Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Enforce the “50+1” Rule for professional football club ownership in the UK
Gov Responded - 24 May 2021 Debated on - 14 Jun 2021 View Alun Cairns's petition debate contributionsBring in a law which enforces professional football clubs to have at least 51% fan ownership similar to how the Bundesliga operates this rule.
Introduce an Independent Regulator for Football in England by December 2021
Gov Responded - 7 Jun 2021 Debated on - 14 Jun 2021 View Alun Cairns's petition debate contributionsThe Government should use the recently established fan led review of football to introduce an Independent Football Regulator in England to put fans back at the heart of our national game. This should happen by December 2021.
These initiatives were driven by Alun Cairns, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Alun Cairns has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Alun Cairns has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to amend the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the Wales Act 2014 and to make provision about the functions of the Welsh Ministers and about Welsh tribunals; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on Tuesday 31st January 2017 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to require the BBC to publish specified information including all invoices over £500, expenditure by region, details of staff remuneration and exit payments, payments to personal service companies and other contractors, and the outside earnings of staff; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require disclosure of caller line identification by non-domestic callers; to require Ofcom to consider applications for exemption from such disclosure; to provide that telephone providers may not make a charge for providing caller line identification; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. Require the British Broadcasting Corporation to publish all invoices for amounts in excess of £500 each quarter; to allow unrestricted access to the Corporation’s accounts by the National Audit Office; and for connected purposes.
Alun Cairns has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport and investing in cultural and heritage assets. We will open round 2 in Spring 2022 and will share further details in due course.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the lead department for telecommunications policy, including the security and resilience of telecommunications subsea cables. DCMS works closely with operators, regulators and others to assess risks and ensure that the appropriate mitigation measures are in place.
The Integrated Review 2021 acknowledged that the Royal Navy will remain active in the UK’s territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone, including by investing in new capabilities to protect undersea critical national infrastructure - including subsea telecommunications cables.
The UK has one of the most robust energy systems in the world. Maintaining a safe and secure energy supply is a key priority for this Government.
We work closely with the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), electricity operators, and Ofgem, to ensure our electricity and gas systems are able to respond to new challenges, including the transition to net zero, whilst continuing to ensure resilience.
In April 2019, the ESO published its plan to fully operate Great Britain’s electricity system with zero carbon by 2025 and is undertaking a number of projects to explore how this can be achieved.
The Government will continue to work with the ESO to ensure that this is delivered in a manner that ensures the stability and security of the electricity system.
Smart meters are replacing traditional gas and electricity meters in Great Britain as part of an essential infrastructure upgrade to make the energy system more efficient, flexible and ensure cost effective delivery of net zero.
Thirty-nine percent of meters in homes across Great Britain were smart meters as of 30 June 2020. The latest data on the rollout of smart meters is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/smart-meters-in-great-britain-quarterly-update-june-2020. The next quarterly publication covering the period from July to end of September 2020 is due for release on 26 November.
The Government is looking at options for the financing of new nuclear projects. A Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model has the potential to reduce the cost of raising private finance for new nuclear projects, thereby reducing consumer bills and maximising value for money for consumers and taxpayers. In 2019, we consulted on our proposals for a nuclear RAB model and we will publish our response in due course.
Support for the generation of renewable electricity is paid under three schemes: The Renewables Obligation (RO), the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT), and Contracts for Difference (CfD) schemes.
The Renewables Obligation does not pay a direct subsidy but instead support is provided through tradeable certificates.
Support for renewable heat is provided through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which is funded through general taxation.
The table below gives a breakdown of support for electricity generation and renewable heat from marine, wind, biomass and solar technologies in Great Britain. The CfD, FITs & GB RHI schemes are not available in Northern Ireland.
Year | Scheme+ |
| Support for electricity generation and renewable heat (in £m) | |||||
Marine | Offshore wind | Onshore wind | Biomass | Solar Thermal | Solar PV | |||
2010/11 | RO | 0.01 | 258.0 | 360.1 | 248.1 | - | 0.03 | |
| CfD | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| RHI | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
2011/12 | RO | 0.02 | 371.3 | 450.9 | 255.2 | - | 0.1 | |
| CfD | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | |
2012/13 | RO | 0.03 | 696.3 | 494.7 | 385.4 | - | 0.8 | |
| CfD | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 15 |
| - | |
2013/14 | RO | 0.2 | 1,022.6 | 731.5 | 484.3 | - | 36.3 | |
| CfD | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 49 |
| - | |
2014/15 | RO | 0.2 | 1,107.7 | 704.9 | 737.5 | - | 134.9 | |
| CfD | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 138 | 1 | - | |
2015/16 | RO | - | 1,496.8 | 805.5 | 932.0 | - | 304.0 | |
| CfD | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 239 | 2 | - | |
2016/17 | RO | 0.1 | 1,533.7 | 892.8 | 953.6 | - | 416.4 | |
| CfD | - | - | - | 91.8 | - | 0.4 | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 289 | 2 | - | |
2017/18 | RO | 1.8 | 2,008.6 | 1,256.2 | 864.7 | - | 471.1 | |
| CfD | - | 295.8 | - | 247.3 | - | 0.8 | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 368 | 3 | - | |
2018/19 | RO | 2.6 | 2,220.5 | 1,334.9 | 1,079.9 | - | 548.5 | |
| CfD | - | 587.6 | 11.3 | 380.2 | - | 0.8 | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 394 | 3 | - | |
2019/20 | RO* | 3.4 | 2,212.2 | 1,270.9 | 981.1 | - | 459.9 | |
| CfD |
| 1,276.1 | 88.7 | 442.0 | - | 1.4 | |
| RHI | - | - | - | 428 | 3 | - |
Notes
*The RO figures are based on Ofgem’s certificate report as of 4 August 2020 from their Renewables and CHP Register.
* The RO figures for 2019/20 are provisional as not all the certificates have been issued yet and the full notional value of each certificate is not yet known.
* The figures for FITs are not available as they cannot be broken down by technology.
*RHI payments are made to scheme participants using eligible renewable heating technologies. The RHI figures above relate to both the Domestic and Non-Domestic RHI schemes.
The Department has published projections of electricity generation by source for the UK which can be used to derive the proportion of total UK electricity supply supplied by nuclear and renewable sources, respectively. These are shown in the table below.
For commercial reasons we do not release any breakdown of renewables projections. Officials need to work in a private space to determine auction parameters for each CfD round to ensure competitive tension. Providing a more granular/annual deployment trajectory for specific technologies could distort auction outcomes.
Proportion of UK electricity supply (gross) excluding net imports[1]
Year | Nuclear | Renewables[2] |
2021 | 21% | 44% |
2022 | 21% | 47% |
2023 | 19% | 51% |
2024 | 13% | 54% |
2025 | 15% | 57% |
2026 | 19% | 58% |
2027 | 20% | 58% |
2028 | 19% | 57% |
2029 | 17% | 57% |
2030 | 18% | 58% |
2031 | 20% | 59% |
2032 | 20% | 59% |
2033 | 20% | 58% |
2034 | 19% | 58% |
2035 | 20% | 58% |
2036 | 24% | 57% |
2037 | 27% | 55% |
2038 | 26% | 55% |
2039 | 26% | 56% |
2040 | 26% | 56% |
The figures are based on central estimates of economic growth and fossil fuel prices and contains all agreed policies where decisions on policy design are sufficiently advanced to allow robust estimates of impact as at August 2019. Further details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-and-emissions-projections. Figures provided are derived from BEIS Energy and Emissions Projections (EEP) 2019 Annex J, Total electricity generation by source.
[1] For this calculation total UK electricity supply is defined as including generation from storage but excluding net imports of electricity.
[2] Includes a small amount of generation from non-renewable wastes.
The Government is making good progress to create an enabling framework of standards, legislation and governance to support a secure and trusted digital identity marketplace in the UK, working closely with a wide variety of stakeholders so that the framework meets the needs of different users.
Since 2020, we have published a prototype (alpha) UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework and completed a pre-legislative consultation. We plan to publish a beta version of the Trust Framework in the summer and will introduce primary legislation on digital identity into Parliament during the current session as part of the data reform bill. We have no plans to make digital identities compulsory but, as more transactions take place online, we want to offer people the choice to prove their identity digitally where and when it suits them, securely, easily and with confidence.
The Government is making good progress to create an enabling framework of standards, legislation and governance to support a secure and trusted digital identity marketplace in the UK, working closely with a wide variety of stakeholders so that the framework meets the needs of different users.
Since 2020, we have published a prototype (alpha) UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework and completed a pre-legislative consultation. We plan to publish a beta version of the Trust Framework in the summer and will introduce primary legislation on digital identity into Parliament during the current session as part of the data reform bill. We have no plans to make digital identities compulsory but, as more transactions take place online, we want to offer people the choice to prove their identity digitally where and when it suits them, securely, easily and with confidence.
We recently consulted on whether changes to the Electronic Communications Code were necessary in order to support the deployment of digital infrastructure, including 5G. The responses to that consultation are currently being considered and a consultation response will be published in due course. We have confirmed our intention to legislate in this Parliamentary session and will bring forward legislative proposals as soon as parliamentary time allows.
We want as many young people as possible to benefit from T Levels, the new gold standard in technical education. In January this year we launched our ‘Get the Jump’ campaign, which helps 14-19 year olds explore their education and training options, and spotlights T Levels, Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Higher Technical Qualifications in particular. We are working closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company, Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme, Academy Trusts and other representative bodies to ensure that teachers and careers leaders have the information and resources they need to communicate the benefits of T Levels to their students. In addition, this August will see the first T Levels results day and there are a number of activities planned to celebrate and promote the achievements of the first cohort of T Level students, both regionally and around social media to signpost students to the dedicated T Levels website.
Our ‘Join the Skills Revolution’ campaign promotes government’s training and employment schemes, including T Levels, to employers. We are also engaging directly with employers to raise awareness of T Levels and promote industry placements, and we have established a T Level employer ambassador network so that employers can promote T Levels within their industry networks.
Both campaigns make use of a wide range of channels, including use of social media to get through to young people, parents and employers.
This deal will support jobs and drive growth by cutting tariffs on key UK exports like food (up to around 20% on cheese) bringing huge benefits to the UK’s agri-food sector.
Wales’ food and drink sector exported £10m to Australia last year in goods and could benefit from the removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers.
DIT recognises the export potential of UK manufactured small modular reactors and we are providing support to industry in several countries to facilitate market entry and position them for success ahead of first production. We are also in discussions with industry about developing a more strategic “Whole of Government” approach to support overseas sales.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is an ambitious regional trade agreement covering 11 countries across four continents.
Joining would provide us with the opportunity to deepen our trading links with some of the world’s most diverse, growing economies, and will allow us to expand our influence in the world and strengthen the rules-based international system.
No doubt CPTPP countries will be a valuable market for Aston Martin’s new DBX SUVs, which will be exported from the factory in my Rt Hon Friend for Vale of Glamorgan's constituency.
Over the last five years the UK has consolidated stronger trade and investment partnerships with African countries, supporting businesses to enter and expand across African markets, and deepening our bilateral engagement to open new trade and investment opportunities.
Over this time the UK has offered almost all African countries preferential access to its markets as beneficiaries of the European Union’s unilateral trade preferences scheme or as parties to trade agreements with the EU. There are 44 African countries that receive duty-free quota-free access to the UK under EU arrangements that also offer preferential access to a further eight African countries.
As we leave the EU, we have sought to replicate the effects of EU trade arrangements and have secured trade continuity with 46 African countries.
The UK’s trade flows with each African country are published by the Office for National Statistics.
The location of new stations must satisfy safety regulations and performance and not be located on gradients greater than 1 in 500. Network Rail holds gradient information for each station built in the last 10 years.
The Department has in place a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme for the trials. The interim report should be published shortly, and we expect to publish the final report in spring 2022.
Officials have been in regular contact with the National Police Chiefs’ Council who are developing a national strategy for tacking the illegal use of e-scooters (both private use and illegal use in trial areas – pavement and twin riding) to ensure a more uniform approach, but it is not our intention to provide guidance to the police. Enforcement of offences relating to unlawful use of e-scooters is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police in conjunction with local policing plans.
Officials have also been in contact with their counterparts at the Home Office to provide briefing for Ministers on the e-scooter trials.
The Department has in place a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme for the trials. The interim report should be published shortly, and we expect to publish the final report in spring 2022.
Officials have been in regular contact with the National Police Chiefs’ Council who are developing a national strategy for tacking the illegal use of e-scooters (both private use and illegal use in trial areas – pavement and twin riding) to ensure a more uniform approach, but it is not our intention to provide guidance to the police. Enforcement of offences relating to unlawful use of e-scooters is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police in conjunction with local policing plans.
Officials have also been in contact with their counterparts at the Home Office to provide briefing for Ministers on the e-scooter trials.
The number of accidents has been taken to mean the number of injury casualties. The tables in Annexes B, C and D of the Smart Motorways Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan show the number of reported casualties by road class on England's Strategic Road Network (SRN) for slight, serious and fatal casualties. These tables show the casualty split on different types of motorway. These tables are attached for ease of reference. Highways England is currently analysing the 2019 data and, when available, will analyse the 2020 data, which is expected to be in Autumn 2021.
The last full year of data available is for 2019, the statistic for which are set out in the table 1, note that ‘motorway’ refers to ‘conventional motorways’ excluding all other types set out in the table.
As outlined in the published STATS19 data, the number of incidents increased across the network in 2019, and the amount of All Lane Running (ALR) sections of the network also increased over this period. In the time available, it has not been possible to provide data on accidents and breakdowns for each stretch of motorway.
Highways England does not hold data for the attendance of incidents by vehicle recovery companies or the emergency services.
The number of accidents has been taken to mean the number of injury casualties. The tables in Annexes B, C and D of the Smart Motorways Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan show the number of reported casualties by road class on England's Strategic Road Network (SRN) for slight, serious and fatal casualties. These tables show the casualty split on different types of motorway. These tables are attached for ease of reference. Highways England is currently analysing the 2019 data and, when available, will analyse the 2020 data, which is expected to be in Autumn 2021.
The last full year of data available is for 2019, the statistic for which are set out in the table 1, note that ‘motorway’ refers to ‘conventional motorways’ excluding all other types set out in the table.
As outlined in the published STATS19 data, the number of incidents increased across the network in 2019, and the amount of All Lane Running (ALR) sections of the network also increased over this period. In the time available, it has not been possible to provide data on accidents and breakdowns for each stretch of motorway.
Highways England does not hold data for the attendance of incidents by vehicle recovery companies or the emergency services.
The Prime Minister announced last week that we are consulting on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible, as well as including hybrids for the first time. We are consulting on the Committee on Climate Change recommendation that any new vehicles sold after the phase out date must be zero emission at the tailpipe. We understand the concerns of low volume manufacturers and we will be engaging with stakeholders on a package of support allowing us to seize the opportunities and lead the world in the shift to zero emission vehicles.
As part of this consultation, we are asking what the accompanying package of support will need to be to enable the transition and minimise the impacts on businesses and consumers across the UK, building on the significant demand and supply side measures already in place. The Government will continue to work with all sectors of industry to accelerate the rollout of zero emission vehicles - helping to deliver new green jobs in the UK.
The table below provides a breakdown of revocations or applications refused on medical grounds, for drivers with car and motorcycle entitlement (group one) and for drivers with lorry and bus entitlement (group two) for the last five calendar years.
Year | Group1 (car/motorcycle) | Group 2 (lorry/bus) |
2015 | 47,658 | 8,095 |
2016 | 61,354 | 10,665 |
2017 | 59,163 | 11,213 |
2018 | 61,482 | 12,242 |
2019 | 62,613 | 10,371 |
Some individuals may be recorded in both groups as their licences to drive all vehicles have been revoked or refused. Others may not meet the higher medical standards required for driving lorries or buses but may have been allowed to retain their entitlement to drive cars and motorcycles.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not temporarily suspend driving licences for medical reasons.
We have pledged £500m to begin reopening closed railway lines and stations. We are funding plans to reopen the lines to Fleetwood in Lancashire and Ashington in Northumberland, and are making up to £20m available for new stations. We have written to my honourable friends inviting them to a briefing on 4th February where we will explain how they can put forward ideas for reopening and seek funding to develop existing and new schemes.
This Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the Covid-19 outbreak and has delivered an unprecedented package of support, putting £7 billion into the welfare system.
We continue to monitor the impact on disabled people using existing and new data sources, whilst ensuring that they are able to access the support they need.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued a statement on their decision to pause the publication of the guideline on myalgia encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome which is available at the following link:
NICE is not currently developing a guideline on post viral fatigue syndrome.
The following tables show people with a non-United Kingdom nationality joining the National Health Service, not people who have been recruited directly from abroad.
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of doctors with a nationality other than British joining NHS trusts and CCGs as at September 2019 and at each year since 2014 (headcount).
| September 2014-15 | September 2015-16 | September 2016-17 | September 2017-18 | September 2018-19 |
European Union | 2,259 | 2,262 | 2,087 | 2,117 | 2,088 |
European Economic Area (EEA) | 43 | 36 | 44 | 46 | 38 |
Rest of World | 3,161 | 3,374 | 3,872 | 4,675 | 6,670 |
Unknown | 791 | 807 | 1,143 | 931 | 713 |
The following table shows the number of nurses with a nationality other than British joining the NHS trusts and CCGs as at September 2019 and at each year since 2014 (headcount).
| September 2014-15 | September 2015-16 | September 2016-17 | September 2017-18 | September 2018-19 |
EU | 5,817 | 5,941 | 2,779 | 2,313 | 2,328 |
EEA | 21 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 18 |
Rest of World | 2,161 | 2,782 | 2,993 | 4,325 | 7,068 |
Unknown | 1,417 | 1,817 | 1,167 | 1,078 | 733 |
The following tables show people with a non-United Kingdom nationality joining the National Health Service, not people who have been recruited directly from abroad.
NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.
The following table shows the number of doctors with a nationality other than British joining NHS trusts and CCGs as at September 2019 and at each year since 2014 (headcount).
| September 2014-15 | September 2015-16 | September 2016-17 | September 2017-18 | September 2018-19 |
European Union | 2,259 | 2,262 | 2,087 | 2,117 | 2,088 |
European Economic Area (EEA) | 43 | 36 | 44 | 46 | 38 |
Rest of World | 3,161 | 3,374 | 3,872 | 4,675 | 6,670 |
Unknown | 791 | 807 | 1,143 | 931 | 713 |
The following table shows the number of nurses with a nationality other than British joining the NHS trusts and CCGs as at September 2019 and at each year since 2014 (headcount).
| September 2014-15 | September 2015-16 | September 2016-17 | September 2017-18 | September 2018-19 |
EU | 5,817 | 5,941 | 2,779 | 2,313 | 2,328 |
EEA | 21 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 18 |
Rest of World | 2,161 | 2,782 | 2,993 | 4,325 | 7,068 |
Unknown | 1,417 | 1,817 | 1,167 | 1,078 | 733 |
The Department does not hold the information requested.
On 1 November 2018, the law was changed to allow clinicians on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Specialist Register to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, where clinically appropriate and in the best interests of patients. The law does not restrict the medical conditions for which these products may be used, and the decision of whether to prescribe is ultimately one for clinicians to make on a case by case basis.
Two reviews have taken place since this change in the law:
- On 8 August 2019, NHS England and NHS Improvement published its review into barriers to accessing cannabis-based products for medicinal use on NHS prescription which is available at the following link:
- On 11 November 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following a review of the available evidence, published guidance on the prescribing of cannabis-based medicinal products which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng144
This demonstrates a clear need for more evidence to support prescribing and funding decisions of cannabis-based medicines for intractable nausea and vomiting; chronic pain; spasticity; and severe treatment-resistant epilepsy.
We continue to work hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the evidence base for cannabis-based medicines and to implement the recommendations of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s review.
Thanks to the joint efforts of Rotary International and the UK Government, we have made major strides in defeating the polio virus. The UK Government appreciates the tireless campaigning and generous fundraising achieved by Rotarians on behalf of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), which has vaccinated millions against polio in the world's poorest countries.
Alongside Rotary, the UK Government has also supported GPEI since 1995 as the second largest sovereign donor. Through our joint commitment and strong advocacy, more than 18 million people are able to walk today who would have otherwise been paralysed by the virus. This decades-long partnership between Rotary International and the UK Government has eliminated the wild polio virus from Africa. We will continue our advocacy together, from the global to the grassroots level, until the wild polio virus is eliminated worldwide.
Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland is supported by contributions from the public. These contributions are transformed into service projects and grants that support polio eradication. The UK Government does not fund Rotary directly, though we work closely together as joint donors and partners in ridding the world of the polio virus through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office provides support to UK charities making a difference through grants, and our flagship volunteer scheme. The Small Charities Challenge Fund provides grants to UK charities addressing Global Goals. The Volunteering for Development programme, delivered in partnership with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), supports volunteers to make an impact in the world's poorest communities.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, we have worked hard to support British nationals aboard cruise ships. Over 350 British passengers and crew members aboard the Coral Princess returned to the UK on three separate charter flights - two flights on 6 April and one on the 9 April - organised by the cruise company, and British Airways. The FCO worked closely with the cruise company and partners across Whitehall, including the Department for Transport, Public Health England, the Department for Health and Social Care and Border Force to ensure British nationals were safely repatriated to the UK.
Upon their return, the cruise company organised private transport for those who did not have family members to collect them, and they were also advised to self-isolate for 14 days in line with advice from the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England.
Of the four remaining British passengers who were not fit to travel on the repatriation flights, one has was discharged from hospital on 15 April and will shortly be repatriated to the UK. Three remain in hospital in Miami and are receiving consular support from the British Consulate General.
The FCO does not hold a complete record of information requested as it is not obligatory for states to inform us of the deaths of British Nationals in their territory, nor do we record the details of British nationals overseas who do not require assistance.
The government has taken forward a series of regulatory measures to protect consumers, manage market integrity risks and support innovation. Since 2020 the FCA has been the anti-money laundering supervisor for cryptoasset firms. In January 2022 the government confirmed the intention to bring certain cryptoassets into the scope of the Financial Promotion Order to ensure that cryptoasset promotions are fair, clear, and not misleading.
Further, the government considers that some cryptoassets may already fall within the relevant UK legal frameworks. However, this also depends on the structure of the token and nature of the activities concerned.
At Fintech Week, the government set out the firm ambition to make Britain a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment. We want to ensure firms can invest, innovate and scale up in this country. And we have announced a number of reforms which will see the regulation and aspects of tax treatment of cryptoassets evolve.
These include committing to consult on future regulation of a broader set of cryptoasset activities later this year; legislating to bring stablecoins into payments regulation; setting up a ministerial-chaired Cryptoasset Engagement Group, bringing together key figures in industry; working with the Royal Mint to create a Non-Fungible Token; and exploring ways of enhancing the competitiveness of the UK tax system to encourage further development of the cryptoasset market in the UK.
These commitments are in line with our objectives to create a regulatory environment in which firms can innovate, while crucially maintaining financial stability and regulatory standards so that people can use new technologies both reliably and safely.
The Government responded to the Kalifa Review of UK Fintech on 26 April 2021, setting out actions alongside regulators to ensure the UK remains at the global cutting edge of technology and innovation in financial services.
These actions include improved regulatory support for new and growing fintechs; initiatives to supercharge commercial support for UK fintechs seeking to expand internationally; and a new visa ‘scale up’ stream to attract global talent and boost the fintech workforce.
The Government’s full response is available at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-04-26/hcws938.
On 29 October the Government announced £5 million of seed funding for a new Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) as part for Spending Review 2021. CFIT was a central recommendation of the Kalifa Review, and it will focus on creating the right conditions for firms to scale, encouraging the mainstream adoption of fintech solutions, and fostering collaboration between growing regional fintech hubs. In March 2022 the CFIT Steering Committee, chaired by Ron Kalifa began an intensive programme of work on proposals for CFIT’s priorities, objectives, and operational requirements.
The Government is committed to ensuring consumer credit regulation provides high-standards of consumer protection but also fit-for-purpose and proportionate. We recognise that the current regulatory framework for consumer credit is built around a dated model of regulation, established by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (CCA). The government therefore continues to keep the case for changes to improve the effectiveness of consumer credit regulation under close review.
The government sets the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) rates to minimise administrative burdens. AMAPs aim to reflect running costs including fuel, servicing and depreciation. Depreciation is estimated to constitute the most significant proportion of the AMAPs.
Employers are not required to use the AMAPs. Instead, they can agree to reimburse the actual cost incurred, where individuals can provide evidence of the expenditure, without an Income Tax or National Insurance charge arising.
Alternatively, they can choose to pay a different mileage rate that better reflects their employees’ circumstances. However, if the payment exceeds the amount due under AMAPs, and this results in a profit for the individual, they will be liable to pay Income Tax and National Insurance contributions on the difference.
The government keeps this policy under review.
The Shared Outcomes Fund is a UK government fund testing innovative ways of working across the public sector with an emphasis on thorough evaluation. Where funding is given for a Shared Outcomes Fund project in a devolved area, the Barnett formula will apply in the normal way.
HM Treasury’s Block Grant Transparency publication sets out the breakdown of changes in the devolved administrations’ block grants, including all Barnett consequentials related to the Shared Outcomes Fund, since the 2015 Spending Review. This is available on the gov.uk website here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-december-2021
The Government is supporting all forces, including those in costal communities, by providing 20,000 extra police officers; with 8,771 already in place.
We are also providing targeted investment to help high-crime areas. The Safer Streets Fund funds crime prevention activity in a range of areas, including coastal ones.
The latest figures can be found on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:
The Home Office does not collate or publish the information requested.
Non-EEA nationals moving to the UK for more than six months have been required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge since April 2015.
The Home Office does not collate or publish the information requested.
The UK's Armed Forces are drawn from all the regions and nations that make up the UK and they play an essential role in our Defence and security. All regular recruitment is carried out online and through a network of Armed Forces Careers Offices. Although recruits provide a postcode, this is not always an accurate reflection of their nationality or origin.
Each of the three Services benefit from historic military connections and recruiting links with specific regions and nations and recruit predominantly from those to ensure those links, culture and identities are strongly represented in the UK's Armed Forces.
The requested information for UK Reserve Service personnel is provided in the attached tables; figures are estimates.
Official statistics on the stationed locations of UK Regular Service personnel are published annually. The latest edition of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Annual Location Statistics, including data as at 1 April 2019 and going back to April 2012, can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/location-of-uk-regular-service-and-civilian-personnel-annual-statistics-2019
To ensure safe and high-quality buildings, it is important that anyone involved in a project throughout a building's lifecycle is competent to do their job properly and in compliance with the Building Regulations. The Government is working with industry to develop the professional standards of competence of those working across the built environment and enforcing a stringent new regulatory regime for high-rise residential and other in scope buildings for the Building Safety Regulator.
The Party Wall Act provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near buildings. The Act is separate from obtaining planning permission or building regulations approval. At present, there are no plans to amend the Act.
Levelling up all four nations of our United Kingdom remains at the centre of this Government’s mission – and in particular my Department as MHCLG becomes a UK-wide Department again. Our £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. And only a fortnight ago I was delighted to visit Wales and hear from local leaders about their exciting ambitions for their local areas, and take in the sites including Treorchy High Street – the current reigning Great British High Streets Champion.
The most recently published information regarding combined waiting times for a grant of probate, on paper and digital cases, covers January 2021 to March 2021 and is published on gov.uk via Family Court Statistics Quarterly (Table 25):
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2021
Average time to grant issue for grants of Probate, England and Wales, quarterly Q3 2019 – Q1 20211,2,3,6
Probate - All | |||||||
Application submission to grant issue | Document receipt to grant issue4 | ||||||
Year | Quarter | Grants issued | Mean weeks | Median weeks |
| Mean weeks | Median weeks |
2019 | Q3 | 53,403 | 9.5 | 8.0 | 9.5 | 8.0 | |
2019 | Q4 | 54,388 | 7.8 | 5.6 | 7.6 | 5.4 | |
2020 | Q1 | 49,706 | 6.7 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 4.1 | |
2020 | Q2 | 45,493 | 6.6 | 4.6 | 6.3 | 4.4 | |
2020 | Q3 | 60,221 | 6.7 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 4.4 | |
2020 | Q4 | 54,469 | 7.2 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 4.9 | |
2021 | Q1 | 57,620 | 7.7 | 4.4 |
| 5.3 | 0.9 |
Probate - Digital | |||||||
Application submission to grant issue | Document receipt to grant issue4 | ||||||
Year | Quarter | Grants issued | Mean weeks | Median weeks |
| Mean weeks | Median weeks |
2019 | Q3 | 7,166 | 9.4 | 7.6 |
| 9.0 | 7.1 |
2019 | Q4 | 11,060 | 10.2 | 9.0 |
| 9.2 | 8.3 |
2020 | Q1 | 10,784 | 7.1 | 4.9 |
| 6.0 | 3.7 |
2020 | Q2 | 10,955 | 6.1 | 3.7 |
| 4.7 | 2.1 |
2020 | Q3 | 21,592 | 6.4 | 4.4 |
| 4.3 | 2.6 |
2020 | Q4 | 21,879 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
| 4.2 | 0.3 |
2021 | Q1 | 35,996 | 6.6 | 4.1 |
| 2.9 | 0.0 |
Probate - Paper | |||||||
Application submission to grant issue | Document receipt to grant issue4 | ||||||
Year | Quarter | Grants issued | Mean weeks | Median weeks |
| Mean weeks | Median weeks |
2019 | Q3 | 46,237 | 9.6 | 8.1 |
| 9.6 | 8.1 |
2019 | Q4 | 43,328 | 7.2 | 4.7 |
| 7.2 | 4.7 |
2020 | Q1 | 38,922 | 6.6 | 4.1 |
| 6.6 | 4.1 |
2020 | Q2 | 34,538 | 6.8 | 4.7 |
| 6.8 | 4.7 |
2020 | Q3 | 38,629 | 6.9 | 5.1 |
| 6.9 | 5.1 |
2020 | Q4 | 32,590 | 7.6 | 6.3 |
| 7.6 | 6.3 |
2021 | Q1 | 21,624 | 9.4 | 7.7 |
| 9.4 | 7.7 |
Source: HMCTS Core Case Data
Notes:
1) HMCTS Core Case Data came into effect at the end of March 2019, following a transition between data systems recording information regarding The Probate Service
2) The average timeliness figures are produced by calculating the time from application/document receipt (which may be from an earlier period) to the grant issued made in that period. Currently grants being issued on the same day as the application submission/document receipt are being calculated as 0 days. This is being reviewed as to whether it is an accurate reflection of workload and may be adjusted in future
3) Some averages presented here may be based on a small number of grants. Where this occurs, any conclusion drawn from these will be limited
4) Document receipt occurs after payment has been made and all accompanying paperwork has been received by HMCTS. As such, it does not reflect the entire case journey from when an application is submitted by the user to when a grant is received. Instead these figures reflect the timeliness from when HMCTS staff are able to start working on the case. The aspects not included in these timeliness measures include (but are not limited to); time taken to scan and upload documents to the management system (for paper items), and check that these items are of good enough quality to proceed. For the timeliness figures for stopped cases, the figures will further exclude time taken to resolve those issues mentioned in footnote 6 below
6) A probate application can be stopped for several reasons: a caveat can be entered when there’s a dispute about either who can apply for probate or issues with a will or proposed will, or if an error is identified and a request for further information is made
Despite the unprecedented challenges faced by the probate service during the Covid 19 pandemic the average waiting for a grant of probate following receipt of the documents required has been maintained at between four to six weeks.
More recent management information published by HMCTS (which does not go through the same level of quality assurance and analysis as the Family Court Statistics Quarterly) provides waiting time information up to June 2021 for grants of probate as well as letters of administration with/without a Will annexed and reseals. This shows that the waiting time on digital grant of probate applications, which are not stopped due to errors or missing documentation, is between two and three weeks for June 2021 where paper cases, not stopped, took around five weeks in June 2021.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/hmcts-management-information-june-2021
The table below shows the (a) shortest wait and (b) longest wait.
Year | (a) shortest wait | (b) longest wait ¹ |
2018/19 | 29 days | 552 days |
2017/18 | 21 days | 771 days |
2016/17 ² | 24 days | 1,014 days³ |
¹ The Tribunal lists all cases at approximately 12 - 14 weeks from the date of registration of the appeal into the Tribunal.
² Years are broken down into school years from 1 September to 31 August the following year.
³ This figure is the result of a Permission to Appeal being lodged. When this happens, timescales continue to tick and this until the appeal is resolved and this is reflected in the higher than usual waiting time.
The UK Government is providing continued UK-wide support and security to manage the ongoing impacts of Covid-19.
One in three jobs in Scotland has been supported by the UK Government’s unprecedented employment support package.
Scottish businesses have benefited from more than £3.4 billion of loans and support driven by UK Government schemes.
We have also provided a much needed boost to Scottish tourism and hospitality with our UK-wide VAT reduction.