Barry Gardiner

COP26 will hold a Nature Day event in Glasgow highlighting forests, agriculture and wider land use as key priorities to mitigating the climate crisis. We are calling for international action to reduce emissions from agriculture, deforestation and other land use. We are working with international partners to promote sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture; to mobilise increased and more targeted finance for nature; and to build the political consensus for ambitious action.

At the G7 summit, leaders committed to work to accelerate an inclusive global transition to sustainable and climate resilient agriculture, as well as committing to achieving net zero emissions no later than 2050.

The UK has also played a central role in promoting the ‘Leaders’ Pledge for Nature’, which now has over 80 signatories. The pledge sets out ten urgent actions to put nature on a path to recovery by 2030, addressing both biodiversity loss and climate change.

Further to the answer to PQ175784 on 13 April 2021, departments are responsible for their responses to written Parliamentary Questions. Deloitte has not drafted answers to written Parliamentary Questions on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

The response to pollution incidents from offshore hydrocarbon operations is led by Industry and their primary response contractor Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL). Since the report was published, the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) cap was developed and been in service since 2011. OSRL have also developed additional higher rated capping devices which have been in service since 2013. OSRL have also extended their response capability to include a base in the Shetland Islands to respond promptly to incidents West of Shetland. This base contains response equipment which has been specially selected for West of Shetland conditions.

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the leading funder of natural environment research in the United Kingdom. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is part of NERC and operates polar infrastructure and facilities on NERC’s behalf, including the polar research vessel and research stations, to enable polar science and research activity. NERC funding, including to polar research, is delivered via competitive, peer-reviewed application processes. Awards are made to Research Organisations based on terms and conditions detailed in NERC’s Research Grants and Fellowships Handbook. NERC also supports strategic research and national capability programmes.

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is a constituent council of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI is responsible for managing funding policy across its councils. Where an “international co-applicant” agreement is in place, NERC funds specified direct costs for international collaborators, paying up to 100% of eligible direct costs or a maximum of 30% of the full economic cost value for eligible international costs. UKRI has no immediate plans to review this policy.

While direct discussions have not yet taken place, officials in the Office for Life Sciences, a joint unit between the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department of Health and Social Care, are working closely with officials in the Department of Health and Social Care, who are leading on delivery of the England Rare Diseases Action Plan, to ensure that innovations are utilised for the benefit of patients with rare diseases. This includes joint attendance at ministerial and working level delivery meetings, as appropriate.

The UK supports the process to modernise the Energy Charter Treaty in a way that helps the global energy transition, such as the right for States to regulate to reach emissions reduction targets and a stronger focus on climate security issues.

Vaccines are a precious resource and are in very high demand across the world; therefore, for security reasons it is not possible to provide detail about the size of our supplies or give exact detail about future deliveries.

As of 18 January 2021, over 4.6 million people in the UK had been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine. We are in the process of understanding the implications of Pfizer’s announcement on 15 January, regarding upgrades to its manufacturing capacity. We continue to work to meet our target of vaccinating all four priority groups, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, by the middle of February.

We are committed to ensuring a rigorous, evidence-based approach to shale gas extraction, and as such welcome any new research that can further enhance our understanding and help inform our policy development.

On the basis of the current scientific evidence, Government has confirmed that it will take a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents in England, which are required before hydraulic fracturing operations can take place. This position, an effective moratorium, will be maintained unless compelling new evidence is provided which addresses the concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity.

India is an important partner for the UK and we have a long history of engaging with the Government of India on climate change and clean energy.

To date, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not discussed Prime Minister Modi's new One Sun One World One Grid initiative or the formation of the Global Green Grids Alliance with the Government of India. However, we welcome the ambition on the initiatives and will continue to look for opportunities to work with India to increase global action on climate change and clean energy in the run-up to COP26. The British High Commission in India and the Department for International Development have had exploratory discussions with the Government of India and want to learn more about both initiatives.

I was sorry to learn about the closure of the British Youth Council and want to express gratitude for its work over the years. Government is committed to the delivery of the UK Youth Parliament and intends to use funding allocated to BYC in 2024/25 to support the programme. We are working alongside previous UKYP delivery partners from English regions and the devolved administrations, to understand the implications of BYCs closure for programme delivery. We have been working at pace to identify a suitable organisation which can hold overall grant management responsibility for the UKYP 24/25. A preferred candidate has been identified and we are currently undertaking final due diligence checks and negotiating terms and I will update the house as soon as next steps have been formalised.

I was sorry to learn about the closure of the British Youth Council and want to express gratitude for its work over the years. Government is committed to the delivery of the UK Youth Parliament and intends to use funding allocated to BYC in 2024/25 to support the programme. We are working alongside previous UKYP delivery partners from English regions and the devolved administrations, to understand the implications of BYCs closure for programme delivery. We have been working at pace to identify a suitable organisation which can hold overall grant management responsibility for the UKYP 24/25. A preferred candidate has been identified and we are currently undertaking final due diligence checks and negotiating terms and I will update the house as soon as next steps have been formalised.

I was sorry to learn about the closure of the British Youth Council and want to express gratitude for its work over the years. Government is committed to the delivery of the UK Youth Parliament and intends to use funding allocated to BYC in 2024/25 to support the programme. We are working alongside previous UKYP delivery partners from English regions and the devolved administrations, to understand the implications of BYCs closure for programme delivery. We have been working at pace to identify a suitable organisation which can hold overall grant management responsibility for the UKYP 24/25. A preferred candidate has been identified and we are currently undertaking final due diligence checks and negotiating terms and I will update the house as soon as next steps have been formalised.

Nothing is more important than the safety of pupils and teachers. This is why the Department has been significantly investing in transforming schools across the country. Where there are serious safety issues with a building, the Department takes immediate and swift action to ensure the safety of pupils and school staff. There are no open areas within schools or college buildings where the Department knows of an imminent risk to life.

The Department has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 for keeping school buildings safe and in good working order, including £1.8 billion committed for 2023/24. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will transform buildings at 500 schools, prioritising poor condition and potential safety issues.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary aided school bodies – who work with their schools day to day to manage the safety and maintenance of their buildings. The Department provides support on a case by case basis if it is alerted to a serious safety issue which responsible bodies cannot manage independently.

Since March 2022, the Department has been working with responsible bodies, schools, and colleges to identify the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their buildings. Where RAAC is suspected, the Department’s professional surveyors carry out assessments to verify its presence, and if confirmed, the Department provides rapid support to schools on the advice of structural engineers. This could include funding capital works to remove any immediate risk and, where necessary, the provision of temporary buildings. Longer term remediation of RAAC is supported by capital funding provided to the sector, the Department’s rebuilding programme, and urgent capital support.

463 independent schools have left the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) between January 2018 and November 2022. 37 independent schools have joined the Scheme between January 2018 and November 2022.

State schools and academies cannot choose to leave the TPS. The records show that 814 state schools have closed and so have ceased to be registered as scheme employers since January 2018. This is largely as a result of state schools converting to academies. 79 new state schools have been registered in the TPS since January 2018.

324 independent schools have left the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) between August 2019, when this information started to be compiled, and November 2022. 22 independent schools have joined the Scheme between January 2018 and November 2022.

State schools and academies cannot choose to leave the TPS. The records show that 1,008 academies have ceased to be registered as scheme employers and 4,383 new academy employers have been registered in the TPS between January 2018 and November 2022. This is a result of state schools converting to academies and some single academy trusts joining multi-academy trusts.

The deed of release was agreed by the Skills Funding Agency and Young People’s Learning Agency in line with the policy on further education assets adopted by its sponsor department (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills at the time).

The government continues to follow the general practice of successive governments not to comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.

Defra follows the correct protocols for each staff transfer as set out in the Statement of Practice.

Continuous statutory service would be transferred as per the protocols. However, Defra does not keep information on staff who have transferred under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)/ Cabinet Office Statement of Practice. All data becomes owned by the organisation that the work moves to, as the staff are theirs as if they had always been their staff.

Microbiologicals formulated into products, semiochemicals, plant extracts, and other substances based on biological materials are regulated as biopesticides, under the same regulatory system as chemical pesticides, if one of their functions is to protect a plant from pests. We currently do not intend to change this.

However, we plan to review regulatory processes and data requirements to identify where approvals and permissions for biopesticides can be made simpler and speedier. Our assessment is that this should reduce regulatory burden on applicants and lead to quicker approval timelines, without compromising environmental and human health standards.

We have been assessing the potential role of targets to support our policy ambitions to reduce reliance on the use of conventional chemical pesticides We are clear that any targets that we set must be meaningful and designed to deliver our desired outcomes, which are to minimise the risks of pesticides to the environment and encourage sustainable pest management.

The independent Landscapes Review, led by Julian Glover, set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).

We welcome this ambition, as the Government is committed to ensuring our protected landscapes flourish as havens for nature and are places that everyone can visit and enjoy.

The Landscapes Review included recommendations for long-term structural changes, such as creating a new National Landscape Service and changing National Park and AONB statutory purposes, that would require legislation were they to be taken forward.

We are working closely with National Park Authorities, AONB organisations and wider stakeholders to consider the potential effects of the Landscape Review’s recommendations and to develop a well-informed response to the review, which we will publish in due course.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) operates at no net cost to the taxpayer. UKEF’s Smaller Deals Initiative is staffed by civil servants employed on standard terms and conditions by UKEF. No costs outside of UKEF’s normal core business have been incurred since the Initiative’s inception.

The Smaller Deals Initiative works on the same “no net cost to the taxpayer” basis as UKEF generally. It collects premiums from transactions supported in exchange for taking on risk on behalf of the taxpayer and to cover the Initiative’s administrative costs.

As part of work on a new Export Strategy we are examining the range of existing UK export promotion schemes and will consider the effectiveness of voucher schemes used elsewhere.

The UK has submitted independent goods and services schedules to the WTO for certification. The UK’s independent goods schedule was circulated on 24 July 2018, and we have now formally opened negotiations under Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The UK’s independent services schedule was circulated in December 2018. There is an outstanding objection to the technical elements from the Russian Federation, and we continue to consult with them to see their objection withdrawn. A WTO member can trade on an uncertified schedule, whilst working to have its schedule certified.

The independent UK goods and services schedules aim to maintain the existing commitments and the balance of rights and obligations between the UK and our trading partners. The UK has formally opened negotiations under Article XXVIII (GATT) on aspects of our goods schedule. We continue to assess the impacts as we seek to conclude negotiations. The appropriate WTO certification procedure for the UK services schedule does not allow for market access or compensation negotiations. We continue to consult with the Russian Federation to see their outstanding objection to technical elements withdrawn. A WTO member can trade on an uncertified schedule whilst working to have its schedule certified.

The Department for International Trade works with UK suppliers, foreign Governments, sector focussed trade associations and procuring authorities to identify potential export markets for the renewable energy sectors. Understanding the UK’s capability and matching it with relevant high value export opportunities overseas forms part of the work of our renewable energy sector team.

The Department is currently organising a trade mission to Indonesia in late March, focusing on the waste sector. The programme of activity for the next financial year has not yet been finalised and it will be coordinated alongside the programme for the 26th Conference of Parties.

The Government is fully committed to the prevention of abuse and the Department for Work and Pensions has a range of measures designed to support people who flee violent and abusive households.

If a Universal Credit claimant has been forced into claiming an advance through domestic abuse, we would urge the claimant to talk to the Department about this. If the advance was taken whilst part of a couple claim, 50% of the outstanding balance would be apportioned upon pursuing a single claim. Additionally, the Department offers deferrals of advance repayments by up to 3 months in exceptional circumstances and will apply discretion wherever possible with the rates of repaying other government debts. A range of other support is available across the Department for those impacted by domestic abuse.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-violence-and-abuse-help-from-dwp/help-available-from-the-department-for-work-and-pensions-for-people-who-are-victims-of-domestic-violence-and-abuse#universal-credit

The Department will continue to look at ways to further support the victims of domestic abuse.

We have funded a comprehensive package of support that includes a dedicated staff helpline, specialist bereavement support and free access to mental health and wellbeing apps. The NHS People Plan, published in July 2020, also puts staff wellbeing at its core and includes appointing a wellbeing guardian in every National Health Service organisation, free parking and support to work flexibly and take time off. This is strengthened further by the mental health and wellbeing hubs being set up across the country that are providing rapid outreach and assessment services to help frontline staff.