First elected: 7th June 2001
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).
These initiatives were driven by Andrew Murrison, 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.
Andrew Murrison has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to make provision about expediting the transfer of patients who are medically fit for discharge from acute hospitals to homely settings in the community.
Electric Vehicles (Standardised Recharging) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Bill Wiggin (Con)
The UK is ensuring a large majority of our own international climate finance is grant-based. We are pressing other donor countries for similarly ambitious commitments. Under our G7 Presidency, the G7 committed to scaling up adaptation finance, and we have seen concrete new individual pledges from Canada, Japan, the US, and Denmark in recent months to this effect.
The UK has committed to delivering a balance through our scaled up ICF and has launched - with other bilateral donors Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark - a Champions Group on Adaptation Finance, with a commitment to deliver a balance of adaptation in climate finance, in response to calls from developing countries. Since launching, Finland and Germany have joined.
Finance needs to be accessible, particularly for the most marginalised communities. Locally led adaptation is a central priority for the COP26 Presidency, amplifying the calls for greater support for locally led action, and also addressing the barriers that restrict and prevent finance flowing to the local level. Locally led adaptation means communities are directly involved in the design of the solutions.
I have clearly stated, including in my letter to all Parties ahead of the pre-COP meeting in Milan, that Agreement on the development of the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage is a priority for the UK COP Presidency. I have encouraged and will continue to encourage all countries to work together to find a resolution to this issue at COP26.
The Department has had early stage discussions with Xlinks about their proposal to import clean power from Morocco to the UK. There are currently no plans to publish a decision.
Xlinks has indicated that the project can supply 3.6 GW of capacity, approximately 8% of GB transmission demand (or approximately 6% of peak underlying – transmission and distribution – demand), from 2030. The Department has not verified the feasibility of proposed capacity of the project and project timelines.
Officials from BEIS and FCDO discussed this topic during the course of the summer but there have been no recent discussions with ministers or officials from Spain, Portugal, France, or the EU to discuss an interconnector between Morocco and the UK.
Ministers have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues. Ministers’ meetings with external parties are published quarterly on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
Ministers’ meetings with external parties are published quarterly on the gov.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
This may also include details of meetings with local Government officials, but otherwise the information requested is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. There are currently no plans for such discussions in relation to the Xlinks project (the proposal to import clean power from Morocco to the UK).
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) assesses the quality of research from the submissions of UK higher education institutions, not individuals. The primary outcome of the REF is an overall quality profile for each submission, which will show the proportions of research activity judged to meet each of four starred quality levels. Alongside the quality profile, the funding bodies will publish the output, impact and environment sub-profiles that were combined to produce the overall quality profile for each submission. The HE funding bodies do not publish the scores for individual outputs or impact case studies. REF results inform future Quality-related (QR) research funding allocations from HE funding bodies, which are, also awarded at institutional level by the HE funding bodies, and not to individual researchers.
HE providers are independent and autonomous organisations, responsible for the management of their own affairs and for meeting their duties under the law, including those relating to freedom of expression and equalities. All HE providers should discharge their responsibilities fully and have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law, to investigate and swiftly address hate crime, including any antisemitic incidents that are reported.
Grant funding provided by HE Funding bodies, UK Research & Innovation and Office for Students is all subject to terms and conditions of funding set by the funder with which providers must comply. If a provider does not meet these, funding can be withdrawn or reclaimed by the relevant funder. For research grant funding this includes expectations concerning academic rigour, research integrity, open research, etc.
Hairdressers and barbers in England were able to reopen from 4 July to offer hairdressing services. Other close contact services, like beauty salons, remain closed until further notice. The Ministerial Taskforces have been getting scientific input from Public Health England (PHE), who have been directly involved in the taskforce meetings, helping to resolve scientific issues as they draft the guidance. This guidance has been drawn up alongside businesses, business representative organisations, trade unions, and the Health and Safety Executive, taking into account the latest scientific and medical advice.
We appreciate that this is difficult for some businesses. Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and every step is weighed against the evidence, remembering that the more we open up the more vigilant we will need to be.
The Government is working with the remaining closed services to establish a timeline for when they can reopen safely.
The Government recognises the importance of semiconductor technology to the global economy. Semiconductors are a fundamental enabling technology for electronic devices and there is significant attention being paid to the sector internationally, not least because a confluence of unexpected events have caused a global chips shortage with global ramifications. The supply chains for semiconductor products are incredibly complex, spanning a large number of countries and the government understands the potential for future disruptions to the supply chain.
This is an inherently international challenge, and the government is working with like-minded international partners and industry stakeholders from across the world to review its approach to the semiconductors sector. We are considering how best to mitigate the risk of future disruption to technology supply chains, and ensure that the UK can continue to get access to the chips it needs.
The Charity Commission is the independent registrar and regulator for charities in England and Wales. Any evidence that a registered charity is not pursuing its charitable purpose should be referred to the Charity Commission.
In June 2020, the Charity Commission exercised its power under section 75A of the Charities Act 2011 to issue an Official Warning to the Islamic Centre of England as it found the trustees had failed to discharge their legal duties towards the charity, which resulted in misconduct and/or mismanagement. The Charity Commission has an open and ongoing regulatory case into the charity to follow up on compliance with the requirements of the Official Warning.
The views of Professor Miller are ill-founded and wholly reprehensible, and the government wholeheartedly rejects them. We consider that the University of Bristol could do more to make its condemnation of that conduct clear to current and future students.
I understand the university is currently investigating these comments. The university has not yet completed the investigation. The government is not involved in this process and all details will remain confidential to the university until it has reached its conclusion.
I met with representatives of the University of Bristol in May 2021. I was reassured that the university recognises its obligations to keep Jewish students safe and to support them if they feel in any way threatened. I understand they are committed to completing the confidential investigation as quickly as possible with the rigour required for a complex investigation of this kind.
The views of Professor Miller are ill-founded and wholly reprehensible, and the government wholeheartedly rejects them. We consider that the University of Bristol could do more to make its condemnation of that conduct clear to current and future students.
I understand the university is currently investigating these comments. The university has not yet completed the investigation. The government is not involved in this process and all details will remain confidential to the university until it has reached its conclusion.
I met with representatives of the University of Bristol in May 2021. I was reassured that the university recognises its obligations to keep Jewish students safe and to support them if they feel in any way threatened. I understand they are committed to completing the confidential investigation as quickly as possible with the rigour required for a complex investigation of this kind.
One-to-one instruction, including in music, can take place in school and home environments, as long as the relevant guidance is followed. The Department published detailed guidance on 2 July for schools for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September 2020. This guidance provides schools, colleges and nurseries with the details needed to plan for a full return, as well as reassuring parents about what to expect for their children, this guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
The Department has also published guidance for community activities, holiday and after-school clubs, as well as other out-of-school provision for children over the age of five, which sets out the protective measures that need to be in place to ensure that such out-of-school provision can open as safely as possible. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
More detailed guidance on music will be published shortly.
The Government has also published specific guidance for people working out of the home, this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes.
The information requested on trusts undertaking exit interviews is not held centrally. While exit interviews are recommended in the National Health Service learning handbook, it may not be appropriate for all staff, such as in cases of redundancy or dismissal. An updated, online, self-exit questionnaire was launched in October 2021, which includes staff survey questions and allows staff to explain their reasons for leaving. This is currently being promoted to all NHS trusts and is in use in approximately 83 organisations.
Reasons for leaving are noted in the Electronic Staff Record. Where detailed information for leaving was available, in 2021 the most frequent reasons were retirement; end of fixed term contract; work/life balance; relocation; and pay or reward.
The information requested on trusts undertaking exit interviews is not held centrally. While exit interviews are recommended in the National Health Service learning handbook, it may not be appropriate for all staff, such as in cases of redundancy or dismissal. An updated, online, self-exit questionnaire was launched in October 2021, which includes staff survey questions and allows staff to explain their reasons for leaving. This is currently being promoted to all NHS trusts and is in use in approximately 83 organisations.
Reasons for leaving are noted in the Electronic Staff Record. Where detailed information for leaving was available, in 2021 the most frequent reasons were retirement; end of fixed term contract; work/life balance; relocation; and pay or reward.
The information requested on trusts undertaking exit interviews is not held centrally. While exit interviews are recommended in the National Health Service learning handbook, it may not be appropriate for all staff, such as in cases of redundancy or dismissal. An updated, online, self-exit questionnaire was launched in October 2021, which includes staff survey questions and allows staff to explain their reasons for leaving. This is currently being promoted to all NHS trusts and is in use in approximately 83 organisations.
Reasons for leaving are noted in the Electronic Staff Record. Where detailed information for leaving was available, in 2021 the most frequent reasons were retirement; end of fixed term contract; work/life balance; relocation; and pay or reward.
The information requested on trusts undertaking exit interviews is not held centrally. While exit interviews are recommended in the National Health Service learning handbook, it may not be appropriate for all staff, such as in cases of redundancy or dismissal. An updated, online, self-exit questionnaire was launched in October 2021, which includes staff survey questions and allows staff to explain their reasons for leaving. This is currently being promoted to all NHS trusts and is in use in approximately 83 organisations.
Reasons for leaving are noted in the Electronic Staff Record. Where detailed information for leaving was available, in 2021 the most frequent reasons were retirement; end of fixed term contract; work/life balance; relocation; and pay or reward.
This information is not held in the format requested. The delayed transfer of care data collection was paused in March 2020 to support the National Health Service response to COVID-19.
Since 9 December 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement have published data with daily figures of patients remaining in hospital who no longer meet the criteria to reside for inpatient care in acute hospitals in England. The attached table shows the average number of patients who did not meet the criteria to reside and were not discharged in each month from November 2021 to March 2022 by NHS trust.
In the last five years, no dental foundation trainees have been employed in exclusively private practices. Health Education England appoint dental graduates to training practices with National Health Service contracts and where the educational supervisor is carrying out a high proportion of NHS dentistry.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for commissioning primary dental care services to meet local need. NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing proposals for dental system reform, designed with the support of the profession, encouraging improved dental provision in all areas and addressing unmet need.
Health Education England (HEE) is also working with service commissioners to develop National Health Service dental practices to provide more dental foundation training opportunities where access to NHS dentistry is a known issue. Nationally, HEE is reviewing future training posts to ensure an equitable distribution of NHS dentists in England.
This information is not available in the format requested. Data is available for the proportion of the adult population seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months from 2007 to 2021, to align with the recommended longest interval between dental checks in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s oral and dental health guidance.
The Department has in place a period of continued automatic recognition, allowing European Union (EU) dentists continued ease of registration in the United Kingdom. In order to work in the National Health Service (NHS), dentists must also apply to the Dental Performers List. Holders of non-UK qualifications are required to undertake a foundation training programme before admittance to the performers list, however the exemption for EU applicants remains in place. This means that EU dentists do not currently incur any additional costs to practicing in the NHS than they did previously.
The Office for Students (OfS) allocates places to dental schools on an annual basis. In the academic year 2021/22, in England, there were 983 dental school places allocated, including places for overseas students. Allocations for the 2022/23 academic year will be issued by the OfS in December 2021.
The following table shows the number of dental places per dental school in 2021/22.
Dental school | Places |
Birmingham | 86 |
Bristol | 93 |
University of Central Lancashire | 34 |
King’s College London | 162 |
Leeds | 84 |
Liverpool | 84 |
Manchester | 92 |
Newcastle | 71 |
Plymouth | 82 |
Queen Mary University of London | 107 |
Sheffield | 88 |
Following the Spending Review 2021, spending plans for individual budgets, including for the training and education of the dental workforce, will be subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and finalised in due course. Longer term workforce planning will be subject to future spending reviews.
The Department does not hold this data.
This information is not held in the format available. A general dental services contract or personal dental services agreement covers a range of activity and service. The units of dental activity, against which contracts are monitored, form only part of those arrangements and therefore are not assigned a specific value.
The Government is currently reviewing the effectiveness of the 2006 National Health Service dental contract and payment by units of dental activity as part of our commitment to improve NHS dentistry. NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing proposals for dental system reform, working closely with the Department and key stakeholders.
All members of the armed forces community are protected against facing disadvantage in access to public services, including National Health Service dental and orthodontic care, through the Armed Forces Covenant.
NHS dental practices have been asked to prioritise urgent care, care for vulnerable groups followed by delayed planned care. This applies to all patients, including the families of armed forces personnel.
The Government hosted a public consultation from 28 August to 18 September on changes to the Human Medicines Regulations to support the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
The formal Government response to that consultation can be found at the following link:
The National Health Service will follow guidance by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and Public Health England on co-administration of flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
Based on current information about the COVID-19 vaccines that are likely to be available, it is expected there will be a recommended interval between seven and 28 days between flu and any successful COVID-19 vaccine, to avoid incorrect attribution of potential side effects. The JCVI keeps all information under review. The NHS, as a result, is planning accordingly for those who are eligible for both flu and COVID-19 vaccines and will ensure appropriate checks are built into patient records, and data systems and that communications are clear about booking COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
The National Health Service is preparing to recruit people to be trained as COVID-19 vaccinators in support of the national effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working with experienced NHS partners to prepare for when a vaccine becomes available to enable the NHS to vaccinate as many people as possible.
Secondary legislation enabling more healthcare workers to administer flu and potential COVID-19 vaccines has been introduced. This means that the NHS can expand the vaccination workforce by recruiting to clinical roles needed to support mass vaccinations in a safe way. Recruitment is focused on those who already have experience in handling vaccinations but may currently work outside of NHS settings, for example, independent nurses or allied health care professionals. We will also use existing schemes such as NHS Bring Back scheme to fill roles. Robust training and supervision will be provided for all those who will be part of the vaccination effort.
Community hospitals continue to play a vital role in providing some individuals who have been discharged from acute hospital with ongoing care and support, as part of the step-down process. We want individuals to be cared for in the place that works best for them. This is usually in their own home, although we know this arrangement is not suitable for all. For those people where home is not appropriate, community hospitals continue to deliver key services that provide individuals with ongoing care and support, often leading to improved outcomes and enabling individuals to achieve their goals. As such, community hospitals will continue to be central to plans around step-down care.
The United Kingdom’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance continues to recommend the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health and social care teams treating COVID-19 patients. It is crucial that everyone that needs it has access to the right protective equipment.
The Department’s, New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) recently reviewed the evidence and has maintained this position, stating that they do “not consider that the evidence supports chest compressions or defibrillation being procedures that are associated with a significantly increased risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections”. Further information is available at the following link:
https://app.box.com/s/3lkcbxepqixkg4mv640dpvvg978ixjtf/file/657486851975
The United Kingdom’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance continues to recommend the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health and social care teams treating COVID-19 patients. It is crucial that everyone that needs it has access to the right protective equipment.
The Department’s, New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) recently reviewed the evidence and has maintained this position, stating that they do “not consider that the evidence supports chest compressions or defibrillation being procedures that are associated with a significantly increased risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections”. Further information is available at the following link:
https://app.box.com/s/3lkcbxepqixkg4mv640dpvvg978ixjtf/file/657486851975
The United Kingdom’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance continues to recommend the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health and social care teams treating COVID-19 patients. It is crucial that everyone that needs it has access to the right protective equipment.
The Department’s, New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) recently reviewed the evidence and has maintained this position, stating that they do “not consider that the evidence supports chest compressions or defibrillation being procedures that are associated with a significantly increased risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections”. Further information is available at the following link:
https://app.box.com/s/3lkcbxepqixkg4mv640dpvvg978ixjtf/file/657486851975
The Islamic Centre of England (ICE) and its director, Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Mousavi, are the official religious representative of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the UK. The ICE is distinct from the Iranian Embassy in London, which is the official diplomatic representation of the Government of Iran.
This Government has provided around £400 billion of direct support to the economy during this financial year and last, which has helped to safeguard jobs, businesses and public services in every region and nation of the UK. In doing so, the Government has struck a balance between making sure that support is available to those who need it most, while also protecting public money against error, fraud and abuse.
HM Treasury does not comment on the commercial or financial matters of private firms.
This Government has provided around £400 billion of direct support, to the economy during this financial year and last, which has helped to safeguard jobs, businesses and public services in the UK. Financial support during the pandemic included job and income support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, as well as business grants and loans.
The eligibility requirements for these schemes do not include a specific test around the activities of an organisation, nor do they prevent access by organisations that have been censured by the Charity Commission provided they meet the requirements of the schemes.
Across the schemes, the Government has consistently taken steps to protect public money against error, fraud and abuse. Where the recipients of payments or loans are found not to have been entitled to the money they have received, the Government has made provision for relevant powers and mechanisms to allow the money to be recovered and, where appropriate, penalties issued. These mechanisms have already been used to make recoveries and further compliance work across the schemes is ongoing.
This Government has provided around £400 billion of direct support, to the economy during this financial year and last, which has helped to safeguard jobs, businesses and public services in the UK. Financial support during the pandemic included job and income support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, as well as business grants and loans.
The eligibility requirements for these schemes do not include a specific test around the activities of an organisation, nor do they prevent access by organisations that have been censured by the Charity Commission provided they meet the requirements of the schemes.
Across the schemes, the Government has consistently taken steps to protect public money against error, fraud and abuse. Where the recipients of payments or loans are found not to have been entitled to the money they have received, the Government has made provision for relevant powers and mechanisms to allow the money to be recovered and, where appropriate, penalties issued. These mechanisms have already been used to make recoveries and further compliance work across the schemes is ongoing.
The Government recognises that taxpayers have faced immense challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and it has prioritised delivering support to as many people as possible while guarding against the risk of fraud or abuse.
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is one of the most generous in the world and has received claims from almost 2.7 million people so far, totalling over £18.5 billion.
The practical issues that prevented the Government from being able to include the newly self-employed in 2019-20 in the SEISS, namely that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not have access to the full set of 2019-20 self-assessment returns needed to verify their eligibility, still remain. The latest year for which HMRC have tax returns for all self-employed individuals is 2018-19.
The SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed which includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.
The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) last reviewed whether Dental Practitioners should be included on the SOL in 2019, and did not recommend doing so.
Dentists are an eligible occupation to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker route, subject to the rules and requirements of the route being met.
The main benefits of an occupation being on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) is a lower salary threshold and reduced visa fees. Dentists already receive these benefits through tradeable points and the Health and Care visa (which also exempts them from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge), so there would be little visible benefit in adding them to the SOL.
Following recommendations in their 2020 review the Government have agreed to review the SOL more regularly, the next review is expected to be in 2022. As with all SOL reviews, the MAC will launch a call for evidence and dental stakeholders will be able to provide their input to this process.
The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. Where people pay estate rent charges it is not appropriate that these homeowners have limited rights to challenge these costs.
That is why the Government intends to legislate to give freehold homeowners who pay estate rent charges the right to challenge their reasonableness and to go to the tribunal to appoint a new management company if necessary.
We will also consider the option of introducing a Right to Manage for residential freeholders once we have considered the Law Commission’s report and recommendations on changes to the Right to Manage for leaseholders.
The Government has brought forward legislation in the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill to set ground rents on newly created leases to a genuine ‘peppercorn’ rate of only one peppercorn per year or effectively zero financial value. This will be the first part of seminal two-part legislation to implement reforms in this Parliament.