Lord Alton of Liverpool

Two contracts have been awarded to PPE Medpro by the Department with a total value of £202 million and seven contracts have been awarded to Purple Surgical by the Department with a total value of £226 million. Information concerning whether any of the personal protective equipment (PPE) has not met the required quality standards or a particular specification, whose fault that is and what should be done about it are regarded as commercially confidential information as this process involves negotiations with the supplier where we may seek a refund or other redress as per the contract terms in these contracts.

In terms of how these suppliers were selected, the Government issued a public call to action to support the increased requirements of PPE. The aim was to reach suppliers who had experience of supplying PPE and also those who had no prior experience but who had access to sources of PPE through their business contacts. This resulted in over 15,000 suppliers offering their help and support, including PPE Medpro and Purple Surgical.

All suppliers were evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. All contracts were awarded by the appropriate accounting officer in line with Departmental policy and procedures.

One contract has been awarded to Ayanda Capital by the Department with a value of £252 million. The Contract Award Notice and the contract has been published online at the Government’s Contracts Finder service which contains details of the value of each contract and the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) which have been ordered against each contract.

Delivery is progressing for all the PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use at which point decisions will be made about which healthcare setting they are suitable for or whether alternative settings need to be considered. Details of such decisions on individual contracts is regarded as commercially sensitive information as the Department may have to negotiate contract variations, which could include a refund or other form or redress against the supplier.

Seven contracts have been awarded to Purple Surgical by the Department with a value of £226 million. Contract Award Notices and the contracts themselves have been published online at the Government’s Contracts Finder service which contain details of the value of each contract and the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) which have been ordered against each contract.

Delivery is progressing for all these PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use at which point decisions will be made about which healthcare setting they are suitable for or whether alternative settings need to be considered. Details of such decisions on individual contracts is regarded as commercially sensitive information as the Department may have to negotiate contract variations, which could include a refund or other form or redress against the supplier.

Two contracts have been awarded to PPE Medpro by the Department with a total value of £202 million. Contract Award Notices and the contracts themselves have been published online at the Government’s Contracts Finder service which contain details of the value of each contract and the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) which have been ordered against each contract.

Delivery is progressing for all these PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use at which point decisions will be made about which healthcare setting they are suitable for or whether alternative settings need to be considered. Details of such decisions on individual contracts is regarded as commercially sensitive information as the Department may have to negotiate contract variations, which could include a refund or other form or redress against the supplier.

Seven contracts have been awarded to Pestfix by the Department with a total value of £348 million. Contract Award Notices and the contracts themselves have been published online at the Government’s Contracts Finder service which contain details of the value of each contract and the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) which have been ordered against each contract.

Delivery is progressing for all these PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use at which point decisions will be made about which healthcare setting they are suitable for or whether alternative settings need to be considered. Details of such decisions on individual contracts is regarded as commercially sensitive information as the Department may have to negotiate contract variations, which could include a refund or other form or redress against the supplier.

Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The masks produced by Medwell Medical Products are marked as part of a donation from ‘Mail Force Charity’, a charity supported by the Daily Mail newspaper to solicit donations from the public to be used to purchase PPE from a variety of sources. These masks were procured through an intermediary who Mail Force had no direct dealings with. Of the 22 million masks supplied by the Mail Force Charity, only a small fraction of these were associated with Medwell.

Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The masks produced by Medwell Medical Products are marked as part of a donation from ‘Mail Force Charity’, a charity supported by the Daily Mail newspaper to solicit donations from the public to be used to purchase PPE from a variety of sources. These masks were procured through an intermediary who Mail Force had no direct dealings with. Of the 22 million masks supplied by the Mail Force Charity, only a small fraction of these were associated with Medwell.

Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The masks produced by Medwell Medical Products are marked as part of a donation from ‘Mail Force Charity’, a charity supported by the Daily Mail newspaper to solicit donations from the public to be used to purchase PPE from a variety of sources. These masks were procured through an intermediary who Mail Force had no direct dealings with. Of the 22 million masks supplied by the Mail Force Charity, only a small fraction of these were associated with Medwell.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the United Kingdom’s regulator charged with the regulation of medicines for human use, which includes vaccines and medical devices.

The MHRA’s first priority is the protection of public health and any medicinal product or vaccine offered for sale which does not hold the appropriate authorisation will be investigated as a potential breach of the Human Medicines Regulations and a clear threat to health and safety of UK citizens.

Officials at the MHRA are actively assessing the nature and extent of such a threat and are working with partners in UK and elsewhere across the globe to provide an appropriate and effective response.

We have brought forward our Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Plan for COVID-19, backed by £50 million, to set out the support available for people in the context of a second wave and the winter months. This plan sets out the steps we have taken to strengthen the support available for people who are struggling, including for people with severe mental illness.

This includes the announcement that the National Health Service will receive approximately an additional £500 million next year, to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need, and invest in the NHS workforce.

There is consistent evidence that people who are overweight or living with obesity who contract COVID-19 are more likely to be admitted to hospital, admitted to an intensive care unit and to die from COVID-19 compared to those of a healthy body weight status.

We published Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives in July. Our strategy is designed to reshape the food environment by providing people with a healthier choice and encouraging them to take it. A copy is attached.

Claims that frail and elderly patients were denied care are categorically untrue.

Over two thirds of inpatients were aged over 65 years old. The National Health Service repeatedly instructed staff that no patient who could benefit from treatment should be denied it and even at the height of the pandemic there was no shortage of ventilators and intensive care.

Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff and care workers and the response of the public to public health measures we have protected our most vulnerable patients throughout the pandemic. For example, from the start of the pandemic we have done everything we can to ensure care home residents and staff are protected, including testing all residents and staff, ring-fencing £1.1 billion for infection control and making a further £4.6 billion available to councils to address pressures caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care.

The National Transplant Registry captures annual follow-up on all patients who receive a transplant in the United Kingdom, together with a minimal dataset on those who are transplanted outside the UK and return for follow-up care. Such transplant recipients may, or may not, become apparent to the National Health Service, depending on whether they sought follow-up NHS treatment.

Data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows that 48 solid organ transplants have been performed overseas in UK residents from 2015 to 2019. Of the 48 transplants, two were reported to have been in China, one in 2015 and one in 2017. No data is recorded for patients going overseas for a transplant and not subsequently returning or for patients returning to the UK with no need for clinical follow-up and or treatment.

The National Transplant Registry captures annual follow-up on all patients who receive a transplant in the United Kingdom, together with a minimal dataset on those who are transplanted outside the UK and return for follow-up care. Such transplant recipients may, or may not, become apparent to the National Health Service, depending on whether they sought follow-up NHS treatment.

Data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows that 48 solid organ transplants have been performed overseas in UK residents from 2015 to 2019. Of the 48 transplants, two were reported to have been in China, one in 2015 and one in 2017. No data is recorded for patients going overseas for a transplant and not subsequently returning or for patients returning to the UK with no need for clinical follow-up and or treatment.

The National Transplant Registry captures annual follow-up on all patients who receive a transplant in the United Kingdom, together with a minimal dataset on those who are transplanted outside the UK and return for follow-up care. Such transplant recipients may, or may not, become apparent to the National Health Service, depending on whether they sought follow-up NHS treatment.

Data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows that 48 solid organ transplants have been performed overseas in UK residents from 2015 to 2019. Of the 48 transplants, two were reported to have been in China, one in 2015 and one in 2017. No data is recorded for patients going overseas for a transplant and not subsequently returning or for patients returning to the UK with no need for clinical follow-up and or treatment.

Data is not available in the format requested.

Claims that frail and elderly patients were denied care in wave one of the coronavirus pandemic, in part because of a triage tool which was developed for use if the National Health Service was overwhelmed, are categorically untrue. Guidance to help clinicians make rational, evidence-based decisions in the event of intensive care units being overwhelmed was commissioned by the NHS England National Medical Director and the four United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers but work was halted when it became clear the NHS would not be overwhelmed.

The Department holds no contract with ADM Group for the supply of personal protective equipment.

The Department does not hold a direct contract with Medwell Medical Products for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). Investigation of stocks of PPE received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The Department does not hold a direct contract with Medwell Medical Products for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). Investigation of stocks of PPE received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products.

The Department has no contract with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co. Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show no record of items referring to this name.

NHS Supply Chain, which has its own framework contracts for the supply of PPE into the National Health Service, reports that it holds no contracts with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co Ltd and that its records show that this company is not used by its existing suppliers.

The Department has no contract with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co. Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show no record of items referring to this name.

NHS Supply Chain, which has its own framework contracts for the supply of PPE into the National Health Service, reports that it holds no contracts with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co Ltd and that its records show that this company is not used by its existing suppliers.

The Department has no contract with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co. Investigation of stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from suppliers at the central distribution warehouse for PPE in Daventry show no record of items referring to this name.

NHS Supply Chain, which has its own framework contracts for the supply of PPE into the National Health Service, reports that it holds no contracts with Hubei Haixin Protective Products Group Co Ltd and that its records show that this company is not used by its existing suppliers.

In reviewing alert levels, the Government takes into consideration all the available data for the local situation, including incidence, test positivity and growth rate amongst other factors, to reduce the spread of the virus and bring ‘R’ back below 1.

Decisions on the response to suppress the virus in places at local COVID alert level very high, including Liverpool, were made in consultation with local authorities and directors of public health to ensure that the measures are relevant to that area’s economic, social and public health situation.

The Department responded to the letter on 23 November 2020.

As the pandemic has progressed, we have gained a better understanding of the virus and how it spreads. When reviewing the efficacy of restrictions, the Government assess a range of indicators which currently includes:

- Case detection rates in all age groups;

- Case detection rates in the over 60 year olds;

- The rate at which cases are rising or falling;

- Positivity rate or the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken in the general population; and

- Pressure on the National Health Service, including current and projected occupancy, admissions, staff absences.

These indicators are under constant review, regardless of the level of restrictions. Since March 2020, the Government has put in place national restrictions which have led to reduced case rates and hospital admissions.

The Government endeavours to communicate changes to restrictions clearly through the media. Additionally, the Contain framework sets out how national and local partners work with the public at a local level to prevent, contain and manage outbreaks, including through communication. Contain facilitates engagement with local authorities through regional partnership teams, including the Department, Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England, ensuring local stakeholder views are part of the decision-making process.

Our first priority continues to be to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in care homes and prevent future outbreaks, and to ensure the health and safety of both care workers and residents. To help reduce the risk of transmission, we have provided the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with test kits so CQC inspectors can undertake weekly polymerase chain reaction asymptomatic testing.

Regular testing will help identify positive cases in the CQC’s inspectors without symptoms and enable action to be taken to limit the spread of the virus, supporting the CQC to continue their vital work in ensuring services meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. As with all testing policies, this remains under review.

Since the start of this pandemic we have been working closely with the sector and public health experts to put in place guidance and support for adult social care. We have taken steps to ensure residents and staff are protected, including testing all residents and staff, providing 208 million items of personal protective equipment, ring-fencing £1.1 billion to prevent infections in care homes and making a further £3.7 billion available to councils to address pressures caused by the pandemic – including in adult social care.

Residents’ individual circumstances must be considered in any decisions, ensuring that their human rights, personal choices, safety and dignity are upheld. Early in the pandemic, we outlined the importance of this through the Adult Social Care Ethical Framework.

We keep our policies under continuous review based on the emerging international and domestic evidence and will consider Amnesty’s report as part of this. On 18 September, we published our Adult Social Care Winter Plan which included several additional measures to support care homes during the pandemic.

Evidence indicated that reduced operating hours allowed businesses to trade for the majority of the evening while also controlling transmission rates. This aimed to minimise damage to the economy and society, jobs and livelihoods and safeguard education in schools, colleges and universities.

COVID‑19 support is available to employers and the self-employed, including sole traders and limited company directors and includes loans, tax relief and cash grants, whether a business is open or closed.

From Monday 28 September, we increased the number of COVID-19 secure guidelines that have been placed into law and expanded the range of settings in which these laws will apply. The new ‘rule of six’ simplifies and strengthens the rules on social gatherings, making them easier to understand and easier for the police to enforce. Businesses will be legally obliged to prevent people mixing in groups larger than six, take appropriate measures to prevent mingling and to comply with the COVID-19 secure guidance already in place. Therefore, if venues are not COVID-19 secure then they could be liable for fines or closures.

Health is a devolved matter and each administration has the discretion and flexibility to find the right balance between managing risks and relaxing measures.

The Government is keeping its social distancing measures under continual review. The Government will only make changes when we are confident, we can do so safely. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care keeps the restrictions and requirements under constant consideration, to ensure the measures continue to be both proportionate and necessary

The new limit from 14 September does not prevent anyone from seeing their grandparents, but those who live in larger households will need to think carefully about how to organise their social interactions to remain within the law. We know this is difficult, but we know people will understand the need to take those steps which are necessary to keep their loved ones safe. These rules have been simplified and strengthened so they are easier to understand, and so the police can identify and disperse illegal gatherings. We are also acting now to get the virus under control and, if we achieve that, we may be able to make changes and potentially lift the restrictions.

As the Prime Minister set out, if we are to beat the virus then everyone, at all times, needs to limit social contact as much as possible. We are seeing daily case numbers rise rapidly and across the country, which is why the Government, the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser jointly agreed the changes we announced.

The rules have been simplified and strengthened so they are easier to understand, and so the police can identify and disperse illegal gatherings. We are also acting now to get the virus under control and, if we achieve that, we may be able to make changes and potentially lift the restrictions.

The new limit from 14 September does not prevent anyone from seeing their grandparents, but those who live in larger households will need to think carefully about how to organise their social interactions to remain within the law. We know this is difficult, but we know people will understand the need to take those steps which are necessary to keep their loved ones safe.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics undertook a comprehensive review of donor conception. Donor conception: ethical aspects of information sharing was published on 17 April 2013 and a copy is attached.

One of the report’s key recommendations was that “The state does not, and should not, have a role in informing donor-conceived people of the circumstances of their conception, for example through entries on birth certificates.”

In the light of this review and the report’s clear recommendation, the Government took the view that no further legislative action was appropriate in this area. The Government encourages the parents of donor conceived children to be open with them about their genetic heritage. This has remained Government policy through successive administrations.

The Government has made no formal assessment of these studies and the Department has not made an assessment of the relationship between the legalisation of assisted suicide and the rate of suicide in the general population.

The United Kingdom believes that the World Health Organization (WHO) has an important role to play in leading the health response to COVID-19 and in longer-term leadership in global health including preparedness. We also want to see the WHO continue to learn lessons on how to improve its response to global health emergencies and as such would expect a full review of all elements of their response once they are out of response mode, as has occurred after previous Public Health Emergencies of International Concern. The WHO has confirmed a review will take place and we will continue to work closely with them and other international partners to ensure this is wide-ranging and robust.

Effective local management of outbreaks is the first line of protection against a second wave that might overwhelm the National Health Service.

In this case, Blackburn suffered the highest incidence rates of all districts in Lancashire for three consecutive weeks between 13 July and 2 August. Incidents rates per 100,000 population rose from 83.25 and peaked at 91.98 before falling to 74.53 by 2 August once local resources were augmented with national support.

When considering whether an area can come out of a localised lockdown, there will need to be a reduction in cases consistent with the surrounding areas and a significantly diminished risk of further growth. We are keeping these restrictions under review and they will be removed when they are no longer proportionate or necessary. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis with involvement of the scientific community and local leaders.

On behalf of affected families, the Chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests (HPTs) attended every meeting of the Commission on Human Medicines’ Expert Working Group on HPTs and was invited to discuss their draft recommendations and give a statement to the Commission on the draft report of the Group. In addition, 13 affected families gave their personal experiences with Primodos to the Expert Working Group. Since publication of the report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, we have received a letter from the Chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests and will be responding shortly.

The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review published its report on 8 July and all of its recommendations will be considered carefully. The Government will provide an update in due course.

The Commission on Human Medicines Expert Working Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests was an independent group convened to conduct a scientific review of the evidence for an association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes of pregnancy.

The report and all the evidence that was reviewed by the Group has been publicly available since November 2017. We cannot discuss specific issues regarding the litigation, but this does not prevent any re-examination of the report or evidence. Any relevant new evidence would be reviewed as it becomes available.

We are carefully considering the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review and will respond in due course.

Throughout our COVID-19 response we have worked with the care sector and public health experts to put in place measures to reduce transmission and save lives. It has been our priority to ensure that everyone is discharged safely from hospital and to the most appropriate available place. Wherever possible, people who are clinically ready should be supported to return to their place of residence, where assessment of longer-term needs will take place. This approach follows the ‘Discharge to Assess’ model, to support timely and appropriate discharge from hospital.

The Hospital Discharge Service and staff should clarify with care homes the COVID-19 status of an individual and any COVID-19 symptoms, during the process of transfer from a hospital to the care home. As testing capacity was being built priority for testing was given to the most clinically vulnerable patients:

- all patients in critical care for pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or flu like illness;

- all other patients requiring admission to hospital for pneumonia, ARDS or flu like illness; and

- where an outbreak has occurred in a residential or care setting, for example long-term care facility or prisons.

As set out in the Adult Social Care Action Plan on 15 April, all patients are now required to be tested prior to discharge to a care home.

Public Health England has not made an assessment of the statements made by Dr Li-Meng Yan.

Many care homes have been doing an excellent job of keeping people safe.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) reduced the number of physical inspections it conducted during the crisis in order to limit the number of people going in and out of care homes. It did continue to inspect a small number of settings where serious concerns have been identified. Some of these were linked directly to concerns raised with the CQC from staff and members of the public.

Furthermore, during this crisis, Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors have contacted more than 80% of all providers – over 20,000 care providers – to offer support, advice and guidance, including help accessing personal protective equipment and advice on infection control.

We are working to expand the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) from overseas and improve domestic manufacturing capability. We are expanding and improving the logistics network for delivering to the front line.

Since 25 February we have delivered over 2.2 billion items of PPE across the health and social care system within England, plus tens of millions more will have been distributed by the devolved administrations. Almost 28 billion items of PPE have been ordered from United Kingdom-based manufacturers and international partners to provide a continuous supply in the coming months.

Two important customer alerts were issued on 22 May and 26 June regarding a product fault with Type IIR facemasks, sourced from Cardinal Health. The Cardinal Health Type IIR facemasks were subject to a formal shelf life extension process that enabled their shelf life to be extended and so were not out of date. The cost of these masks cannot be released due to commercial sensitivity.

We know that many people with long standing, limiting illnesses or health conditions are at higher risk of poorer outcomes from COVID-19.

The Office for National Statistics has undertaken provisional analysis of data comparing the risk of death involving COVID-19 according to a person’s disability status, as recorded in the 2011 Census for the period 2 March to 15 May 2020. This data suggests that, after adjusting for region, population density, socio-demographic and household characteristics, the relative difference in mortality rates between those ‘limited a lot’ by a health condition and those not disabled was 2.4 times higher for females and 1.9 times higher for males.

We continue to review all available evidence regarding the impact of COVID-19 for disabled people and we are commissioning new research to better understand the specific impact. This evidence will inform policy development going forwards.

Emergency guidance issued at the beginning of the pandemic and the Codes of Practice for the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards offer guidance to individuals trying to determine and make decisions in the best interests of a person who lacks capacity to make a particular decision, including on where to live.

Those making best interests decisions should seek consent on all aspects of care and treatment to which the person can consent. They should consider the person’s wishes and feelings, as well as their beliefs and values that would be likely to influence their decision. They should also consider the views of the person’s family members and those interested in the person’s welfare. This approach applies to decisions about residence too.

Throughout our coronavirus response we have kept our policies under continuous review based on the emerging international and domestic evidence and have worked tirelessly with the care sector and public health experts to reduce transmission and save lives.

On 15 April, we published COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care. This set out that all patients are required to be tested prior to discharge to a care home. A copy is attached.

Patients are discharged when it is clinically safe and they no longer need acute care. Wherever possible, people who are clinically ready should be supported to return to their place of residence, where assessment of longer-term needs will take place. This approach follows the ‘discharge to assess’ model, to support timely and appropriate discharge from hospital.

As our understanding of the virus has changes throughout the course of the pandemic, we have continued to develop our policy. Our current policy is that due to evidence of asymptomatic spread, during periods of sustained transmission we recommend that all residents being discharged from hospital or interim care facilities to the care home and new residents admitted from the community should be isolated for 14 days within their own room. For care home residents, around 70% of people living in care homes for the over 65s have dementia. It is important they return to their familiar environments when they are clinically ready, with the personalised support and daily activities in place that help them to live well with dementia. This can be better achieved in their care home, rather than the hospital.

We have made £1.3 billion funding available via the National Health Service to help patients who no longer need urgent treatment to get home from hospital safely and quickly. We have also made £3.2 billion available to local authorities so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care. On 13 May we announced an additional £600 million to support care home providers through a new Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not received any applications for the use of niclosamide as a treatment for COVID-19 and has not undertaken any assessment of the trials in South Korea.

Currently, there are no ongoing clinical trials in the United Kingdom involving niclosamide for the treatment of COVID-19. However, there are three worldwide trials regarding this treatment listed on the United States National Library of Medicine, in the United States, France and Egypt, though none of these are recruiting currently.

The MHRA is working closely with the Department and the office of the Chief Medical Officer to prioritise potential treatments for COVID-19. The MHRA will consider any application made by a sponsor or potential marketing authorisation holder to run a clinical trial.

I replied to the noble Lord’s question of 28 April on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 30 June. I understand that they are responding directly on the points the noble Lord raised.

We recognise that COVID-19 is imposing significant pressures on the social care sector. We have now made £3.2 billion available to local authorities so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care.

On 15 May we published details of an additional £600 million Infection Control Fund for Adult Social Care. This funding is to support adult social care providers in England reduce the rate of transmission in and between care homes and to support workforce resilience.

This funding is part of the Government’s commitment to ensure the health and social care system have all the resources they need during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Government will continue to monitor pressures in the National Health Service and local government and will keep future funding under review.

When choosing to charge, a local authority must not charge more than the cost that it incurs in meeting the assessed needs of the person. A local authority must also regularly reassess a person’s ability to meet the cost of any charges to take account of any changes to their resources.

We know the social care sector is under pressure due to growing demand from both older people and those of working age. We are providing councils with a £1 billion grant for adults and children’s social care on top of maintaining £2.5 billion of existing social care grants for 2020/21. We have provided £3.2 billion to local authorities to help with COVID-19 pressures, and a £600 million Infection Control Fund for care homes, 75% of which must be distributed on a 'per bed' basis, including to social care providers with whom the local authority does not have existing contracts.

The scenario set out in Public Health England’s (PHE) National Infection Service document, issued on 24 February, related to hospital-acquired COVID-19 outbreaks during the containment phase of COVID-19, prior to 12 March, when there was no sustained community transmission in the United Kingdom. There was no evidence of recorded cases of hospital-acquired COVID-19 outbreaks during the COVID-19 containment phase and before 19 March when the COVID-19 hospital discharge service requirements were published.

On 12 March the Government announced that we were moving our COVID-19 response from the ‘contain’ to ‘delay’ phase. On 13 March PHE published new guidance to care homes. We subsequently published the COVID-19 hospital discharge service requirements on 19 March.

Since the start of the outbreak we have been working closely with the sector and public health experts to ensure we have the right guidance and support in place for care homes.

The Government does not comment on litigation matters.

Every death from this virus is a tragedy. It is our priority to ensure that everyone is discharged safely from hospital and to the most appropriate available place. Patients are discharged when it is clinically safe and they no longer need acute care.

We have provided extensive support and guidance to care homes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also provided local authorities with £3.2 billion to help them deal with the impacts of COVID-19, as well as £1.3 billion via the National Health Service to enhance the NHS discharge process. On 13 May, we announced an additional new £600 million Infection Control Fund for care homes to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

We recognise how difficult the past months have been for people who are socially isolated and any death is a tragedy.

Local safeguarding partnerships have been ensuring that people with care and support needs are being safeguarded throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, including working with the shielding population to ensure they are well-supported. We are also aware of good practice through community-led social work and support networks which have ensured people stay connected and any concerns or support needs are identified more quickly.

The Department does not have record of the correspondence from the National Care Forum.

Throughout this pandemic, we have been determined to give both the National Health Service and social care everything they need to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February 2020, the first guidance for the social care sector was published. In March, we announced £1.6 billion funding for local government and £1.3 billion to go to the NHS and social care for discharge support. In April, we announced a further £1.6 billion for local government and our COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care. A copy of the Action Plan is attached.

On 15 May, the Government published the Care Home Support package and an additional £600 million Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund. This represents the next phase of our response for care homes.

We continue to work tirelessly with the care sector and public health experts to explore all measures possible to reduce transmission and save lives.

It has always been our priority to ensure that everyone is discharged safely from hospital and to the most appropriate available place. On 19 March we published the COVID-19 Hospital Discharge Service Requirements to support the safe and rapid discharge of patients who no longer need acute care. This specified that, wherever possible, people who are clinically ready should be supported to return to their place of residence (this could be a care home), where assessment of longer-term needs will take place. This follows the ‘Discharge to Assess’ model. Where a patient had been tested for COVID-19, we specified that results – whether negative or positive – should be included in a patient’s discharge documents.

To support the sector, this guidance also sets out the steps that care providers should be taking, and we provided £1.3 billion to support the process. We have provided advice to care homes throughout the pandemic in response to the latest conditions and emerging evidence and data.

On 2 April we published our Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home guidance. This set out further advice on infection control procedures for care homes e.g. limiting visits to essential visits only unless exceptional circumstances and providing advice on isolation, decontamination, cleaning and protective measures for staff. We recommended that all symptomatic residents in care homes should be immediately isolated for 14 days from the onset of symptoms, including patients discharged from hospital.

On 15 April we published our Adult Social Care Plan which included a commitment to all patients being tested prior to discharge to a care home. A copy of COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care is attached.

Copies of the COVID-19 Hospital Discharge Service Requirements and Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home are attached.

Our number one priority for adult social care is for everyone who relies on care to get the care they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The steps we have taken have been designed with care users in mind, to ensure that individuals are treated with dignity and respect and that their particular needs are addressed.

Since the start of this pandemic we have been working closely with the sector and public health experts to put in place guidance and support for adult social care to respond to the pandemic. This includes updated guidance for care homes published on 19 June. This guidance provides advice to care homes on infection control procedures to limit the spread of the virus in care homes, protective measures for staff and minimising workforce transmission. A copy of Admission and Care of Residents in a Care Home during COVID-19 is attached.

Our help to care homes, which includes financial support, infection control training and supplies of personal protective equipment, has meant that nearly 60% of England’s care homes have had no outbreak at all.

As the Chief Medical Office has made clear, the rate of transmission and the number of cases of COVID-19 that we will see in the coming weeks and months will depend of how well we all follow social distancing guidance. The work of NHS Test and Trace and public health teams across the country will allow us to keep on top of any local outbreaks and keep the number of cases of COVID-19 low.

We are continuing to seek further evidence as domestic and international experience accrues and is published, and we are working tirelessly with the care sector and public health experts to explore all measures possible to reduce transmission and save lives.

We have commissioned Public Health England to undertake a detailed analysis of the numbers of deaths of people with a learning disability. This will draw on data published by NHS England and by the Care Quality Commission to assess the impact of COVID-19 on this group of people.

Since the start of this outbreak we have been working closely with the sector and public health experts to put in place guidance and support for adult social care based on the latest domestic and international evidence, including that brought together by Public Health England and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, and drawing on the insights of care providers

In February, the first guidance for the sector was published. In March we announced £1.6 billion funding for local government and £1.3 billion to go to the National Health Service and social care for discharge support. In April we announced a further £1.6 billion for local government and published our detailed Adult Social Care Action Plan on 15 April. In May we announced an additional £600 million to support care home providers through a new Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund and our care home support package,

Alongside the care home support package, we have also published detailed guidance for home care providers to support them to deliver care safely and effectively during the pandemic. This will be relevant to retirement community settings where care is provided.

We have now made £3.2 billion available to local authorities so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care.

On 15 May we published details of an additional £600 million Infection Control Fund for Adult Social Care. This funding is to support adult social care providers in England reduce the rate of transmission in and between care homes and to support workforce resilience. As part of the grant conditions, local authorities have been asked to report later this month on the measures taken, such as steps taken to isolate residents within care homes and support staff who are self-isolating.

To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library

Test kits have been offered to every care home for over-65s or those with dementia in England, reaching the testing target for 6 June. All remaining adult care homes are eligible to access testing through the whole care home portal. We have the capacity to send out over 50,000 test kits a day.

The safety of residents and staff is a priority. It is the responsibility of the local authority, supported by Public Health England and NHS England to manage outbreaks in the first instance. Every death from this virus is a tragedy and we are working around the clock to give the social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak.

We have published a range of guidance for care homes on how to continue giving care during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This includes the Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home guidance. This guidance sets out infection control and cohorting advice to care homes, which providers should follow to ensure that they have the confidence to receive and support residents. A copy of the guidance is attached.

On 15 May 2020 we published a care home support package which outlines?the next phase of our response for care homes, including measures on infection prevention control, comprehensive testing and clinical support.

We believe the World Health Organization has an important role to play in leading the global health response. The United Kingdom has long been an advocate of reform in the WHO to ensure it is flexible and responsive, and we will continue to be so. We also want to see the WHO continue to learn lessons on how to improve its response to global health emergencies and as such would expect a full review of all elements of their response once they are out of response mode, as has occurred after previous Public Health Emergencies of International Concern. The Secretary of State raised this point in the United Kingdom national address for the World Health Assembly on 18 May 2020 and we were pleased to co-sponsor the COVID-19 resolution, which was an important step forward on the review as well as other areas of collaboration. The UK intends to engage constructively with a future review, including working with other Governments.

The safety of residents and staff is always a priority. We have provided extensive support and guidance to care homes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are working closely with local authorities, the care sector and NHS England to ensure everyone has access to the right care, in the most appropriate setting for their needs.

We are determined to give both the care sector and the National Health Service everything they need to respond to this pandemic. On 15?May 2020 we published a care home support package which outlines?the next phase of our response for care homes,?using the latest scientific evidence and drawing on the insights of care providers. To support this, on 13 May we announced an additional £600 million to support care home providers through a new Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund.

This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we will continue to review our guidance and national support in line with the latest scientific advice and engage with stakeholders to ensure we address the majority of their concerns.

Vaccine development involves evaluating the quality, safety and efficacy in a series of carefully planned clinical trials. The Government is backing two promising United Kingdom COVID-19 vaccine candidates at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London. Vaccine development is in the early stages but progressing rapidly. During clinical trials, both Oxford and Imperial plan to evaluate the safety and efficacy of their vaccines in older people. While there are no plans to specifically recruit those with disabilities, in both cases those with disabilities are eligible and welcome to take part in clinical trials subject to specific exclusion criteria which apply to all volunteers to ensure the safety of participants.

The Government has made no specific assessment of the report by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Service’s (ADASS) report of 2018, but the Department engages and considers views of ADASS as a key partner organisation. Since the start of the pandemic we have worked closely with the adult social care sector and public health experts to provide guidance and support, including on controlling infection.

On 2 April we published Admission and Care of Residents in a Care Home during COVID-19, which was updated on 19 June. We set out our plans to support the care sector in using and accessing personal protective equipment (PPE) in Covid-19: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Plan on 10 April. On 15 April we published our COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care which included strengthened advice around isolation and introduced testing for all patients prior to discharge from hospital to a care home. Copies are attached. On 15 May, the Government announced a support package for care homes backed by a £600 million Infection Control Fund for care homes to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

To support the health and social care sectors to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have launched the National Health Service Volunteer Responders programme, developed by NHS England in partnership with the Royal Voluntary Service. It is up to individual social care providers to decide whether to use volunteers. We do not collect data nationally on how many volunteers are operating in the social care sector.

The Department has not had discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on discharge policy. Providers of care homes in England are required to register with the Care Quality Commission and adhere to the ‘fundamental standards’, such as the duty to provide care in a safe way and treat residents with dignity and respect, as set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Health and care settings must always seek to fully protect the rights of their residents. The safety of residents and staff is always a priority and patients should not be discharged from hospital unless it is clinically safe to do so. On 15 April, in our Adult Social Care Action Plan, we introduced a policy of testing all residents prior to discharge to a care home.

The Government is aware of comments on care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic made by the UN Special Rapporteurs and the UN Independent Expert.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is not aware of any specific reports of care home staff abandoning care homes or specific cases where residents have been left to die alone. The CQC (Registration) Regulations 2009 set out requirements for incidents and events that must be reported to the CQC, which covers deaths and serious injuries, abuse, incidents reported to the police and events that prevent a service from being carried on safely and in a way that meets legal requirements.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, each care provider was responsible for sourcing their own personal protective equipment (PPE) from wholesalers and distribution centres. While this was effective and appropriate before the outbreak, it became clear that this fragmented system would be slow to get PPE where it needed to be. To address this, the United Kingdom Government stepped in to support the supply and distribution of PPE to the care sector. We have focused on ensuring that there is an emergency supply in place, while building a longer-term solution for distribution to the sector.

We are supportive, in principle, of a multilateral instrument dedicated to the rights of older persons and welcome the work of the UN Open Ended Working Group on Ageing and its focus on substance to help deepen our understanding of the important issues, before we consider what might be the most appropriate solutions.

If a care home suspects a resident has symptoms, the care home manager should contact their local Public Health England Health Protection Team (HPT). The HPT will arrange for testing of all symptomatic residents and provide tailored infection control advice.

For subsequent testing, including ‘whole home testing’, the Department is responsible and testing kits will be delivered directly to care homes by courier or via a mobile testing unit. Kits are requested by care home managers or Local Directors of Public Health via the new online portal. They will provide testing for all residents and asymptomatic staff.

Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 125,000 workers in care settings and over 118,000 care home residents have been tested through Departmental and Public Health England testing routes. On Monday 11 May we launched the ‘whole home’ testing portal. As of 19 May, around 170,000 tests have been delivered to 1,243 care homes using the whole care home portal as part of this programme. We will make testing available for every resident and member of staff in care homes for older people in England between now and early June.

The Department recognises that this occurred due to an error which has since been rectified. All failed deliveries were replaced and we now have more than 500 test sites around the United Kingdom with the median distance people travel to sites at just 3.3 miles.

The adult social care sector has been, and continues to be, one of our highest priorities for the rollout of testing, and care homes have been one of the first groups to be given access to repeat asymptomatic testing.

Asymptomatic testing in care homes testing has not stopped, while any care home resident or member of staff with symptoms will continue to be able to immediately access a free test.

We are issuing more than 120,000 tests a day to care homes across the country prioritising high priority outbreak areas.

To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is aware of a small number of cases where care homes have told them that a patient’s positive COVID-19 status was known to the hospital but not disclosed at the point of discharge. The CQC is currently assessing whether there have been any breaches of regulation on the part of the hospital. Once all the relevant information has been reviewed, the CQC will assess what action might be appropriate, if any. Any enforcement action taken by the CQC would be made public. Due to the very small number of cases the CQC has been made aware of and is reviewing, it would be unlikely that this information would form the basis of a standalone report. If the CQC receives further information on this issue, it may seek to publish a report in the future.

Individual modelling groups use a range of data to estimate R including epidemiological data such as hospital admissions, intensive care unit admissions and deaths. R is an average value that can vary in different parts of the country, communities, and subsections of the population. It cannot be measured directly so there is always some uncertainty around its exact value.

We know that care providers across the country have been doing their utmost to keep those they look after safe and well in the most challenging circumstances. On 13 May we announced an additional £600 million to support providers through a new Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund.

The Government has also made £3.2 billion available to help local authorities deal with the immediate impacts of COVID-19, and £1.3 billion of additional funding to enhance the National Health Service discharge process, getting patients who no longer need urgent treatment home from hospitals safely and quickly.

There is little evidence to suggest a substantial transmission of infection from care homes into the wider community, but our work to reduce transmission within care homes will reduce any risk further. On 13 May we announced an additional £600 million to support providers through a new Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund. The Fund sets out the measures providers can take to support the workforce to minimise the spread of infection, including ensuring staff can self-isolate, reduce their hours, or reduce the number of establishments they work at, without experiencing any loss of income. Expanding and retaining the social care workforce is also key to enabling care providers to continue to provide care and support to their residents, and we have launched a national recruitment campaign for England to support this.

Social care has been at the frontline of our response to COVID-19, with social care providers looking after many of the most vulnerable in society. The Government’s number one priority for adult social care is to ensure that everyone who relies on care gets the care and support they need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 13 May we announced an additional £600 million for an Infection Control Fund for Adult Social Care. This funding is to support adult social care providers in England reduce the rate of transmission in and between care homes and to support workforce resilience. Furthermore, on 15 May, the Government published a Care Home Support Plan in an online only format on GOV.UK. This is the next phase of our response for care homes, using the latest domestic and international evidence brought together by Public Health England, and drawing on the insights of care providers.

The United Kingdom participated fully in the 73^rd World Health Assembly which we saw as an important opportunity to further international collaboration on COVID-19. We believe the World Health Organization (WHO) has an important role to play in leading the global health response. We want to see the WHO continue to learn lessons on how to improve its response to global health emergencies and as such would expect a full review of all elements of their response once they are out of response mode, as has occurred after previous Public Health Emergencies of International Concern. The Secretary of State raised this point in the United Kingdom national address and we were pleased to co-sponsor the COVID-19 resolution, which was an important step forward on the review as well as other areas of collaboration. The UK intends to engage constructively with a future review, including working with other Governments.

Regulations came into force on 29 January 2020 to add Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (now known as COVID-19) to Schedule 1 of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015. This means there can be no charge made to an overseas visitor for the diagnosis, or, if positive, treatment, of COVID-19. The exemption from charge does not extend to any pre-existing conditions, unless separately exempt under the Regulations.

This message has been disseminated to National Health Service staff, the public and organisations representing vulnerable migrant groups. It has also been published in 40 languages on Public Health England’s Migrant Health Guide.

The Government takes the welfare of all citizens seriously and we are working hard to ensure people get the support they need to look after themselves and their families during the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes enabling all communities to take the necessary measures to reduce the spread of the virus.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs and Housing, Communities and Local Government (Lord Greenhalgh) wrote to councils outlining their responsibility to support all communities, including Gypsy and Traveller communities, and to ensure they have access to water, sanitation and waste collections.

COVID-19 health guidance for members of Gypsy, Traveller and Boater communities is currently in development for dissemination in a range of formats.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have written to general practice reminding them of the importance of continuing to deliver appropriate care to their local population and the requirements on registration of patients, including those with no fixed address.

On 7 April 2020, NHS England published a letter outlining the importance of maintaining standards and quality of care in pressurised circumstances. This letter emphasised the NHS Constitution which is based on the principle of equity of access for those who could benefit from treatment escalation.

The evidence is clear that people who are over the age of 70 are at increased clinical risk of having severe cases of COVID-19. The Government recognises that social distancing and self-isolation are likely to increase the risk of loneliness and mental health issues for everyone, but particularly for vulnerable groups including those with pre-existing conditions and those shielding. The Government has provided guidance to support people both medically and socially, who on the basis of their condition and not their age, are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. This is available in an online only format on GOV.UK. Furthermore, on 22 April the Government launched a new major plan to tackle loneliness which include a £5 million boost for national loneliness organisations.

It is important that people continue to receive support services in the community. The Government has made £3.2 billion available to help local authorities deal with the immediate impacts of COVID-19, and £1.3 billion of additional funding to enhance the National Health Service discharge process, getting patients who no longer need urgent treatment home from hospitals safely and quickly.

The Department, NHS England, Public Health England (PHE) and the Care Quality Commission co-published Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home guidance on 2 April 2020, followed by the publication of PHE guidance How to work safely in care homes on 17 April 2020.

Residential care settings must always seek to fully protect the rights of disabled people now and throughout the course of this global pandemic. No changes have been made to the human rights protections in the Mental Health Act 1983 or as a result of the Care Act 2014 easements. The Adult Social Care Action Plan, published on 15 April 2020, includes information on supporting people to maintain their independence and responding to individual needs.

This is an unprecedented global pandemic. We are constantly reviewing our guidance in line with policy changes based at all times on the best scientific advice.

Since the guidance published on 2 April we have set out a comprehensive action plan, last updated on 16 April, to support the adult social care sector in England throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Our plan sets out the actions the Government is taking to help minimise the spread of infection within all care settings. Local health protection teams have been working hard to support care homes in outbreak management providing help with testing and isolation, and infection control advice. We will continue to work closely with key stakeholders and keep our policies under review as the pandemic goes on.

We will continue to update our guidance based on stakeholder feedback, including changes to text to make content easier to read. The Accessible Information Standard is a requirement for organisations that provide National Health Service care or publicly-funded adult social care. It ensures that people with a disability, impairment or sensory loss are provided with information they can easily read or understand, with support, so they can communicate effectively with services.

We recognise the importance of care home staff, and the vital role they have to play in the United Kingdom’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 17 April Public Health England published guidance COVID19: How to Work Safely in Care Homes. This includes advice on what measures to take in relation to physical distancing in various scenarios. A copy of this guidance is attached.

The Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home guidance advised a 14-day isolation period over testing, based on the evidence available at the time of publication. The duration was chosen as a pre-cautionary measure and was informed by the recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group and multiple Government advisory groups.

Care home staff are advised to wear eye protection if a two-metre distance cannot be maintained and there is needed for certain tasks where there is risk of droplets or secretions from the resident’s mouth, nose, lungs or from body fluids reaching the eyes, for example prolonged tasks near residents who are repeatedly coughing or who may be vomiting.

Eye protection is not required when care home workers are not within two metres of someone with a cough. This advice applies to all care home staff, including cleaners.

Care home staff working in communal areas with residents but with no direct contact with residents although potentially within two metres of residents, do not need to wear eye protection.

The Department, NHS England, Public Health England (PHE) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) co-published Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home guidance on 2 April 2020, followed by the publication of PHE guidance COVID 19: How to work safely in care homes on 17 April 2020. A copy of PHE’s guidance is attached.

The guidance on disinfection in Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home of 2 April 2020 is consistent with the World Health Organization’s advice on disinfection.

The use of 0.1% sodium hypochlorite, which is the same as 1,000 parts per million chlorine, has been deduced from studies conducted on SARS-CoV and other coronaviruses, including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s Interim guidance for environmental cleaning in nonhealthcare facilities exposed to SARS-CoV-2.

With reference to washing of laundry, the Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home guidance states that care homes are expected to follow the advice in Health Technical Memorandum 01-04: Decontamination of linen for health and social care (2016). The Memorandum states that enhanced processing should be used when there is the possibility of infectious linen or clothing being generated. The enhanced process should be performed in a machine as for the standard process but using a cycle with a minimum temperature of 60ºC, or the highest temperature suitable for heat-sensitive items.

This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice. We are constantly reviewing our guidance in line with policy changes based at all times on the best scientific advice.

The Department, NHS England, Public Health England and the Care Quality Commission co-published Admission and Care of Residents during COVID-19 Incident in a Care Home guidance on 2 April 2020. A copy of the guidance is attached.

The guidance sets out infection control and cohorting advice to care homes, which providers should follow to ensure that they have the confidence to receive and support residents. With the needs of residents in mind, it asks care homes to facilitate remote visiting from family, friends and others, via phone, video, and using plastic or glass barriers.

All our guidance is designed with care users in mind, to ensure that individuals are treated with dignity and respect and that their particular needs are addressed. The Adult Social Care Action Plan published on 15 April includes information on supporting people to maintain their independence and responding to individual needs.

Together with the Chief Social Worker, the Department has developed an ethical framework to provide support to ongoing response planning and decision-making to ensure that thorough consideration is given to a core set of ethical values and principles when organising and delivering social care for adults. The framework emphasises that equal concern and respect should be given to all individuals, their families and carers, and communities, as well as the professionals and volunteers that we will be relying on to ensure the delivery of our services and ambitions.

We have not changed relevant duties for regulated providers (including care homes), contained in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, including the fundamental standards which include provisions about person-centred care (regulation 9) and dignity and respect (regulation 10).

We know that care home residents, particularly those with cognitive and intellectual impairments such as dementia or a learning disability and autistic people, are likely to experience particular difficulties during the pandemic. This could include difficulty understanding and following advice on social distancing, and increased anxiety. Our social care workforce, including new recruits, will need to be trained to respond to these conditions appropriately. We will support providers to embed this in their training in relation to their role, whether they require basic awareness training or more specialist knowledge and skills.

Officials and Ministers are speaking to users of adult social care, and groups that represent them, frequently, to ensure that the Government’s adult social care COVID-19 response reflects their needs. The Government has produced a number of pieces of guidance to support people during the COVID-19 pandemic, including people with dementia and their carers. We are constantly reviewing our guidance in line with the views of users and policy changes, based at all times on the best scientific advice.

I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has advised that a number of sports and other events took place in the period before the Prime Minister announced the lockdown on 23 March. It was absolutely appropriate for them to do so as it was in line with the public health guidance at the time, and indeed, in line with wider activity in the economy and society more generally. It was also in line with the Government’s border and travel policy.

It is the Government’s absolute priority to protect people's health and our advice to the public is based on direct, continuous consultation with scientific and medical experts. There are many factors that could influence the number of cases in a particular area, including population density, age, general health, and the position of an area on the pandemic curve.

We are working around the clock to give the social care sector and wider National Health Service the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak.

Sourcing sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment is a challenge that many countries are facing. We are working to expand supply from overseas, improve domestic manufacturing capability and expand and improve the logistics network for delivering to the front line.

The full weight of the Government is behind this effort and we are working closely with industry, social care providers, the NHS, and the army to ensure the right equipment continues to be delivered.

Tocilizumab has begun evaluation in the United Kingdom as part of the RECOVERY and REMAP-CAP studies. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is in regular contact with sponsors and trial investigators to review clinical trials, offer scientific and regulatory advice on clinical trials and encourage early submission of emerging data though facilitated licensing routes. Emerging results from global trials will be taken into consideration by the MHRA during authorisation of UK clinical trials and to inform any amendments needed to ongoing trials.

The Government recognises the importance of collaborating effectively to combat COVID-19, and the UK is meeting regularly with other countries both bilaterally and multilaterally to share information on a variety of subjects including clinical trials. Working with partners across the health and care system, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is supporting the identification, prioritisation and delivery of high quality COVID-19 research, a key element of the Government’s overall response. As part of this work, the NIHR Innovation Observatory is monitoring the progress of trials taking place across the world.

The Therapeutics Taskforce has not been in direct contact with the National Cancer Institute Pascale Foundation or the Colli Hospital in Italy.

We are not aware of the use of the term 'let it run hot' being used in relation to COVID-19 by the Department.

The Government is rapidly scaling up the national effort to boost testing capacity for COVID-19 to protect the vulnerable, support the National Health Service, and ultimately save lives. Further details of this work can be found in the Government’s Testing Strategy titled Coronavirus (COVID-19): scaling up our testing programmes, published on 4 April, which is attached.

There are a number of factors to consider in relation to easing of the present restrictions, with testing being just one. Consequently, the Department has not set a threshold on the number of tests necessary to end the current restrictions. The Government will continue to review advice on how testing, along with other efforts, can inform future measures to tackle the virus and how we can ease restrictions whilst keeping people safer.

We are aware of reports of people in care homes being told by general practitioner (GP) surgeries that they are unlikely to be prioritised for mechanical ventilation if they contract COVID-19, because they could be too ‘frail’. This stemmed from recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on prioritising critical care. NICE was forced to revise the guidance, which included use of the clinical frailty scale (CFS), following allegations it discriminated against people with learning and other disabilities. The guidance was revised on 25 March 2020 and now states: “The Clinical Frailty Score should not be used in younger people, people with stable long-term disabilities (for example, cerebral palsy), learning disability or autism. An individualised assessment is recommended in all cases where the CFS is not appropriate.”

A letter was sent on 3 April 2020 to primary care, acute trusts and community trusts from the National Director of Mental Health, National Clinical Director (for Learning Disability and Autism) and the Medical Director for Primary Care to the NHS on the appropriate use of Do not Resuscitate forms and clinical frailty assessments (which can be used to assess whether critical care is appropriate for a patient) following recent reports on inappropriate use. A copy of the letter is attached.

Furthermore, a letter to the system from Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer, and Steve Powis, National Medical Director at NHS England and NHS Improvement was sent out on 7 April 2020, addressing concerns recently raised regarding the use of DNR forms and supporting best practice in the application of advance care plans. A copy of the letter is attached.

Finally, NHS England and NHS Improvement have produced a GP Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for managing COVID-19 in general practice, published on 6 April. This includes a COVID-19 advance care plan template, guidance notes for completing an advance care plan and states that “Advance care plans should be made on an individual basis. It is not acceptable for advance care plans, with or without Do Not Attempt Resuscitation forms, to be applied to groups of patients”. A copy of the SOP is attached.

The Coronavirus Act 2020 does not provide for any changes to legal entitlements for aftercare services under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

The Government has announced £1.6 billion of additional funding to support local authorities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic across all service areas.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, local authorities and providers to make sure the adult social care sector is ready. New adult social care guidance is available online and covers provision of residential care, supported living and home care.

Guidance for other sectors is being produced and updated regularly and the Government is also finalising COVID-19 related guidance for care homes including those housing individuals with dementia, which will be published shortly.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) have advised that this information is set out in its Code of Practice at section 33.35, which states:

“If a centre becomes aware that a child born following mitochondrial donation has been born with a mitochondrial disease, birth defect, or genetic abnormality, or if there has been some other adverse outcome (including but not limited to failed or no embryo development, miscarriage or premature birth) following treatment involving mitochondrial donation, the centre must regard this as an adverse incident and report this to the HFEA in line with the requirements on adverse incidents set out in guidance note 27. This is to capture information about any abnormalities that may occur as a result of carrying out the MST (maternal spindle transfer) or PNT (pro-nuclear transfer) treatment, to inform any regulatory or licensing action that the HFEA may wish to take and to inform the scientific sector.”

The HFEA has made no assessment of the efficacy of mitochondrial treatment to date as the number of treatments is so low, at this stage.

The Department is considering carefully all available evidence around the potential of different medicines for use in treating COVID-19. Clinical trials are ongoing and being developed to assess the benefits of a number of different medicines in treating COVID-19.

Hydroxychloroquine is not currently licensed to treat COVID-19 related symptoms or prevent infection. Clinical trials are being established to test hydroxychloroquine as an agent in the treatment of COVID-19. These clinical trials are still not completed, so no conclusions have yet been reached on the safety and effectiveness of this medicine to treat or prevent COVID-19.

United Kingdom stocks of medicines to treat malaria and HIV are being trialled for use on patients with COVID-19.

There are suggestions in the Chinese and French literature that both lopinavir/ritonavir and chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine may be beneficial. However, these data are not conclusive, because the studies done are too small, thus the findings, whilst promising, may ultimately be wrong.

The UK will evaluate both these treatments in two large randomised trials, one of which is already underway and the other of which is expected to begin recruitment next week.

We have significantly increased our ventilator capacity. To date, there are more than 8,000 ventilators in hospitals across the United Kingdom, with thousands more expected to come into use in the coming weeks and months and, of course, we will continue to order more. This is alongside work being done on the Prime Minister’s ventilator challenge.

Ventilators are being procured from existing worldwide stocks. Ventilators will be delivered to National Health Service trusts as soon as stock has arrived in the UK. In addition, ventilators will be available in the private hospitals that we have just contracted as additional capacity.

It is not yet clear precisely how quickly the number of cases requiring ventilation will increase, hence the efforts to increase capacity rapidly. Ventilator demand modelling continues to evolve and at present sufficient capacity exists. The supply and demand of ventilators is under constant review.

Work preparing the National Health Service has been ongoing and we have already nearly doubled ventilator capacity. New and existing suppliers are being asked to build as many as they can. The Prime Minister has issued a call to United Kingdom industry to produce additional ventilators and the Department asked appropriate potential manufacturers on 13 March to come forward with proposals for new ventilation machines. Around a dozen potential prototypes have now been presented to the Department which we are currently pursuing.

COVID-19 is not known to cause latent infections (becoming dormant in the body after infection and reactivate later on) or to cause persistent infection (continuous infection).

Public Health England is in the process of producing guidance for the conditions of discharge of infected patients from hospitals.

Assessment of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 cases suggests that, similar to SARS-CoV, patients will not be infectious until the onset of symptoms. In most cases, individuals are usually considered infectious while they have symptoms. How infectious individuals are depends on the severity of their symptoms and stage of their illness. Further study is required to determine the actual occurrence and impact of asymptomatic transmission.

To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet PPE - note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.

The National Health Service has world-renowned critical care facilities which includes access to around 5,000 adult and 900 paediatric critical care ventilators, with further ventilators available outside of critical care facilities.

Work preparing the NHS has been ongoing and we have already nearly doubled ventilator capacity. New and existing suppliers are being asked to build as many as they can. The Prime Minister has issued a call to United Kingdom industry to produce additional ventilators and the Department asked appropriate potential manufacturers on 13 March to come forward with proposals for new ventilation machines. Around a dozen potential prototypes have now been presented to the Department which we are currently pursuing.

The Department is considering carefully all available evidence around the potential of different medicines for use in treating COVID-19. Clinical trials are being developed to assess the benefits of a number of different medicines in treating COVID-19. Further medicines may be trialled should evidence indicate to the Department that this would be an appropriate course of action. The Department, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Public Health England and the National Health Service are working together to ensure that trials can begin as soon as possible. The first trial in the United Kingdom for hospitalised patients should begin later this week.

The Department has not been in direct contact with the National Cancer Institute Pascale Foundation or the Colli Hospital in Italy regarding the experimental use of tocilizumab. However, the United Kingdom Therapeutics Task Force has independently assessed tocilizumab as having potential, and it is expected to begin evaluation in the UK imminently as part of the RECOVERY and REMAP-CAP studies. UK patients will be able to access tocilizumab as part of this trial. The Department will continue to monitor the results of trials of experimental therapies for COVID-19 from around the world.

The Government is aware of this report by the Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies.

Research into COVID-19’s origins is ongoing, and the United Kingdom is working with the international scientific community to determine the source of the outbreak.

The purpose of mitochondrial donation treatment is to prevent the transfer of serious mitochondrial disease passing from mother to child. The treatment is used to ensure that the embryos created do not carry mitochondrial mutations that would otherwise result in serious genetic diseases.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has to date licensed 17 patients as eligible for mitochondrial donation treatment in the United Kingdom. To protect patient confidentiality, information on the number of patients that have begun treatment cannot be disclosed. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

The following table shows the gene affected and the mutation in each application, the dates each application was made and approved by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Statutory Approvals Committee.

Source:

HFEA

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has no statutory role in following up the clinical outcomes of patients born after mitochondrial donation treatment. However, the HFEA Code of Practice requires any clinic licensed to offer such treatment to have a documented process to enable follow-up, where patients have consented to this. Clinics are also required to report any adverse outcomes following mitochondrial donation treatment to the HFEA.

The statement on the HFEA website is addressed to potential patients and explains that follow-up is useful, as doctors want to understand as much as possible about how mitochondrial donation affects children and future generations. This will ensure that children born following mitochondrial donation get the best possible care in the future, as well as contributing to continued understanding of mitochondrial disease. The Government has not made a specific assessment of this statement.

The 2016 update recommended follow-up of children born as a result of mitochondrial donation in order to gather information about safety and efficacy.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is required under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 to keep a register recording identifiable information on patients, the treatments they undergo and their outcomes. This information does not include the method used to freeze sperm, eggs or embryos.

The HFEA has not said that there has been no effective difference between methods of freezing over the last five years. The HFEA’s published information on annual fertility trends shows an increase in success rates using frozen embryos and frozen eggs over time.

The HFEA does not carry out follow up work with patients. Under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, applications can be made to use HFEA data for research studies.

The Chancellor has set out a £12 billion package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, individuals and businesses through the economic disruption caused by COVID-19.

General practitioner surgeries and the National Health Service should continue to use their current procedures for ordering, supplying and procuring personal protective equipment and use their usual contracted routes should any escalation be needed.

We practise and prepare our response to disease outbreaks and follow tried and tested procedures, following the highest safety standards possible for the protection of NHS staff, patients and the public. Specific guidance on handling people with COVID-19 has been shared with NHS staff. Public Health England has also published online guidance for first responders and others who may have close contact with people with potential COVID-19.

The United Kingdom Government and devolved administrations, including the health and social care system, have planned extensively over the years for an event like this. The UK is therefore well prepared to respond in a way that offers substantial protection to the public. The Government’s action plan Coronavirus: action plan A guide to what you can expect across the UK sets out what we are planning to do next, depending upon the course the current coronavirus outbreak takes. A copy of the action plan is attached.

Among those who become infected, some will exhibit no symptoms. Early data suggest that of those who develop an illness, the great majority will have a mild-to-moderate, but self-limiting illness – similar to seasonal flu. It is, however, also clear that a minority of people who get COVID-19 will develop complications severe enough to require hospital care, most often pneumonia, in some instances leading to death.

Highly specialised beds will only be needed by a minority of affected patients. As the Chief Medical Officer has said, we are working through our clear action plan to make sure we can flex services to respond to extra demand. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with providers across the country to support this.

The Government is being advised by the Scientific Advisory Group For Emergencies, known as SAGE. SAGE and its sub groups have, and will continue to, monitor all relevant epidemiological literature, including the World Health Organization’s Situation Reports. Estimates of mortality rates in different regions vary, so it is right that we are considering this information in the round.

We do not hold this information.

It is the responsibility of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to decide on individual applications for mitochondrial donation that meet the statutory test laid out in the relevant regulations. Decisions on when to begin treatment are a clinical decision and not a matter for the HFEA.

As of 25 February 2020, there have been 17 applications considered by the HFEA all of which have now been approved.

There have been no miscarriages recorded pursuant to clinical application in the United Kingdom of pronuclear transfer and spindle-chromosomal complex transfer.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has no role in the follow-up of patients. The HFEA inspects clinics periodically and reviews licensed activity in accordance with the relevant legislation and its Code of Practice.

We are aware of the report and note the recommendations.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it does not hold information on which methods of freezing are used.

The HFEA is required under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 to keep a register recording identifiable information on patients, the treatments they undergo and their outcomes. This information does not include the method used to freeze sperm, eggs or embryos.

On direct flights from Wuhan into the United Kingdom, 1,466 passengers and 95 staff arrived between 10 and 24 January. Of these, 162 of the passengers have already left the UK, 53 of the crew have already left the UK and all of the remaining passengers (1,304) are now outside of the incubation period.

As of 5 February, a total of 468 UK tests have concluded, of which 466 were confirmed negative and two positive. Information is published daily online on the Coronavirus: latest information and advice page on the Government website.

Posters and leaflets with health advice has been made available in all UK international airports, Eurostar terminals and Dover. As of 5 February, the two patients who tested positive are receiving specialist National Health Service care and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus.

The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.

On direct flights from Wuhan into the United Kingdom, 1,466 passengers and 95 staff arrived between 10 and 24 January. Of these, 162 of the passengers have already left the UK, 53 of the crew have already left the UK and all of the remaining passengers (1,304) are now outside of the incubation period.

As of 5 February, a total of 468 UK tests have concluded, of which 466 were confirmed negative and two positive. Information is published daily online on the Coronavirus: latest information and advice page on the Government website.

Posters and leaflets with health advice has been made available in all UK international airports, Eurostar terminals and Dover. As of 5 February, the two patients who tested positive are receiving specialist National Health Service care and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus.

The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.

The information requested is shown in the following tables. The following table provides the figures for each of the last 12 months, 1 January 2018 – 31 December 2018. The data is as shown on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) register database on 5 February 2020. This is a live database so these figures reflect the data on this day.

Source:

Source: HFEA

The following table provides the cumulative figures for both circumstances since 1 August 1991.

Source: HFEA

1,466 passengers and 95 staff arrived into the United Kingdom on direct flights from Wuhan between 10 January and 24 January when direct flights ceased.

British citizens repatriated from Wuhan have been put into supported isolation for any medical needs that they may have and to protect the public.

Asymptomatic passengers have been transferred to a National Health Service accommodation facility to spend at least 14 days in supported isolation. If any passengers develop symptoms, they will be assessed and transferred to appropriate NHS care facilities nearby.

The World Health Organization has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Conern in response to the novel coronavirus as the outbreak continues to spread outside China.

NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.

The amount the NHS has paid out, in total, for clinical negligence claims in each of the last 10 financial years for which figures are available is shown in the following table.

The five main reasons for the above claims by frequency are:

- Failed / Delay to Treatment;

- Failed / Delay to Diagnosis;

- Intra-Operative Problems;

- Inappropriate Treatment; and

- Inadequate Nursing Care.

Our ambition is for the NHS to be the safest healthcare system in the world. We have thoroughly overhauled the infrastructure underpinning healthcare quality and safety in the last decade to minimise harm. The NHS Patient Safety Strategy: Safer culture, safer systems, safer patients, published in July 2019, and Safer Maternity Care: The NHS Maternity Safety Strategy – Progress and Next Steps, published in November 2017, set out the comprehensive approach to continuously improve safety. Copies of the strategies are attached.

The NHS Resolution five-year strategy Delivering fair resolution and learning from harm, published in 2017, describes how the organisation is contributing to improved safety and tackling clinical negligence costs. NHS Resolution is committed to learning from claims and is working directly with trusts to share learning and best practice across the NHS to drive safety improvement. This will help to minimise the potential of clinical errors that could lead to harm and possible future claims. A copy of the strategy is attached.

The Department is also working intensively with the Ministry of Justice, other Government Departments and NHS Resolution to tackle the continued year-on-year-rises in clinical negligence costs which are eating progressively into resources available for front-line care. While there are no simple solutions and the work is still ongoing, good progress has been made in developing our understanding of all the drivers of cost and exploring ways forward.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency aims to reply to all freedom of information requests within the 20 working-day statutory deadline set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In circumstances where we need to consider whether the public interest in releasing the information is outweighed by the public interest in not giving the information (the ‘public interest test’) the Act allows us to extend the deadline for reply beyond the usual 20 working days. This was applied to Mrs Lyon’s request and we responded by the revised deadline of 13 January.

We note and welcome the recommendations made by the UN Special Rapporteur in his report on the situation in Eritrea. We fully support all efforts to fulfil his mandate as stated by the UK's Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council.

We are concerned and disappointed that the UN Special Rapporteur continues to be denied access to Eritrea. We have raised this issue at the UN Human Rights Council and directly with the Government of Eritrea, and will continue to press for the Special Rapporteur to be given the access that they need.

The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to make tough but necessary decisions, including exiting from some programmes such as Accelerating the Sustainable Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) programme. The UK has made a significant contribution to global efforts to protect hundreds of millions of people from NTDs. Our programmes have delivered NTD treatment, care, and strengthened health systems to deliver these services going forward. We are currently working with partners, drug companies, donors, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to mitigate impacts, and to exit the programme as responsibly as possible within financial constraints. We continue to distribute drugs to fight NTDs, and perform surgeries in the most urgent cases.

Global health remains a top priority for UK ODA, and we will continue to be a major contributor in leading international action to strengthen global health security, and help build more resilient health systems. Departmental cross-government allocations of ODA spend for 2021/22 were laid out in a Written Ministerial Statement in Parliament on 21 April, and the Foreign Secretary has highlighted that the FCDO will spend £1,305 million on global health, which means we will remain among the most generous international donors.

The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to make tough but necessary decisions, including reducing our malaria spend. Although we are moving away from a fixed spending target, we will continue to be a major donor to malaria, as part of our wider ambition to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children.

The UK has made a significant contribution to global efforts to drive down malaria cases and deaths, and lay the foundations for eradication. We are proud of what the UK and partners have done to address the burden of malaria in developing countries. The UK remains committed to a high level of funding for malaria, including our sizeable £1.4 billion commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. We will also continue to invest in health systems strengthening and universal health coverage, which are vital for continued progress on malaria and for addressing other health needs broadly and sustainably. Global health remains a top priority for UK ODA. We will continue to be a major contributor in leading international action to strengthen global health security through our support to the WHO and multilateral global funds such as Gavi and bilateral support for health programmes within countries.

We are aware of recent reports of a public execution in DPRK of an individual charged with distributing smuggled CDs and USBs. Due to the closed nature of the regime in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, we cannot verify the accuracy of these reports. The UK, working with partners, ensures that annual UN resolutions consistently call on the DPRK to end its use of the death penalty and adhere to international standards on judicial procedures. We also continue to raise our concerns directly with the North Korean Government, including with the DPRK's Ambassador in London.

No decisions have yet been made about Her Majesty's Government attendance at the Beijing Olympics in 2022.

We have spoken about the situation in Tigray in the five 'AOB' discussions on that subject at the UN Security Council and did so again in the 25 March debate on Protection of Civilians, where I as the Minister responsible for Human Rights, raised again continued atrocities inflicted upon the people of Tigray, including endemic sexual violence. In the Security Council Press Statement of 22 April, the members of the Security Council 'expressed their deep concern about allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including reports of sexual violence against women and girls in the Tigray region and called for investigations to find those responsible and bring them to justice'. We will continue to support discussion in the UN on this pressing matter. However, we do not plan to table a specific resolution on Tigray on 19 June.

The UK shares the concerns raised by the EU. The UK has been consistent in calling for the protection of civilians in Ethiopia, unfettered humanitarian access, and respect for human rights. Currently 5.2 million are in need of food aid. We are deeply concerned about the impact of the conflict on food security and nutrition in Tigray, including reports of people dying from hunger. We are also extremely concerned about the use of hunger and food insecurity as methods of war. We have raised these points with the Government in Addis Ababa consistently and at the highest levels, most recently during the visit of the Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs from 19-25 May.

UK-funded aid agencies in Tigray are delivering support in challenging circumstances, including food, shelter, water and healthcare. Teams from the British Embassy in Addis Ababa visited Tigray from 4-5 March, 4-7 April and the week of 19 April and met with humanitarian agencies working in the region. To date the UK has provided £22 million of badly needed support to people in Tigray. We continue to call for unfettered humanitarian access.

The UK has led calls on the parties to the Tigray conflict to place the survival and welfare of the affected people above political and military goals. We are deeply concerned about the impact of the conflict on food security and nutrition in Tigray, including reports of people dying from hunger. We have raised the points with the Government in Addis Ababa consistently and at the highest levels, most recently during the visit of the Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs from 19-25 May. To date the UK has provided £22 million of badly needed support to people in Tigray.

The UK is appalled by reports of atrocities in Tigray and is aware of recent reports that civilians have again been victims of indiscriminate shelling. It is clear that the conflict in Tigray is being conducted with little regard for civilian welfare and as a consequence reports of civilian casualties are all too common.

Ethiopia is a state party of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and has not declared any Chemical Weapons programme. The Government of Ethiopia has denied that Chemical Weapons have been used. We are working to establish the facts. Access to the affected areas, and to verified information, remains difficult. We have consistently called for access for independent human rights investigators and will continue to do so.

Implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement remains behind schedule, with continued delays to key tasks such as the unification of armed forces and transitional justice. As the country's best chance for achieving sustainable peace, the UK is at the forefront of international efforts to pressure South Sudan's leaders to meet their 2018 commitments in full, including during my last visit in October 2020 and the UK Special Envoy's visit in early May.

The UK remains a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh despite the financial pressures. At the launch of the Joint Response Plan on 18 May, we announced £27.6 million in new funding to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, bringing our total contribution over £320 million since the crisis started in 2017. This financial contribution will continue to deliver lifesaving aid, including food assistance, health services, water and sanitation, camp management, shelter, cooking gas, and protection for survivors of gender-based violence. We have prioritised this assistance and the consolidation of the provision of services to achieve better effectiveness, impact, and value for taxpayers' money. In addition to bilateral funding, the UK is providing support to the Rohingya refugee response through global funds such as the Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait, Central Emergency Response Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. UK funds also support the Rohingya through the UN agencies and the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

As the country's best chance for achieving sustainable peace, the UK is at the forefront of international efforts to pressure South Sudan's leaders to fully implement the 2018 peace deal, including during my last visit in October 2020 and UK Special Envoy's visit in early May. More broadly, the UK supports a number of peacebuilding initiatives at a grassroots level via the UK Peacebuilding Opportunities Fund and the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan, to which the UK contributed £57.9m and up to nine military staff officers in 2020-21.

The UK condemns the attack on the village of Dungob Alei on 16 May, for which the perpetrators have not been identified, but it follows a series violent clashes between the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka ethnic groups. We continue to press the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to resolve the status of Abyei and we support the role played by the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Abyei (UNISFA).

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to play a vital role in the protection of civilians across South Sudan, including minority groups, and there have been no recent changes to the mission's focus or numbers of peacekeepers authorised to be in country. The mission's mandate was renewed in March, with UK support, for another year.

The Call to Action has raised awareness of the potentially devastating impact of COVID-19 on remittances. Over 40 countries took actions to improve access to remittances and financial services. Some remittance companies waived their transfer fees and offered incentives to senders and receivers of remittances. Two Call to Action Partners (United Nations Capital Development Fund and World Bank) are writing a stocktake report that will analyse key factors and measures taken that have contributed to changes in remittances flows since the start of COVID-19. The report will be published and made public in June.

The UK and Swiss Governments will build on the Call to Action coalition, including creating a "Peer-to-Peer Learning platform". This will facilitate learning between remitting countries and key stakeholders.

The Call to Action monitors developments at national levels through the World Bank and updates a tracker on the Call to Action website: https://www.knomad.org/covid-19- remittances-call-to-action/#actions.

The Call to Action has achieved its key objective of raising awareness on the potentially devastating impact of COVID-19 on remittances. Over 40 countries took actions to improve access to remittances and financial services. Remittance companies also responded by waiving their transfer fees and offering incentives to senders and receivers of remittances. A stocktake report is currently being written to understand the key factors and measures taken that have contributed to changes in remittances flows since the start of COVID-19. The UK and Swiss Governments are leveraging the unique composition and convening power of the Call to Action coalition to transition it to a "Peerto-Peer Learning platform", which will facilitate dialogue, share experiences and best practices, and facilitate learning between remitting countries and key stakeholders.

The Call to Action monitors developments at national levels through the World Bank and updates a tracker on the Call to Action website.

We are deeply concerned at human rights abuses and violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region, including of Eritrea's significant role in them. We condemn violations as consistent with an apparent policy of collective punishment of Tigrayans. There are numerous shocking reports of atrocities committed by Eritrean forces in Tigray, and their continued presence is fueling insecurity. These forces must leave Ethiopia immediately. The Minister for Africa made this clear to the Eritrean Ambassador on 16 March, and we set this out in our joint statement with the G7 on 2 April and a G7 Communiqué on 5 May. Our Ambassador in Addis Ababa met with the Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Force in the week of 26 April and pressed this point.

We are closely monitoring the situation and are clear that their withdrawal must be swift, unconditional and verifiable. However, despite Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy's commitment that Eritrean troops would withdraw from Tigray we are yet to see any evidence that this is happening. We continue to press hard for this commitment to be delivered.

We noted the Hogan Lovells report of 18 June 2014. The UK is fully committed to honouring its legal obligations under the Genocide Convention. The Government's longstanding policy is that any judgment on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for competent courts. These include international courts, such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and national criminal courts that meet international standards of due process. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations of international law, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.

Members of non-religious communities continue to be victims of harassment and persecution, despite progress over recent years with the promotion of freedom of religion or belief for all. The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the severity and scale of violations and abuses of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in many parts of the world. Protecting freedom of religion or belief for all faiths, and none, remains a priority for the UK Government. As the Minister responsible for Human Rights, I underlined these points at the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist’ Group Annual General Meeting on 24 May.

I also work closely with the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP. In addition to championing FoRB, Mrs Bruce represents the UK at meetings of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance to advocate for the rights of individuals being discriminated against or persecuted on the basis of their faith or belief, including members of non-religious communities.

We have interpreted the question to mean how many staff were employed by the then Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for International Development (DfID) in China and Hong Kong in each of the financial years, (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020 and as Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2021. All the figures shown are based on the headcount as at 31 March in each year. They include both UK Based Staff and Country Based Staff.

The figures below cover our Embassies and Consulates in Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Wuhan. And our Consulate General in Hong Kong.

China and Hong Kong staff numbers 2018 to 2020 as Legacy departments. Then as FCDO in 2021.

The Government condemns violence against civilians of all religions in Nigeria. In the North East, terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, have abducted and killed individuals from Christian and Muslim communities. These groups target all those who do not subscribe to their extremist views. We are deeply concerned for the welfare of those still held in captivity by these groups. The UK Government is providing a comprehensive package of humanitarian and stabilisation assistance to support communities affected by the conflict. We are also concerned by recent criminal attacks on schools in Northern Nigeria, which have targeted students of all religions. We continue to raise these cases with the Nigerian Government.

Intercommunal violence also has a devastating impact on affected communities. The underlying drivers of violence are complex, and frequently relate to competition over resources and increasing criminality. The Minister for Africa visited Nigeria in April and discussed increasing insecurity across the country with the President’s Chief of Staff, Foreign Minister and community leaders. We continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence.

As the Minister of State responsible for human rights issues for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, I tweeted on 11 May to express my deep sadness at the reported murder of priests in Tigray. This is one of a deluge of horrifying reports of atrocities coming out of Tigray. Civilians must be protected and the violence must stop.

The G7, under the UK Presidency, issued a statement on 2 April and a Communiqué on 5 May condemning human rights violations and abuses. The UK also condemned in the strongest terms the reported killings of civilians via a joint statement on Ethiopia with 41 other countries at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council. We support the UN's call for a "zero tolerance" policy and welcome the UN Security Council's 22 April Press Statement expressing their deep concern about allegations of human rights violations and abuses in the Tigray region. The UK will support the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that their joint investigations with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission into atrocities in Tigray are independent, transparent and impartial and that those responsible for these human rights abuses are held to account. The Foreign Secretary, Minister for Africa and our Ambassador in Addis continue to raise human rights issues in their discussions with the Ethiopian government.

The Great Britain China Centre (GBCC) is an arms-length body of the FCDO which currently receives £500K per annum in funding. The Statistics on International Development (SID) provides an overview of official UK spend, dating back to 2009. The 2019 data was published on GOV.UK on 24 September and can be viewed through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-final-uk-aid-spend-2019). The GBCC supports UK objectives in China, including facilitating dialogues on issues of shared importance, and delivering projects on rule of law and judicial cooperation. The 2019 triennial tailored review of the GBCC concluded that it plays a key role in developing relationships and promoting understanding between the UK and China and has a disproportionate impact on UK-China relations relative to the funding it receives. The GBCC's mandate does not include developing business links with China.

Details of UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to China between 2009 to 2019 can be found in table A4b of the Statistics on International Development (SID), published on the gov.uk website at

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/920048/Table-A4b.ods. Please note in line with SID revision policy there has been a minor revision to the 2019 SID dataset. A data processing error in reporting meant that the published 2019 figure of UK ODA spend in China was £500,000 lower than the actual spend [as the Grant in Aid ODA for the Great Britain-China Centre (GBCC) was mistakenly attributed to 'developing countries unspecified']. This revision does not affect the headline ODA figure which was £68 million UK bilateral ODA to China in 2019.

Further details on the programmes that underpin the figures in table A4b, including project titles and descriptions, can be found in the ODA activity level datasets published on gov.uk:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/921034/Data_Underlying_SID_2019.ods (for 2017-2019) and

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/695435/data-underlying-the-sid2017-revision-March.ods (for 2009 - 2016).

UK historical ODA spending is collected and published by the OECD. Information on UK ODA spend from 2005 to 2008 can be found online at https://stats.oecd.org/qwids/#?x=2&y=6&f=3:51,4:1,1:23,5:3,7:1&q=3:51+4:1+1:23+5:3+7:1+2:36+6:2005,2006,2007,2008.

The China Business Environment programme, funded through the former UK cross-government Prosperity Fund (PF), supports work in protecting intellectual property, improving international standards, the investment environment, commercial dispute resolution and anti-money laundering initiatives. It is designed to contribute to a fairer, more transparent and predictable business environment for all business in China, including international and UK companies.

In 2020, the programme supported business environment reform in China by contributing to 3 major legal and regulatory changes; including on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), anti-monopoly measures and strengthening China's legal regime on 'force majeure'. A full assessment of the China Business Environment programme can be found in the 2019 Annual Review online via https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/china-prosperity-fund-programme.

We are aware that the Hong Kong SAR Government recently wrote to several foreign Consulates urging them not to accept BN(O) passports for visa applications. The Hong Kong Government has no authority to dictate which passports foreign governments recognise as valid. We will continue to issue BN(O) passports, which remain valid travel documents. We are in contact with relevant Government authorities, including the German authorities, on this issue.

The UK is deeply concerned by recent violence in Geneina, West Darfur where at least 144 people have been killed and 232 injured since 3 April. More than 300,000 people have been displaced in Darfur due to conflict in 2021. There are many drivers of violence and instability in Darfur but tackling the root causes of conflict is essential if lasting peace and security is to become a reality. We therefore continue to encourage the Government of Sudan to implement swiftly their National Plan for Civilian Protection and the Juba Peace Agreement, particularly provisions relating to security arrangements. The UK remains one of the leading donors to Sudan, including on peace, open societies, humanitarian and economic support.

The conflict in Tigray has had significant consequences and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, as well as impacting those that were already in need of humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia and Sudan. Over 62,000 people have crossed from Ethiopia to Sudan as a result of the conflict (an additional 7,179 people have arrived in Blue Nile State as the result of separate conflict in the Benishangul Gurmuz region of Ethiopia).

During his visit to Khartoum in January, the Foreign Secretary commended Sudan's leaders for their efforts to press for a peaceful resolution to the situation and support to refugees entering Sudan from Ethiopia. The UK has provided £6.1 million in funding to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Danish Refugee Council to address urgent needs arising from the Tigray crisis in Sudan. This additional funding is separate to the £15.4 million support specifically provided to help those affected by the conflict who are in Ethiopia.

The UK uses analysis published by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) to assess levels of food security in South Sudan. The latest IPC report for South Sudan was published in December 2020 and projected that from April-July 2021, 7.2 million people (ca. 60 per cent of population) will experience high levels of acute food insecurity. Of these, an estimated 108,000 people are projected to face catastrophic famine-like conditions. Data collection to inform analysis beyond July 2021 is currently underway.

The UK is deeply concerned about violence against civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including in North Kivu and Ituri. Last week the British Embassy Kinshasa issued a joint statement with international partners condemning the attacks perpetrated by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Beni, North Kivu. We are saddened that violence has displaced over 100,000 this year, and that armed groups continue to forcibly recruit civilians.

The UK is committed to building stability in eastern DRC, reducing violence, and providing support to victims through our humanitarian and stability programmes. In 2020/21 we provided approximately £52 million and three military staff officers to support the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO. We are committed to ensuring that MONUSCO effectively protects civilians and tackles the ADF. That is why we supported mandating MONUSCO to reinforce its troops in Beni during the Mission's last mandate renewal. We continue to urge the DRC Government and the UN to work together to better protect civilians. The Minister for Africa discussed this with President Tshisekedi during his visit to DRC in November 2020 and again during a telephone call in March this year.

The UK is deeply concerned about violence against civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including in North Kivu and Ituri. Last week the British Embassy Kinshasa issued a joint statement with international partners condemning the attacks perpetrated by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Beni, North Kivu. We are saddened that violence has displaced over 100,000 this year, and that armed groups continue to forcibly recruit civilians.

The UK is committed to building stability in eastern DRC, reducing violence, and providing support to victims through our humanitarian and stability programmes. In 2020/21 we provided approximately £52 million and three military staff officers to support the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO. We are committed to ensuring that MONUSCO effectively protects civilians and tackles the ADF. That is why we supported mandating MONUSCO to reinforce its troops in Beni during the Mission's last mandate renewal. We continue to urge the DRC Government and the UN to work together to better protect civilians. The Minister for Africa discussed this with President Tshisekedi during his visit to DRC in November 2020 and again during a telephone call in March this year.

The Governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have a clear interest in the security and prosperity of the Horn of Africa, and were prominent in brokering the 2018 peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea. We have regular discussions, with both the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, on our shared interests in stability in Ethiopia and ending the conflict in Tigray. Most recently my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Middle East and North Africa discussed the situation in Ethiopia, including efforts to resolve the border dispute with Sudan, with Emirati counterparts on his visit to the region of 28-29 March. Last month I also spoke with the UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan about stability in the Horn of Africa, an issue we will discuss again in the coming weeks.

Eritrea's role in the conflict is particularly concerning; there are numerous reports of atrocities involving Eritrean forces, and the presence of Eritrean forces is fuelling insecurity. These forces must leave Ethiopia immediately, in line with the commitment made by Prime Minister Abiy in his announcement on 26 March of their withdrawal. We are clear that their withdrawal must be swift, unconditional and verifiable. We have yet to see any evidence that Eritrean forces are leaving Tigray.

We are concerned about the increase of tensions on the Sudanese Ethiopian border in the al-Fashaga territory and have stressed the need for de-escalation on both sides. We are also concerned by the numbers of people displaced and the impact this will have in the region.

We have been in discussions with Eritrea and Sudan regarding their shared border, along with a range of partners who also have shared interests in stability in Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa. We are encouraging all parties to de-escalate and engage in a political process. Neither party to the dispute has raised concerns with us about the involvement of third countries.

The humanitarian situation in Tigray is dire, basic services have collapsed and the humanitarian response is hampered by poor security and access. There are credible reports of atrocities committed by all parties to the conflict, including harrowing reports of mass killings and rape. A joint humanitarian and political team from the British Embassy in Addis Ababa visited Tigray on on 4-5 March and 4-7 April. They met with the provisional administration of Tigray, the Mayor of Mekelle, the Interim Head of Administration in Shire and with humanitarian agencies working in the region. They spoke directly to people displaced by violence and heard harrowing accounts of human rights violations. The team also saw UKAid work in action and learned of the challenges across Tigray.

We will hold Prime Minister Abiy to his statement on 23 March that the perpetrators of human rights atrocities should face justice - whoever they are. Further atrocities including sexual and gender-based violence must stop and an independent investigation of those that have occurred must take place. The UK will support the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights' planned investigations.

Since the conflict started, the UK has consistently called for an end to fighting, and for all parties to the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians. The conflict in Tigray has had significant consequences and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, over 70,000 moving into Sudan, as well as impacting those that were already in need of humanitarian assistance. Currently 4.5 million are in need of food aid. I made clear the dire humanitarian situation in the UNSC Open Debate on Conflict and Food Security on 11 March. To date the UK has provided £19 million of badly needed support to people in Tigray -to deliver critical food aid, safe drinking water, sanitation and nutritional supplies and medical care. We continue to call for a de-escalation and a long-term political solution. A sustainable political solution is required to resolve the crisis.

The G7, under the UK Presidency, issued a joint statement on 2 April that expressed our strong concerns about recent reports on human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law in Tigray. We jointly called for the end of violence and the establishment of a clear inclusive political process that is acceptable to all Ethiopians, including those in Tigray and which leads to credible elections and a wider national reconciliation process. We are in close and regular contact with international partners, including the US and EU, about the situation in Ethiopia.

We are deeply concerned at the mounting evidence of human rights abuses and violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region. Since the conflict started the UK has consistently called for independent, international investigations into atrocities reported in Tigray, and for the Government of Ethiopia to ensure full access for human rights organisations. We will hold Prime Minister Abiy to his statement on 23 March that the perpetrators of human rights atrocities should face justice - whoever they are. Further atrocities including sexual and gender-based violence must stop and an independent investigation of those that have occurred must take place. The UK will support the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights' planned investigations.

It is the UK's longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We are concerned about the case of Sajjad Masih Gill, who was sentenced to death in March 2021, after being convicted for blasphemy.

We do not comment on our handling of individual cases but regularly raise our concerns about blasphemy laws at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. On 23 March, I discussed Freedom of Religion or Belief with Pakistan's Special Representative for Religious Harmony, Tahir Ashrafi. On 20 February, I also raised our concerns about the protection of minority religious communities, including the use of blasphemy laws, with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari.

The UK is leading a strong and coordinated international response to the coup. We continue to engage closely with partners on a range of issues. We welcome the US announcement on Temporary Protected Status for Myanmar nationals in the country. Australia has not yet introduced special measures for Myanmar Nationals. We are continuing to explore the options for supporting Myanmar Nationals in the UK who could be in danger if they return.

The majority of Myanmar nationals present within the UK have already utilised the switching provisions within our immigration system to continue their regularised stay.

The UK continues to take a leading international role in holding China to account for its human rights violations, including by leading the first statement at the UN Human Rights Council on Xinjiang and Hong Kong. On 22 February, the Foreign Secretary delivered a ministerial statement at the Human Rights Council where he expressed our deep concerns about the situation in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. We continue to urge the Chinese authorities to allow journalists to practice their profession without fear or arrest, harassment or reprisal, and to end extensive censorship and control over the media and wider freedom of expression. In Hong Kong, rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of speech, are expressly guaranteed in the Joint Declaration, and must be upheld.

We are aware of recent reports of public executions in Pyongyang of individuals charged with distributing illegal entertainment media. Due to the closed nature of the regime in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, we cannot verify the accuracy of these reports. The UK, working with partners, ensures that annual UN resolutions consistently call on the DPRK to end its use of the death penalty and adhere to international standards on judicial procedures. We also continue to raise our concerns directly with the DPRK Government, including with the DPRK's Ambassador in London.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by reports of discrimination and violence against religious communities in Pakistan, including against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.

We are aware of reports that police in Pakistan damaged an Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque in Garmola Virkan, Punjab.

We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan at senior levels to guarantee the fundamental rights of all its citizens, regardless of their religion or belief. Most recently, I raised the need to promote respect for all religions with Pakistan's Special Representative for Religious Harmony, Tahir Ashrafi, on 23 March 2021. I also raised our concerns on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Pakistan with the Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 20 February 2021.

The UK is deeply concerned about the situation in Hong Kong and the erosion of rights and freedoms and the high degree of autonomy enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The UK has already taken a number of actions in response to developments in Hong Kong. These include introducing a new bespoke immigration path for British Nationals (Overseas) (BNOs), suspending our extradition treaty with Hong Kong indefinitely, and extending our arms embargo on mainland China to Hong Kong.

We will continue to consider designations under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations. It is not appropriate to speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. We will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong as befits our historic commitment to them, to call out the violation of their rights and freedoms.

We will also continue to engage and coordinate our actions with our international partners to hold China to their international obligations freely assumed under international law.

The UK is deeply concerned about the situation in Hong Kong and the erosion of rights and freedoms and the high degree of autonomy enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The UK has already taken a number of actions in response to developments in Hong Kong. These include introducing a new bespoke immigration path for British Nationals (Overseas) (BNOs), suspending our extradition treaty with Hong Kong indefinitely, and extending our arms embargo on mainland China to Hong Kong.

We will continue to consider designations under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations. It is not appropriate to speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. We will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong as befits our historic commitment to them, to call out the violation of their rights and freedoms.

We will also continue to engage and coordinate our actions with our international partners to hold China to their international obligations freely assumed under international law.

I recognise the concerns raised by minority groups in Pakistan that the introduction of a single curriculum may be used to marginalise some communities. Through our representation, the UK has made clear that there is a need for an inclusive curriculum, one that encompasses the rich diversity of Pakistan's communities and traditions. We are engaging with the Provincial and Federal Governments to ensure that the new curriculum promotes diversity and inclusion. Through our diplomatic network in Pakistan we have also engaged with young people to discuss the promotion of intolerance and inclusiveness. I will continue to scrutinise UK-funded education programmes in Pakistan to ensure they promote inclusive education.

I discussed the need for inclusive and tolerant education when I met with Pakistan's Minister for Education, Mr Shafqat Mahmood on 1 October 2020, and with the Governor of Punjab, Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, on 8 September 2020. I raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 20 February 2021, and with Pakistan's Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar, on 7 December 2020.

In November 2020 the Foreign Secretary announced a new strategic framework for how the UK's Official Development Assistance will be spent in 2021. The framework sharpens our focus on the seven global challenges where the UK can make the most difference including: climate and biodiversity; Covid and global health security; girls' education; science and research; open societies and conflict; humanitarian assistance; and trade. This year, the Foreign Secretary will lead a cross-departmental review on a new development strategy to ensure close alignment of UK aid with the objectives to be set out in the Integrated Review.

The FCDO works closely with civil society partners in countries affected by conflict, on conflict prevention and resolution and related issues including humanitarian relief.

This year we will establish a new conflict centre within the FCDO and prioritise the resources of the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund on the foundational link between stability, resilience and security, and work with governments and civil society in regions that are of greatest priority to the UK. This activity will be supported by funding of £874 million for 2021-22. We will continue to work with civil society to increase our impact on conflict in priority regions, and to ensure support is directed to help the most vulnerable.

The UK Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. The FCDO does not comment on individual cases.

Pakistan remains a FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. We regularly raise our concerns on these issues with the Government of Pakistan. Most recently, I raised our human rights concerns, including Freedom of Religion or Belief, with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 20 February 2021. I also raised the human rights situation in Pakistan with the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar, on 7 December 2020.

Through the UK's development support, we have worked with the Government of Pakistan to strengthen and improve Pakistan's police and judicial systems.

The UK Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. The FCDO does not comment on individual cases.

Pakistan remains a FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. We regularly raise our concerns on these issues with the Government of Pakistan. Most recently, I raised our human rights concerns, including Freedom of Religion or Belief, with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 20 February 2021. I also raised the human rights situation in Pakistan with the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar, on 7 December 2020.

Through the UK's development support, we have worked with the Government of Pakistan to strengthen and improve Pakistan's police and judicial systems.

The UK Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. The FCDO does not comment on individual cases.

Pakistan remains a FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. We regularly raise our concerns on these issues with the Government of Pakistan. Most recently, I raised our human rights concerns, including Freedom of Religion or Belief, with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 20 February 2021. I also raised the human rights situation in Pakistan with the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar, on 7 December 2020.

Through the UK's development support, we have worked with the Government of Pakistan to strengthen and improve Pakistan's police and judicial systems.

We are deeply concerned by the violent clashes in recent months in the Oromia region of Ethiopia with reports of mass killings. We are also extremely concerned by recent reports of killings of Amharan civilians, including women and children in Horoguduru in Western Oromia. Leaders on all sides must be clear that ethnic-based violence and discrimination will not be tolerated, and must stress to all those under their control the importance of respecting human rights and avoiding civilian loss of life at all costs. The Foreign Secretary underlined the need for all Ethiopians to be respected and not be subject to violence and discrimination during his visit to Ethiopia on 22 January. When the Minister for Africa visited Ethiopia from 27-29 July 2020, he discussed ethnic tensions with the Ethiopian President and senior Ministers, as well as the President of Oromia. We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Ethiopia closely.

The Government has noted the findings of the report. We will continue to engage with a wide range of experts and review all available evidence to inform our understanding of the situation in Xinjiang and to guide policy development. The Government remains deeply concerned by the human rights violations occurring in the region and continues to play a leading role in holding China to account, including at the UN.

It is vitally important that China grants unfettered access to Xinjiang for the UN Human Rights Commissioner or another independent fact finding body, without further delay. The Foreign Secretary made the UK position on this issue clear in a high level intervention at the Human Rights Council on 22 February.

The UK shares the concerns outlined by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator in his statement of 4 March on the humanitarian situation in Tigray. The UK has been consistent in calling for free and unfettered humanitarian access to 4.5 million people in need. We have made clear our position that Eritrean forces should withdraw. The Foreign Secretary raised the need for humanitarian access to Tigray with Prime Minister Abiy during his recent visit to Ethiopia and pressed for a political dialogue to bring lasting peace to the region. The Minister for Africa re-enforced the urgency of the need for humanitarian access when he spoke with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.

The UK is working closely with humanitarian and development agencies to make sure aid reaches civilians affected by the fighting. UK-funded aid agencies in Tigray are delivering support in challenging circumstances, including food, shelter, water and healthcare. A joint humanitarian and political team from the British Embassy in Addis Ababa visited Mekelle on 5 March. They met with the provisional administration of Tigray, mayor of Mekelle, humanitarian agencies and people displaced by violence. They heard harrowing accounts of human rights violations, the challenges of aid delivery and how some of the £11.4 million of UK Aid is helping to support those affected by the Tigray conflict. The Government of Ethiopia must act now to protect its people.

I refer the noble Lord to my response to his Oral question (volume 810, column 1468) answered on 9 March 2021. On 26 February the Minister for Africa stated that we are deeply saddened and concerned by the reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on the human rights violations of civilians in Axum, Ethiopia. These require a serious and urgent response from the Government of Ethiopia. We continue to call for independent, international investigations into these and other crimes reported in Tigray, and for the Government of Ethiopia to ensure full access for human rights organisations. We have made this clear to the Government of Ethiopia. The Minister for Africa also pressed the need for the immediate withdrawal by Eritrean troops from Tigray and raised our concerns about human rights abuses in Tigray when he met the Eritrean Ambassador to the UK this week.

The UK Government has spent £3,068,877,909 on Official Development Assistance in Pakistan in the last 10 years. On average, 28% of this has been spent on educational projects.

The UK is supporting the equitable rollout of vaccines in Pakistan and around the world through COVAX, an international alliance co-led by the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and World Health Organization. We are one of the world's largest donors to COVAX, contributing £548 million to date. Decisions about the global rollout of the vaccine are for COVAX, which is committed to prioritising distribution where it will have most impact. We understand that COVAX plans to provide around 90 million vaccine doses to Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan is finalising its vaccination roll out plan for refugees in close consultation with UNHCR and other stakeholders. We are in close contact with the Pakistani authorities to support this effort.

The UK is providing an additional £4.67 million through the World Health Organisation to support Pakistan's COVID-19 Preparedness and Response plan. This will help provide medical assistance to the seriously ill, infection prevention and control, and increased testing capacity. We will continue to ensure that our programme of COVID-19 assistance to Pakistan helps those at risk and reaches the most vulnerable, including minority communities.

The UK shares the concerns outlined by US Secretary of State Blinken in his statements of 27 February and 2 March on the reported atrocities in Ethiopia's Tigray region. The Foreign Secretary discussed the conflict in Tigray with Secretary Blinken on 25 February. The situation in Ethiopia was discussed at a closed session of the UN Security Council on 4 March. The UK has been consistent, alongside the UN and international partners including the US, in calling for the protection of civilians in Ethiopia, respect for human rights and the withdrawal of Eritrean forces. The Foreign Secretary raised the need for independent, international, investigations into allegations of human right abuses and violations when he met with Prime Minister Abiy during his visit to Ethiopia on 22 January.

The UK shares the concerns outlined by US Secretary of State Blinken in his statements of 27 February and 2 March on the reported atrocities in Ethiopia's Tigray region. The Foreign Secretary discussed the conflict in Tigray with Secretary Blinken on 25 February. The situation in Ethiopia was discussed at a closed session of the UN Security Council on 4 March. The UK has been consistent, alongside the UN and international partners including the US, in calling for the protection of civilians in Ethiopia, respect for human rights and the withdrawal of Eritrean forces. The Foreign Secretary raised the need for independent, international, investigations into allegations of human right abuses and violations when he met with Prime Minister Abiy during his visit to Ethiopia on 22 January.

As Minister Adams said in the House of Commons on 4 February, the BBC report of 3 February includes deeply distressing testimony of the rape, torture and dehumanisation of Uyghur women in Xinjiang detention centres. It is a further, compelling addition to the growing body of evidence of the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang. The Government has raised the specific allegations in the BBC report with the Chinese Embassy in London. The Government has also raised China's decision to ban BBC World News in mainland China - an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom - directly with the Chinese authorities.

We continue to play a leading role in holding China to account for human rights violations, working closely with international partners, including at the UN. On 22 February, during his high level statement to the Human Rights Council, the Foreign Secretary underlined the need for urgent and unfettered access to Xinjiang for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights or another independent fact-finding expert.

The implementation of the measures announced by the Foreign Secretary on 12 January in respect of Xinjiang is underway. Her Majesty's Government's Overseas Business Risk guidance was updated on the day of the announcement, providing detailed written guidance to UK businesses investing in, or with supply chains in, Xinjiang. The Government has also launched a programme of proactive engagement with UK organisations to support them in ensuring they are not contributing to human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The review of export controls as they apply to Xinjiang is in progress, and Parliament will be updated once it has been completed. The introduction of financial penalties under the Modern Slavery Act will require primary legislation, which will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

The Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 set out the designation criteria that Ministers must be satisfied are met prior to making a designation. In addition, Her Majesty's Government has published a policy note setting out factors relevant to whether a person may be designated under these regulations.

In July 2020, the Commander in Chief and Deputy Commander in Chief of the Tatmadaw were designated under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime for their involvement in the systematic and brutal violence against the Rohingya people and other ethnic minorities in Myanmar, in which 700,000 Rohingya were forcibly displaced with tens of thousands killed, tortured and subject to sexual violence.

The government remains gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang. On 12 January the Foreign Secretary announced robust, targeted measures to help ensure that British organisations, whether public or private sector, are not complicit in, nor profiting from, the human rights violations in Xinjiang. We also continue to play a leading role in holding China to account for its human rights violations in the region, working closely with international partners, including at the UN. We will keep all evidence and potential listings under close review.

Her Majesty's Government publishes explanatory memoranda and other detailed statutory reports to provide background to each statutory instrument laid under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.

We have taken note of the motions passed by the Canadian House of Commons and the House of Representatives of the Netherlands relating to Xinjiang. The Government remains gravely concerned about the human rights situation in the region. We continue to play a leading role in holding China to account, working closely with international partners, including Canada and the Netherlands.

It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.

On 26 February the Minister for Africa stated that we are deeply saddened by the reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on the human rights violations of civilians in Axum, Ethiopia. While the Government of Ethiopia have said that the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission will lead an independent investigation with support from the UN, we will continue to call for independent, international investigations into these and other crimes reported in Tigray, and for the Government of Ethiopia to ensure full access for human rights organisations.

In a joint statement on Ethiopia with 41 other countries at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council, we condemned in the strongest terms the reported killings of civilians. We have raised our concerns with Ethiopian Ministers, making clear the overriding need to protect civilians and adhere to international law and to international human rights law. The Minister for Africa re-enforced the urgency of the need for humanitarian access when he spoke with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.

The UK has deep concerns about the appalling human rights situation in the DPRK including as documented in the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report, and has responded to recommendations made by that report. Since the Report's publication, we have maintained a high level of engagement at the UN on the situation and we continue to press for annual debate on the DPRK's human rights issues in the UN Security Council. We continue to raise our concerns directly with the DPRK government, including with the DPRK's Ambassador in London. We also support the annual Human Rights Council resolution on human rights in North Korea which stresses the importance of following up recommendations from the Report and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the country.

Working to support our allies and partners, the UK is committed to securing a peaceful settlement on the Korean Peninsula, and to achieving the complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's illegal nuclear and weapons programmes. We are committed to upholding the rules-based international system and securing an end to all other illegal activities by the regime. Underlining the UK's position as a force for good, we stand up for the victims of human rights violations by the regime and are focused on the humanitarian situation following over a year of Covid-related restrictions. Following the imposition of Covid restrictions we had to withdraw all diplomatic staff from our Embassy in Pyongyang on 27 May 2020, but look forward to re-opening the Embassy as soon as it is possible and safe to do so.

The UK has deep concerns about the appalling human rights situation in the DPRK including as documented in the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report, and has responded to recommendations made by that report. Since the Report's publication, we have maintained a high level of engagement at the UN on the situation and we continue to press for annual debate on the DPRK's human rights issues in the UN Security Council. We continue to raise our concerns directly with the DPRK government. We also support the annual Human Rights Council resolution on human rights in North Korea which stresses the importance of following up recommendations from the Report and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the country.

The UK has deep concerns about the appalling human rights situation in the DPRK including as documented in the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report, and has responded to recommendations made by that report. Since the Report's publication, we have maintained a high level of engagement at the UN on the situation and we continue to press for annual debate on the DPRK's human rights issues in the UN Security Council. We continue to raise our concerns directly with the DPRK government. We also support the annual Human Rights Council resolution on human rights in North Korea which stresses the importance of following up recommendations from the Report and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the country.

The UK is clear there must be no impunity for the most serious international crimes. The international community has a responsibility to respond to human rights violations in North Korea and the UK continues to press for annual debate in the UN Security Council on the DPRK human rights issues. North Korea is not a State Party to the International Criminal Court (ICC), so a referral of the situation in the DPRK could be made only by the UN Security Council in this instance. We welcome and support the annual Human Rights Council resolution on human rights in North Korea which stresses the importance of following up recommendations from the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in the DPRK, and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the country.

The UK remains deeply concerned about the appalling human rights situation in the DPRK and is aware of reports that people held in prison camps are enslaved in coal production and other goods for export. The UK is unable to verify these reports, but we are clear that the DPRK must address the many reports of continued and wide-spread human rights violations in the country, including the arbitrary detention of its citizens. That is why in July 2020, the UK designated two DPRK entities through the Global Human Rights sanctions regime, including the Ministry of State Security Bureau 7 and Ministry of People's Security Correctional Bureau.

The UK continues to call for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea and remains committed to upholding sanctions on North Korea, working with international partners to curtail North Korea's nuclear and missile capability. UN Security Council Resolution 2371, passed in August 2017, banned all North Korean coal exports. The UK continues to raise with the other members of the UN Security Council our concerns about North Korea's evasion of UN sanctions and the illicit maritime export of commodities, including coal.

The UK is aware of concerning reports that people held in prison camps are enslaved in coal production. The UK is unable to verify these reports, but we continue to call on the North Korean government to acknowledge and address the many reports of serious and wide-ranging human rights violations in the country, including the arbitrary detention of its citizens, and to allow UN human rights mechanisms unhindered access to the country.

UN Security Council Resolution 2371, passed in August 2017, banned all North Korean coal exports. The UK continues to raise with the other members of the UN Security Council our concerns about North Korea's evasion of UN sanctions and the illicit maritime export of commodities, including coal.

The UK is clear there must be no impunity for the most serious international crimes. We welcome and support the Human Rights Council resolution on human rights in North Korea which stresses the importance of following up recommendations from the UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in the DPRK, and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the country. North Korea is not a State Party to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and so a referral of the situation in the DPRK could be made only by the UN Security Council in this instance. The international community has a responsibility to respond to human rights violations in North Korea and the UK continues to press annual debate on the DPRK's human rights issues in the UN Security Council.

The UK government has been very clear that international law must be upheld, and that UN sanctions put in place to combat North Korea's illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes must be fully enforced. The UN Panel of Experts have reported that North Korean overseas workers continue to be present in member states despite the passing of the repatriation deadline in December 2019. We fully agree with the panel's assessment and continue to raise our concerns with the members of the Security Council in New York, including Russia, most recently on 24 February. The UK has not made an independent assessment of how such workers are selected. The UK calls for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea.

The UK is deeply concerned about the appalling human rights situation in the DPRK. We are aware of reports that the North Korean government has ordered the expansion of political prison camps in the country. We are unable to verify this activity but the UK remains clear that the DPRK must address the many reports of serious and wide-ranging human rights violations in North Korea, including the arbitrary detention of its citizens. That is why in July 2020, the UK designated two DPRK entities through the Global Human Rights (GHR) sanctions regime, including the Ministry of State Security Bureau 7 and Ministry of People's Security Correctional Bureau, which together are responsible for the country's notorious prison camp system. The UK continues to urge improvements in the DPRK human rights situation, and regularly raises these concerns, including on prison camps, in international fora and directly with the DPRK authorities.

We note and understand the decision by the EU to suspend budget support. The UK does not provide general budget support to the Government of Ethiopia. UK Overseas Development Assistance provided to the Government of Ethiopia in the form of financial aid supports the delivery of specific development results; and we track results to ensure our programmes are delivering these life-changing results for Ethiopians in desperate need. UK bilateral ODA spend for Ethiopia in 20/21 is £237m. We work closely with the Government of Ethiopia to ensure and monitor that aid is provided impartially and serves to improve the conditions of intended beneficiaries. We are keeping the provision of aid to Ethiopia under constant review.

We have, and will continue to advocate that a political process is essential to bring a full end to fighting and a sustainable settlement for Tigray. We have consistently urged all parties to end the conflict, prioritise the protection of civilians and allow unfettered humanitarian access. The Foreign Secretary raised these points when he met with Prime Minister Abiy on 22 January and also pressed for a political dialogue to bring a lasting peace to Tigray. The Minister for Africa also pressed for political dialogue to end the conflict when he spoke with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.

We are concerned by involvement of Eritrean forces in hostilities throughout the Tigray region of Ethiopia and the growing weight of credible evidence of their involvement in human rights violations. The Minister for Africa has called for their immediate withdrawal, as they are fuelling the conflict. However, we are unable to verify reports that this includes the transfer of military equipment and money by the Government of Ethiopia to the Government of Eritrea. We have raised our concerns with Ministers in both governments, making clear the overriding need to protect civilians and adhere to international law and international human rights law.

The UK condemns the destruction of the Hitsats and Shimbella refugee camps in Tigray and calls for urgent assistance to those refugees displaced as a result. We are also concerned at reports that Eritrean troops entered Ethiopian refugee camps in Tigray and forced a number of refugees to return to Eritrea. If proven, this would be a serious violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Alleged violations of international law must be investigated as a means to promote respect for legal instruments and to prevent future violations, including as necessary through international criminal tribunals.

The British Ambassador in Eritrea raised these questions with the Eritrean Foreign Minister in December 2020, who denied that Eritrean forces had forcibly returned Eritrean refugees to Eritrea. We are extremely concerned that humanitarian agencies, including the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), do not have access to refugee camps in Tigray, meaning our understanding of the humanitarian and protection context in camps and refugee hosting areas is limited. It is the responsibility of the host state to ensure refugees are protected and are not subjected to forcible return. This was acknowledged by the Government of Ethiopia when we raised the matter.

There are no arrangements in place with foreign governments which require candidates to seek approval to apply for Chevening scholarships. Nominations for some of the awards that the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC) funds are made by national agencies. In most cases these are government departments, which ensures that national development priorities are reflected in the candidate selection. Final decisions for all scholarship awards are made by the CSC Commissioners.

Students from Africa can seek funding to support study at UK universities through a number of routes, including scholarships offered by charities, private organisations and the universities themselves. We do not hold data on the number of scholarships offered through other organisations, however, Chevening and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission are currently funding 484 and 488 scholars from Africa respectively.

We share the UN Special Rapporteur's concerns about the worrying reports of violence against protestors in Myanmar. The Minister of State for Asia spoke to the Special Rapporteur shortly before the coup and reiterated our deep concern at human rights violations by the military. We have been clear that the state of emergency, and all restrictions on rights and freedoms, should be lifted immediately. The people's right to a peaceful protest should be respected. The coup must end. We urge the military to exercise utmost restraint and respect human rights and international law. The military must be held accountable for their actions. We will continue to explore all options for doing this.

We note recent assessments that there are still significant restrictions to access in Tigray and are concerned about the impact of the conflict on food security and nutrition in the region. The Foreign Secretary raised the need for humanitarian access to Tigray with President Abiy during his recent visit to Ethiopia and pressed for a political dialogue to bring lasting peace to the region. In this context we welcome the recent visits to Ethiopia by senior UN officials and hope that they will deliver a sustained step-change in humanitarian access. The UK is working closely with humanitarian and development agencies, including the Ethiopian Red Cross, to make sure aid reaches civilians affected by the fighting. UK-funded aid agencies in Tigray are working hard to deliver support in challenging circumstances, including food, shelter, water and healthcare. The Foreign Secretary visited Gondar, in the neighbouring Amhara region on 22 January and saw first-hand how £11m of UK Aid is supporting the World Food Programme and NGOs to ensure the delivery of aid to those affected by the conflict.

We are not aware of recent specific reports concerning North Koreans attempting to leave the country over the Yalu and Tumen rivers. We will continue to monitor the situation. We remain concerned about the humanitarian situation in North Korea, following a year of lockdown, and continue to call on North Korea to restore international access for humanitarian assistance.

In a call on 27 January 2021, the Foreign Secretary and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed cooperation to hold China to its international commitments. The government remains gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang. We regularly discuss these concerns and related questions of policy with the US. The UK plays a leading role in holding China to account for its human rights violations in the region, working closely with international partners, including the US.

It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. Competent courts include international courts, such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and national criminal courts that meet international standards of due process.

The Government has taken careful note of the recently published legal opinion by Alison Macdonald QC et al. Our deep concern about the serious and widespread human rights violations in Xinjiang is a matter of record. The UK has led international efforts to hold China to account, and on 12 January the Foreign Secretary announced a package of measures to help ensure that British organisations, whether public or private sector, are not complicit in, nor profiting from, the human rights violations in Xinjiang.

The military's influence is pervasive across Myanmar's economy. Burma Campaign's "Dirty List" is one valuable input into our thinking on the military economy. We are clear that Myanmar needs responsible investors. Her Majesty's Government works closely with UK businesses to ensure that they conduct thorough due diligence to try and avoid exposure to military businesses. Between 2018 and 2020 the UK imposed targeted sanctions on 16 individuals responsible for human rights violations in Myanmar. We played a leading role in securing EU sanctions on 14 individuals. These have all been transitioned into UK law. In July 2020, we sanctioned the Commander-in-Chief and his Deputy, in our first tranche of designations under the Global Human Rights Sanctions regime. We have now sanctioned all six individuals named in the UN Fact Finding Mission Report.

We are working closely with international partners to ensure a coordinated and impactful response to the coup of 1 February. The UK will consider all the tools at its disposal, including sanctions.

We remain in regular contact with our close partners, including the US, on Hong Kong and are pleased to see the steps they have taken to put in place measures in support of people of Hong Kong.

The vast majority of BN(O) passport holders will have another passport, such as the Hong Kong SAR passport which they can use to travel on. We have not been made aware of anyone who has been unable to travel.

We understand there may be a very small number of individuals who may only hold the BN(O) document and we are working with the Home Office to explore options for this group.

We look forward to welcoming those who wish to settle here.

The UK strongly supports the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), which is restricted in Saudi Arabia. Ministers and our Ambassador in Saudi Arabia regularly raise and discuss freedom of religion or belief. Whilst Saudi Arabia ended flogging as a form of corporal punishment in 2020, this change does not apply to some Hudud crimes, for which the Quran prescribes punishments.The UK will encourage further human rights reform in Saudi Arabia.

On 20 December 2020, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to FoRB by appointing Fiona Bruce, MP for Congleton, as his Special Envoy for FoRB. Mrs Bruce will work with ministers, officials and others to deliver the Government's goal of seeing everyone, everywhere able to have and practise a faith, belief, or not to do so, in accordance with their conscience.

Genocide is an international crime with a strict legal meaning. It is the policy of the UK Government that any judgment on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for competent courts, rather than for governments or other nonjudicial bodies. Competent courts include international courts, such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and national criminal courts that meet international standards of due process.

We are disappointed but not surprised by the Chinese decision not to recognise British National (Overseas) passports. However, whatever obstacles China puts in the way of BN(O)s leaving Hong Kong, we will do all we can to enable them to come to live, work and study in the UK. BN(O)s and their families will be able to use documentation other than BN(O) passports to take up this visa. We look forward to welcoming those who wish to settle here.