Barry Sheerman

The Restoration and Renewal Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations. Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal Act) 2019, the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to protect the environment and to contribute to achieiving sustainable development in exercising its functions.

The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority had been working on developing a detailed and costed plan for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. This would have included an environmental assessment on both the construction phase and operations of the restored buildings, including considering the impact on air pollution and steps to mitigate road traffic pollution. The work on developing a detailed and costed plan is currently paused following the decisions made by the two House Commissions in February.

Despite the broader uncertainty about the future of the programme, the Delivery Authority is planning to conduct an Air Quality Survey to set a site-specific air quality baseline. This will allow site-specific assessments to be completed in the future. The Delivery Authority is also continuing to review opportunities to make use of the River Thames during construction to reduce environmental and traffic impacts on the surrounding area and road networks.

The Restoration and Renewal Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations. Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to protect the environment and to contribute to achieving sustainable development in exercising its functions.

The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority had been working on developing a detailed and costed plan for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. As part of this, the Delivery Authority was reviewing opportunities to make use of the River Thames during construction to reduce environmental and traffic impacts on the surrounding area and road networks. This included preliminary discussions with some of the relevant stakeholders, such as the Port of Tilbury and Tideway.

The work on developing a detailed and costed plan is currently paused following the decisions made by the two House Commissions in February.

The scope of the Restoration and Renewal Programme does not include the construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre and the Sponsor Body has therefore not made an assessment of the potential merits of transporting construction materials and debris via the River Thames during the construction of the Memorial and Learning Centre. The UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is a matter for the Secretary of State of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Representatives from the Programme have held preliminary discussions with representatives working on the Memorial and Learning Centre to discuss potential efficiencies in using the River Thames for both construction projects. We intend to continue these discussions once the planning process for the Memorial and Learning Centre is concluded.

The Restoration and Renewal Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations. Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to protect the environment and to contribute to achieving sustainable development in exercising its functions.

The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority had been working on developing a detailed and costed plan for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. As part of this, the Delivery Authority was reviewing opportunities to make use of the River Thames during construction to reduce environmental and traffic impacts on the surrounding area and road networks. This included preliminary discussions with some of the relevant stakeholders, such as the Port of Tilbury and Tideway.

The work on developing a detailed and costed plan is currently paused following the decisions made by the two House Commissions in February.

The scope of the Restoration and Renewal Programme does not include the construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre and the Sponsor Body has therefore not made an assessment of the potential merits of transporting construction materials and debris via the River Thames during the construction of the Memorial and Learning Centre. The UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is a matter for the Secretary of State of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Representatives from the Programme have held preliminary discussions with representatives working on the Memorial and Learning Centre to discuss potential efficiencies in using the River Thames for both construction projects. We intend to continue these discussions once the planning process for the Memorial and Learning Centre is concluded.

All those who make and shape our economies and societies have a vital role to play in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. At COP26, the voice of youth and civil society was loud and clear. We saw nearly 8,000 non-state actors committed to halving global emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest through the UN-backed global campaign Race to Zero – the largest ever such coalition.

The Glasgow Climate Pact emphasises the importance of collaboration across all parts of society to deliver effective climate action. And we were pleased that Parties were able to agree the 10-year Glasgow Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment, which will enhance youth engagement, climate education and public participation in climate action in the years ahead, and the new 3-year work programme on local communities and Indigenous Peoples, alongside other important steps.

The historic Glasgow Climate Pact acknowledges the vital role that indigenous peoples, local communities and civil society play in driving climate action, and emphasises the importance of collaboration across all parts of society to deliver effective climate action.

We will use our Presidency year to ensure that the commitments from COP26 are delivered and that we build on our progress in Glasgow, including through the 10-year Glasgow Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment, and the new 3-year work programme on local communities and Indigenous Peoples. COP26 advisory groups will continue to lend their voices to this endeavour, offering their expertise, insights, and experiences.

Since the COP26 summit, I have written to over 40 governments and have spoken to or met ministers from 19 countries, and continue to meet others. In these conversations, I have been thanking countries for their role in securing the Glasgow Climate Pact and encouraging them to implement its commitments as well as discussing how we work together to encourage all countries to deliver on the commitments made.

We will continue to demonstrate strong UK leadership over our Presidency year, working with our COP26 partners Italy, the incoming COP Presidency Egypt, the Chairs of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies, the UNFCCC Secretariat, parties and civil society partners to build on the momentum and high ambition from COP26 to ensure that countries deliver on their commitments.

The Paris Rulebook, for how the Paris Agreement is delivered, was also completed at COP26. This will allow for the full delivery of the landmark accord, after agreement on a transparency process which will hold countries to account as they deliver on their targets.

The Glasgow Climate Pact requests Parties to revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their nationally determined contributions as necessary to align with the Paris Agreement temperature goal by the end of 2022, taking into account different national circumstances. ​​We will continue to use the year of our COP26 Presidency to keep up the pressure to deliver on the commitments made, and urge parties to go further and faster on delivering on climate change.

Carbon emission reduction policies do, in fact, have the potential to improve air quality; rapidly moving away from coal towards renewable energy will provide cleaner air and better health outcomes for all citizens. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, the UK will pursue decarbonisation options that leave the environment in a better state for the next generation by improving air quality, minimising adverse impacts on human health. The UK is continuing to take urgent action to curb the impact air pollution has on our citizens and communities, including through our landmark Environment Bill and Clean Air Strategy.

Carbon emission reduction policies do, in fact, have the potential to improve air quality; rapidly moving away from coal towards renewable energy will provide cleaner air and better health outcomes for all citizens. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, the UK will pursue decarbonisation options that leave the environment in a better state for the next generation by improving air quality, minimising adverse impacts on human health. The UK is continuing to take urgent action to curb the impact air pollution has on our citizens and communities, including through our landmark Environment Bill and Clean Air Strategy.

Carbon emission reduction policies do, in fact, have the potential to improve air quality; rapidly moving away from coal towards renewable energy will provide cleaner air and better health outcomes for all citizens. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, the UK will pursue decarbonisation options that leave the environment in a better state for the next generation by improving air quality, minimising adverse impacts on human health. The UK is continuing to take urgent action to curb the impact air pollution has on our citizens and communities, including through our landmark Environment Bill and Clean Air Strategy.

Under the Equality Act 2010 employers have a legal responsibility to take all reasonable steps to protect their employees against workplace sexual harassment. The Government expects employers to take these responsibilities seriously. If they fail, employees can seek advice from Acas and, if necessary, take legal action in an Employment Tribunal.

Last year the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with the Government’s support, published guidance on harassment and sexual harassment at work.

In addition, the Government has consulted on sexual harassment in the workplace, focusing on whether the laws to protect people from harassment at work are operating effectively. We will be setting out the Government’s response to this shortly.

The Restoration and Renewal Programme is currently creating its business case. Part of this work, once the preferred option has been agreed, will be an environmental assessment on both the construction phase and operations of the restored buildings, where impacts will be assessed and mitigations proposed. To date, no specific conversations have been held on congestion, as the business case work is still in its early stages. The Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations.

Weddings are permitted in places of worship, providing certain public health criteria are met, including an advised maximum number of 30 people in attendance.

Up to date guidance for clergy on weddings and COVID-19 is provided on the Church of England website at: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/COVID%2019%20advice%20for%20Clergy%20Conducting%20Weddings%20v5.1.pdf

The Church Commissioners do not have responsibility for setting a timetable for the reopening of church buildings for funeral services. Baptisms and weddings cannot at present be celebrated inside church buildings, and the relevant Cabinet Office and MHCLG guidance can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance#contents

Current guidance from the House of Bishops is not to conduct funeral services in church buildings because of widely expressed concerns about parishes having capacity to conduct such funerals safely, including being able to clean churches thoroughly between services to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. This is guidance, not instruction. We are acutely aware of the anguish of those not able to celebrate significant life events such as baptisms, weddings and funerals in their parish church in the current circumstances. The House of Bishops meets regularly to review its guidance which will be updated in line with changing circumstances, and published on the Church of England website.

None of our chicken is free range. Unless especially requested for an event, all standard poultry for cafeterias and restaurants is British Red Tractor farm assured but not free range.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Mortgage Market Review, introduced in April 2014, requires mortgage lenders to assess individuals’ ability to repay their loans. The Council for Mortgage Lenders has advised that individuals who have a student loan and are earning over the relevant repayment threshold may have higher committed expenditures and lower net incomes and this could mean they are unable to borrow as much as an equivalent individual who is not repaying a student loan.

All eligible students can apply for an upfront tuition fee loan to meet the costs of their tuition fees. This ensures that students are not prevented from attending their course because they cannot pay for their fees.

From 1 August 2016 onwards, students who would otherwise have received a grant will see an increase in the amount of maintenance support they can access, with those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds receiving 10.3% more in loans for living costs.

Linking repayment to a borrower's income will ensure that deductions are based on their ability to repay. Repayments are made through the UK tax system at 9% of earnings of any income over the relevant repayment threshold and they will cease if earnings fall below the threshold. Any outstanding loan balance will be written off after thirty years.

The National Student Survey (NSS) annually gathers students’ opinions on the quality of their course. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published a separate report in 2014 which provides analysis on the differences between NSS results for different student characteristics over the period 2005-2013.

A copy of the report and a tool, which allows the data to be filtered by different student characteristics including disability, are available on the HEFCE website at

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/media/hefce/content/pubs/2014/201413/HEFCE2014_13%20-%20corrected%2012%20December%202014.pdf

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/analysis/nsstrend/

Higher education institutions have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled students and to monitor their compliance with their Equality Act duties. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 require institutions to publish information as to their compliance with the general public sector equality duty.

The Independent Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 with plans for universities to spend more than £745 million on measures to improve access and student success for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, up from £404m in 2009/10. Higher education institutions choose their own access agreement measures and targets, in line with their own particular mission and challenges and these can include targets on disability where appropriate.

The National Student Survey (NSS) annually gathers students’ opinions on the quality of their course. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published a separate report in 2014 which provides analysis on the differences between NSS results for different student characteristics over the period 2005-2013.

A copy of the report and a tool, which allows the data to be filtered by different student characteristics including disability, are available on the HEFCE website at

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/media/hefce/content/pubs/2014/201413/HEFCE2014_13%20-%20corrected%2012%20December%202014.pdf

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/analysis/nsstrend/

Higher education institutions have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled students and to monitor their compliance with their Equality Act duties. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 require institutions to publish information as to their compliance with the general public sector equality duty.

The Independent Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 with plans for universities to spend more than £745 million on measures to improve access and student success for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, up from £404m in 2009/10. Higher education institutions choose their own access agreement measures and targets, in line with their own particular mission and challenges and these can include targets on disability where appropriate.

Higher education institutions have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled students and to monitor their compliance with their Equality Act duties. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 require institutions to publish information as to their compliance with the general public sector equality duty.

Students who are dissatisfied with the provision of support, and raise their concerns through their institution’s formal complaints procedures, can then also take their case to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. This is a free service for the student.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bristol West on 16 November 2015 to Question No 15971:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-11-10/15971/.

Employment Support Funds are maintained and dispensed by University Student Unions. They are typically used to provide support for the cost of attending an interview for a job or further study. Government is not responsible for this funding and we therefore do not hold the data requested.

Higher education institutions are responsible for meeting their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including for students with dyslexia.

The legal duty to provide reasonable adjustments applies to all disabled students. In addition Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) are available where the needs of the student cannot be met by the institution by way of such a reasonable adjustment. A consultation on DSAs closed on 24 September and the Government response will be published in due course.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student support for each of the UK Government Administrations. The number and proportion of new applicants deemed by SLC to be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) is set out in the attached table.

The earliest academic year for which the data is available is 2011/12.

The Department does not provide forecasts of the number of students with specific disabilities expected to receive Disabled Students’ Allowances.

The Department publishes statistics on labour market conditions for English domiciled graduates and postgraduates relative to non-graduates as part of the Graduate Labour Market Statistics series. The latest figures refer to the quarter from April to June 2015 and are available at the link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/graduate-labour-market-statistics-april-to-june-2015

These statistics cannot be disaggregated to the level of detail requested.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student support for each of the UK Government Administrations. The number and proportion of new applicants deemed by SLC to be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) is set out in the attached table.

The earliest academic year for which the data is available is 2011/12.

The Department does not provide forecasts of the number of students with specific disabilities expected to receive Disabled Students’ Allowances.

The Government has undertaken an Equality Analysis of the proposed changes to DSAs. The Equality Analysis will be published alongside the Government response to the consultation.

Higher education institutions are responsible for meeting their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including for students with dyslexia.

The legal duty to provide reasonable adjustments applies to all disabled students. In addition Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) are available where the needs of the student cannot be met by the institution by way of such a reasonable adjustment. A consultation on DSAs closed on 24 September and the Government response will be published in due course.

Higher education institutions are responsible for meeting their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including for students with dyslexia.

The legal duty to provide reasonable adjustments applies to all disabled students. In addition Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) are available where the needs of the student cannot be met by the institution by way of such a reasonable adjustment. A consultation on DSAs closed on 24 September and the Government response will be published in due course.

We use success rates to show the proportion of learners who start an apprenticeship and go on to achieve it. Success rates are published as percentages rather than volumes. This information by self-declared learning difficulty is published in the Statistical First Release Equality and Diversity tables (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-equality-and-diversity). The tables cover the five years between 2008/09 and 2012/13, when the success rate for the cohort of apprentices with dyslexia was 68.4%. We will publish data for 2013/14 in the near future.

Information on the number of providers that support apprentices who have self-declared a learning difficulty, including dyslexia, is collected through the Individualised Learner Record. We publish data showing the proportion of further education learners who have self-declared a learning difficulty or disability for individual providers in a supplementary table to our Statistical First Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-local-authority-tables. We do not publish this information specifically for apprentices or broken down to the individual type of learning difficulty or disability.

Ofsted inspects apprenticeship providers and reports on overall performance including equality and diversity. The Common Inspection Framework requires inspectors to pay particular attention to the outcomes for disabled children and learners and those who have special educational needs. In addition, inspectors evaluate the extent to which leaders, managers and governors actively promote equality and diversity, tackle bullying and discrimination and narrow any gaps in achievement between different groups of children and learners.

Apprenticeships are covered by the Equality Act 2010, therefore employers and providers are required to make reasonable adjustments. Assessment centres (for example colleges) are responsible for ensuring that they understand and apply access arrangements.

Ofqual provides guidance for awarding organisations in England on reasonable adjustment. The Joint Council of Qualifications publishes arrangements annually on special considerations and adjustments. The current version has a number of examples of how to apply arrangements to learners with dyslexia.

The Education and Training Foundation provides guidance for training providers, including advice on supporting apprentices with dyslexia. This can be found in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) section of the Excellence Gateway on the Education and Training Foundation website http://send.excellencegateway.org.uk/.

The Department enables providers to remove barriers to education and training, and aids progression to higher levels of training, by funding additional learning support to help all eligible learners with an identified support need. The support for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including dyslexia, is an important part of the support the government provides to help individuals maximise their potential and gain employment.

The Education and Training Foundation will consult with a range of organisations, including those representing learners with particular needs, as part of the programme of reform to English and maths Functional Skills launched last month.

Information on Apprenticeship participation and success rates by individuals with dyslexia is collected through the Individualised Learner Record and is published in the Equality and Diversity tables (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-equality-and-diversity alongside the Statistical First Release (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held).

Learning Difficulties, including dyslexia, are based on self-declaration by the learner.

All workers subject to the Working Time Regulations, including aircraft maintenance engineers, are entitled to a number of protections. These include entitlement to annual leave and rest breaks, a limit on weekly working hours, and restrictions on night work.

The Government publish on GOV.UK, on a country by country basis, details of sanctions regimes, arms embargoes and restrictions on the export of strategic goods currently implemented by the UK.

Arms embargoes ban the export of ‘arms and related material’. This covers military ammunition, weapons and goods. They may be imposed by a number of organisations, including the UN, the EU or the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. They may also be imposed at national level.

Competition is a key element to keeping prices as low as possible. There are now 25 independent suppliers for households to choose from in addition to the 6 largest suppliers, giving more choice than ever before. By switching from the standard tariff to the best fixed deal on the market, many people can save around £200 and some could save more. We have already made it simpler and quicker to switch supplier and are working towards next day switching.

In addition, we supported Ofgem’s reference of the energy markets to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and are committed to implementing any recommendations the CMA deem necessary.

Renewable electricity capacity has trebled since 2010. The most recent step we have taken to support deployment is the introduction of Contracts for Difference, which gives companies long-term revenue certainty and drives down costs for consumers through competition. We will set out our proposals in respect of the next CFD allocation round in due course.

Under existing renewable heat schemes, the Government has supported around 40,000 homes and 12,000 businesses, schools, farms and other organisations with new renewable heating systems. Almost 5 terawatt hours of eligible heat have been generated and paid for under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) at the end of August 2015.

The Government is investing £500 million over the next 5 years in making ultra-low emission vehicles more accessible to families and businesses across the country, and fuel suppliers are already required to meet a 4.75% renewable transport fuel target by ensuring that sustainable biofuel is supplied.

The UK’s independent nuclear regulators assess individual nuclear reactor designs proposed for development in the UK. In doing so, their aim is to ensure the safety, security and high environmental standards of nuclear installations in the UK, rather than to compare proposed designs with each other. As yet, no liquid fluoride thorium based designs have been submitted to the UK regulators for such an assessment.

Government policy on disposing of higher activity radioactive waste is based on a comprehensive review of all the available options for existing wastes originally carried out by the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management between 2003 and 2006. Based on their consideration of all the evidence, including international best practice and scientific advice, they recommended geological disposal in an engineered facility at least 200m below ground as the best available option.

The independent nuclear safety, security and environmental regulators will only allow a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) to be built and operated if they are satisfied it will meet their demanding regulatory requirements. The developer of any GDF will be required to present a detailed set of safety arguments for all aspects of a proposed facility. This includes everything from transporting the waste to the facility, to its design, construction and operation and safety in the long term, following closure.

Disposal routes for low level waste are already in operation in the UK. All proposals for radioactive waste disposals, including existing low level waste disposals, are subject to permitting by the Environment Agency who require operators to demonstrate that they are applying the best available techniques.

The proposed new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point has successfully completed Generic Design Assessment of the proposed reactor design, the EPR. The independent nuclear regulators, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency, have also granted the project a site licence and environmental permits. The regulators would continue to ensure robust safety, security and environmental standards at Hinkley Point C, as at all the UK’s nuclear installations, through construction, operation and decommissioning.

We have not received any representations from Citizens UK on the National Living Wage. However the Living Wage Foundation, which is an initiative of Citizens UK, has reacted positively to the announcement of a National Living Wage.

The Government has asked the Low Pay Commission to recommend the level of the National Living Wage going forward in order to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020. In making its recommendations on the National Minimum Wage, the Low Pay Commission takes into account a wide range of evidence from across the economy. This process will continue for the National Living Wage too.

Citizens UK will have the opportunity to provide representations during the Low Pay Commission’s public consultation, ahead of any further changes to the rates.

The total number of adults aged 19 plus participating in Government funded Further Education and skills learning in each of the last 5 years are as follows:

More detailed information on participation is available from the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

Details of funding allocations made available to further education providers in the 2014/15 financial year are available on the Skills Funding Agency website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2014-to-2015

Allocations for 2015/16 will be published in due course.

At the end of February 2015, 4 local authority providers of adult further education and training were judged as outstanding, 122 were judged as good, 11 were judged as requires improvement and four were judged as inadequate at their most recent Ofsted inspection.

Information on the numbers of people employed by local authorities across specific services is not collected centrally.

The total number of adults aged 19 plus participating in Government funded Further Education and skills learning in each of the last 5 years are as follows:

More detailed information on participation is available from the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

Details of funding allocations made available to further education providers in the 2014/15 financial year are available on the Skills Funding Agency website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2014-to-2015

Allocations for 2015/16 will be published in due course.

At the end of February 2015, 4 local authority providers of adult further education and training were judged as outstanding, 122 were judged as good, 11 were judged as requires improvement and four were judged as inadequate at their most recent Ofsted inspection.

Information on the numbers of people employed by local authorities across specific services is not collected centrally.