Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020...
Transcript of Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020...
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020
This report shows written answers and statements provided on 9 September 2020 and the
information is correct at the time of publication (06:30 P.M., 09 September 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
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 6
Biofuels 6
Biofuels: Imports 6
Community Centres: Energy 7
Coronavirus Job Retention
Scheme 7
Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy:
Staff 8
Green Homes Grant Scheme:
Certification 8
Hunterston B Power Station:
Closures 9
Hydrogen 9
Innovation Expert Group:
Public Appointments 10
OneWeb 10
Research: Coronavirus 10
Research: Equality 11
Constituencies 11
Coronavirus: Disease Control 11
House of Lords: Location 12
Industrial Relations: Scotland 12
Sovereignty: Scotland 12
DEFENCE 13
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft 13
Military Aid 13
Ministry of Defence:
Disclosure of Information 13
Type 26 Frigates:
Procurement 14
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND
SPORT 15
Arts: Coronavirus 15
BBC: Local Broadcasting 15
Broadband 16
Cinemas: Grants 16
Data Protection: EU Law 17
Housing: Construction 18
Mass Media: Coronavirus 18
Mobile Phones: Rural Areas 19
Newspaper Press: Internet 19
Television Licences: Older
People 20
USA: Data Protection 20
EDUCATION 21
Babies and Children 21
Breakfast Clubs 22
Carers: Children 22
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2 Wednesday, 9 September 2020 Daily Report
Free School Meals: Primary
Education 23
Further Education and
Schools: Finance 23
GCE A-level: Assessments 24
Higher Education: Finance 24
Medicine: Higher Education 25
Remote Education: Pre-school
Education 26
Special Educational Needs:
Coronavirus 26
Students: Loans 27
Universities: Admissions 27
Universities: Disadvantaged 28
Universities: Freedom of
Expression 29
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND
RURAL AFFAIRS 30
Animal Experiments:
Chemicals 30
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease
Control 30
Bovine Tuberculosis:
Vaccination 31
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs: Staff 31
Dogs: Imports 32
Farmers: Coronavirus 32
Hare Coursing: Fines 33
Hen Harriers 33
Hen Harriers: Conservation 34
Livestock: Transport 35
Pesticides: Regulation 35
Seals 35
Sheep Meat: Wales 36
FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH
AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 36
Anoosheh Ashoori 36
Arab States: Israel 37
Bahrain: Legal Profession 37
British Overseas Territories:
Companies 38
British Overseas Territories:
Coronavirus 38
Caribbean: Overseas Aid 39
China: Human Rights 40
Developing Countries:
Coronavirus 40
Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office: Religion 41
Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office: South
America 41
Georgia: Overseas Aid 42
Independent Commission for
Aid Impact 42
Iran: Arms Trade 43
Iran: Coronavirus 43
Israel: United Arab Emirates 44
Maira Shahbaz 44
Malnutrition: International
Assistance 45
Mauritius: Oil 45
Mediterranean Region: Politics
and Government 46
Overseas Aid: Coronavirus 46
Pakistan: Religious Freedom 47
Palestinians: Curriculum 47
Palestinians: Recognition of
States 48
Qatar: Saudi Arabia 48
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Wednesday, 9 September 2020 Daily Report 3
Riot Control Weapons: USA 48
Russia: Syria 49
USA: International Criminal
Court 50
Yemen: Armed Conflict 50
Yemen: Peace Negotiations 50
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 51
Care Homes 51
Care Homes: Coronavirus 51
Care Homes: Palliative Care 52
Care Quality Commission:
Publicity 53
Coronavirus: Disease Control 53
Coronavirus: Food 55
Coronavirus: Leicester 55
Coronavirus: Prisons 55
Department of Health and
Social Care: Staff 56
Disability: Social Services 56
Food: Procurement 57
GP Surgeries: Coronavirus 57
Health Professions: Devolution 58
Health Services 58
Health Services: Stoke-on-
Trent 59
Health Services: Waiting Lists 59
Medical Treatments:
Coronavirus 60
NHS Trusts: Influenza 60
Out-patients 61
Personal Care Services:
Leicester 61
Pregnancy: Screening 62
Surgery: Coronavirus 62
HOME OFFICE 63
Action Fraud 63
Hezbollah 64
Home: Staff 64
Immigration: EU Nationals 65
Islamic Resistance Support
Organization 65
Rape: Victims 65
HOUSE OF COMMONS
COMMISSION 66
Kickstart Scheme 66
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 66
Affordable Housing:
Construction 66
Construction: Wool 67
Future High Streets Fund:
Congleton 67
Green Belt 67
Help to Buy Scheme:
Coronavirus 68
High Rise Flats: Insulation 69
High Streets Task Force 70
Housing: Carbon Emissions 71
Housing: Construction 72
Housing: Older People 72
Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local
Government: Ministerial
Powers 73
Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local
Government: Staff 73
Planning Permission 73
Planning: Archaeology and
Cultural Heritage 74
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Private Rented Housing:
Coronavirus 74
Private Rented Housing:
Evictions 75
Reopening High Streets Safely
Fund: Congleton 75
Tourism: Congleton 75
Towns Fund: Congleton 76
INTERNATIONAL TRADE 76
Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia 76
Department for International
Trade: Staff 79
Energy: Exports 80
Export Duties 81
Foreign Investment in UK 82
Free Zones 82
Hydrogen: Exports 82
Institute of Economic Affairs:
Meetings 83
Trade Agreements: Pesticides 83
Trade Agreements: USA 83
JUSTICE 84
Courts: Criminal Proceedings 84
Courts: Video Conferencing 85
Employment Tribunals
Service: Applications 86
HM Courts and Tribunals
Service: Video Conferencing 88
Pets: Theft 88
Police Custody: Coronavirus 88
Prisons and Probation:
Veterans 88
Probate 90
Probation and Remand in
Custody: Veterans 91
Remand in Custody:
Coronavirus 92
Remand in Custody: Visits 92
Television Licences: Older
People 93
SCOTLAND 93
Coronavirus: Screening 93
Fisheries: Scotland 94
TRANSPORT 94
Aviation: Coronavirus 94
British Airways 94
Department for Transport:
Buildings 95
Department for Transport:
Staff 95
Free Zones: Infrastructure 95
High Speed 2 Railway Line 96
Level Crossings: Accidents 96
Official Cars: Electric Vehicles 97
Oxford-Hereford Railway Line 97
Railways: Coastal Areas 97
Railways: EU Countries 98
Railways: Landslips 98
Railways: Season Tickets 99
Roads: Tree Planting 99
Travel: Coronavirus 100
TREASURY 100
Bank Services: Fraud 100
Coronavirus Job Retention
Scheme 101
Coronavirus Job Retention
Scheme: Fraud 101
Customs 102
Eat Out to Help Out Scheme 102
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Wednesday, 9 September 2020 Daily Report 5
Financial Services
Compensation Scheme 102
Free Zones: Foyle 103
Hydrogen: Investment 103
National Savings and
Investments 104
Protective Clothing: VAT 104
Self-employed: Coronavirus 105
Social Enterprises: Tax
Allowances 105
Sunscreens: VAT 106
WORK AND PENSIONS 106
Department for Work and
Pensions: Staff 106
Hygiene: Products 106
Industrial Accidents: Death 107
Jobcentres: Staff 108
Social Security Benefits:
Terminal Illnesses 108
State Retirement Pensions 108
Universal Credit 109
MINISTERIAL CORRECTIONS 110
JUSTICE 110
Prisoners' Release:
Homelessness 110
WRITTEN STATEMENTS 111
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 111
Business Update 111
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND
SPORT 112
National Data Strategy 112
FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH
AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 113
UK Commonwealth Chair-In-
Office Report 2018-2020 113
HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 115
Building Safety Update 115
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.
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6 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
ANSWERS
BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Biofuels
Helen Hayes: [83888]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the use of biomass fuel for
electricity.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
All Ministerial meetings gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings are published quarterly.
Details of meetings from January to March can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-
and-meetings-january-to-march-2020.
Data for April to June 2020 will be published in due course.
Biofuels: Imports
Helen Hayes: [83886]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what criteria
his Department uses to measure and calculate the impact on (a) biodiversity and (b)
ecosystems of biomass sourced and imported into the UK from overseas forests.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
The UK only supports biomass for electricity generation which complies with strict
sustainability criteria, and generating stations utilising biomass only receive subsidies
in respect of compliant biomass. These criteria take into account social, economic
and environmental issues including protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, land use
rights, sustainable harvesting and regeneration rates. They ensure that the carbon
stock of the forest from which the pellets are derived is not decreased by requiring
that biomass fuels are derived from forest waste wood and residues and that the
forest owner adheres to relevant legal requirements to protect biodiversity and the
environment.
Helen Hayes: [83887]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the methodology it uses to
measure the impact of UK biomass imports on the forests from which those imports are
sourced; and what plans his Department has to review that methodology.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
The criteria used to ensure that only sustainably sourced biomass is used within our
power sector is effective in protecting biodiversity and carbon stock in forests where
biomass is sourced and requires biomass fuels to be derived from forest waste wood
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 7
and residues. In their ‘Biomass in a low-carbon economy’ report the Committee on
Climate Change stated the evidence suggests that the UK’s bioenergy sustainability
rules are helping to limit sustainability risks.
Those sites using biomass with a capacity greater than or equal to 1 megawatt must
also prepare an annual sustainability report compiled by a third party auditor/verifier
which provides assurance that biomass is from sustainable sources.
Community Centres: Energy
Lee Rowley: [83924]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he
has to ensure that non-domestic properties used by community groups and clubs can
become more energy efficient.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
The Government has a range of policies aimed at improving the energy efficiency of
non-domestic properties such as those used by community groups and clubs.
Where the community buildings are owned by the public sector, they are eligible for
energy efficiency reduction funding through the Public Sector Energy Efficiency Loan
Scheme. The capital pot for England stands at £385 million by the end of 2020/21.
This funding, managed by Salix Finance, has delivered over 17,000 projects,
significantly improving energy performance in the public sector. There is also the rural
community energy fund which supports local communities in developing and
designing energy projects locally. These projects can include community and club
buildings.
We have also put in place minimum energy efficiency standards in the non-domestic
rental sector. The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales)
Regulations 2015 require landlords of non-domestic properties to improve their
building’s energy performance to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of
E. We consulted in October 2019 on raising the minimum standard to an EPC B by
2030, where cost effective. This is expected to cover up to 85% of properties in the
non-domestic rental sector.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Stella Creasy: [85040]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he
has issued guidance on the implications for the calculation of statutory redundancy pay of
being placed on reduced pay in a furlough agreement under the Coronavirus Job
Retention Scheme and then made redundant; and if he will make a statement.
Paul Scully:
Any employee who is dismissed due to redundancy and who satisfies certain
qualifying conditions has a statutory entitlement to a lump sum from their employer,
based on their age, length of service and contractual weekly earnings, subject to a
statutory upper limit, payable at, or soon after, the dismissal date.
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8 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
The Government introduced new legislation which commenced on 31 July to ensure
that furloughed employees who are subsequently made redundant receive statutory
redundancy pay based on the employee’s normal pay, rather than their furlough pay
(potentially 80% of their normal wage). The Government issued guidance on these
changes which can be found on the Acas website at:
https://www.acas.org.uk/manage-staff-redundancies/work-out-redundancy-pay.
The Government has always urged employers to do the right thing and not seek to
disadvantage furloughed employees who are facing redundancy. We are aware that
most companies will do this and we have now underpinned these expectations with
additional statutory protections.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Staff
Neil O'Brien: [83984]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many
members of staff in his Department have equality, diversity or inclusion in their job title.
Nadhim Zahawi:
There are six members of staff in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy that have equality, diversity or inclusion in their job title.
Green Homes Grant Scheme: Certification
Andrew Rosindell: [83677]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he
is taking to ensure that businesses offering home improvement under the Green Homes
Grant scheme receive their PAS 2030 certification as quickly as possible.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
It is the responsibility of the TrustMark scheme providers to ensure that organisations
are Publicly Available Specification (PAS) certified, although the Department is
working closely with TrustMark to ensure that the right information is shared with the
scheme providers and their members so they know what they need to do to become
certified to the correct level of PAS.
The Green Homes Grant scheme is making a substantial commitment to supply chain
development, to bolster the workforce and support the delivery of the scheme,
including support and training directed towards gaining required certification.
Andrew Rosindell: [83678]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the average
time is for a PAS 2030 certification to be processed once a business applies, in the most
recent month for which figures are available.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
The amount of time that it takes to receive receives PAS 2030 certification differs
depending on the certification body that the business has applied to and the
completeness of it application.
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 9
Certification can take less than two weeks providing the business has the correct
documentation.
Hunterston B Power Station: Closures
John Lamont: [83902]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what
assessment he has made of energy security in relation to the reported early closure of
Hunterston nuclear power station.
Nadhim Zahawi:
Hunterston B has been generating low carbon electricity for more than 40 years. Over
its lifetime, it has produced enough low carbon energy to power the whole of Scotland
for 8 years.
The Capacity Market ensures security of electricity supply by providing all forms of
capacity with the right incentives to be on the system and to deliver electricity when
needed. It secures the capacity we need, including new capacity to replace aging
power stations as they retire, through auctions held either four years or one year
ahead of delivery (T-4 and T-1). To date, these capacity auctions have secured the
majority of the capacity that Great Britain needs until 2023/.
Hunterston B holds capacity agreements for around 0.9 GW of capacity in 2020/21
and 2021/22. In light of EDF Energy’s decision to end generation at Hunterston B by
7 January 2022, we will have the opportunity to secure replacement capacity in the T-
1 auction for 2021/22 if required.
Hydrogen
Dr Lisa Cameron: [82020]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the
Government will (a) develop and (b) publish a hydrogen strategy.
Kwasi Kwarteng:
The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic
decarbonised energy carrier for the UK. We are currently developing our strategic
approach to hydrogen and its potential to deliver against our net zero goals.
In order to inform our approach, we are undertaking extensive stakeholder
engagement, including through the launch of our Hydrogen Advisory Council enabling
government to work in partnership with industry, as we develop new policy to help
bring forward the technologies and supply chain we will need to grow the UK
hydrogen economy. This includes developing business models to support the
deployment of, and investment in, low carbon hydrogen production and a £100m Low
Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund to stimulate capital investment.
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10 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
Innovation Expert Group: Public Appointments
Chi Onwurah: [83801]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference
his Department's Policy paper UK Research and Development Roadmap, published on 1
July 2020, what the timetable is for appointments to be made to the Innovation Expert
Group.
Amanda Solloway:
The Innovation Expert Group will comprise people with the deep knowledge,
experience and clear vision to help advise on innovation, drawing from industry,
public services, the investment community and across the relevant disciplines of the
research community.
OneWeb
Chi Onwurah: [83800]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, from which
area of his Departmental budget will the funding for the acquisition of OneWeb be
allocated from.
Amanda Solloway:
The budget for OneWeb will be allocated through the 2020-21 Supplementary
Estimate and considered as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2020
process.
Research: Coronavirus
Chi Onwurah: [83799]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding
has been made available from the public purse to support multi-partner collaborative
research projects during the covid-19 outbreak.
Amanda Solloway:
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has committed more than £95 million to new
research aimed at tackling COVID-19 and repurposed research grants of £80 million
to address the effects of the pandemic. This includes projects supported by the UKRI
call launched in March 2020 for short-term projects (up to 18 months) addressing the
health, social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts of the COVID-19
outbreak - these calls were open to collaborations across disciplines and sectors.
Recognising the global nature of the virus and the UK’s obligation to the world’s
poorest under our ODA commitments, funding has been mobilised to support COVID
research in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries. BEIS, through UKRI, has launched
a joint Newton Fund-Global Challenges Research Fund agile call, amounting to £7.5
million. The call aims to help tackle the outbreak across developing countries where
communities are already vulnerable due to long-term conflict, food and water
shortages, and crowded living conditions.
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 11
Research: Equality
Chi Onwurah: [83802]
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to
the Answer of 24 July 2020 to Question 76019 on Postgraduate Education: Equality, (a)
when and (b) how regularly the Government plans to publish diversity statistics for the
UK’s research sector.
Amanda Solloway:
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) monitors diversity data of the research and
innovation funded through the research councils, Innovate UK and Research
England. UKRI published its first set of harmonised diversity data for all seven
research councils for the past five academic years in July 2020 and are committed to
publishing diversity data annually. The next harmonised diversity data release is
scheduled for early 2021.
UKRI are also committed to expanding their data collection and analysis capabilities
including of grants funded by Innovate UK, and publishing other diversity data more
regularly, such as the detailed ethnicity analysis of grant applications due to be
published in Autumn 2020.
Constituencies
Dr Matthew Offord: [83771]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he
will amend the Government's guidance to the Electoral Commission to ensure the
Commission's recommendations on the Boundary Review are based on the number of
people in the total population rather than those only on the electoral register.
Chloe Smith:
Boundary reviews have always been based on the number of registered electors. The
Government considers that using the definitive registered electorate, and holding
regular reviews, is the clearest and most effective method of keeping constituency
sizes up to date.
Coronavirus: Disease Control
Bob Stewart: [83729]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what
steps he is taking to co-ordinate a cross-Departmental response to a potential increase in
the prevalence in covid-19 in winter 2020-21.
Penny Mordaunt:
The actions of the Government and people across the UK have reduced the
transmission of the virus significantly from its peak in the spring, but the coming
winter presents further challenges.
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12 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
Our collective understanding of the virus, and how it spreads, has vastly improved
since the initial wave of infections. In the coming months, we will continue to assess
what the UK can learn from other nations, and carry out a series of exercises to test
the Government’s winter plans, and to ensure effective coordination between
departments and with the devolved administrations.
House of Lords: Location
Rachael Maskell: [83876]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how
much his Department spent on scoping a potential move of the House of Lords to York.
Chloe Smith:
The Prime Minister wrote to the CEOs of the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority
requesting that the strategic review of the Restoration and Renewal Programme give
consideration to decant locations outside of London, including York. The Government
looks forward to the findings of the strategic review. It will be Parliament that will take
the final decision on how to proceed.
Industrial Relations: Scotland
Alan Brown: [83861]
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons employment and industrial
relations are devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly but not to the Scottish
Parliament.
Chloe Smith:
The devolved nations, institutions and their respective devolution settlements are all
different, reflecting their circumstances and history, and are considered as individual
entities.
The Smith Commission did not recommend any change to the reserved status of
employment and industrial relations policy in Scotland.
Sovereignty: Scotland
David Linden: [82315]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he
will publish all opinion polling commissioned by his Department on Scottish independence
conducted in 2020.
David Linden: [82316]
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office,
which polling organisations his Department commissioned in 2020; and how much his
Department has paid to each of those organisations for each service.
Julia Lopez:
As has been the case with successive administrations, Government routinely works
with suppliers to provide polling and market research work so as to understand public
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 13
attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important campaigns and policies. This
enables us to deliver strong, national, cross-government communications campaigns,
including to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic. Internal
policy development work is not normally disclosed.
Details of departmental expenditure and contracts are published on GOV.UK.
DEFENCE
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Mr Tobias Ellwood: [83685]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what mid air refuelling system the F35B uses;
and how that system differs from the one used by the Typhoon.
Jeremy Quin:
The UK's F-35 Lightning and Typhoon fleets both use the 'probe and drogue' air to air
refuelling system, utilising the RAF Voyager fleet.
Military Aid
Mr Kevan Jones: [84972]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department made an assessment
of the potential merits of the use of Giraffe radar prior to the deployment of RAF aircraft in
the English Channel in the last two months.
James Heappey:
An assessment on the suitability of Giraffe radar system was conducted and it was
deemed that this capability was not appropriate due to the good existing radar
coverage in the area.
Mr Kevan Jones: [84974]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date his Department received a
request from the Home Office to assist UK Border Force in the English Channel.
James Heappey:
A Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) request from the Home Office was
received by Defence on 7 August 2020 for support to the Border Force efforts to
counter people trafficking activity in the English Channel.
Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information
Mr Kevan Jones: [84656]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether non-disclosure agreements agreed
between his Department and prime defence contractors purport to prohibit industry
experts from providing evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee.
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14 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
Mr Kevan Jones: [84975]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-disclosure agreements are
being required by his Department from the industry for procurement competitions; and for
what reasons those such agreements are necessary.
Jeremy Quin:
It is Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy to use standard contract conditions to prevent
the unauthorised disclosure of information for a variety of reasons, including
protection of national security, commercial confidentiality and personal data.
The MOD would only use Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in its commercial
arrangements by exception. Any such NDAs, if agreed, would be prepared on a
project by project basis: the MOD does not hold any central record of any such
agreements.
Similarly, the MOD has no centrally held records of any contractual conditions or
NDAs that would prevent an industry expert from attending a Parliamentary
Committee. Where circumstances arose in which information is requested, the
disclosure of which may be prohibited under contractual arrangements; for example,
on grounds of national security or commercial sensitivities, this would have to be
carefully considered on a case by case basis.
Type 26 Frigates: Procurement
Luke Pollard: [83945]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to order the next batch of Type
26 frigates.
Luke Pollard: [83946]
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are penalty clauses in the
procurement contracts for the new Type 26 frigates in the event that his Department does
not order a second batch of Type 26 frigates.
Jeremy Quin:
For our plans to order the next batch of Type 26 frigates, I refer the hon. Member to
the answer given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence
(Baroness Goldie of Bishopton), on 21 January 2020 to Question HL366 in the House
of Lords.
The terms and conditions of our contract with BAE Systems for the Batch 1 Type 26
frigates are commercially confidential; I can, however, confirm that the contract
contains no such penalty clauses.
Attachments:
1. HL366 - Type 26 Frigates [Hansard Extract HL 366.docx]
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 15
DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Arts: Coronavirus
Tracy Brabin: [84722]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his
Department is taking to monitor the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the number of
people employed in the creative industries.
Caroline Dinenage:
DCMS conducted a business impact survey earlier this year with results published in
June and the next set of results are due later in the Autumn. Since the start of the
crisis, the department has engaged extensively with stakeholders across the Creative
Industries and we are aware of the difficulties organisations and individuals face.
We appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to the
creative industries which is why the Government announced an unprecedented £1.57
billion support package specifically for the cultural sector to help them through this
crisis. This funding will provide targeted support to many organisations in the Creative
Industries, to stay open and continue operating. This substantial sector-specific
package is in addition to economic wide measures such as the furlough scheme, and
the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, both of which were designed to
protect as many jobs as possible.
BBC: Local Broadcasting
Scott Mann: [82183]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent
discussions he has had with the BBC on holding a public consultation on its proposals to
revise regional television and radio production.
Mr John Whittingdale:
The Government recognises the vital role that regional news and local current affairs
play in bringing communities together and reflecting experiences across the UK. The
BBC’s proposed cuts to English regional television were debated in the chamber on
22 June 2020, where the government set out its support for regional broadcasting
and its concern about the BBC’s decision.
The BBC is editorially and operationally independent of government, and regional
programming is a matter for the BBC. The BBC’s Royal Charter requires the BBC to
represent, reflect and serve audiences, taking into account the needs of diverse
communities of all the UK nations and regions. Under the new regulatory system
introduced by the government in 2017, the BBC Board must ensure the BBC
complies with its Charter duties, and Ofcom was established as the BBC regulator to
ensure the BBC is robustly held to account.
Ofcom is aware of the changes to the BBC’s regional news and current affairs, and
has said it will require the BBC to set out how the proposed cuts are consistent with
the delivery of the BBC’s public purposes.
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16 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
The government has no plans to reopen the BBC Charter or conduct a public
consultation on this issue. The Charter will next be considered at the mid-term
review. This is the appropriate milestone to consider whether the current regulatory
arrangements for the BBC are working effectively. The Charter specifies that the
review must take place between 2022 and 2024.
Broadband
Mr Jonathan Lord: [84225]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his
Department is taking to ensure that superfast broadband is available throughout the UK.
Matt Warman:
The government has invested significant amounts in digital infrastructure over the last
decade, with the BDUK Superfast programme investing over £1.8 billion of public
money to ensure over 96% of UK premises have access to superfast broadband. In
addition to this, nearly £900 million has been allocated to stimulate the market to start
building gigabit-capable infrastructure and full fibre connectivity.
For those premises that are still struggling with slow speeds, there are a number of
options available to them. DCMS runs a voucher scheme that can be used by rural
communities across the UK to reduce the cost of installing gigabit-capable
connectivity. This provides a voucher worth up to £3,500 for eligible small businesses
and vouchers worth up to £1,500 for residents. ‘Top-up’ schemes run by Local
Authorities, who provide their own funding on top of DCMS’s, are also operating
across the UK.
The government also introduced the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO)
on 20 March 2020. The USO gives eligible premises in the UK the right to request a
decent and affordable connection. The government has defined decent broadband as
a service that can provide a download speed of 10Mbps and an upload speed of
1Mbps.
Furthermore the government has pledged a further £5 billion to invest in the hardest
to reach areas of the UK. Supplier engagement has taken place over the summer,
and their feedback will be used to refine and finalise the delivery vehicle of the
programme which will launch the first wave of procurements in early 2021.
Cinemas: Grants
Dan Jarvis: [81913]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what additional
support his Department is providing to independent cinemas applying for the British Film
Institute managed grant.
Caroline Dinenage:
My officials are working closely with the British Film Institute (BFI) to ensure that
appropriate support is in place for those independent cinema owners applying to the
Culture Recovery Fund. We recognise that some independent cinema owners will not
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 17
have had much experience applying for Government funding and as a result we have
agreed with the BFI a range of measures to support their applications.
This includes detailed guidance notes, a robust supporting Q&A document, dedicated
contact points to answer questions, and proactive engagement from the BFI’s Film
Audience Network and its regional English Film Hubs to actively promote the Fund
and support applicants through the required process. DCMS and the BFI have also
been promoting the Fund through press and comms channels and encouraging
potential applicants to apply. It is also positive that the industry has provided further
support, with the UK Cinema Association setting up a series of meetings for their
members to better understand the application process.
The Culture Recovery Fund is intended to support the nation’s most important
national, regional, and local organisations and funding will not be available for every
organisation. As such it is critical that we scrutinise applications against rigorous
criteria and continue to act to support applications from all eligible cinemas.
Data Protection: EU Law
Owen Thompson: [82137]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the
Government has made of the likelihood of the UK receiving a positive data protection
adequacy finding from the European Commission in the event that the transition period
ends without a deal on the future relationship.
Mr John Whittingdale:
It is our intention to secure positive adequacy decisions from the EU to allow personal
data to continue to flow freely from the EU/EEA to the UK. We see the EU’s
assessment process on data adequacy as technical and confirmatory of the reality
that the UK is operating the same regulatory frameworks as the EU, and we consider
that it is self-evidently in the interest of both sides to have adequacy decisions in
place by the end of the year. No other third country's standards have ever been
closer to the EU's.
Adequacy assesses whether UK data protection standards are ‘essentially
equivalent’ to the EU’s, not identical.
However, we will take sensible steps to prepare for a situation where decisions are
not in place by the end of the transition period. In such a scenario businesses and
other organisations would be able to use alternative legal mechanisms to continue to
transfer personal data. Guidance is available on the Information Commissioner's
Office website.
The UK is a global leader in strong data protection standards and protecting the
privacy of individuals will continue to be a priority.
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18 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
Housing: Construction
Rachael Maskell: [84299]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he
has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on support from charities and
social enterprises to the Kickstart programme.
Rachael Maskell: [84300]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he
has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on adapting the Kickstart
scheme to make it easier for charities and social enterprises to participate in that scheme.
Mr John Whittingdale:
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has held discussions with
the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, including on how DCMS sectors have
been impacted by Covid-19, particularly in relation to unemployment and where new
opportunities may arise so that workers could be helped to pivot into new roles.
Throughout Kickstart policy development, Government officials have engaged with a
wide range of stakeholders, including a number of voluntary sector organisations.
Employers from all industries and across the private, public and voluntary sectors will
be able to get involved in creating new jobs, funded by the Kickstart scheme.
Government will continue to engage with organisations in order to encourage a wide
range of delivery partners to support the scheme and make it a success.
Mass Media: Coronavirus
Florence Eshalomi: [78945]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the
Government has to provide additional support to freelance workers in the media during
the covid-19 outbreak.
Mr John Whittingdale:
The Government has taken and continues to take action to support media
organisations, and all those who work in them, during this time.
For those who are self-employed, the Government has set up the Self-Employment
Income Support Scheme, which has helped millions of people across the UK, with
those eligible receiving a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit
over the last three years. This covers 95% of people who receive the majority of their
income from self-employment. The scheme has helped many eligible freelance
workers, including those in the media, receive up to £2,500 per month in grants, and
our support for those who are self-employed is far more comprehensive, generous
and longer lasting than almost any other country.
In addition, from 1 July employers have been able to bring back to work employees
who have previously been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern,
while still being able to claim for their normal hours not worked.
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 19
The Government remains determined to do all it can to help sectors, including the
Media, in their recovery and return to profitability. Only by helping the overall
economy to stabilise and grow will we be able to ensure a safe and prosperous future
for freelance workers.
Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
Ben Lake: [82285]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the
Government plans to allocate to the implementation of the Shared Rural Network in each
of the UK's nations.
Matt Warman:
Shared Rural Network programme will ensure that the £1 billion jointly committed by
government and industry will increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the UK to 95%
geographic coverage by the end of 2025. Technical work is underway to determine
how to most efficiently reach targets and the department is unable to provide any
further details on funding allocations at this stage. Government funds will be directed
to areas where there is no current coverage while industry funds will be directed
towards filling gaps where there is only partial coverage.
Newspaper Press: Internet
Emma Hardy: [83918]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is
taking to help tackle (a) disinformation and (b) abuse on the commenting forums of
newspaper websites.
Emma Hardy: [83921]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he
has made of the effect of (a) covid-19 disinformation and (b) other online harms on
newspaper comment forums on public safety; and if he will make a statement.
Mr John Whittingdale:
The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. During the Covid-
19 pandemic, it has been vitally important that the public has accurate information
and DCMS is leading work across Government to tackle disinformation.
The Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit was stood up on 5 March, bringing
together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities. The Unit’s primary
function is to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope and impact of
disinformation and misinformation regarding Covid-19 and to work with partners to
ensure appropriate action is taken.
More generally, the Government’s Online Harms White Paper, published in April
2019, set out our plans for world-leading legislation to make companies more
responsible for their users’ safety online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of
care on companies towards their users which will be overseen by an independent
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20 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
regulator. This regulator will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory
reporting requirements and strong enforcement powers to deal with non-compliance.
However, Online Harms regulation will not seek to duplicate existing regulation on
moderated comment sections on news sites. The government is committed to
independent self-regulation of the press. Complaints about user-generated comments
on news websites can be directed to the publication itself, or to the appropriate self-
regulator. The majority of traditional publishers—including 95% of national
newspapers by circulation—are members of IPSO. A small number of publishers
have joined IMPRESS
Television Licences: Older People
Colum Eastwood: [85124]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his
Department has made of the number of over 75s in the Foyle constituency who will be
required to pay for TV licences.
Mr John Whittingdale:
The government is deeply disappointed with the BBC’s decision to restrict the over 75
licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the
value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC.
However, the Digital Economy Act 2017 provides that the future of the concession is
the responsibility of the BBC, not of the government. The BBC must look urgently at
how it can use its substantial licence fee income to support older people and deliver
for UK audiences of all ages.
The BBC has estimated that around 3.7 million households will now be expected to
pay for their TV licence as a result of its decision. The BBC has not published
information on the breakdown by constituency of those affected by its decision.
USA: Data Protection
Owen Thompson: [82138]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the
Government has to negotiate an agreement with the US similar to Privacy Shield.
Owen Thompson: [82139]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what policy proposals
the Government has on the future of personal data transfers to the US.
Owen Thompson: [82140]
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the
Government has made of whether US data law ensures a level of protection equivalent to
that provided by Article 47 of GDPR.
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 21
Mr John Whittingdale:
On Thursday 16 July the Court of Justice of the European Union handed down its
judgment in the case known as “Schrems II”. The Court invalidated the EU’s “Privacy
Shield” adequacy decision and it is therefore no longer a valid basis for the transfer of
personal data from the EU and the UK to the US. The UK Government intervened in
the case, alongside the Commission, to support the validity of the Privacy Shield and
is disappointed in the outcome of the judgment.
During the Transition Period, judgments of the Court of Justice of the European
Union apply to the UK. After the transition period, the UK will repatriate the powers to
conclude its own adequacy decisions, on the basis of future independent UK
assessments of other countries’ data protection laws. The UK cannot do such
assessments until after the end of the transition period.
We propose to work with US and other stakeholders to support initiatives that reduce
the burdens and barriers on organisations transferring personal data, unlocking the
value of data within the modern digital economy, while providing trust and confidence
that personal data is protected.
EDUCATION
Babies and Children
Damien Moore: [82347]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the Government's timeframe is for the
reopening of maternal and child classes as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Vicky Ford:
Activities for families and their young children, for example baby and toddler groups,
can operate provided they, and the premises they operate from, follow relevant
government guidance.
Guidance on which premises and businesses are legally able to open is available
here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-
to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.
Providers should also have regard to and, where relevant, ensure that they are
following guidance on the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities, which is
available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-
safe-use-of-multi-purpose-community-facilities.
Ofsted registered early years providers should ensure they are following guidance for
early years and childcare providers, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-
childcare-closures.
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22 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
Breakfast Clubs
Theresa Villiers: [83690]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to extend access to
breakfast clubs prior to the start of the school day.
Vicky Ford:
We are committed to supporting schools and children so that they are able to benefit
from our breakfast club programme. The department is investing up to £35 million
into the National School Breakfast Programme, using funds from Soft Drinks Industry
Levy revenues. We have also announced that the programme will be extended by a
further year, until March 2021, with up to an additional 650 schools being supported.
Many schools operate their own breakfast and after school clubs, and from the start
of the autumn term should be working to resume this provision. As part of our
guidance to schools on full opening, we have provided guidance to schools to help
them in reopening this valuable support, more information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-
coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#wraparound-provision-and-
extra-curricular-activity.
We have also published updated guidance for providers who run before and after-
school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school settings for children on the protective
measures that should be put in place from the start of the autumn term, to ensure
they are operating as safely as possible when all children return to school. The
guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-
measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-
children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-
school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
Carers: Children
Rachael Maskell: [83866]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to recruit an
adequate number of (a) short breaks foster carers and (b) community short breaks carers
to care for children with disabilities.
Rachael Maskell: [83867]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the
adequacy of the number of short breaks foster carers (a) nationally and (b) in York.
Vicky Ford:
Local authorities have a duty to ensure they have sufficient placements that meet the
needs of their looked-after children in their area, this includes foster care placements
for short breaks. These placements are for children with special educational needs
and disabilities (SEND) and children with behavioural difficulties to enjoy a short stay
on a planned, regular basis with the same short break-carer as a strategy to relieve
strain on a permanent placement or birth family.
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 23
Data on the approved households for each placement type can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/childrens-social-care-statistics.
It is vital that local authorities can find the right carers to meet the needs of vulnerable
children. The department commissioned behavioural insights research which
commenced in November 2019, to explore the barriers and motivations of
prospective carers and seek recommendations for more targeted approaches in local
recruitment. We will share these findings with fostering services and recruitment
managers.
The department also recently funded 7 feasibility studies in commissioning and
sufficiency planning, bringing together local authorities with their partners to explore
innovative practices, including collaborative approaches to foster care recruitment.
We are also exploring whether digital approaches could help us in supporting local
authorities to improve matching of children to carers.
Free School Meals: Primary Education
Theresa Villiers: [83689]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether free schools meals are being
offered to all pupils in the first three years of primary school in England.
Vicky Ford:
We allocate £600 million per year to ensure that 1.4 million infants enjoy a free,
healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the universal
infant free school meals (UIFSM) policy in 2014. Now that schools are reopen to all
children, those in reception, year 1 and year 2 in England’s state-funded schools will
receive a free meal. During the period in which schools were largely closed, the
government continued to provide support to those eligible for benefits related free
school meals (FSM) through the National Voucher Scheme.
Now that schools and their kitchens are open again, we expect them to provide free
school meals to all those entitled to benefits related FSM and UIFSM to those
children attending school. If a child needs to miss school for COVID-19 related
matters, such as self-isolation due to a case of COVID-19, then we have asked
schools to provide meals to those entitled to benefits related FSM.
Further Education and Schools: Finance
Mick Whitley: [83960]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding he plans to make
available to (a) schools and (b) further education providers to support the mental health
needs of young people returning to classrooms in September 2020.
Vicky Ford:
Getting children and young people back into education, with settings devoting time to
supporting wellbeing, will play a fundamental part in supporting children and young
people’s mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. All pupils and students will
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24 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
return to a full high-quality education programme in September, so they have the
opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential.
Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package, including a £650 million pupil premium
shared across schools over the 2020-21 academic year, will support education
settings to put the right catch-up support, including pastoral support, in place.
The catch-up premium is in addition to core funding through which schools already
support young people. This year we are also providing £780 million additional high
needs funding across England for children with the most complex special educational
needs and disabilities. We are providing a further £730 million in 2021-22, which will
bring the total high needs budget to over £8 billion.
From September, when pupils and students will return to schools and colleges, the
government is investing £8 million in the new Wellbeing for Education Return
programme, which will provide schools and colleges all over England with the
knowledge and practical skills they need to support teachers, students and parents to
the emotional impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Schools and colleges may also need to access support from specialist services. NHS
mental health services remain open and all NHS mental health trusts have been
asked to ensure that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of
all ages. In addition to this, the government has provided over £9 million to mental
health charities to ensure they can continue to support people experiencing mental
health challenges throughout the outbreak.
GCE A-level: Assessments
Theresa Villiers: [83686]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the
potential merits of postponing autumn A-level exams to the end of November 2020 to
give students unable to take their A-levels in summer 2020 additional time to prepare for
those exams.
Nick Gibb:
We want students who wish to sit autumn exams to be able to do so at the earliest
opportunity following the cancellation of exams in the summer. A level exams will be
sat in October so that students receive results before Christmas and can use them to
progress to their next step as soon as possible.
Higher Education: Finance
Rachael Maskell: [83878]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government is providing
additional financial support to higher education providers to support larger numbers of
students following the removal of temporary student number controls.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-09-01/83686http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-09-01/83878
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 25
Michelle Donelan:
We have announced that, subject to parliamentary approval, we will completely
remove temporary student number controls to help ensure there are no additional
barriers to students being able to progress to higher education.
We are working closely with the sector to create additional capacity and ensure
providers are as flexible as possible. To do this, we are taking steps such as lifting
caps on domestic medicine and dentistry courses in the next academic year. We are
also supporting providers to offer places to as many students who have met the
grades for their current offer as they have capacity for and where there are clinical
placements available, through additional grant funding to support the costs of this
provision.
We are also providing additional teaching grant funding to increase capacity in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and other high-cost
subjects which are vital to the country’s social needs and economy. The Office for
Students (OfS) will consult the sector on the details of how the allocations are made.
Providers will also be eligible to bid for a share of up to £10 million funding to support
capital expenditure. This funding will be used to support the infrastructure required to
accommodate additional students recruited as a result of the changes to policy on A
level grades.
The fund will be administered by the OfS, and providers will be eligible to bid for
projects that support expansion in 2020-21.
We will continue to monitor the situation and to consider the effects that deferrals will
have on future years. Funding decisions for future years will be taken at the Spending
Review.
Medicine: Higher Education
Emma Hardy: [83923]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to require universities that
have accepted medical students on a deferred entry to 2021-22 as a result of the 2020 A-
level awards to accept the result of the 2020 UCAT and BMAT tests beyond their 12-
month validity period to ensure that students do not have to resit them.
Michelle Donelan:
Universities are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for
their own admissions decisions, including on the use of the University Clinical
Aptitude Test and BioMedical Admissions Test in their admissions process.
The evidence for acceptance to university courses ceases to be relevant once a
university student has been accepted to the course, regardless of when they have
commenced, including deferrals. The Medical Schools Council is not aware of any
medical school that would expect any student in this situation to have to resit.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-09-01/83923
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26 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
The government has asked that universities are as flexible as possible, and we will
continue to make every effort to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on
young people’s education.
Remote Education: Pre-school Education
Sir Alan Campbell: [81577]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's guidance
for parents and carers of children attending out-of-school settings during the coronavirus
(covid-19) outbreak, published on 10 July 2020, when similar guidance will be published
for parents with children under five years old.
Vicky Ford:
The guidance for parents and carers with children under five is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-
about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-
outbreak.
It was first published on 18 June 2020.
Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus
Rachael Maskell: [83869]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Government has made
of the (a) ability and (b) safety of children with SEND returning to school as covid-19
restrictions are eased.
Vicky Ford:
Supporting all children and young people and keeping them safe is the highest
priority for the government, especially at this time. The decision to ask pupils to return
to school has not been taken lightly, and it is based on the latest available evidence.
Our NHS Test and Trace system is up and running, and we are clear about the
measures that need to be in place to create safer environments within education
settings. This enables children to return to their educational setting so that they can
receive high-quality teaching and specialist professional care.
Additionally, the risk to children and young people themselves of becoming severely
ill from COVID-19 is very low and there are negative impacts of being out of school or
college. Returning to normal educational routines as quickly as possible will be critical
for children and young people’s education and wellbeing, particularly those with
special educational needs and disabilities. Most pupils and students will be able to
return to their setting. However, some pupils and students who are no longer required
to shield but who generally remain under the care of a specialist health professional
may need to discuss their care with their health professional. More advice is available
from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health here:
https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-shielding-guidance-children-young-
people#children-who-should-be-advised-to-shield.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-08-28/81577http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-09-01/83869https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-shielding-guidance-children-young-people#children-who-should-be-advised-to-shieldhttps://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-shielding-guidance-children-young-people#children-who-should-be-advised-to-shieldhttps://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-shielding-guidance-children-young-people#children-who-should-be-advised-to-shield
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 27
On 2 July, the government published detailed plans for schools and colleges that set
out what is needed to plan for a full return of their pupils and students from the
beginning of the autumn term, including for special schools and other specialist
settings. This has been developed with medical experts from Public Health England
and includes putting in place a ‘system of controls’ to minimise the risk of
transmission in their settings.
The guidance for special schools and other specialist settings can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-
schools-and-other-specialist-settings.
The guidance for mainstream settings is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-
coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
Students: Loans
Nick Fletcher: [83973]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he (a) has made an assessment of
the equity of student loan repayments being taken from probationary police officers in
London whose allowance takes them over the threshold for repayment and (b) plans to
change his policy on that issue.
Michelle Donelan:
Repayments are made based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not the
interest rate, amount borrowed or borrower’s occupation. Repayments are calculated
as a fixed percentage of earnings, with only the amount of earnings above the
relevant repayment threshold being considered – and if the borrower’s income drops,
so do repayments made. No repayments are made on earnings below the repayment
thresholds. Any outstanding debt is written off at the end of the loan term with no
detriment to the borrower.
If, at the end of the year, the borrower’s total income is below the relevant annual
threshold, they may reclaim any repayments from the Student Loans Company made
during that year.
There are no plans to amend the regulations to apply different repayment terms to
borrowers in different occupations.
Universities: Admissions
Dr Luke Evans: [84361]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the ability
of universities to manage the increased number of places available to students for the
2020-21 academic year.
Michelle Donelan:
I have written directly to all Vice Chancellors and have set up a Higher Education
Taskforce so that the government can work with the sector to build capacity, harness
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settingshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settingshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settingshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schoolshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schoolshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schoolshttp://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-09-01/83973http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-09-02/84361
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28 Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS
expert views and tackle challenges. Together, we have agreed that all students who
achieved the required grades will be offered a place at their first-choice university,
wherever possible.
We have taken a number to steps to support this commitment. We have announced
that, subject to parliamentary approval, we will completely remove temporary student
number controls to help ensure there are no additional barriers to students being able
to progress to higher education.
We have announced that we will lift caps on domestic medicine and dentistry courses
in the next academic year. We will support providers to offer places to as many
students who have met the grades for their current offer as they have capacity for,
and where there are clinical placements available, through additional grant funding to
support the costs of this provision.
We will also provide additional teaching grant funding to increase capacity in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and other high-cost subjects,
which are vital to the country’s social needs and economy. The Office for Students
(OfS) will consult the sector on the details of how the allocations are made.
Providers will also be eligible to bid for a share of up to £10 million in funding to
support capital expenditure. This funding will be used to support the infrastructure
required to accommodate additional students recruited as a result of the changes to
policy on A level grades.
The fund will be administered by the OfS, and providers will be eligible to bid for
projects that support expansion in 2020-21.
We will continue to monitor the situation and to consider the effects that deferrals will
have on future years. Funding decisions for future years will be taken at the Spending
Review.
Universities: Disadvantaged
Emma Hardy: [83917]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to make an assessment
of the effect of the (a) covid-19 outbreak and (b) 2020 A-level awards process on
university applications from students from disadvantaged backgrounds for the 2020-21
academic year in order to mitigate any such adverse effects for the 2021-22 academic
year.
Michelle Donelan:
The government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.
This has been an incredibly difficult time for students and this government is making
every effort to make sure that all those who planned to move on to higher education
can do so.
Protecting students’ mental health and wellbeing is a priority. I wrote to all higher
education providers asking them to ensure they continue to support students. We
have clarified that providers can use funding worth £256 million for the academic year
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-09-01/83917
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Daily Report Wednesday, 9 September 2020 ANSWERS 29
of 2020/21, starting from August, towards student hardship funds and mental health
support. Furthermore, the Office for Students has provided up to £3 million to fund
the Student Space platform to bridge gaps in mental health support for students.
Through our government taskforce, we are working closely with universities to
support them with the challenges they face and to help them build capacity for
students entering university in the 2020/21 academic year. We have already
announced that we intend to remove the temporary student number controls as well
as the normal caps on medical and dental students. We will also be making additional
funding available to universities to help them take on more students.
The government and the higher education sector have agreed that all students who
achieved the required grades will be offered a place at their first choice university in
the 2020/21 academic year wherever possible, or if maximum capacity is reached,
they will be offered an alternative course or a deferred place. In these circumstances,
we have asked universities to particularly consider what they can do for students from
disadvantaged backgrounds.
As of 2 September, The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service figures show
that a record 24,680 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds
(POLAR4 quintile 1) in England have been accepted into university for 2020/21 – this
is a record rate of 22.9%, compared to the same point last year. I also wrote to Vice
Chancellors on 28 August, confirming that I would work with higher education
providers in the coming weeks to support the 2021/21 intake of students.
We are also ensuring that higher education providers have the guidance they need to
ensure that their provision is COVID-19 secure. We will continue to work with the
sector to support them with the current challenges that providers might face as well
as to deliver on this year’s admission cycle and to allow the sector to access the
government support on offer as needed.
Universities: Freedom of Expression
Paul Girvan: [82302]
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to
ensure freedom of academic thought and expression at UK