Ben Spencer

The terms of reference for SAGE can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage.

SAGE is not, as the terms outline, a membership body and the Chief Scientific Adviser and the Chief Medical Officer will advise on attendance.

In the three months to May 2022, imports of Russian diesel have dropped to 8% of supply compared to 26% in the same period last year.

The Government is on course to phase out imports of Russian oil and oil products, including diesel, by 31 December 2022. UK demand for diesel is met by a combination of domestic production and imports from a diverse range of reliable suppliers beyond Russia including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden. The Government is working with industry and international partners to boost existing imports from them and ensure alternative supplies.

The Government recognises broadcasting, film and other creative industries have an important role to play in the UK by providing access to entertainment, culture and news during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ensure we are assisting the sectors as effectively as possible, regular ministerially-chaired roundtables are held with business representative organisations (BROs) as well as trade associations within the creative industries and broadcasting sectors. In addition, officials are in regular contact with stakeholders from these sectors.

We also continue to speak with HM Treasury colleagues to ensure that the full spectrum of government support reaches the UK's world-leading media and creative industries.

The Department for Health and Social Care has responsibility for children and young people’s health and we are working with them, Public Health England and NHS England to understand the impact COVID-19 is having. It is clear that physical and mental health support is more important than ever during COVID-19.

Public Health England has published guidance for parents/carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.

The Department for Education’s guidance for parents/carers and schools covers how they can support children’s mental health. This information is available at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers and

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-school-closures/guidance-for-schools-about-temporarily-closing.

We have also developed online education resources, including resources to support mental wellbeing, physical activity, and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-online-education-resources-for-home-education.

The NHS Change for Life website and Sport England’s Join the Movement campaign both provide advice on staying physically active.

Access to support from health services remains important. NHS services remain open for everyone and leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. The NHS is also setting up 24/7 open access telephone lines for urgent mental health support for people of all ages. The Department for Education is working across government on further support, including the first of the newly established Mental Health Support Teams which are now working in or near schools and colleges, to support children during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Teaching, learning and assessment in higher education (HE) are not stopping. We are working with the sector to ensure universities are able to make all reasonable efforts to enable all students, both international and domestic, to continue and complete their studies; for their achievements to be reliably assessed; and for qualifications to be awarded securely.

Despite the significant disruption being felt across the HE sector, students deserve appropriate support and recognition for their hard work and dedication - many universities and colleges have moved rapidly to develop new ways of delivering courses through online teaching and alternatives to traditional end-of-course exams.

Our universities will always be open to international students. Both the government and the HE sector are working together to ensure existing rules and processes are as flexible as possible under the current unprecedented circumstances, to ensure that international students who are planning to study at a UK institution from autumn 2020 can do so.

The UK looks forward to continuing to welcome international students in the future. They enrich UK HE culturally, socially and economically, and are one of the reasons why our HE sector remains world-class.

Highways England understands noise is a concern for residents living close to the M25 between junctions 10 and 11 and it is actively looking for ways to reduce noise from the carriageways.

In April 2020, Highways England started carrying out repairs to the failed joints on this section of the M25 and the work will be completed this summer. The work will concentrate on those joints which are in the poorest condition. Replacing joints which have not failed, or have already been repaired, would not reduce the noise from this concrete section or improve safety.

Highways England carried out extensive joint repairs last year. Like all road surfaces, the concrete carriageway between junctions 10 and 11 is regularly monitored for safety and condition, and repairs are carried out when needed.

We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner.

We have seen increasing levels of demand for PIP and are constantly making improvements to our service to ensure claimants get a timely decision.

We introduced a blend of phone, video and face-to-face assessments to deliver a more efficient and user-centred service. We are also increasing case manager and Assessment Provider health professional resource to deal with the increased demand.

We are sending new claims to Assessment Providers ahead of award reviews for existing claims, to ensure newly entitled claimants get the support they need.

Where possible, decisions on award reviews are made by DWP decision makers without a new referral to an Assessment Provider. Those who do require an assessment are put into a queue until our Assessment Providers have capacity to assess them, and their existing awards are extended where necessary until the review is completed. This ensures that they get the right decision, and that there is no risk of their award ending before they are assessed.

We take any case of fraud and error extremely seriously and actively pursue fraudsters, using a wide range of powers to bring them to justice.

Last Autumn we announced a significant increase in our investment in Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt operations by 75%, up to £1.4bn over the next three years. We are using this to scale up our existing operations, enhance our approach to data and intelligence and set up a new targeted review of the Universal Credit (UC) caseload. This will generate billions of savings over the scorecard period.

We published figures in the DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21 that showed the estimated rate of fraud and error in Universal Credit was 14.5%, up from 9.4% in 2019/20.

These estimates are based on in depth reviews of a random sample of around 3,000 Universal Credit cases (taken between February and November 2020) to establish the extent of Fraud and Error. The level of fraud and error found in this sample is then applied to the 2020-21 Universal Credit expenditure to give our overall estimate. During the early months of the pandemic we faced unprecedented levels of claims, with 2.4 million new UC claims between 1 March and 26 May 2020. We took a decision to implement easements to ensure we could prioritise payments to those who needed help during this difficult time. This meant that although the overall level of fraud and error in Universal Credit across the year was 14.5%, the subset of claims made after the pandemic started had a level of 25.6%. Claims prior to the pandemic remained at a level of 9.4%. This detailed analysis indicates that the total overpayment for fraud and error for claims from the start of the pandemic (in 2020/21) was £3.1 billion, of which £1.1billion being overpaid due to incorrect information about self-employed income.

It is regrettable that people may have sought to exploit the extraordinary circumstances of a global pandemic for gain by not reporting changes in circumstances or even making false claims. This is particularly true for bogus claims orchestrated by organised criminals.

During the pandemic, we were able to detect and shut down systematic attacks on the benefit system, including preventing £1.9bn from an attack from Organised Criminals in May 2020. We removed the easements as early as possible from June 2020 and introduced new processes, including a new Enhanced Checking Service created in April 2020, comprising a team of trained investigators who review claims and contact claimants in order to obtain further information or evidence where there is suspected fraud. In total we estimate that we have prevented nearly £3bn of additional fraud and error.

Our rigorous checks to prevent fraud are now back in place and the new targeted UC case reviews funded as part of the £1.4bn investment will be focused on relentlessly pursuing and finding incorrect claims and driving out the Fraud and Error. We are determined to combat all attempts at fraud and will not hesitate to pursue those who exploit the system when benefits are there to support those most in need.

Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2020 to 2021 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

As of the 31^st January 2022, over 130,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people and over 235,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply to through the scheme. Over 305,000 jobs have been approved for funding.

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 31^st January and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application. Included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location. Data on approved jobs is taken from a snapshot of the Kickstart system at a point in time. This figure can be affected by retrospective changes resulting from previously approved grant applications being rescinded.

The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts to 31st January 2022, Great Britain, by nation and region

Table 2: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts to 31st January 2022, Great Britain, by Sector

The Department has played a key role in Operation Warm Welcome including legislating to exempt those arriving from Afghanistan from the usual residency tests which restrict access to certain benefits for new arrivals to the UK, including Universal Credit.

We recognise those arriving may require immediate help. Therefore, DWP work coaches are now working in bridging hotels to take claims for Universal Credit and other support, with over 2,900 claims already taken which covers 4,500 claimants (couples are treated as a single claim). The Department has also provided other assistance including help to set up bank accounts, access medical prescriptions, distribute essential items, arranging events to support wellbeing and providing reassurance and a contact point for individuals.

Moreover, employment is an important part of integration. That is why those arriving under the relocation and resettlement schemes have the right to work from day one. We are providing tailored support to those who are ready to start looking for work. Employment fairs are being run to highlight employment and training opportunities and online courses are available in bridging hotels. DWP are using our National Employment and Partnership Team to identify employment opportunities for those who are ready to work, and are working with the Refugee Employment Network to ensure we provide tailored support to this cohort.

DWP are also working with individuals to prepare them for work, looking at work experience opportunities, help with CV and practice interviews. As well as supporting the setup of English language classes either at hotels or the Department has arranged transport to locations so people can attend.

As of the 2^nd November, 98,000 young people have started a Kickstart job. Over 215,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply to through the scheme and over 304,000 jobs have been approved for funding.

From 28/09/2021 to 25/10/2021, on average over 6,700 Kickstart jobs were made available each week, and on average over 3,400 young people started a Kickstart job each week.

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 2^nd November and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.

Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

The latest assessment on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United Kingdom is available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/datasets/coronavirusandvaccinehesitancygreatbritain

The latest data published in August 2021 shows 4% of adults reported vaccine hesitancy in the UK. In females aged between 16 to 29 years old, hesitancy increased to 9%, whilst for females aged between 30 to 49 years old vaccine hesitancy was at 6%. This is compared to 19% in females aged 16 to 29 years old and 14% for those aged 20 to 49 years old in February 2021.

Whilst vaccine hesitancy has decreased, the Department continues to work closely with our partners to address concerns around pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility. Our vaccine toolkits for stakeholders, partners and employers provides information on these concerns, and we have shared case stories of women of childbearing age who have received the vaccine before, during or after pregnancy to reassure women who may still be concerned. We have also worked with trusted sources to publicly address and reassure the concerns of younger women. At a local level we have supported webinars and engagement sessions specifically focused on women’s vaccines concerns and tailored to specific demographic groups.

NHS England and NHS Improvement publish vaccine uptake by both age and ethnicity. This is published daily and ranges from ‘Under 18’ to ‘80+’. There are also weekly and monthly publications of these statistics, which provides a more detailed breakdown of vaccine uptake by age and a detailed breakdown of vaccine uptake by ethnicity. The data can we found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/

The Department reviews research into COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. This includes information gathered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), health studies, and insights generated by the vaccine programme itself.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is monitored by ONS. Data is published to record the reasons people give for vaccine refusal. A breakdown of this data can be found at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/datasets/coronavirusandvaccinehesitancygreatbritain

This is supported by Healthwatch, who undertook research in Spring 2021 and looked at uptake in ethnic minority groups who are known to be vaccine hesitant. They found that people commonly cited issues such as practical barriers, misinformation, and deeper cultural mistrust.

There have been a range of national and hyper-local initiatives in place to drive uptake, including national communications, provision of mobile/pop-up delivery models and work with faith/community leaders. These efforts have been hugely successful in communicating benefits of vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy has decreased from 9% in February to 3% in August for all adults per ONS data. The statistics also showed hesitancy has decreased for those aged 16 and 17 from 14% to 11%. Furthermore, YouGov polling indicates that hesitancy amongst ethnic minority groups has reduced from 63% to 14% from October to August. This success has been facilitated by the wide range of interventions and strategies employed to ensure strong vaccine uptake.

The Joint Biosecurity Centre is currently assessing the evidence of the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions of all types. There are some early signs that the introduction and escalation of local alert levels had a material impact on behaviour, the number of household contacts and cases.

Public Health England does not publish data on the infection fatality rate or the case fatality rate of COVID-19.

As a result of the measures put in place to tackle COVID-19, we now appear to have passed the peak of new cases being reported and it has been decided to begin the ‘reset’ of services across the National Health Service. This reset will involve the release and redeployment of some of the treatment capacity that could have been needed while the number of COVID-19 patients was rising sharply.

All NHS organisations have therefore been asked to step-up non-COVID-19 services as soon as possible, starting with the most urgent. Decisions on how to do this will be taken locally, based on local demands for health services. The NHS issued guidance to NHS service providers on 29 April outlining the next steps for the NHS response to COVID-19.