit Act (1974) as part

of the Government's covid-19 response; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen:

In March 2019, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) submitted its final report to HM

Treasury on the review of the retained provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

The Government is considering whether further reform of the market is necessary

and desirable, taking into account the COVID-19 crisis.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

John Redwood: [59654]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the

number of people who will return to work from furlough as the Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme ends.




Jesse Norman:

The CJRS has helped over one million employers protect over 9.1 million jobs. As the

country re-opens, Government support will need to be adjusted in a way that ensures

people can get back to work, and get the UK economy up and running again.

The CJRS has been designed to flexibly and gradually enable employees to return to

work. From 1 July, employers can bring back to work employees that have been

furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim

a CJRS grant for the hours not worked. From August to October, an employer

contribution will be introduced gradually.

It is the case that some employers and sectors will be affected by coronavirus for

longer than others, and the Government will seek to support these firms

appropriately. CJRS is just one form of support on offer to employers during this

difficult period. The Government will continue to engage with businesses and

representative groups with the aim of ensuring that the support provided is right for

these sectors and for the economy as a whole.

Jeremy Wright: [59717]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential

merits of amending the terms of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to enable

employees to take part in employer sanctioned research and development work while

furloughed.

Jesse Norman:

The purpose of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is to support people who

would otherwise have been made redundant. To prevent fraudulent claims, the

Government made it clear that individuals cannot work or volunteer for their

organisation.

When on furlough, an employee can undertake training or volunteer subject to public

health guidance, so long as they are not making money for their employer or any

organisation linked or associated with their association, or providing services to their

employer or any organisation linked or associated with their association.

Anthony Browne: [59905]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to publish weekly

statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for each (a) local authority and (b)

parliamentary constituency.

Jesse Norman:

Statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme are published on GOV.UK. The

latest publication can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-

june-2020. This includes a breakdown of the total number of employments furloughed

by local authority and by parliamentary constituency. HM Revenue and Customs are

continuing to develop statistics on the CJRS and plan to publish monthly updates.




Claire Hanna: [61836]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will implement an exception for people who

submitted their RTI to HMRC for their PAYE salary annually on a date after the 19 March

2020 so that they may be eligible to be furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme.

Jesse Norman:

For an employee to be eligible for the CJRS they must have been notified to HMRC

on a real-time information (RTI) submission on or before 19 March. Those paid

annually are eligible to claim, as long as they meet the relevant conditions including

being notified to HMRC on an RTI submission on or before 19 March 2020, which

relates to a payment of earnings in the 2019/2020 tax year. Anyone paid annually

and notified on an RTI submission after that date will not be eligible for the scheme,

which puts them in the same position as those who are paid more frequently and

were not notified to HMRC on or before 19 March. The 19 March cut-off date allows

as many people as possible to be included by going right up to the day before the

announcement and addresses the risk of fraud that existed as soon as the scheme

became public.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Hospitality Industry and Tourism

Kenny MacAskill: [61602]


merits of extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme beyond October 2020 for the

tourism and hospitality sector and its food and drink supply chain.

Jesse Norman:

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is a temporary scheme in place for

eight months starting from 1 March and ending at the end of October.

It is the case that some firms will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others,

and the Government will seek to support these firms appropriately. It would be

challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it

may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer

term support for those sectors most affected by coronavirus. The Government will

continue to engage with businesses and representative groups with the aim of

ensuring that support provided is right for these sectors and for the economy as a

whole.

Debts: Mental Illness


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate

the effect of debt on people's mental health during the covid-19 outbreak.






To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of

the potential effect of debt collection letters on people's mental health during the covid-19

outbreak.

John Glen:

The government has taken significant steps to support individuals and businesses

through this difficult time, including through the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme

and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

The government has worked closely with the Financial Conduct Authority to deliver

payment holidays to provide temporary support to consumers. To ensure that people

have access to the help they need to make effective financial decisions and manage

their debt, the government is providing an additional £37.8m for debt advice

providers, bringing the Money and Pensions Services’ debt advice budget to over

£100m this financial year.

The government recognises that the mental health impacts of Covid-19 are

significant. The Prime Minister has announced £4.2m for mental health charities to

ensure they can meet increased demand as a result of Covid-19. This builds on the

£5m grant announced in March to be allocated to national and local mental health

organisations.

The Government is also working to implement Breathing Space, which will give

people in problem debt access to a 60-day moratorium on creditor action. People

receiving treatment for mental health crisis will be able to access the protections of

Breathing Space via a different entry route that mitigates the specific barriers that this

group might face in engaging with professional debt advice.

It is important that lenders communicate with their customers about debt, so they can

be supported to manage their finances. The government recognises that some of the

wording in these letters can cause concern and we are monitoring the issue.

Non-domestic Rates: Coronavirus

Luke Pollard: [61592]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost of

including business improvement district levies in the business rates relief support during

the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman:

Business rates are distinct from the Business Improvement District (BID) levy and are

managed separately. The BID legislation requires businesses to pay the BID levy and

any decision to waive or reduce the levy is to be made by the BID Board of Directors.

Therefore, business rates relief will not be applied to any percentage payment

towards a BID.

However, the Government is making available up to £6.1 million of support to BIDs to

cover the equivalent of three months of core operational costs. This funding will




protect BID bodies from insolvency and ensure that they weather the current crisis.

Local authorities and BIDs will now be able to be flexible with the enforcement of the

levy for businesses that are unable to pay, but business remain liable for the levy and

those that can still pay should still pay.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Ben Lake: [61760]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Department for Education's

announcement of 19 June 2020, what estimate he has made of the Barnett

consequentials for Wales arising from the (a) £650 million catch-up funding for schools

and (b) £350 million for the establishment of a National Tutoring Programme.

Steve Barclay:

Any new funding for the Department for Education will have the Barnett formula

applied to it in the usual way.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses have accessed the

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund since its inception, by region and local

authority area; and what the total value is of grants provided under that fund to date.

Kemi Badenoch:

As of 14th June 2020, over 844,000 business premises have received grants worth

over £10.36 billion from the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and the Small

Business Grant Fund.

Every week, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy publishes

the combined figures for the number and value of grants paid out from the RHLGF

and SBGF. These data are broken down by Local Authority and can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-

authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.

These data are not published on a regional basis.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Ian Blackford: [59792]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to discount the state

pension as income for the purpose of claiming the Self-Employment Support Scheme.

Jesse Norman:

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer to Parliamentary Question 49808 on 2

June 2020: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-

answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-05-20/49808/.



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses







merits of amending the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme to remove the eligibility

criteria of no more than £50,000 in trading profit profits for the second wave of

Government support for self-employed people.

Jesse Norman:

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) helps those adversely

affected by COVID-19. Individuals can at present claim a taxable grant under the

SEISS worth 80 per cent of their average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single

instalment covering three months’ worth of profits, and capped at £7,500 in total.

The extension of the SEISS announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29

May 2020 means that eligible individuals whose businesses are adversely affected by

COVID-19 will be able to claim a second and final grant when the scheme reopens

for applications in August. This will be a taxable grant worth 70 per cent of their

average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering three months’

worth of profits, and capped at £6,570 in total.

The SEISS, including the £50,000 threshold for average trading profits, is designed to

target those who most need it, and who are most reliant on their self-employment

income. The self-employed are very diverse and have a wide mix of turnover and

profits, with monthly and annual variations even in normal times, and in some cases

with substantial alternative forms of income too: for example, those who had more

than £50,000 from trading profits in 2018-19 had an average total income of more

than £200,000. Some 95 per cent of those with more than half of their income from

self-employment in 2018-19 could be eligible for this scheme.

Those with average trading profits above £50,000 may still be eligible for other

elements of the unprecedented financial support package made available by the

Government. These measures include Bounce Back Loans, tax deferrals, rental

support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business

support grants.

Silver: VAT


To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue is raised annually for the

public purse from VAT on sales of silver bullion (a) coins and (b) bars.

Jesse Norman:

HM Revenue and Customs do not hold data on VAT collected specifically from the

sale of silver bullion, as information on supplies of specific commodities is not

required on VAT returns.

HMRC record and publish annually details of VAT receipts across trade sectors and

subsectors, but not of specific commodities.




Tax Avoidance: Multinational Companies

Sir John Hayes: [61662]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce levels of tax

avoidance by multi-national corporations.

Jesse Norman:

The UK has a comprehensive range of measures in place to tackle tax avoidance

and tax planning arrangements entered into by multinational corporations.

For example, the Diverted Profits Tax (DPT) was introduced in 2015, and aims to

change the behaviour of companies using contrived arrangements to avoid UK tax,

by charging tax on these arrangements at a higher rate. Its primary purpose is to

ensure that the profits taxed in the UK fully reflect the economic activity carried on in

the UK.

Similarly, the Offshore Receipts from Intangibles Property (ORIP) regime, introduced

in 2019, is designed to deal with arrangements where the UK sales of multinational

groups generate significant offshore income in low or no tax jurisdictions, in

circumstances where normal royalty withholding tax rules would not apply. This

measure is expected to generate about £1bn of additional tax revenue over a five

year period.

The UK continues to take a leading role in international efforts to tackle tax avoidance

by multinationals. Following on from the OECD BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit

Shifting) project, the UK is fully engaged in continuing work at the OECD in relation to

the challenges of taxing the digital economy. The UK has been at the forefront of

these discussions within the OECD, and will be continuing to meet virtually with the

OECD Working Parties in the coming weeks and months.

With regard to the taxation of the digital economy, the UK has been clear that it

favours an international agreement on this issue. In advance of an agreed outcome,

the UK has introduced its own Digital Services Tax (DST) which came into force in

April 2020 and is expected to generate over £2bn of additional tax revenue in the

next 5 years.

The DST will be an important tool for addressing the limitations of the existing

international tax framework, ensuring that businesses pay tax in the UK that reflects

the value they generate from user interaction. The Government has been clear that it

will remove the DST once an appropriate global solution is in place.

Tolls: Greater London

Dr Matthew Offord: [59741]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department requested TfL to bring

forward plans to increase the scope and level of the Congestion Charge as a condition of

the funding deal announced in May 2020.




Kemi Badenoch:

On 15 May the government announced a £1.6 billion emergency funding and

financing package to enable Transport for London to continue operating services for

essential journeys through the COVID 19 outbreak.

As part of the agreement with the Department for Transport, the Mayor of London

agreed a number of measures to support the safe restart of the transport system,

including by helping Londoners move towards greener and healthier walking and

cycling options. This included reintroducing the congestion charge, LEZ and ULEZ.

The decision to immediately raise the congestion charge to £15 was taken by the

Mayor. This will be assessed as part of the Department for Transport’s upcoming

review into TfL’s future financial position.

Working Tax Credit

Jeremy Wright: [59716]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department made of the

effect of the additional earnings disregards for Housing Benefits on tax credits before

introducing the increase in the disability element of working tax credits that came into

effect in April 2020.

Steve Barclay:

Section 41 of The Tax Credit Act 2002 requires Treasury ministers to undertake an

annual review of the rates of Tax Credits and to consider whether they have retained

their value.

The disabled worker element and severe disability element of Working Tax Credit

were uprated by CPI for 2020/21 to £3,3220 and £1,390 respectively.

During the review of Tax Credit rates for 2020/21 no specific assessment was made

of the effect of the Housing Benefit disregards when setting the disability element

rates of Working Tax Credit.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Bereavement Support Payment

Daniel Kawczynski: [58111]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will extend the Bereavement

Support Payment scheme to cover the deaths of parents who were living together or had

children together in order to provide support for the remaining partner and their children.

Mims Davies:

It is a key principle that all rights to inheritable benefits derived from another person’s

contributions, such as Bereavement Support Payment, should be based on the

concept of a legal marriage or civil partnership. However, on 7 February the High

Court ruled that the higher rate of Bereavement Support Payment (which is paid to

those with children) to be incompatible with the ECHR in that it is only payable where




the survivor was married to, or in a civil partnership with the deceased. Whilst this

ruling does not change the current legislation, we are carefully considering what to do

in response to this judgement.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many bereavement support

payment claims were made more than three months after the related death, in each year

since its introduction.

Mims Davies:

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur

disproportionate cost.

Bereavement Support Payment: Appeals


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many bereavement support

payment decisions were (a) appealed and (b) overturned at appeal in each year since its

introduction.

Mims Davies:

The type and volume of tribunal cases received and disposed of are published

quarterly by the Ministry of Justice here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics

Child Maintenance Service

Jess Phillips: [61723]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is provided to staff at

the Child Maintenance Service on domestic abuse.

Mims Davies:

All CMS staff are trained in how to support women who disclose domestic abuse and

have access to The Domestic Abuse Plan which guides caseworkers through the

appropriate action to take to help safeguard vulnerable women..

Additionally, earlier this year we introduced a bespoke Domestic Abuse Awareness

training course that was developed with Women’s Aid and has been delivered for our

staff across the country.

Child Maintenance Service: Coronavirus

Jess Phillips: [61722]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will place in the Library any

guidance or training materials that were issued by her Department to the Child

Maintenance Service on how to manage changes in procedure in response to the covid-

19 outbreak where domestic abuse was a factor.








Mims Davies:

All CMS staff are trained in how to support women who disclose domestic abuse and

have access to The Domestic Abuse Plan which guides caseworkers through the

appropriate action to take to help safeguard vulnerable women.

There are currently no plans to place Child Maintenance Service guidance or training

materials in the Library.

Children: Maintenance

Martyn Day: [54968]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the amount of child

maintenance arrears is in Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency.

Mims Davies:

The total amount of arrears for Child Maintenance Service as of December 2019 in

Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency is £599,000.

New Compliance and Arrears powers which came in July 2019 have increased the

departments enforcement powers, such as removal of driving licence to encourage

parent to cooperate and pay the maintenance they owe.

As a result, as at November 2019 the compliance in overall Child Maintenance

Service payments increased to an all-time high of 90.2%.

Steve McCabe: [58625]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many single parents have

seen their child maintenance payments reduced as a result of the paying parent making a

new claim for universal credit since March 2020.

Mims Davies:

We do hold summarised information on number of Change of Circumstances

requests for Child Maintenance payments.

Steve McCabe: [58626]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many single parents have not

received at least one child maintenance payment from the paying parent since the

service paused chasing missed payments.

Mims Davies:

The number of Parents due to pay via Collect and Pay who have paid not any

maintenance each month is published quarterly. The latest figures for Child

Maintenance Service are up to December 2019 and can be found in Table 9 at the

link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-

to-december-2019-experimental




https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-december-2019-experimental




The number of Parents due to pay via Collect and Pay who have not paid

maintenance since 1 April 2020 will not be available until the publication in

September 2020.

Peter Grant: [58733]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of

the effect of delays by the Child Maintenance Service in pursuing payments for resident

parents during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies:

[Holding answer 16 June 2020]: The Government recognises that the income of

many separated parents is being impacted by the public health emergency and some

receiving parents may receive less maintenance as a result of a paying parent’s drop

in income.

Paying parents are still expected to pay child maintenance throughout this period.

Our priority is to maintain the flow of maintenance that is currently being paid, by

easing the financial pressure on paying parents and ensuring that we transfer the

payments as quickly as possible to receiving parents.

In order to ensure that receiving parents do not lose out in the long run, we will

update calculations as soon as possible and collect any unpaid amounts that may

have accrued. The small minority who might be found to be abusing the system at

this difficult time could potentially find themselves subject to the full extent of our

enforcement powers once the emergency passes.

Measures have been introduced to support both paying and receiving parents, whose

income drops as a result of the public health emergency. These include increasing

the standard rate of Universal Credit and working tax credit for this year by over

£1000 per year, benefiting over 4 million of the most vulnerable households. We have

also increased the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing

Benefit claimants so that it covers the cheapest third of local rents – which is on

average £600 in people’s pockets.

Drew Hendry: [61732]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department

has made of the potential merits of guaranteeing a minimum child maintenance payment

during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies:

There is no plan for any such assessment, the purpose of the Child Maintenance

Service is to facilitate the payment of child maintenance between separated parents.

No one should use the pandemic as an excuse to avoid their child maintenance

payments. Where paying parents experience a change in income, we can review

their case and check if the amount paid should change. If it does not, they should

continue to make payments.




We know the majority of parents take their responsibilities extremely seriously and

will do what is needed to ensure their children are supported.

Debts: Coronavirus

Neil Gray: [58714]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made

an assessment of the implications for her policies of the report entitled, Coronavirus and

personal debt: a financial recovery strategy for households published by Stepchange in

June 2020; and if she will make a statement.

Will Quince:

The Government notes this report and contents. It has introduced a suite of

measures that can be quickly and effectively operationalised which benefit those

facing the most financial disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes,

part of an injection to welfare worth over £6.5bn, include:

• making it easier to access benefits. Those applying for Contributory Employment

and Support Allowance (ESA) who may have coronavirus, are self-isolating, or

caring for a child (or qualifying young person) who falls into either of those

categories, or individuals who have been advised to ’shield’ because they are at

high risk of severe illness, will be entitled from day 1 of their claim – as opposed to

day 8 - and we have removed the need for face-to-face assessment. Both

Universal Credit (UC) and ESA can now be claimed by phone or online;

• increasing the standard allowance of UC by up to £1,040 this year;

• temporarily relaxing the application of the Minimum Income Floor for all self-

employed claimants;

• making Statutory Sick Pay available from day 1 – as opposed to day 4 - where an

eligible individual is sick or self-isolating; and

• increasing in the Local Housing Allowance rates for UC and Housing Benefit

claimants so that it covers the lowest 30% of local market rents – which is on

average £600 in people’s pockets.

These measures, along with the other job and business support programmes

announced by the Chancellor, represent one of the most comprehensive packages of

support by an advanced economy.

Department for Work and Pensions: Overseas Aid


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 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.





To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department's share of

the Official Development Assistance will be reduced in the event of a decrease in GNI.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is signing

new funding agreements for projects from the Official Development Assistance budget.

Justin Tomlinson:

The UK has a legal commitment to spend 0.7% of its gross national income (GNI)

each year on Official Development Assistance (ODA). HM Treasury allocates ODA

budgets to departments and is responsible for decisions on changes to these.

Food Poverty


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to end

food poverty for adults.

Will Quince:

This Government’s current focus is on supporting people whose finances have been

affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the £5billion increase in benefit

rates from April 2020, we have injected more than £6.5 billion into the welfare

system, increasing Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by over £1,000 for this

financial year, benefiting over four million of the most vulnerable households. We

have also increased Local Housing Allowance rates - putting an average of £600 into

people’s pockets.

For those who find themselves in severe financial difficulties, the Prime Minister has

announced over £60 million for local authorities in England to support local welfare

assistance programmes. In addition, on 8 May, the Government announced funding

of up to £16 million for charities to provide millions of meals over a 12-week period;

this includes the £3.5 million Food Charities Grant Fund to support charities with

grants of up to £100,000 so they can continue to provide food to vulnerable people.

Our long-term ambition remains to build an economy that will support work, and

ensure that everyone have opportunities to enter and progress in work, where

possible. There is clear evidence of the important role of work in tackling all forms of

poverty; in 2018/19, working age adults in households where all adults were in work

were 6 times less likely to be in absolute poverty (after housing costs) than adults in a

household where nobody works.

Future Jobs Fund: Greater Manchester


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an

assessment of the potential merits of a future jobs fund to assist with job creation in (a)

Tameside and (b) Stockport.






Mims Davies:

DWP is engaging cross-government to understand supply & demand across the

labour market throughout and beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

We are in discussions with other Government Departments and a range of

stakeholders to explore all options to ensure the right support is in place for

individuals who have been adversely impacted by COVID that will meet the needs of

the individual as well as local priorities.

Health and Safety Executive: Finance


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether additional funding has

been allocated to the Health & Safety Executive to increase the Executive's level of

staffing during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies:

I refer the hon. member to my response to question 41525.

Jobcentres: Staff


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June

2020 to Question 55988, on Jobcentres: Staff, how many full-time equivalent work

coaches are currently employed by her Department.

Mims Davies:

For the period January 2020 to May 2020, approximately 13,500 full-time equivalent

(FTE) work coaches were employed by the Department. These are the latest figures

we hold.


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many additional work coaches

she plans to recruit by September 2020.

Mims Davies:

The Department is continually assessing the service being offered to customers and

we continue to keep staff numbers under review as part of our response to the impact

of COVID-19 on the labour market.

Local Housing Allowance: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: [61499]


the potential merits of raising the local housing allowance to the fiftieth percentile to

support renters during the outbreak of covid-19.






Will Quince:

We increased Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local rents,

providing additional financial support for private renters, further to lobbying from

homeless charities. This significant investment of almost £1 billion, ensures over 1

million households will see an increase, on average, of £600 per year.

For renters whose circumstances mean they may require more support, Discretionary

Housing Payments are also available. We have already provided £180m in

Discretionary Housing Payment funding to local authorities to support vulnerable

claimants with housing costs in the private and social rented sector in England and

Wales for 2020/21. This includes an extra £40m announced at the spending round.

Personal Independence Payment

Vicky Foxcroft: [59521]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will place in the Library each

internal memorandum circulated to Departmental staff in relation to applications and

mandatory reconsiderations of personal independence payments since 1 March 2020.

Justin Tomlinson:

The Department continues to engage and update stakeholders on support for people

with a health condition or disability during the Covid-19 pandemic.

There is no plan to place each internal memorandum in the Library.

Social Security Benefits

Carla Lockhart: [44062]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Self-Employment

Income Support Scheme backdated to 1 March 2020 will trigger universal credit over-

payments for additional income for claimants encouraged to claim that benefit until the

scheme is available.

Mims Davies:

[Holding answer 15 May 2020]: Universal Credit takes into account any income

received for the relevant assessment period (AP). In terms of the Self-employed

Income Support Scheme (SEISS), the department has agreed that this will not be

applied retrospectively to previous APs.

State Retirement Pensions

Jack Dromey: [61703]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) members of civil

partnerships and (b) members of same sex marriages are able to claim a Category BL

pension based on the contributions of a civil partner or spouse; and if she will make a

statement.





Guy Opperman:

Civil Partners and those in same sex marriages, who reach State Pension age before

6 April 2016, can derive entitlement to a Category BL basic State Pension if they fall

into one of two groups. Either, they have no entitlement to basic State Pension based

on their National Insurance contributions, or they get a basic State Pension of less

than £80.45 per week (in 2020/21).

In all cases, their spouse or civil partner must have been born on or after 6 April

1950.

State Retirement Pensions: Coronavirus



the potential merits of increasing the level of the state pension as a result of the financial

difficulties faced by pensioners during the covid-19 outbreak.

Guy Opperman:

The Government remains committed to providing dignity and security in retirement to

all pensioners. In April 2020, full amounts of the basic and new State Pensions

increased by 3.9%, in line with average earnings growth. This was the highest

increase since 2012.

The full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is worth around £700 more in

2020/21 than if it had been uprated by earnings since 2010. That is over £1,900 in

cash terms.

Pension Credit provides a safety net for people of State Pension age most in need. It

provides a top up for people with a weekly income below £173.75 (for single people)

or £265.20 (for couples). On 6 th May we introduced an online claim process for

Pension Credit in addition to the existing ways of claiming by telephone and by post,

making it quicker and easier for people to apply.

Unemployment


To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support for searching for work

her Department is providing to jobseekers.

Mims Davies:

DWP have developed and launched two new websites, Job Help and Employer Help,

that directly link to Find a Job.

These sites promote a range of guidance and advice supporting decisions on

identifying transferrable skills, promoting opportunities of seeking alternative roles or

working in different sectors of the economy. Find a Job is a central place for

employers to post their vacancies and for job seekers to look for work.




Unemployment: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [60849]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce

the level of unemployment in the Slough constituency as a result of the covid-19

outbreak.

Mims Davies:

[Holding answer 22 June 2020]: Slough Jobcentre plus has continued to support the

local community during the Covid-19 outbreak. This includes working with partner

and provider organisations such as the National Careers Service to host virtual job

fairs, promote traineeships, support the development of skills, and actively promote

vacancies. There is an increased social media presence to support claimants digitally

as well as the exploration of utilising existing funding streams to support customers,

such as the Flexible Support Fund.

DWP have developed and launched two new websites, Job Help and Employer Help,

that directly link to Find a Job. These sites promote a range of guidance and advice

supporting decisions on identifying transferrable skills, promoting opportunities of

seeking alternative roles or working in different sectors of the economy. Find a Job is

a central place for employers to post their vacancies and for job seekers to look for

work.

Universal Credit

Selaine Saxby: [59923]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to

extend easements on work search requirements for claimants of universal credit after 30

June 2020.

Mims Davies:

We made the decision to temporarily suspend the requirement for face-to-face

Jobcentre Plus appointments for all claimants in Universal Credit, New Style

Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), old-

style JSA and ESA, and Income Support.

Arrangements after the 30th June will be communicated in due course.

Wind Power: Coronavirus

Alex Cunningham: [59222]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has

made of the (a) content and (b) availability of covid-19 workplace safety guidance for (i)

employers and (ii) staff in the offshore wind industry; and when she last discussed that

matter with that industry's representatives.

Mims Davies:

On 24th March 2020, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) wrote to the offshore

wind industry reminding employers of their legal duty to ensure the health and safety


https://jobhelp.campaign.gov.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw-HQqaH36QIVnIBQBh1jkw9aEAAYASAAEgJHW_D_BwE

https://jobhelp.campaign.gov.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw-HQqaH36QIVnIBQBh1jkw9aEAAYASAAEgJHW_D_BwE

https://employerhelp.dwp.gov.uk/find-candidates/advertise-your-vacancies/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5qKFvKH36QIVVODtCh3eYgmcEAAYASAAEgKOWPD_BwE

https://employerhelp.dwp.gov.uk/find-candidates/advertise-your-vacancies/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5qKFvKH36QIVVODtCh3eYgmcEAAYASAAEgKOWPD_BwE

https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/

https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/




of their workforce. The letter also directed duty holders to the more detailed social

distancing guidelines on the Public Health England, Health Protection Scotland and

Public Health Wales websites.

On 26 th March 2020, HSE met virtually with representatives of major industry duty

holders and trade associations to discuss how the industry would comply with social

distancing requirements. On 1 st April 2020 the Renewable Energy Emergency

Response Forum (“REEF”) held a meeting at which HSE, the Maritime and

Coastguard Agency, the Police and industry representatives agreed that each duty

holder would develop their own arrangements to comply with their duties under the

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, based on the above mentioned social

distancing guidelines.

Since then, HSE continues to contact offshore wind farm duty holders to check that

they have suitable COVID-19 risk control measures in place.

Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020 WRITTEN STATEMENTS 107

WRITTEN STATEMENTS

HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Additional Funding for Rough Sleeping

Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

(Robert Jenrick): [HCWS311]

Today I am announcing a further £105 million for local authorities to enable them to

support and accommodate rough sleepers.

At the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government took quick action to

accommodate rough sleepers and those in communal shelters, giving them the chance to

self-isolate. This action was supported by councils, charities, faith groups, public sector

partners and businesses. I want to put on record my thanks to everyone who has worked

tirelessly to deliver this – this action has undoubtedly saved countless lives. These efforts

and the action taken to support people at risk of becoming homeless during the pandemic

has resulted in 15,000 vulnerable people being housed in emergency accommodation,

including hotels.

Now is the time to help local authorities and the vulnerable people housed during the

pandemic with what comes next. Local authorities, working with my department, have

already been assessing the needs of each individual currently in emergency

accommodation. For the first time ever, we know who these vulnerable people are and

where they are – allowing us to take a more personal and sophisticated look at each of

their needs. The additional funding, which is available in this financial year, will allow local

authorities to provide appropriate accommodation and support for the next steps, as we

help these individuals to put their lives on a more stable footing. It will fund a wide range

of measures, including: short-term accommodation before moves into safe, long-term

homes can be arranged; moves into the private rental sector; and assistance to secure

training and employment. This sustained support is vital to ensure progress is maintained

as people move out of emergency accommodation.

This investment comes on top of significant funding we have already provided this year,

including plans I announced last month alongside Dame Louise Casey to provide 6,000

supported homes for vulnerable rough sleepers taken off the streets during the pandemic.

These homes will be held as a national asset with the specific purpose of providing move

on accommodation to rough sleepers and former rough sleepers.

The Government also understands the need to support people with complex and

underlying issues which may be behind their rough sleeping. That is why I am also

pleased to announce that a further £16 million in funding will be made available this

financial year – bringing the total to £23 million – to tackle the substance dependence

treatment needs of rough sleepers. This will help strengthen people’s engagement with

substance dependence services while in emergency accommodation as they move into

safer, long term accommodation. It will also help people into treatment services and

support them as they recover, to prevent a return to the streets.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2020-06-24/HCWS311/

108 Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020 WRITTEN STATEMENTS

Our manifesto set out our bold ambition to end rough sleeping within this Parliament and

the measures I have announced today are a significant step towards that.

Documents

Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020 CONTENTS · 2020-06-24 · Daily Report Wednesday, 24 June 2020 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 24 June 2020 and