Lord Walney Portrait

Lord Walney

Crossbench - Barrow and Furness

Became Member: 4th September 2020


Home Affairs Committee
5th Feb 2018 - 8th May 2019
Shadow Minister (Education)
8th May 2015 - 18th Sep 2015
Defence Committee
25th Nov 2013 - 30th Mar 2015
Shadow Minister (Transport)
8th Oct 2010 - 11th Jan 2013
Defence Committee
12th Jul 2010 - 2nd Nov 2010


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Walney has voted in 192 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Lord Walney Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative)
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(26 debate interactions)
Baroness Goldie (Conservative)
(11 debate interactions)
Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
(10 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Defence
(16 debate contributions)
Home Office
(15 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(12 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lord Walney's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Walney, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


1 Bill introduced by Lord Walney


The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require local planning authorities to ensure that certain criteria are met before planning permission involving the redevelopment of bowling greens can be granted; to introduce a community right to buy for bowling greens in certain circumstances; and for connected purposes

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Monday 28th March 2011

Lord Walney has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
21st Apr 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government which projects have had their grant funding from UK Research and Innovation reduced in 2021–22 following the reduction in its Official Development Assistance allocation; and what is the size of the reduction for each of these projects.

We are currently working with UKRI, and all our Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund Delivery Partners, to manage the financial year 2021/22 ODA allocations. UKRI have written to all impacted award holders setting out the next stage of the review of ODA funding this year, and to explore options for individual programmes. Full details have been published on the UKRI website.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
21st Apr 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support the proposed International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases, following reductions in grant funding allocated to the project by the Medical Research Council in 2021–22.

In correspondence with Universities regarding the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget cuts, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has provided each with the opportunity to highlight awards that may require special consideration.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
21st Apr 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Medical Research Council about the impact of its decision to reduce grant funding which had been allocated in 2021–22 to support the establishment of the International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases.

In correspondence with Universities regarding the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget cuts, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has provided each with the opportunity to highlight awards that may require special consideration.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
4th Mar 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what plans they have to ensure research is conducted into the efficacy of each COVID-19 vaccine for those with blood cancer, and (2) what the timeline will be for any such research.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to my Hon. Friend the Member for Crawley by my Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Science, Research and Innovation on 26 February 2021 to Question 152472.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake a strategic review of the role biologics manufacturing could play in pandemic responsiveness and resilience.

Currently the UK does not have the capability or scale to manufacture bulk levels of antibodies; the Vaccine Taskforce identified this as a potential weakness in the UK’s future pandemic response.

As a result, the Government issued a Prior Information Notice in October 2020 to engage with the market to explore how UK antibody manufacturing capability can be developed to secure permanent UK access and build resilience. The findings from the market engagement exercise, and the wider landscape of the pandemic, has resulted in the need for a broader strategic review of the role that biologics manufacturing could play in pandemic responsiveness and resilience.

The Government has invested over £300 million to secure and scale-up the UK’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities to be able to respond to the pandemic. This includes:

a) Facilities that have come online:

  • £4.7 million for skills training through the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network, which will be delivered through both virtual and physical centres;
  • £8.75 million for the set-up of the rapid deployment facility at Oxford Biomedica in Oxfordshire;
  • £65.5 million for the early manufacture of the University of Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine; and
  • Funding for fill and finish through a contract with Wockhardt in Wrexham, North Wales which is currently providing fill and finish capabilities to the University of Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine.

b) Facilities that will come online later this year, to help provide longer term UK capacity and will help in pandemic preparedness:

  • £93 million to accelerate the completion and expanded role of the Vaccine Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Oxfordshire; and
  • £127 million for the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Braintree in Essex.

In addition to the above, we have also funded the expansion of the Valneva factory in Livingston, Scotland.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
2nd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of reduced fundraising for armed forces charities during the COVID-19 pandemic, what additional measures they are taking to enable such charities to deliver support for veterans.

Government is committed to making the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran.

Every year it provides £10 million to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, which distributes this as grants to charitable organisations through a range of programmes. This year we have provided an additional £6 million for 100 service charities through the Covid Relief fund, to ensure they can continue to provide their vital services throughout the pandemic. Furthermore, through the Loneliness Covid-19 Fund, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen And Families Association has been provided with a grant of £500,000 to support veterans and their families experiencing loneliness throughout the UK.

Charities are also able to apply to access the additional financial support provided through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Charities can also apply to receive up to £3,000 a month through the Local Restrictions Support Grant if an organisation’s premises is forced to close.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
29th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of days of in-person education lost by school pupils in England and Wales as a result of isolating after coming into to contact with a fellow pupil who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The department’s goal is to support pupils to attend face to face education, and to reverse the long-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on their education.

The department collects information from schools through the daily education setting survey. Schools record and submit data on the following categories:

  • pupils with a suspected case of COVID-19
  • pupils with a confirmed case of COVID-19
  • pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of COVID-19 from inside the school
  • pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of COVID-19 from outside the school
  • pupils absent as a result of school closures due to COVID-related reasons

Full school attendance data is published weekly and includes information on the number of pupils absent due to potential contact with COVID-19 in schools. The latest week’s data can be accessed through the following link, along with each previous week: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak#dataDownloads-1.

Education is a devolved power and the Department does not collect data on Welsh schools. Please contact the Welsh Government (https://gov.wales).

20th Jul 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee in its 2021 Progress Report to Parliament, published on 24 June, to make Shoreline Management Plans statutory.

We will formally respond to the Climate Change Committee’s detailed recommendations in October.

Adapting to the current and predicted changes to our climate is vital. The UK is already leading the fight against climate change by delivering on our world-leading target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The Environment Agency is working with coastal protection authorities on a £1 million refresh of Shoreline Management Plans. This will ensure that they are up to date, using the best evidence in their recommendations and focus attention on priority areas for investment and adaptation.

Last year, the Government published our long-term Policy Statement which sets out our ambition to create a nation more resilient to future flood and coastal erosion risk. The Policy Statement includes five policies and over 40 supporting actions which will accelerate progress to better protect and better prepare the country against flooding and coastal erosion in the face of more frequent extreme weather as a result of climate change.

This includes a commitment to review national policy for Shoreline Management Plans to ensure they are transparent, continuously review outcomes and enable local authorities to make robust decisions for their areas. As part of this we will engage with stakeholders, including the Environment Agency and Coastal Protection Areas to consider the Committee’s views that Shoreline Management Plans should be made Statutory.

25th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 25 November (HL10259), whether they intend to provide a geographical breakdown of (1) the 2,000 properties in England at risk from loss to coastal erosion in England by 2060, assuming current Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) policies are implemented, (2) the 5,000 properties potentially at risk by the 2030s from coastal erosion if SMPs are not implemented, and (3) the 28,000 properties potentially at risk by the 2060s (based on high emissions scenarios from UKCP09).

The number of projected properties (residential and non-residential) at risk from coastal erosion loss under three scenarios are as follows:

  • 2201 properties at risk from erosion to 2060 'With Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) Policy' scenario, 50 percentile (mid-range) projection (England only).
  • 5092 properties at risk from erosion to 2030 'No Intervention' scenario, 50 percentile (mid-range) projection (England only).
  • 27900 properties at risk from erosion to 2060 'No Intervention' scenario, 50 percentile (mid-range) projection (England only).

National Coastal Erosion Risk Map (NCERM) erosion projections are available as Open Data, and information for all coastal areas of England can be reviewed by accessing the NCERM . People can also check their risk by inputting their postcode and looking at the flood risk maps on our website, or by looking at the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) for their local area: https://www.gov.uk/check-coastal-erosion-management-in-your-area .

The Environment Agency will be updating NCERM to reflect UKCP18 emissions scenarios in 2021, and will be exploring potential ways to share property risk information from NCERM as part of that exercise, which will conclude in 2023.

11th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government by what process local Catchment Partnerships will be able to apply to receive a portion of the £5.2 billion funding for flood and coastal defences announced in the Budget on 11 March.

Flood and coastal risk management investment takes place where the risk is highest, wherever it is across the country. Each scheme is carefully considered to target where it will benefit the most people and property.

The Environment Agency (EA) uses a consistent set of criteria to prioritise funding for schemes proposed by all Risk Management Authorities which ensures a fair distribution of funding based on agreed priorities, principles and needs.

The EA is unable to allocate Flood and Coastal Risk Management Grant-in-Aid to Catchment Partnerships as they are not a Risk Management Authority.

Instead, the EA works closely with Catchment Partnerships through the Government's £15 million Natural Flood Management (NFM) pilot programme (which will end in March 2021), alongside communities, land managers, and coastal groups around England. The EA will continue to work with Catchment Partnerships after the end of the NFM pilot programme on the use of nature-based solutions.

Although capital funding for flood and coastal risk management is only available to Risk Management Authorities, EA teams routinely work with Catchment Partnerships on projects with other funding sources which provide environmental benefits and help to manage water in catchments.

Regional flood and coastal committees (RFCCs) provide a link between flood risk management authorities and other relevant bodies, like local Catchment Partnerships, to develop mutual understanding of risks in their regions.

In addition to sharing best practice between partners, RFCCs have a key role advising on and approving the implementation of programmes of work for their areas, and supporting the development of funding for local priority projects and works through local levy.

11th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they estimate the completion of the Silecroft to Silverdale section of the England Coast Path, referenced in the Natural England North West stretch update on 7 October, will cost; how much of that cost has already been allocated; and from what sources.

Natural England’s estimates for the costs of establishing this stretch are summarised within the individual published reports relating to the stretch. These total £2,106,819 (exclusive of any VAT payable). Subject to budgets, establishment costs will be met entirely by Natural England, via grants to Cumbria County Council (as access authority responsible for completing the works). Allocation of budget and grant provision would follow the approval of Natural England’s proposals by the Secretary of State.

11th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they anticipate the Silecroft to Silverdale section of the England Coast Path, referenced in the Natural England North West stretch update on 7 October, will be completed; and whether there are any outstanding planning issues that remain to be resolved on the route.

The proposals for the first part of this stretch of the England Coast Path were approved on the 12th November 2020; the remaining five reports covering this stretch currently sit with the Planning Inspectorate, for determination of objections that have been submitted. Natural England is not able to confirm when all such objections might be determined and when a decision by the Secretary of State might be made. Only after a decision has been published in relation to each of the six individual reports in question can Natural England, and the relevant access authority, begin the process of establishing the approved route in relation to any individual report.

Given the length of this stretch, and the complexity of the required establishment works, we might expect the establishment stage to take some time to complete. We hope to see the stretch open to walkers by late 2022, at the earliest. There may be some planning consents required in relation to the establishment works on this stretch, which will be a matter for Cumbria County Council, as access authority, to pursue with the relevant planning authority. We would not, however, anticipate that such requirements would be contentious or delaying.

11th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal defence programmes, announced in the Budget on 11 March, has been affected by subsequent spending announcements in other areas.

At the Budget in March, the Government confirmed that it will invest £5.2 billion over six years to create around 2,000 new flood and coastal defence schemes to better protect 336,000 properties in England by 2027. This was further confirmed in the Chancellor’s Spending Review, which was published today.

In addition, it was announced that a further £200 million would be provided for local innovative resilience projects which reduce flood risk. This summer, a further £170 million of capital funding was announced to accelerate work on shovel-ready flood defence schemes that will begin construction in 2020 or 2021. 22 areas across the country will benefit from this immediate boost to jobs supporting the local economy as communities recover from the impact of coronavirus.

By spring 2021, Defra will publish further details of what it expects to achieve from the £5.2 billion invested over the next six-year programme and how it is to be managed. The Environment Agency will publish an updated programme of specific flood and coastal defence capital projects annually.

11th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal defence programmes, announced in the Budget on 11 March, they estimate will be allocated (1) to flood defences, and (2) to coastal defences.

The £5.2 billion flood and coastal defence programme is due to start from April 2021 and is currently being developed. It is estimated that investment in flood schemes will be around 65% for inland flood defences and 35% for coastal defences.

1st Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to incorporate the UK life sciences sector in their Project Defend strategy.

The coronavirus pandemic demonstrated the importance of resilient supply chains to ensure the continued flow of critical goods and to keep global trade moving. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is working to strengthen the UK’s wider critical supply chain resilience. This includes diversification to keep supply chains open and promoting international collaboration to reduce incentives for trade restrictions, as well as improving domestic supply chain resilience.

Working closely with our global partners and UK industry, including the life sciences sector, DIT continues to establish greater international cooperation, understand supply chain vulnerabilities, share diagnosis and inform a coordinated response to our shared challenges.

26th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, what plans they have to re-assess official predictions of (1) medium, and (2) long term passenger growth in (a) international flights, (b) domestic flights, (c) long distance rail travel, and (d) motorway usage.

A new long-term forecast for travel demand in international and domestic flights is not feasible due to the uncertainty arising from COVID-19 concerning forecasting and appraisal. The Government is monitoring the evolving situation and engaging regularly with industry on their forecasts.

We have conducted long distance rail demand scenarios using assumptions on potential drivers subject to ongoing update, refinement and review. We will continue to review and evaluate the evidence for motorway usage. Our priority is to understand potential impacts resulting from COVID-19 following the update of road forecasts.

We plan to issue updated guidance in February on how to incorporate the impact of COVID-19 in medium and long-term forecasts for transport. More widely, the Government will continue to closely monitor the impact of the pandemic and to consider how to reflect this uncertainty with other drivers, including technological change and travel behaviour.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
26th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the assumptions about passenger growth contained in the HS2 Phase One full business case, published on 15 April, remain accurate following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; and what plans they have to revise this business case.

The rapid development and the uncertain outcome of the COVID-19 outbreak mean it has not yet been possible to undertake specific analysis to determine its impact on HS2. The Department for Transport is working with colleagues across Government to understand the impact on transport demand and the pandemic’s wider effect on the economy, and how this will affect future business cases for transport infrastructure investment.

The Full Business Case for Phase One published in April looked at both high and low demand scenarios, underpinned by population and economic growth forecasts. That analysis showed that even in a scenario where demand is relatively low, there is still a clear case for pressing ahead with HS2.

We are confident that the strategic case for HS2, including its subsequent stages to Crewe, Manchester and Leeds remains clear, and that there remains a case for increasing capacity on the UK rail network, bringing cities closer together and levelling up regions across the UK. HS2 also remains key to achieving net-zero by 2050, a commitment which remains unchanged despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Dec 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 17 November (HL3974), how many unborn children have been placed on the Child Protection Information sharing system using the pregnant woman’s National Health Service number.

The information is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

10th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include pregnant women whose children are likely to need a care plan from birth in the Child Protection – Information Sharing Project.

Unborn children on a protection plan can be on the Children Protection – Information Sharing system with the pregnant woman’s National Health Service number.

19th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support immunocompromised people who will not be able to benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Government is exploring all avenues available to us, to ensure that a treatment for COVID-19 is found. Treatments containing COVID-19 neutralising antibodies have been secured from AstraZenaca to support immunocompromised people who will not be able to benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine. The antibody treatment currently being developed by AstraZeneca is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies and has the potential to be given as a preventative option for people exposed to the virus, and to treat and prevent disease progression in patients already infected by the virus if successful. ?

19th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide a breakdown (1) by health condition or treatment, and (2) by age group, of any estimate of the number of immunocompromised people who will not be able to benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Department has worked closely at Ministerial and official level with our partners in the devolved administrations since the beginning of the outbreak, discussing a broad range of issues, in order to formulate an effective response.

Both primary immunodeficiency, the result of an inherited genetic defect, and secondary immunodeficiency, the result of disease or treatment and which may be temporary, have a variety of causes. Incidence, diagnosis or overall collective prevalence data that capture all possible types of immune deficiency, are not routinely collected or recorded centrally.

The Green Book lists the immunocompromised as part of the clinical risk groups over the age of 18 years old who should receive COVID-19 immunisation, as recommended by the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), but notes that some immunocompromised patients may have a suboptimal immunological response to the vaccine. The JCVI has considered vaccination of household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. However, at this time there is no data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission. Once enough evidence becomes available, the JCVI will consider options for a cocooning strategy for immunosuppressed individuals, including whether any specific vaccine is preferred for this population.

19th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government which health conditions or treatments they categorised as resulting in a patient being immunocompromised when making their estimate of the total number of immunocompromised people who will not be able to benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Department has worked closely at Ministerial and official level with our partners in the devolved administrations since the beginning of the outbreak, discussing a broad range of issues, in order to formulate an effective response.

Both primary immunodeficiency, the result of an inherited genetic defect, and secondary immunodeficiency, the result of disease or treatment and which may be temporary, have a variety of causes. Incidence, diagnosis or overall collective prevalence data that capture all possible types of immune deficiency, are not routinely collected or recorded centrally.

The Green Book lists the immunocompromised as part of the clinical risk groups over the age of 18 years old who should receive COVID-19 immunisation, as recommended by the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), but notes that some immunocompromised patients may have a suboptimal immunological response to the vaccine. The JCVI has considered vaccination of household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. However, at this time there is no data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission. Once enough evidence becomes available, the JCVI will consider options for a cocooning strategy for immunosuppressed individuals, including whether any specific vaccine is preferred for this population.

19th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to prevent COVID-19 infection in immunocompromised people who will not be able to benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Government is exploring all avenues available to us, to ensure that a treatment for COVID-19 is found., Treatments containing COVID-19 neutralising antibodies have been secured from AstraZenaca in order to prevent COVID-19 infection in immunocompromised people who will not be able to benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine. The antibody treatment currently being developed by AstraZeneca is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies and has the potential to be given as a preventative option for people exposed to the virus, and to treat and prevent disease progression in patients already infected by the virus if successful. ?

4th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish in full the modelling and assumptions informing the Scientific Pandemic Influenza modelling group (SPI-M) medium term projection for the next six weeks, publicised on 31 October.

The Chief Medical Officer’s presentation of 31 October and the accompanying modelling has been published online at GOV.UK. A copy of the presentation is attached.

4th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish in full the modelling and assumptions that informed the Winter scenarios from early working analysis England: daily deaths if no changes in policy or behaviour slide, publicised on 31 October.

The Chief Medical Officer’s presentation of 31 October and the accompanying modelling has been published online at GOV.UK. A copy of the presentation is attached.

2nd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve connectivity between the national COVID-19 contact tracing system and local outbreak control systems; and if they have any such plans, what are the timescales by which they expect to make any such changes.

Since its inception, NHS Test and Trace has worked closely with local authorities and local directors of public health.

Local Tracing Partnerships, first announced on 5 August, use local knowledge about communities and individuals to help ensure contact tracers reach the greatest possible proportion of people who have tested positive, both to help identify any support needs for them and other members of their households and to gather information about their recent contacts. As at 8 December, 275 Local Tracing Partnerships are in place, with more in implementation.

Local Tracing Partnerships involve local and national teams working together and sharing data as appropriate to ensure an integrated approach to contact tracing, support for self-isolation and preventing and managing local outbreaks.

2nd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of travel-to-work areas that cross local authority boundaries when setting levels of COVID-19 restrictions for local areas.

Work travel patterns factored into the decision making. It is important to apply restrictions to broad geographical areas where there are significant interconnected economic and social networks. This approach enables the same restrictions to apply where people are likely to work and socialise.

2nd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to make the COVID-19 test and trace system local by default; and what are the timescales for the changes they plan to make to existing systems.

The second NHS Test and Trace business plan was published on 10 December and set out how the Test and Trace service is strengthening its partnership with local government to tailor its response more to the needs of local communities and make the service faster, more reliable and even more accessible. This includes giving local public health teams more control through community-led testing; expanding local tracing partnerships, supported by potentially over £200 million per month of new funding through the Contain Outbreak Management Fund; working with local authorities to support them in providing better support for people who have to self-isolate; and using a shared framework of data, insight and analysis to identify clusters of new infections and potential local outbreaks.

2nd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to align the COVID-19 restriction level in Ulverston, Cumbria, with Barrow-in-Furness.

As of 6 January, all areas have been moved into tier 4 and the Government will review the tiering allocations every 14 days.

27th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish detailed guidance on the type of cough that should prompt a person to book a COVID-19 test.

The three main symptoms of COVID-19 are a high temperature, a loss or change to sense of smell or taste and a new continuous cough. This means coughing for more than an hour or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours.

27th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of people who have had a (1) positive, (2) negative, and (3) inconclusive, COVID-19 NHS test result after requesting a test because of (a) a cough, (b) a temperature, (c) a loss of taste, and (d) multiple symptoms.

We do not publish data in the format requested.

27th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in total have referred themselves for a NHS COVID-19 test; and what estimate they have made of the percentage of those people who self-referred who had (1) a cough, (2) a temperature, (3) a loss of taste, (4) multiple symptoms, and (5) no symptoms.

We do not publish data in the format requested.

26th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the total number, and (2) the percentage, of NHS COVID-19 tests that have recorded (a) positive, (b) negative, and (c) inconclusive, results for England; and how do such figures compare with (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) Wales, and (iii) Scotland.

The information is not held in the format requested.

26th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate of the proportion of people who have had COVID-19 who have presented with (1) a cough, (2) a temperature, (3) a loss of taste, (4) any such symptoms, and (5) no symptoms.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates the percentages of people testing positive for COVID-19 who present with a range of symptoms in the community, which means that they necessarily exclude data from those testing positive in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings. It should be noted that the symptoms were self-reported, and not professionally diagnosed.

Around 5% of school-aged children presented with cough symptoms, whereas for those under 35 years old and those aged over 35 years old, the percentage for those presented with cough symptoms rose to between 10% and 15%.

In school-aged children, 15% of those who tested positive presented with fever symptoms and in adults, 15% and 20% did. The positivity rate in all age groups for those presenting with a loss of taste or smell is between 35% and 45%, however, there are wide confidence intervals within the date for school aged children. For all age groups, the rates of those reporting other symptoms is around 5%.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergency’s (SAGE) subgroup, Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, Operational (SPI-M-O), do not have one consensus estimate for asymptomatic case proportions. The ONS’ COVID-19 Infection Study has estimated that approximately 55% of those individuals who test positive do not record evidence of symptoms at or around the time of the test. This does not mean these individuals will not go on to develop symptoms or had symptoms previously.

Other SAGE evidence has shown that there is wide variation in the estimated proportion of infections that are truly asymptomatic across different studies with the rapid review providing a pooled estimate, based on 22 studies, of 28% but with very wide confidence intervals.

26th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the total number, and (2) the percentage, of NHS COVID-19 tests that have recorded (a) positive, (b) negative, and (c) inconclusive, results for each region of England.

The information is not held in the format requested.

26th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the total number, and (2) the percentage, of NHS COVID-19 tests that have recorded (a) positive, (b) negative, and (c) inconclusive, results for each local authority area in England.

The information is not held in the format requested.

12th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of extending eligibility for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to those who began employment after 31 October 2020.

For all eligibility decisions under the CJRS, the Government must balance the need to support as many jobs as possible with the need to protect the scheme from fraud.

Under the CJRS extension, an employer can claim for employees who were employed and on their PAYE payroll on 30 October 2020. The employer must have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 30 October 2020, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee. The use of RTI allows HMRC to verify claims in the most efficient and timely way, ensuring payments can be made quickly while reducing the risk of fraud. Without the use of RTI returns it would be difficult to verify claims without significant additional checks, which would delay payment for genuine claims.

The 30 October 2020 cut-off date allowed as many people as possible to be included by going right up to the day before the announcement, while balancing the risk of fraud that existed as soon as the scheme became public. Extending the cut-off date further would have significantly increased the risk of abuse because claims could not be confidently verified against the risk of fraud by using the data after this point.

27th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the implementation of their codeword scheme for domestic abuse victims, announced on 21 May; and what assessment they have made of the success of that scheme so far.

We have been working closely with the domestic abuse sector, pharmacies, retailers and the police to develop a codeword scheme that will enable victims of domestic abuse to access emergency support in their community. To ensure that the scheme provides a safe and effective response to victims, we have worked with domestic abuse specialist organisations to develop training and guidance for retail staff delivering the scheme and are preparing to roll out these materials prior to public launch. An external evaluation will be carried out to assess of the effectiveness of the scheme.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
27th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they estimate the total spend on the #YouAreNotAlone domestic abuse campaign to be; and which media channels they intend to use to disseminate that campaign.

The #YouAreNotAlone campaign signposts victims of domestic abuse to support over the lockdown period with paid media running from mid-April until end of September and via key partners including charities, retailers, employers, banks and post offices.

The Home Office has, so far, committed over £850k to cover COVID-19 related communications on domestic abuse up until the end of September 2020. Online channels, including social media, search advertising and digital display, have played an important role in reaching victims discreetly, to increase confidence that support is available and raise awareness of where and how to get help. Podcast advertising and PR have supplemented the digital activity with community engagement outreach reaching diverse communities who may be less likely to seek support for domestic abuse. The Home Office has also worked with partners and the sector to help disseminate messages via their channels.

Since campaign launch (Apr-Aug), traffic to the gov.uk domestic abuse page has increased by over three times compared to the same period the previous year, which demonstrates that communications are required to continue to help signpost and direct victims and those concerned to help and support.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
27th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £27million of COVID-19 related funding allocated to domestic abuse services has so far been paid out; and how much they have allocated for use by such services in each (1) region, and (2) local authority.

Of the £27 million of funds which were earmarked for domestic abuse services affected by COVID-19, government departments have as of 28 October 2020 paid out £25,129,341.

Within the £27 million, of the £15 million earmarked for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to distribute to local domestic abuse services through Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), the breakdown by UK region of the funds is as follows:

UK region

Sum distributed to PCCs in the region in question to distribute to domestic abuse services in their area/£

East

1,465,536

East Midlands

1,297,433

London

2,217,191

North-East

1,001,315

North-West

1,779,688

South-East

2,275,251

South-West

1,199,098

Wales

940,479

West Midlands

1,166,225

Yorkshire and the Humber

1,067,868

The above funds were distributed to the following PCCs:

PCC

Sum allocated/£

Avon and Somerset

365,583

Bedfordshire

214,654

Cambridgeshire

209,068

Cheshire

222,793

Cleveland

354,331

Cumbria

152,784

Derbyshire

365,080

Devon and Cornwall

320,775

Dorset

170,710

Durham

303,238

Dyfed-Powys

96,416

Essex

462,273

Gloucestershire

113,933

Greater Manchester

645,461

Gwent

152,199

Hampshire

433,854

Hertfordshire

226,923

Humberside

116,022

Kent

484,381

Lancashire

380,264

Leicestershire

352,997

Lincolnshire

74,881

Merseyside

378,386

MOPAC (London)

2,217,191

Norfolk

191,926

North Wales

178,500

North Yorkshire

203,407

Northamptonshire

188,331

Northumbria

343,746

Nottinghamshire

316,144

South Wales

513,364

South Yorkshire

405,664

Staffordshire

284,632

Suffolk

160,692

Surrey

277,865

Sussex

474,728

Thames Valley

604,423

Warwickshire

153,308

West Mercia

235,586

West Midlands

492,699

West Yorkshire

342,775

Wiltshire

228,098

Of the £2 million earmarked for the Home Office to distribute to national and regional domestic abuse services, most of the recipients cover more than one UK region and so it is not possible to delineate the funding by region. The exceptions are one organisation which covers only the South-East, which was allocated £5,000, and three organisations which cover only Wales, which collectively were allocated £192,206.

Of the £10 million earmarked for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to distribute to safe accommodation services in England, information is not available on the UK regions to which funds were distributed. This is because the exact locations of refuge and safe accommodation services are not revealed for safety reasons, and so may not match the charity’s registered address.

It is not possible to break any of the three departments’ allocations down to local authority level.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
3rd Nov 2020
AWE
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Goldie on 2 November (HLWS537), what assessment they have made of the impact of the decision for AWE plc to "become an Arms-Length Body wholly owned by the MOD" on the timetable for their commitment to nuclear warhead renewal.

The change in the Atomic Weapons Establishment operating model will enhance the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) agility to manage the UK's nuclear deterrent and improve the delivery of core defence objectives, including the replacement warhead.

The change will also enable the MOD to invest in the development of the workforce, infrastructure and capabilities needed for the replacement warhead programme. I am withholding further information on the replacement warhead timetable for the purposes of safeguarding national security.

3rd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the expected dates for the Dreadnought-class of SSBN submarines to be in service.

As set out in the 2019 Annual Update to Parliament on the UKs future nuclear deterrent, the Dreadnought submarine programme is on track for the First of Class, HMS Dreadnought, to enter service in the early 2030s. The planned in-service dates of submarines are withheld as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

3rd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the replacement for the Astute-class SSN Royal Navy submarines will take the form of another submarine.

The programme to deliver the first of Class of an SSN Replacement for the Astute Class submarines is currently in the Programme Definition and Design Phase, which aims to identify potential capability solution choices. Therefore, it is too early to determine what the capability solution will be.

3rd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Programme Design and Definition phase of the SSN(R) programme.

The programme to deliver the first of Class of an SSN Replacement for the Astute Class submarines is currently in the Programme Definition and Design Phase, which aims to identify potential capability solution choices. Therefore, it is too early to determine what the capability solution will be.

2nd Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a working group reporting to the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals to consider whether to introduce a special service medal for current and former submariners who have served on patrol in the ongoing Operation Relentless.

The Government appreciates the courage shown and sacrifices made by all our brave Service men and women, including those who have served in the Submarine Service as part of Operation Relentless. However, there are no plans to introduce a special service medal. Since 2010, our submariners receive the Deterrent Patrol Pin recognising the professionalism, dedication and commitment displayed by those who have deployed on ballistic missile submarine patrols. Former members of the Service are entitled, and encouraged, to apply for the pin in recognition of their previous service.

23rd Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government which, if any, local authorities in Cumbria requested a delay to county council elections this year prior to the announcement of a delay in such elections to 2022.

Cumbria County Council made a request to the Secretary of State to postpone its May 2021 local elections, following the Government’s Written Ministerial Statement of 12 October 2020 (UIN - HLWS496). As explained in the Explanatory Memorandum to the secondary legislation (SI 2021 No. 174) which was laid before Parliament on 24 February, the Government has decided to reschedule from May 2021 to May 2022 local elections to Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council, and South Lakeland District Council.

23rd Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what weighting system, if any, will be used to assess responses from different stakeholders to the public consultation on local government reorganisation in Cumbria.

The Government welcomes the views of all those interested in the proposals for local government reorganisation in Cumbria, including local residents, town and parish councils, businesses and the voluntary sector. Once the consultation is concluded, the Government will decide, subject to parliamentary approval, which, if any, proposals are to be implemented, with or without modification. In taking these decisions it will have regard to all the representations it has received, including those from the consultation, and all other relevant information available to it, and reach a balanced judgement assessing the proposals against criteria, including on local support which will be assessed in the round across the whole area of the proposal.