Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government has taken to review the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on delivery of the Childhood Obesity Action Plan.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Through the three chapters of our childhood obesity plan we are delivering a wide range of measures to help achieve our bold ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce the gap in obesity between children from the most and least deprived areas by 2030.
Public Health England led a rapid review to better understand how different factors can impact on how people are affected by COVID-19. This includes analysis of age, deprivation and obesity, where data was available. The review’s findings were published on 2 June and are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomes
Many of the measures in the three chapters of the childhood obesity plan will have an impact on tackling obesity across all age groups. These include the soft drinks industry levy, sugar reduction and wider calorie reformulation programme, restricting promotions and calorie labelling in restaurants which will improve our eating habits and reduce the amount of sugar we consume.
We remain committed to reviewing what more can be done and will continue to monitor progress and emerging evidence.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to include Black British history in the national curriculum for primary and secondary school pupils.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to an inclusive education system which recognises and embraces diversity and supports all pupils and students to tackle racism and have the knowledge and tools to do so.
The national curriculum is a framework setting out the content of what the Department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their pupils, and to make choices about what they teach.
As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, pupils should be taught about different societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and this can include the voices and experience of Black people. The flexibility within the history curriculum means that Black British history can already be included in the teaching of the curriculum. For example, at key stage 1, schools can teach about the lives of key Black historical figures such as Mary Seacole or others; at key stage 2, pupils can be taught about Black Romans, as part of teaching that era in history or Black history within the requirement for a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066; and at key stage 3, we give an example for a more in-depth study on the topic of the impact through time of the migration of people to, from and within the British Isles, and this key stage can include the development and end of the British Empire and Britain’s transatlantic slave trade, its effects and its eventual abolition. Additionally, local history is an element across key stages. The teaching of Black history need not be limited to these examples.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when opticians will be able to reopen for routine appointments as part of the easing of the covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
NHS England and NHS Improvement have been in discussion with the College, over plans to restart NHS eye care services.
NHS England and NHS Improvement issued a letter and Standard Operating Procedure to the profession on 17 June setting out that practices are able to resume routine NHS eye care services, where practices have the relevant infection protection control and personal protection equipment in place. The letter also refers to guidance issued by the College of Optometrists, setting out ways in which practices could be adapted in the current circumstances. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/optical-setting/
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the College of Optometrists on enabling opticians to safely resume their services as the covid-19 lockdown is eased.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
NHS England and NHS Improvement have been in discussion with the College, over plans to restart NHS eye care services.
NHS England and NHS Improvement issued a letter and Standard Operating Procedure to the profession on 17 June setting out that practices are able to resume routine NHS eye care services, where practices have the relevant infection protection control and personal protection equipment in place. The letter also refers to guidance issued by the College of Optometrists, setting out ways in which practices could be adapted in the current circumstances. NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance can be found at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/optical-setting/
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure individuals with (a) glaucoma and (b) other eye conditions are diagnosed and treated quickly as the covid-19 lockdown is eased.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
National Health Service guidance was issued in April asking local systems to step up non-COVID-19 urgent services as soon as possible. This included the need to provide urgent outpatient and diagnostic appointments at pre-COVID-19 levels, including those urgently needed for eye-related conditions. The NHS is now working to increasingly resume the routine elective services that were paused in order help manage COVID-19.
The guidance can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when registry office wedding ceremonies will resume as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government announced on 23 June that small weddings, with up to 30 people in attendance, could resume in England from 4 July. The Welsh Government permitted weddings to resume in Wales from 22 June.
It will be for individual local authorities to ensure that their register offices can undertake ceremonies safely in accordance with public health guidelines.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the scientific basis is to allow hair salons to reopen on 4 July 2020 as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased, but not beauty salons, massage therapists and tattoo parlours.
Answered by Paul Scully
Following my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement, from 4 July hairdressers and barbers in England will be able to reopen, to offer hairdressing services, once they are following the COVID-secure guidelines.
Other close contact services, like massage therapists, beauty and tattoo parlours remain closed until further notice.
We are taking a phased, cautious approach to reopening our economy, working with businesses, trade associations and medical experts on the safest way to reopen close contact services like massage therapists, beauty salons and tattoo parlours, where there is often greater risk of transmission due to prolonged periods of face-to-face contact and close proximity between staff and customers.
We intend to allow close contact services, such as massage therapists, beauty salons and tattoo parlours to re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.
Our approach is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and SAGE provides world-leading scientific advice to the government. Any changes in approach depend on us continuing to meet the five tests.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing further financial support to beauty salons unable to re-open while existing covid-19 lockdown restrictions remain in place.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has announced an unprecedented package of measures to support businesses and individuals during Covid-19.
In order to support businesses where restrictions remain in place, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until October 2020. The level of the grant will be slowly tapered to reflect that people will be returning to work. The Chancellor has also extended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme with businesses adversely affected being able to claim for the first grant on or before 13 July 2020, and any businesses adversely affected on or after 14 July 2020 can make a claim in August 2020.
Businesses are still able to apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme or The Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
Additionally, beauty salons are able to continue benefiting from the 100% reduction in business rates for 12 months.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to ensure the equity of treatment of Chartered Trade Mark Attorneys across the UK and EU after the transition period; and whether he plans to ensure that attorneys from the EU do not have rights of representation before the UK Intellectual Property Office that are not reciprocated for UK attorneys before the EU Intellectual Property Office.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On legal services, the UK’s starting point for negotiations with the EU is precedent-based. We aim to secure market access commitments for lawyers and minimise barriers to the cross-border supply of services and investment, on the basis of commitments like those in the Canada FTA.
Rights of representation, whether before domestic courts in Member States or EU institutions, are the preserve of the Single Market and so do not form part of the UK approach to negotiations with the EU.
Officials at the Intellectual Property Office are currently exploring options in relation to the rules on address for service once the transition period ends.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) further education colleges and (b) sixth forms are supported during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
I am very grateful for how sixth forms and FE colleges have responded to the unique challenge of COVID-19.
We have confirmed that the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will continue to pay grant funded providers their scheduled monthly profiled payments for the remainder of the 2019/20 funding year. Allocations for 2020/21 have also now been confirmed and payments will be made as scheduled. Up to date details are contained in operational guidance available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision. For colleges in significant financial difficulties, the existing support arrangements remain in place, including short-term emergency funding.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced a series of wider measures to support employers and employees, recognising the significant impacts caused by COVID-19. We have confirmed that FE providers can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for non grant-funded employees. The CJRS has been extended until August 2020. Up to date details of this support are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses.
As announced last summer, we will next year be increasing investment in education and training of 16-19 year olds by £400 million, including an increased base rate, and more funding for high cost and high value subjects, which will help the sector to deliver in the difficult circumstances we are facing during the pandemic. In March, we also announced an investment of £1.5 billion over five years in capital spending for further education colleges.
For sixth forms, our priority is to ensure that Year 13 students can progress as planned, including starting university, moving into apprenticeships or securing a job, and to support Year 12 students to prepare for examinations next year.
We have published a planning guide for secondary schools (including those with sixth forms)?to help school leaders to prepare and decide arrangements:
These are rapidly developing circumstances and we will continue to keep the situation under review and to keep Parliament updated accordingly.