Lilian Greenwood

Operation Sleeping Beauty aims to bring some theatre and Panto back by Christmas and support local theatres whilst they face a very challenging backdrop. As part of this, the National Lottery has teamed up with Qdos Entertainment for a promotional event and provided £6m of funding to support a number of panto productions to get up and running this winter across the country. This promotional activity is in addition to the ongoing support the National Lottery provides to good causes through the National Lottery Distribution Fund. Approval of National Lottery promotional spend is a matter for the Gambling Commission. DCMS does not hold a decision making role in the allocation of the funds.

We welcome this announcement from the National Lottery, who have found innovative ways to support sectors that have been hit hardest by Covid.

The National Lottery funding is in addition to the £1.57billion support the Government is already providing the arts through the Cultural Recovery Fund.

Operation Sleeping Beauty aims to bring some theatre and Panto back by Christmas and support local theatres whilst they face a very challenging backdrop. As part of this, the National Lottery has teamed up with Qdos Entertainment for a promotional event and provided £6m of funding to support a number of panto productions to get up and running this winter across the country. This promotional activity is in addition to the ongoing support the National Lottery provides to good causes through the National Lottery Distribution Fund. Approval of National Lottery promotional spend is a matter for the Gambling Commission. DCMS does not hold a decision making role in the allocation of the funds.

We welcome this announcement from the National Lottery, who have found innovative ways to support sectors that have been hit hardest by Covid.

The National Lottery funding is in addition to the £1.57billion support the Government is already providing the arts through the Cultural Recovery Fund.

Physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. From 1 August, we will reopen bowling alleys.

The Government is committed to reopening leisure facilities and visitor attractions, including bowling alleys, as soon as it is safe to do so. The Sport Working Group and the Visitor Economy Working Group both feed into the Cultural Renewal Taskforce, and ensure strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidance. This will help ten pin bowling alleys become Covid-19 Secure and re-open as early as possible.

As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, our decisions will continue to be based on scientific evidence and public health assessments.

Physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. From 1 August, we will reopen bowling alleys.

The Government is committed to reopening leisure facilities and visitor attractions, including bowling alleys, as soon as it is safe to do so. The Sport Working Group and the Visitor Economy Working Group both feed into the Cultural Renewal Taskforce, and ensure strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidance. This will help ten pin bowling alleys become Covid-19 Secure and re-open as early as possible.

As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, our decisions will continue to be based on scientific evidence and public health assessments.

I refer the hon. Member for Nottingham South to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the previous Minister for Sport, Media and Creative Industries (Nigel Adams) on 11 February, in response to question 13526.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the cinema experience is accessible to as wide a range of people as possible, including the deaf and hard of hearing. We welcome steps taken by industry, including the UK Cinema Association's Technology Challenge Fund, to explore solutions to enable this, for example through specially adapted glasses. We also welcome the fact that the National Deaf Children's Society are advisors on this project.

The department spends around £600 million per year ensuring around 1.3 million infants enjoy a free, healthy, and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of the universal infant free school meal policy in 2014. The per meal rate of £2.34 per child was increased in the 2020/21 financial year. The funding rate for the 2022/23 financial year will be published with the funding allocations in June.

The department holds regular meetings with other government departments and with food industry representatives, covering a variety of issues including public sector food supplies. Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty. We are confident that schools will continue providing pupils with nutritious school meals as required by the school food standards.

The department routinely considers contingency arrangements and expect schools and catering companies supplying them to do the same.

The Written Ministerial Statement on Unconscious Bias (December 2020) set out the findings of the ‘Unconscious bias and diversity training - what the evidence says’ report. The findings concluded that there was no evidence that the training changed behaviour in the long term or improved workplace equality. It also found there is emerging evidence of unintended negative consequences. The department has therefore ceased offering Unconscious Bias training.

The government requested other parts of the public sector, including local government, the police and the NHS, to review their approaches in light of the evidence.

Since October 2020, the department has provided separate workshops aimed at supporting staff to have informed and productive conversations on the subject of race.

The Department for Education does not hold information regarding external speakers and events occurring across higher education institutions including the number of rejected speakers. Guidance on how to request information held by the Office for Students directly can be found on the following website: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/contact/how-to-request-information-from-us/.

Health education became a statutory requirement for state-maintained schools in September 2020. The aim of teaching pupils about physical health and mental wellbeing is to give them the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, recognise issues in themselves and others and, when issues arise, seek support as early as possible from appropriate sources.

It is for schools to decide what to teach as part of health education based on the needs of their pupils. The Department’s guidance does not stipulate that they should cover the risks of hearing loss, but that they may do so where it is relevant to their pupils.

Pupils are taught about sound as part of the science National Curriculum which is mandatory for all state-maintained schools in England. As part of the programme of study, pupils are taught to understand how sounds are made, how the vibrations that form sound pass through a medium to the ear, and the effect that distance from source has on volume. They also learn about absorption of sound, the auditory range of humans and animals, detection of sound by the eardrum and to understand sound as waves of differing frequencies.

Health education became a statutory requirement for state-maintained schools in September 2020. The aim of teaching pupils about physical health and mental wellbeing is to give them the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, recognise issues in themselves and others and, when issues arise, seek support as early as possible from appropriate sources.

It is for schools to decide what to teach as part of health education based on the needs of their pupils. The Department’s guidance does not stipulate that they should cover the risks of hearing loss, but that they may do so where it is relevant to their pupils.

Pupils are taught about sound as part of the science National Curriculum which is mandatory for all state-maintained schools in England. As part of the programme of study, pupils are taught to understand how sounds are made, how the vibrations that form sound pass through a medium to the ear, and the effect that distance from source has on volume. They also learn about absorption of sound, the auditory range of humans and animals, detection of sound by the eardrum and to understand sound as waves of differing frequencies.

The government has sent a clear message that bullying should never be tolerated, and we are committed to supporting schools to tackle it. Any form of harassment or violence is abhorrent and unacceptable anywhere in society, including in our universities which should be safe and inclusive environments. Since 2016, we have provided over £3.5 million of funding through our anti-bullying programme to support schools in their effort to tackle bullying. Following the success of these programmes we are currently running a procurement exercise to fund activity in financial year 2021-22, to make sure that schools have the right support in place to prevent bullying of all pupils, including those with protected characteristics.

All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying and have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies and monitoring approaches to best suit their environment. The department provides advice for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities. The advice makes clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.

We have published a research report which details common strategies that specific schools have found to be effective for combating bullying, including case studies with examples about actions schools have taken to improve preventative practices and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pupils. It is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/approaches-to-preventing-and-tackling-bullying. We have also published ‘Respectful School Communities’, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole-school approach which promotes respect and discipline. This can combat bullying, harassment and prejudice of any kind, including hate-based bullying and can be found here: https://educateagainsthate.com/school-leaders/?filter=guidance-and-training-school-leaders.

We are also making sure that all children in England will learn about respectful relationships, in person and online, as part of new mandatory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE). These subjects are designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to lead happy, safe, and healthy lives and to foster respect for other people and for difference. Through these subjects, children will be taught about the importance of respectful relationships and the different types of loving and healthy relationships that exist. The statutory guidance states that all pupils should receive teaching on LGBT relationships during their school years. Secondary schools should include LGBT content in their teaching. Primary schools are strongly encouraged and enabled, when teaching about different types of family, to include families with same sex parents.

Further and higher education providers have clear responsibilities, including under the Equality Act 2010, and should have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law, to investigate and swiftly address reports of harassment. Ofsted's inspection framework for further education providers looks at whether there is ‘an environment in which learners feel safe because staff and learners do not accept bullying, harassment or discrimination. Staff deal with any issues quickly, consistently and effectively’.

The Office for Students (OfS) statement of expectations on harassment and sexual misconduct was published on 19 April and is a useful tool for providers to ensure their policies and processes reflect the expectations set out within the statement. As part of its next steps on harassment and hate crime, the OfS will then be considering options for connecting the statement of expectations to its conditions of registration.

Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.

The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.

We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.

Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.

The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.

We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.

Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.

The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.

We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.

The Department’s advice on face coverings is outlined clearly in our guidance, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision; and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.

As the guidance outlines, those who rely on visual signals for communication, or communicate with or provide support to such individuals, are currently exempt from any requirement to wear face coverings in education and childcare settings or in public places. The same exemptions apply in education and childcare settings and we expect staff, pupils and students to be sensitive to those needs, noting that some people are less able to wear face coverings and that the reasons for this may not be visible to others.

Education and childcare settings should follow the system of controls as outlined in our guidance and put in place proportionate control measures that suit their individual circumstances, based on a thorough risk assessment. This should include making reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and students to support them to access education successfully.

The Department has recently published updated guidance to support the full opening to education from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education.

As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by adults, pupils and students when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.

In addition, the Department now also recommend that in schools where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.

In primary schools, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

The Department is recommending these additional precautionary measures for a time limited period until Easter. As with all measures, we will keep this under review and update guidance as necessary.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools, colleges and nurseries.

Schools, colleges and nurseries have duties to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and students to support them to access education successfully. We have made this point clear in guidance.

We know that for some young people with vision impairment accessing quality learning at home during the COVID-19 outbreak has been challenging.

To help respond to such challenges the government announced, in February, an additional £700 million for a range of additional measures to give early years settings, schools, providers of 16-19 education – including specialist settings – and local authorities the tools they need to target support for all students.

It includes a new one-off £302 million Recovery Premium for state primary and secondary schools will build on the pupil premium, to further support pupils who need it most. Schools have flexibility in how they choose to spend the premium.

Children with vision impairment may be vulnerable children, such as those with education health and care plans, and as such were strongly encouraged to attend school. Where pupils with vision impairment were not in school we expected schools to provide suitable remote learning materials.

We are funding National Star College to provide specialist online training on assistive technology to strengthen remote education provision for pupils with special educational needs.

Where pupils with vision impairment are not in school, we expect schools to provide suitable remote learning materials, which could include large print materials and other alternative learning formats. Schools know their pupil’s needs best, and the Children and Families Act 2014 sets out that schools and other institutions must use their best endeavours to ensure that the special educational provision called for by the pupil’s or student’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is made.

We have funded National Star College’s SEND Hub, focused on training school leaders, teachers, and SEND coordinators on ways that assistive technology can further enhance an inclusive curriculum.

Peer support, advice and training is available through the EdTech demonstrator network, where schools and colleges are on hand to offer guidance on ways that technology can be used to support remote education arrangements.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings, including those who are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, or those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment or disability. No one should be excluded from education on the grounds that they are not wearing a face covering. Guidance on individuals who are exempt from wearing face coverings can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own.

Supported internships are a key part of our offer to support young people with SEND into employment. Since its introduction, the Supported Internships programme has grown year on year. The most recent report in January 2020 showed that 2,231 young people with Education Health Care plans were undertaking Supported Internships, an increase from 1,646 from the same time in 2019 and 1,186 in 2018.

We anticipate that the COVID-19 outbreak is likely to negatively impact this growth. Department officials are looking into how we can sustain and strengthen the Supported Internship Programme, which we know will be all the more important in light of the challenges to the labour market brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak.

In September 2019 we launched a review of SEND policy, which includes looking at how we can provide the highest quality support that enables children and young people with SEND to thrive, prepare for adulthood, and secure high quality outcomes. Officials from across the government are working to inform the development of the National Strategy for Disabled people, in particular consideration of what more can be done to support young people with SEND to prepare for and successfully transition to adulthood, including employment.

The attached table shows the average salary for all full-time general teaching assistants, higher level teaching assistants and all teaching assistants in local authority maintained schools, academy schools and free schools in England, as at November each year.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 July 2020 to Question 63492.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 July 2020 to Question 63492.

A dance school which operates for fewer than 18 hours per week would generally be considered to be an out-of-school setting. As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed in his announcement on 23 June, out-of-school settings which run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children can operate over the summer holiday, with safety measures in place. Providers of these settings have been able to open since 4 July, provided that they follow the protective measures set out by Government. However, providers should check the latest government guidelines on which businesses and venues can open and for which purposes as some premises may only be able to open for certain limited purposes:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.

As announced on the 9 July, indoor gyms, sports courts and fitness and dance studios will be able to reopen from 25 July. They cannot be used for holiday clubs and activities for children until that point.

Protective measures guidance for out-of-school settings 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.

Providers who offer indoor sports activities for children should also refer to the guidance for keeping workers, volunteers and customers safe during COVID-19 for providers of grassroots sports, gym or leisure facilities:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/providers-of-grassroots-sport-and-gym-leisure-facilities.

A dance school which operates for fewer than 18 hours per week would generally be considered to be an out-of-school setting. As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed in his announcement on 23 June, out-of-school settings which run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children can operate over the summer holiday, with safety measures in place. Providers of these settings have been able to open since 4 July, provided that they follow the protective measures set out by Government. However, providers should check the latest government guidelines on which businesses and venues can open and for which purposes as some premises may only be able to open for certain limited purposes:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.

As announced on the 9 July, indoor gyms, sports courts and fitness and dance studios will be able to reopen from 25 July. They cannot be used for holiday clubs and activities for children until that point.

Protective measures guidance for out-of-school settings 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.

Providers who offer indoor sports activities for children should also refer to the guidance for keeping workers, volunteers and customers safe during COVID-19 for providers of grassroots sports, gym or leisure facilities:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/providers-of-grassroots-sport-and-gym-leisure-facilities.

My officials are currently planning for how to deliver this new duty. We wish to make the best use of recent advances in satellite imagery, increased computational power and ground survey including using citizen scientists, to deliver a good standard of National Habitat Map (NHM).

We intend to bid for further resources to deliver the NHM as part of an extensive science assessment programme in the planning round for next year.

The Government undertook an Impact Assessment of the Biodiversity Net Gain and Local Nature Recovery (LNR) Strategy provisions in the Environment Bill which was published on 15 October 2019. My officials are continuing to work with counterparts in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and to engage stakeholders to refine our estimates and work towards a more comprehensive assessment of resources required to ensure delivery to a high standard. The Environment Bill requires that, collectively, LNR Strategies cover the whole of England.

Our 25 Year Environment Plan marked a step-change in ambitions for wildlife and the natural environment. It committed the Government to establishing a nature recovery network in England and developing a new strategy for nature, setting out how we will implement our international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The coronavirus outbreak has impacted on our plans. Key international meetings to develop global biodiversity targets, including the CBD Conference in China (originally planned for the end of 2020), have been postponed. At the same time, many of our stakeholders no longer have the capacity to engage on the strategy at the moment.

This means that we have slowed the process of drafting the strategy so that we have extra time to engage with stakeholders, and properly reflect on the emerging international framework. We expect the main CBD Conference of the Parties to be rescheduled for some time in 2021 and will update our domestic plans once this is finalised.

Although work on the strategy has been delayed, we are bringing forward policies and funding now that will deliver real change for nature and to establish a Nature Recovery Network (NRN).

Our Environment Bill lays the foundation for the NRN. It sets the framework for at least one legally binding biodiversity target. It establishes spatial mapping and planning tools to inform nature recovery. It also creates duties and incentives, such as biodiversity net gain, to drive change on the ground.

These measures will complement our plans for new funding for nature announced in March this year.

My officials will be working with Natural England and local partners to pilot approaches to the production of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) in up to five areas in England. In these pilots we will explore how national data can best inform the production of LNRSs. We will then bring forward proposals for the national habitat map as soon as possible after Royal Assent of the Environment Bill.

The £640 million Nature for Climate Fund, announced in the Budget, will increase tree planting and peat restoration in England over this Parliament. Plans to deliver this will be set out in the forthcoming England Tree Strategy and Peat Strategy later this year. We are currently consulting on the Tree Strategy and engaging stakeholders further on a future Peat Strategy.

Clause 96 of the Environment Bill proposes giving power to the Secretary of State to bring forward regulations specifying the procedure to be followed in preparing, publishing, reviewing and republishing Local Nature Recovery Strategies. In developing these regulations we will seek views from stakeholders and partners. We will be considering our approach to this following Royal Assent of the Bill.

We have worked closely with local authorities and other public bodies to develop the Environment Bill, and are committed to engaging with them to bring forward a sensible implementation plan for the Bill that maximises effective delivery and minimises additional burdens.

We will fully fund all new burdens arising from the Bill to ensure these flagship measures become a reality. We will be bidding through the next spending review to secure necessary funds.

We are exploring options to pilot Local Nature Recovery Strategies in up to five locations this year and are in the early stages of discussions with local partners. We will issue further information shortly.

The Government’s UK Plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations was published in July 2017 and detailed the approach that would be taken forward by Highways England in order to deliver compliance on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in the shortest possible time. Since the publication of the 2017 Plan, the Government has been working closely with Highways England (HE) on the delivery of their air quality programme of work. Some measures to tackle illegal roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations have already been implemented on the SRN by HE.

The second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) also refers to HE bringing road links on the SRN into compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits in the shortest possible time.

Highways England (HE) currently has 74 air quality monitoring stations alongside the Strategic Road Network. 57 of these are part of its National Air Quality Monitoring Network. The type and number of stations is set out in the table below.

*MCERTS (Monitoring Certification Scheme) is the Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certification Scheme.

HE annual site monitoring reports have not been published; however, information from the reports has been provided on request. HE has annual monitoring reports for the number of sites set out in the table below.

**2016 is the first year of data for the first monitoring sites installed.

East Midlands Railway and Network Rail are conducting reviews into why the plans to uplift Regional Services in May proved unsustainable, and an assessment of staffing plans will be part of this which will be shared with the Department.

The information and actions taken by East Midlands Railway will be evidenced and form part of the processes in considering its next Performance Based Fee payment.

The reduction in services via the temporary timetable, sees the number of East Midlands Railway’s regional service provided each day similar to the numbers provided prior to its reinstatement in May, therefore there is no plan to compensate season ticket holders.

East Midlands Railway reinstated 100 per cent of its Regional route services on 16 May. The operation of this timetable has not proved to be robust due to the introduction of different fleet, traincrew issues and sickness which East Midlands Railway communicated to officials and key stakeholders in early June. East Midlands Railway’s proposal to scale back the advertised service to one that could be reliably delivered was discussed in advance with the Department.

Passengers have been advised to plan ahead and continue to follow guidance on how to travel safely. This includes sanitising their hands regularly, wearing a face covering unless exempt, opening a window to increase ventilation where possible, and maintaining social distancing where possible. We are working with operators to ensure service levels are high as restrictions ease. Operators have already enhanced their cleaning regimes at stations and on-board services and hand sanitisers are widely available at stations.

The Department has also launched the ‘It’s everyone’s journey’ campaign to reset travel behaviours and support disabled people to return to the transport network. The Department is working closely with operators to improve busyness data and on industry communication campaigns to build public confidence in using public transport. As announced on 20 May alongside the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the Department is introducing new flexible season tickets across England this year, with the new tickets going on-sale on 21 June and becoming available for use on 28 June.

Passengers have been advised to plan ahead and continue to follow guidance on how to travel safely. This includes sanitising their hands regularly, wearing a face covering unless exempt, opening a window to increase ventilation where possible, and maintaining social distancing where possible. We are working with operators to ensure service levels are high as restrictions ease. Operators have already enhanced their cleaning regimes at stations and on-board services and hand sanitisers are widely available at stations.

The Department has also launched the ‘It’s everyone’s journey’ campaign to reset travel behaviours and support disabled people to return to the transport network. The Department is working closely with operators to improve busyness data and on industry communication campaigns to build public confidence in using public transport. As announced on 20 May alongside the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the Department is introducing new flexible season tickets across England this year, with the new tickets going on-sale on 21 June and becoming available for use on 28 June.

Passengers have been advised to plan ahead and continue to follow guidance on how to travel safely. This includes sanitising their hands regularly, wearing a face covering unless exempt, opening a window to increase ventilation where possible, and maintaining social distancing where possible. We are working with operators to ensure service levels are high as restrictions ease. Operators have already enhanced their cleaning regimes at stations and on-board services and hand sanitisers are widely available at stations.

The Department has also launched the ‘It’s everyone’s journey’ campaign to reset travel behaviours and support disabled people to return to the transport network. The Department is working closely with operators to improve busyness data and on industry communication campaigns to build public confidence in using public transport. As announced on 20 May alongside the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the Department is introducing new flexible season tickets across England this year, with the new tickets going on-sale on 21 June and becoming available for use on 28 June.

The National Bus Strategy sets out what we want to see on fares, including low flat fares (or maximum fares and daily price caps) to be the norm within cities and towns. We expect to see Bus Service Improvement Plans from local transport authorities set out how they will achieve these objectives, including their plans and costs for implementing new fares and ticketing policies.

The Government has committed to issuing guidance on the meaning and role of socially necessary services. Further details will be announced in due course.

The National Bus Strategy sets out how we expect Local Transport Authorities in collaboration with bus operators to deliver more comprehensive, socially necessary services, including services to smaller and isolated places and more services in the evenings and at weekends.

We will issue further guidance on the meaning and role of socially necessary services in due course.

The National Bus Strategy sets out that within cities and towns, we want low flat fares (or maximum fares and daily price caps) to be the norm. Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs), which we expect local transport authorities to produce by the end of October, will need to set out ambitious visions for travel by bus, meeting the goals and expectations in the strategy. BSIPs will influence the share of the £3 billion transformation that each authority receives, and we will expect to see fares policy as an integral part of the plans. We will publish detailed guidance on preparing BSIPs shortly.

The second-hand electric vehicle market will have an important role in the UK’s transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). We already have various financial incentives to stimulate the new ZEV market and increase the supply of these vehicles feeding through to the second-hand market. Additionally, our funding for chargepoint infrastructure at homes, workplaces, residential streets and across the wider roads network is also supporting consumers to buy used ZEVs.

Fleet operator businesses buy over half of the new vehicles sold each year and are major suppliers to the used market, therefore encouraging them to go zero emission will spur the used ZEV market. As confirmed in March 2020, users of zero and ultra-low emission cars will continue to benefit from favourable company car tax rates (compared to conventionally fuelled vehicles) until 2024-25. In addition, buyers of both new and used ZEVs do not pay vehicle excise duty.

We ensure that all of our grant funding schemes are reviewed on an ongoing basis. We will continue to keep the eligibility criteria and rates for the plug-in grant under review as the market grows.

The Transport Decarbonisation Plan will include plans to tackle emissions in every form of transport, including maritime and aviation, and how these plans come together to deliver transport’s contributions to carbon budgets and net zero.

Our assessment is that the changes to the van grant will mean funding will last longer and be available to more drivers, while still offering a substantial discount on upfront price. There are now over twenty models of electric vans (including HGVs) eligible for the van grant, with a wide variety of specifications and lower running costs than internal combustion engine vans. We expect the market to continue to grow. Zero emission vans are exempt from vehicle excise duty, and from 6 April 2021 zero emission company vans will be exempt from the van benefit charge.

Estimates of the number of zero emission cars and vans to receive plug-in vehicle grant funding are commercially sensitive to Government.

The Plug-in Car Grant rate has been reduced from £3,000 to £2,500 per car with the price cap reducing from £50,000 to £35,000, enabling the funding to last longer and making it available to more drivers. The increasing choice of new vehicles, growing demand from customers, and rapidly rising number of chargepoints means that we are re-focusing our vehicle grants on the more affordable zero emission vehicles – where most consumers will be looking and where taxpayers’ money will make more of a difference.

We have also changed the Plug-in Van Grant eligibility criteria to focus only on vans with zero emission ranges of over 60 miles. We have provided over £100m in funding through the Plug-in Van Grant since its launch in 2012, supporting the purchase of over 15,000 ultra-low emission vans and trucks, the majority of which are zero emission vehicles. As the market for electric vans increases, the revised Plug-In Van Grant rates ensure we can continue to support the highest number of vehicles, while still offering a substantial discount on the upfront price.

We will continue to review both grant schemes as the market grows. Generous tax incentives, including favourable company car tax rates, which can save drivers over £2,000 a year, remain in place.

The evaluation will include interviews with national and local organisations ensuring that a broad sample of expertise and perspectives are included in its findings. Additionally, the project is in regular contact with the implementing local authorities and the evaluation is interviewing a sample of representatives from these areas.

Local Access Forums (LAFs) are concerned with local issues and engage directly with local authorities who are best placed to deal with those concerns. The views of the LAFs will be represented through the local authority interviews and through our engagement with other organisations that span LAFs responsibilities.

The second-hand electric vehicle market will have an important role in the UK’s transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). We already have various financial incentives to stimulate the new ZEV market and increase the supply of these vehicles feeding through to the second-hand market. Additionally, our funding for chargepoint infrastructure at homes, workplaces, residential streets and across the wider roads network is also supporting consumers to buy used ZEVs.

Fleet operator businesses buy over half of the new vehicles sold each year and are major suppliers to the used market, therefore encouraging them to go zero emission will spur the used ZEV market. As confirmed in March 2020, users of zero and ultra-low emission cars will continue to benefit from favourable company car tax rates (compared to conventionally fuelled vehicles) until 2024-25. In addition, buyers of both new and used ZEVs do not pay vehicle excise duty.

The report will be published in full later this year.

The Government is committed to ensuring the East Midlands, Yorkshire, and the North East reap the benefits of high-speed services. The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), will consider the sequencing and delivery of HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and other rail investment projects to ensure the benefits of these investments are delivered to passengers and communities more quickly. We will publish the IRP this Spring.

Work is ongoing to develop an optimised design and delivery strategy for Euston Station, including consideration of opportunities, efficiencies and scope reductions to address identified cost pressures. As part of this work, the Department and HS2 Ltd have, with the involvement of other partners, been investigating whether building the HS2 station in a single phase would speed up delivery and reduce the overall cost. This work is currently indicating that moving to a slightly smaller, simpler HS2 station at Euston would have some benefits in terms of terms of reducing costs and risks. This work will help inform the way forward, with a final decision expected in Spring 2021.

Initial HS2 Ltd analysis indicates that moving to a slightly smaller HS2 station at Euston maintains the station infrastructure capacity to run all of the services in the planned HS2 Phase 2b Train Service Specification. The future development of the final HS2 timetable, in due course, will have close regard to optimising resilience and capacity.

We are always looking to improve rail connectivity and am pleased to say that the new Midland Mainline timetable in May will reduce journey times for peak trains between Nottingham and London St. Pancras by up to 10 minutes.

The Department regularly updates its Road Traffic Forecasts to provide a strategic view of how road travel demand may develop in future, with a focus on exploring the uncertainty around key drivers of demand. In planning future forecasts, consideration is given to relevant transport policies that may impact on road travel demand. The impact of the government’s walking and cycling commitments on motorised road traffic will be considered when the forecasts are next updated.

The forecasts are produced using the Department’s National Transport Model (NTM). To produce the forecasts, the NTM takes account of the travel choice between walking, cycling, rail and bus as well as car. However, the NTM is not designed to forecast cycling levels, which will be influenced by a range of factors not included in the model.

The Department has not yet made a detailed assessment of the wider impacts of meeting the 2030 vision set out in Gear Change. These and other matters will be considered as part of the development of the next Cycling & Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) in due course. The impacts will depend on what journeys are replaced by cycling and walking journeys, which is likely to vary from one place to another. The Department’s existing CWIS active travel investment models explore different scenarios for increasing cycling and walking and their impacts, including those related to carbon dioxide emissions, urban congestion, road safety and health. These are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycling-and-walking-investment-strategy-active-travel-investment-models .

Passenger demand has fallen dramatically over the last year in response to COVID-19. Due to this and a potential future shift in passenger behaviours, future rail income is also uncertain. Any new flexible season ticket products will aim to encourage and support passengers returning to the railway when it is safe to do so.

We are working closely with industry to develop a solution that offers better value and convenience for those who commute flexibly and will provide further details in due course.

The second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS 2) will be published after the Government has agreed and set out its long-term spending plans for active travel at the next multi-year Spending Review. It will reflect and build on the commitments outlined in the Prime Minister’s Cycling and Walking Plan of July 2020, as well as setting out the financial resources available for cycling and walking and the other matters required by the Infrastructure Act 2015, including targets for cycling and walking.

These plans will be formally set out to Parliament in due course, as is required by the Infrastructure Act 2015.

The second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS 2) will be published after the Government has agreed and set out its long-term spending plans for active travel at the next multi-year Spending Review. It will reflect and build on the commitments outlined in the Prime Minister’s Cycling and Walking Plan of July 2020, as well as setting out the financial resources available for cycling and walking and the other matters required by the Infrastructure Act 2015, including targets for cycling and walking.

These plans will be formally set out to Parliament in due course, as is required by the Infrastructure Act 2015.

The Government will report in detail on this matter in due course once the relevant statistics for 2020 are available.

In the meantime, the Government published its first report on the progress towards meeting the objectives of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) in February 2020. The report highlights the delivery of actions, outputs and outcomes since 2016/17 with accompanying statistical analysis.

In 2019 people in England made an average of 332 walking stages, which is an 11% increase since 2015. This follows a reweighting of the data due to a methodological change to the National Travel Survey in 2016. In 2019, people in England cycled an estimated total of 964 million stages, an increase of 17% since 2013 (the CWIS baseline).

Adjusting for changes in severity reporting, total pedal cyclists killed or seriously injured per billion miles cycled in 2019 was 1,280 with levels falling since 2012.

As set out in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the Spending Review 2020, the Government will invest £120 million in 2021-22 to start the delivery of the 4,000 zero emission buses announced by the Prime Minister last year.

Together with existing funding for the All Electric Bus Town or City, Government funding for 2021/22 could support the purchase of 800 zero emission buses and the infrastructure needed to support them.

Further details on how funding in 2021-22 will be distributed will be announced in the spring.

As set out in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the Spending Review 2020, the Government will invest £120 million in 2021-22 to start the delivery of the 4,000 zero emission buses announced by the Prime Minister last year.

Together with existing funding for the All Electric Bus Town or City, Government funding for 2021/22 could support the purchase of 800 zero emission buses and the infrastructure needed to support them.

Further details on how funding in 2021-22 will be distributed will be announced in the spring.

During UK-EU negotiations, market access provisions for passenger transport operators were discussed at length. Prior to these negotiations, the Government also discussed provisions with relevant passenger transport stakeholders.

Following the conclusion of the Trade Cooperation Agreement between the UK and EU, the GOV.UK page https://www.gov.uk/guidance/run-international-bus-or-coach-services-and-tours has been updated to reflect the current rules for passenger transport services that operate to Europe and other countries. We have also been working with the industry to provide bespoke guidance.

The UK also acceded to the Interbus Agreement in its own right on 1 January 2021. This provides reciprocal rights for UK and EU operators to provide ‘occasional services’ (holiday tours and private trips) to and from respective territories.

The Government is committed to establishing arrangements with EU countries that facilitate motoring with the minimum of bureaucracy. In 2020, all EU countries, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have confirmed recognition of UK driving licences which means that International Driving Permits will not be required by UK visitors with photocard driving licences from 1 January 2021.

Following the conclusion of the Trade Cooperation Agreement between the UK and EU, the GOV.UK page https://www.gov.uk/guidance/run-international-bus-or-coach-services-and-tours has been updated to reflect the current rules for passenger transport services that operate to Europe and other countries.

The UK also acceded to the Interbus Agreement in its own right on 1 January 2021. This provides reciprocal rights for UK and EU operators to provide ‘occasional services’ (holiday tours and private trips) to and from respective territories.

The Government is developing a Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) that puts transport on a path to delivering its contributions to carbon budgets and net zero by 2050. The plan will take a holistic and cross-modal approach to decarbonising the entire transport system for the first time, setting out a credible and ambitious pathway to cut emissions. The Plan is will be published in Spring 2021.

We are investing £2bn in cycling and walking over the next 5 years. In July 2020 the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking in England, with a vision for half of all journeys in towns and cities to be cycled or walked by 2030.

The publication date for Reported road casualties in Great Britain, provisional estimates for the year ending June 2020 has now been confirmed as 28 January 2021 and pre-announced via Department’s forthcoming publications schedule: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/about/statistics#forthcoming-publications

This publication has been delayed from the initially scheduled date of November 2020 in response to delays in the submission of data to DfT from some police forces whose ability to process their respective records has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, at least one month of data was missing for the following forces, none of which has adopted the CRASH system: Avon and Somerset, Derbyshire, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, Lincolnshire, North Wales, Northamptonshire, South Wales, Thames Valley and Wiltshire.

CRASH is provided free to police forces in England and Wales who wish to use it. We continue to engage with the forces not using CRASH to understand the barriers to adopting the system. We anticipate new forces will be moving to using CRASH in 2021. However, this is a decision for Chief Constables as the Home Office does not mandate the use of specific police IT systems.

The publication date for Reported road casualties in Great Britain, provisional estimates for the year ending June 2020 has now been confirmed as 28 January 2021 and pre-announced via Department’s forthcoming publications schedule: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/about/statistics#forthcoming-publications

This publication has been delayed from the initially scheduled date of November 2020 in response to delays in the submission of data to DfT from some police forces whose ability to process their respective records has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, at least one month of data was missing for the following forces, none of which has adopted the CRASH system: Avon and Somerset, Derbyshire, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, Lincolnshire, North Wales, Northamptonshire, South Wales, Thames Valley and Wiltshire.

CRASH is provided free to police forces in England and Wales who wish to use it. We continue to engage with the forces not using CRASH to understand the barriers to adopting the system. We anticipate new forces will be moving to using CRASH in 2021. However, this is a decision for Chief Constables as the Home Office does not mandate the use of specific police IT systems.

The publication date for Reported road casualties in Great Britain, provisional estimates for the year ending June 2020 has now been confirmed as 28 January 2021 and pre-announced via Department’s forthcoming publications schedule: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/about/statistics#forthcoming-publications

This publication has been delayed from the initially scheduled date of November 2020 in response to delays in the submission of data to DfT from some police forces whose ability to process their respective records has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, at least one month of data was missing for the following forces, none of which has adopted the CRASH system: Avon and Somerset, Derbyshire, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, Lincolnshire, North Wales, Northamptonshire, South Wales, Thames Valley and Wiltshire.

CRASH is provided free to police forces in England and Wales who wish to use it. We continue to engage with the forces not using CRASH to understand the barriers to adopting the system. We anticipate new forces will be moving to using CRASH in 2021. However, this is a decision for Chief Constables as the Home Office does not mandate the use of specific police IT systems.

The publication date for Reported road casualties in Great Britain, provisional estimates for the year ending June 2020 has now been confirmed as 28 January 2021 and pre-announced via Department’s forthcoming publications schedule: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/about/statistics#forthcoming-publications

This publication has been delayed from the initially scheduled date of November 2020 in response to delays in the submission of data to DfT from some police forces whose ability to process their respective records has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, at least one month of data was missing for the following forces, none of which has adopted the CRASH system: Avon and Somerset, Derbyshire, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, Lincolnshire, North Wales, Northamptonshire, South Wales, Thames Valley and Wiltshire.

CRASH is provided free to police forces in England and Wales who wish to use it. We continue to engage with the forces not using CRASH to understand the barriers to adopting the system. We anticipate new forces will be moving to using CRASH in 2021. However, this is a decision for Chief Constables as the Home Office does not mandate the use of specific police IT systems.

The Department considered a range of surveys and evidence on expected commuting patterns post-COVID.

We are working closely with industry to develop a solution that offers better value and convenience for those who commute flexibly, including assessing the commercial impact of introducing the new products.

The Government recognises the difficulties those working in the taxi and private hire vehicle sector face during the pandemic. The Department has maintained close contact with representatives from the taxi and private hire vehicle trade throughout the pandemic, including those representing local authorities responsible for the licensing of the taxi and private hire vehicle sector. Local authorities are best placed to understand local demand and driver need and we are aware that some local authorities are supporting the sector.

From 2 December councils in England in Tier 2 and Tier 3 will receive funding to provide grants to closed businesses (Local Restriction Support Grants) and to be able to run local discretionary grant schemes to provide support to affected businesses. These allocations will be published shortly and are in addition to the £2.3bn already provided to local councils since the start of the pandemic. The Local Authority administers the scheme and determines on a case-by-case basis where to allocate this funding.

As set out in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the Spending Review 2020m, the Government will invest £120 million in 2021-22 to start the delivery of the 4,000 zero emission buses announced by the Prime Minister in February.

Together with existing funding for the All Electric Bus Town, the Government funding could support the purchase of 800 cleaner, greener, quieter zero emission buses and the infrastructure needed to support them.

Further details on how funding will be distributed will be announced in due course. The Department is considering all funding mechanisms in delivering the zero emission buses.

As set out in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the Spending Review 2020m, the Government will invest £120 million in 2021-22 to start the delivery of the 4,000 zero emission buses announced by the Prime Minister in February.

Together with existing funding for the All Electric Bus Town, the Government funding could support the purchase of 800 cleaner, greener, quieter zero emission buses and the infrastructure needed to support them.

Further details on how funding will be distributed will be announced in due course. The Department is considering all funding mechanisms in delivering the zero emission buses.

As set out in the Spending Review 2020, the £120 million investment in zero emission buses, together with existing funding for the All-Electric Bus Town, will support both the introduction of 800 zero emission buses and the necessary local infrastructure. Further details on how funding will be distributed to fulfil this ambition will be announced in due course.

The Government recognises the significant financial challenges facing Eurostar and HS1 as a result of Covid-19 and the unprecedented circumstances currently faced by the international travel industry.

The Government has been engaging extensively with Eurostar?and HS1 since the outbreak of Covid-19 earlier?this year, closely monitoring the ongoing impact on demand for international rail services. Department for Transport officials have also worked with Eurostar to access the various Government support schemes where appropriate, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

As Rail Minister I have also recently met with both Eurostar and HS1 to discuss these challenges. The Government will continue to engage closely with Eurostar and HS1 as we move towards the next phase of our Covid-19 response, and in particular as we look to restart our travel sectors when it is safe to do so.

The Government recognises the significant financial challenges facing Eurostar and HS1 as a result of Covid-19 and the unprecedented circumstances currently faced by the international travel industry.

The Government has been engaging extensively with Eurostar?and HS1 since the outbreak of Covid-19 earlier?this year, closely monitoring the ongoing impact on demand for international rail services. Department for Transport officials have also worked with Eurostar to access the various Government support schemes where appropriate, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

As Rail Minister I have also recently met with both Eurostar and HS1 to discuss these challenges. The Government will continue to engage closely with Eurostar and HS1 as we move towards the next phase of our Covid-19 response, and in particular as we look to restart our travel sectors when it is safe to do so.

The Government recognises the significant financial challenges facing Eurostar and HS1 as a result of Covid-19 and the unprecedented circumstances currently faced by the international travel industry.

The Government has been engaging extensively with Eurostar?and HS1 since the outbreak of Covid-19 earlier?this year, closely monitoring the ongoing impact on demand for international rail services. Department for Transport officials have also worked with Eurostar to access the various Government support schemes where appropriate, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

As Rail Minister I have also recently met with both Eurostar and HS1 to discuss these challenges. The Government will continue to engage closely with Eurostar and HS1 as we move towards the next phase of our Covid-19 response, and in particular as we look to restart our travel sectors when it is safe to do so.

We recognise that the international rail sector, as with the rest of the international travel sector, has been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

DfT officials have engaged extensively and supported operators across transport sectors, including the international rail sector, to make full use of the various government support schemes available where appropriate, including the Coronavirus job retention scheme.

We continue to engage regularly with international rail stakeholders including Eurostar, Eurotunnel and HS1 Ltd, and monitor very closely the impacts of Covid-19 on this sector, as well as the decisions taken by companies in response.

The Department has progressed two bids to Phase 2 of the All-Electric Bus Town competition: Coventry, submitted by Transport for West Midlands; and Oxford, submitted by Oxfordshire County Council. During Phase 2, bidders are required to develop a business case for their scheme that demonstrates appropriate value for money before any funding is awarded. Further details will be available in due course.

As announced in the ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’ package, the Government remains committed to the reform of the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) in order to support the environment and improve passenger journeys.

The Secretary of State has not had any specific discussions with the Prime Minister regarding the timeline for the 4,000 zero emission buses.

Details of how the 4,000 zero emission buses commitment will be delivered will be announced after the Spending Review.

The Department has taken steps to allow trials of rental e-scooters in a number of local areas across the country. The trials will run across the next 12 months and will be closely monitored and evaluated by officials. This will build an evidence base to guide any future decisions about whether or not to legalise e-scooter use in the long-term and – if so – on what basis. It is not yet possible to determine the outcome of the trials and how they may influence timescales of future legislative proposals, if indeed they determine that e-scooters should be legalised.

Incidents in e-scooter trials can be reported to the e-scooter operator, the local authority hosting the trial or, if necessary, to the police. All e-scooters have a unique identifier and in some areas have small plates - similar to registration plates - to help identify the e-scooters involved in any incidents. The Department is regularly gathering evidence from local authorities and operators about incidents and how these are being addressed.

In addition to reported incidents, the Department is letting a contract for central monitoring and evaluation across all trial areas. The primary areas of focus include:

• safety outcomes for e-scooter users and what influences this,
• interaction with, and effect on, other road users,
• public perceptions of e-scooters, including directly from people with disabilities and related groups.

In November 2018 and March 2019 ministers met all three operators who directly hold leasehold interests, MOTO, Welcome Break, and Roadchef, to seek their general views about the options on expiry of the current lease for the state-owned Motorway Service Area (MSA) sites. There has also been frequent engagement between the operators and officials regarding site improvements.

In September this year, Baroness Vere met Roadchef, to hear their current proposals for lease renewal. Topics discussed included how best to unlock investment to modernise the ageing sites, including the upgrades to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, provision of additional HGV parking.

Ministers are considering which approach will secure best value for the taxpayer and enhance the experience for future road users and have requested that the operators work with officials to help understand how the timelines for each option could affect the timing of any investment.

In the March 2020 Budget, the Government announced the Rapid Charging Fund as part of a £500 million commitment for EV charging infrastructure.

It will be available to fund a portion of costs at strategic sites across the strategic road network where upgrading connections to meet future demand for high powered chargepoints would be prohibitively expensive and uncommercial. Timing and process for delivery of this funding will be confirmed in due course.

The Government will be working with the operators of MSAs to ensure that charging provision is in place ahead of customer demand. The aim is to help support early adoption of EVs and remove range anxiety concerns for drivers on long journeys.

In November 2018 and March 2019 ministers met all three operators who directly hold leasehold interests, MOTO, Welcome Break, and Roadchef, to seek their general views about the options on expiry of the current lease for the state-owned Motorway Service Area (MSA) sites. There has also been frequent engagement between the operators and officials regarding site improvements.

In September this year, Baroness Vere met Roadchef, to hear their current proposals for lease renewal. Topics discussed included how best to unlock investment to modernise the ageing sites, including the upgrades to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, provision of additional HGV parking.

Ministers are considering which approach will secure best value for the taxpayer and enhance the experience for future road users and have requested that the operators work with officials to help understand how the timelines for each option could affect the timing of any investment.

In the March 2020 Budget, the Government announced the Rapid Charging Fund as part of a £500 million commitment for EV charging infrastructure.

It will be available to fund a portion of costs at strategic sites across the strategic road network where upgrading connections to meet future demand for high powered chargepoints would be prohibitively expensive and uncommercial. Timing and process for delivery of this funding will be confirmed in due course.

The Government will be working with the operators of MSAs to ensure that charging provision is in place ahead of customer demand. The aim is to help support early adoption of EVs and remove range anxiety concerns for drivers on long journeys.

In November 2018 and March 2019 ministers met all three operators who directly hold leasehold interests, MOTO, Welcome Break, and Roadchef, to seek their general views about the options on expiry of the current lease for the state-owned Motorway Service Area (MSA) sites. There has also been frequent engagement between the operators and officials regarding site improvements.

In September this year, Baroness Vere met Roadchef, to hear their current proposals for lease renewal. Topics discussed included how best to unlock investment to modernise the ageing sites, including the upgrades to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, provision of additional HGV parking.

Ministers are considering which approach will secure best value for the taxpayer and enhance the experience for future road users and have requested that the operators work with officials to help understand how the timelines for each option could affect the timing of any investment.

In the March 2020 Budget, the Government announced the Rapid Charging Fund as part of a £500 million commitment for EV charging infrastructure.

It will be available to fund a portion of costs at strategic sites across the strategic road network where upgrading connections to meet future demand for high powered chargepoints would be prohibitively expensive and uncommercial. Timing and process for delivery of this funding will be confirmed in due course.

The Government will be working with the operators of MSAs to ensure that charging provision is in place ahead of customer demand. The aim is to help support early adoption of EVs and remove range anxiety concerns for drivers on long journeys.

In November 2018 and March 2019 ministers met all three operators who directly hold leasehold interests, MOTO, Welcome Break, and Roadchef, to seek their general views about the options on expiry of the current lease for the state-owned Motorway Service Area (MSA) sites. There has also been frequent engagement between the operators and officials regarding site improvements.

In September this year, Baroness Vere met Roadchef, to hear their current proposals for lease renewal. Topics discussed included how best to unlock investment to modernise the ageing sites, including the upgrades to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, provision of additional HGV parking.

Ministers are considering which approach will secure best value for the taxpayer and enhance the experience for future road users and have requested that the operators work with officials to help understand how the timelines for each option could affect the timing of any investment.

In the March 2020 Budget, the Government announced the Rapid Charging Fund as part of a £500 million commitment for EV charging infrastructure.

It will be available to fund a portion of costs at strategic sites across the strategic road network where upgrading connections to meet future demand for high powered chargepoints would be prohibitively expensive and uncommercial. Timing and process for delivery of this funding will be confirmed in due course.

The Government will be working with the operators of MSAs to ensure that charging provision is in place ahead of customer demand. The aim is to help support early adoption of EVs and remove range anxiety concerns for drivers on long journeys.

The Department will be working closely with colleagues from across Government on the National Bus Strategy, which is currently under development and which we are aiming to publish by the end of the year.

We will be considering a wide range of evidence, including the National Audit Office report, as we continue to develop the National Bus Strategy which we are aiming to publish by the end of this year.

The Director of the Acceleration Unit Darren Shirley takes his post in October 2020. The programme of work and list of projects will not be determined until after Darren Shirley is established.

The Department does not hold this information.

The Government is committed to reforms that deliver a railway that is focused on passengers, with reliable, safe services on a network built around them. We have now ended the franchising system, paving the way for the wider reforms which will be set out in the Williams Review White Paper. We will publish this as soon as the course of the Covid-19 pandemic allows.

The members of the Acceleration Unit will engage positively with key stakeholders and colleagues across the department, government, and industry on a range of projects and programmes at varying stages of their lifecycle to deliver the best possible outcome from accelerating their delivery.

The Acceleration Unit aims to speed up the delivery of key projects and programmes which will be determined by the Secretary of State. A key element of the Unit’s work will be to put in place a means to judge the effectiveness of its interventions.

The Acceleration Unit Director Darren Shirley will assess the effectiveness of its activities in accordance with these criteria and report to the Secretary of State.

E-scooter trials are underway in Tees Valley, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire. Trials have been approved in Norfolk, York, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Cambridge and Peterborough, Liverpool, Nottingham and Derby, Redditch, Kent and Slough and these will start soon. The Department is also assessing proposals for trials in some other local areas.

Data sharing agreements have been or will be put in place between the Department and the e-scooter operator(s) before a trial can commence. This will provide data on the number and types of journeys completed by e-scooters. The Department is in the process of setting up a large multi-disciplinary contract for the national evaluation of the trials. This will consist of data analysis as well as qualitative and quantitative primary research.

The evaluation will assess some key issues:?the safety risks presented by e-scooters; the mode shift?to e-scooters from other forms of transport;?public perceptions around their use; and other identified impacts from their use. These will inform a decision on whether e-scooters should be legalised and what a suitable form of regulation for e-scooters would be.

E-scooter trials are underway in Tees Valley, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire. Trials have been approved in Norfolk, York, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Cambridge and Peterborough, Liverpool, Nottingham and Derby, Redditch, Kent and Slough and these will start soon. The Department is also assessing proposals for trials in some other local areas.

Data sharing agreements have been or will be put in place between the Department and the e-scooter operator(s) before a trial can commence. This will provide data on the number and types of journeys completed by e-scooters. The Department is in the process of setting up a large multi-disciplinary contract for the national evaluation of the trials. This will consist of data analysis as well as qualitative and quantitative primary research.

The evaluation will assess some key issues:?the safety risks presented by e-scooters; the mode shift?to e-scooters from other forms of transport;?public perceptions around their use; and other identified impacts from their use. These will inform a decision on whether e-scooters should be legalised and what a suitable form of regulation for e-scooters would be.

E-scooter trials are underway in Tees Valley, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire. Trials have been approved in Norfolk, York, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Cambridge and Peterborough, Liverpool, Nottingham and Derby, Redditch, Kent and Slough and these will start soon. The Department is also assessing proposals for trials in some other local areas.

Data sharing agreements have been or will be put in place between the Department and the e-scooter operator(s) before a trial can commence. This will provide data on the number and types of journeys completed by e-scooters. The Department is in the process of setting up a large multi-disciplinary contract for the national evaluation of the trials. This will consist of data analysis as well as qualitative and quantitative primary research.

The evaluation will assess some key issues:?the safety risks presented by e-scooters; the mode shift?to e-scooters from other forms of transport;?public perceptions around their use; and other identified impacts from their use. These will inform a decision on whether e-scooters should be legalised and what a suitable form of regulation for e-scooters would be.

The Secretary of State has invited all Northern Metro Mayors and leaders to be members of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council.

The Council is a forum to discuss priority transport projects and make sure they are being progressed at pace, providing a mechanism for speeding up decision making. The work of the Acceleration Unit will support it in doing so. TfN will continue its role of bringing together members and developing strategic advice for the Department.

The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline showing the status of rail enhancement schemes at different stages of development will be published on an annual basis. An update of this will be published following the Spending Review.

The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline Schemes Update was last published in October 2019, and can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/840709/rail-network-enhancements-pipeline.pdf

The schemes currently in the Pipeline are at different stages of development and spread across the country. The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline will be updated on an annual basis and will be published in due course.

We want to see rail infrastructure projects delivered faster and as efficiently as possible.

We have implemented the Small Operational Enhancements Fund which will allow smaller schemes that give rapid operational benefits to progress quickly through the pipeline.

In order to deliver all transport infrastructure projects better, greener and faster DfT has established a new Acceleration Unit. It will seek to ensure that we unblock issues that impact the delivery of infrastructure projects, with close Ministerial support and oversight.

The DfT Acceleration Unit is a new team within the Department. The team is being established and is anticipated to comprise five members of staff. Darren Shirley (current Campaign for Better Transport, Chief Executive) will be the Director of the Unit, the remainder of the team are not members of the Senior Civil Service and therefore are not named. All five appointments are being made on a temporary basis whilst the Unit is established.

Applications from transport organisations and others were sought. Role profiles setting out the required skills and experience were developed. Potential candidates were assessed against these criteria. Where fair and open competition has not been used, all appointments have been in line with the agreed Exceptions to the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

On 28 July the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking, where half of all journeys in towns and cities are cycled or walked by 2030. This includes a £2 billion package of funding for active travel.

This will significantly increase the funding available for local authorities to deliver cycling and walking infrastructure, including on canal towpaths. Further details of funding for the different commitments in the Plan will be determined as part of the Spending Review process in the autumn.

On 28 July the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking, where half of all journeys in towns and cities are cycled or walked by 2030. This includes a £2 billion package of funding for active travel.

This will significantly increase the funding available for local authorities to deliver cycling and walking infrastructure, including on canal towpaths. Further details of funding for the different commitments in the Plan will be determined as part of the Spending Review process in the autumn.

On 28 July the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking, where half of all journeys in towns and cities are cycled or walked by 2030. This includes a £2 billion package of funding for active travel.

This will significantly increase the funding available for local authorities to deliver cycling and walking infrastructure, including on canal towpaths. Further details of funding for the different commitments in the Plan will be determined as part of the Spending Review process in the autumn.

The Government remains as committed to delivering inclusive transport for all passengers as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Transport operators should continue to assist disabled passengers where appropriate. I made this clear in my open letter to the rail industry on 8 April 2020.

On 9 May the Department published statutory guidance to local authorities on reallocating road space which makes clear that local authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics when making changes to their transport networks. Public-Sector Equality Duty requirements apply to temporary measures in the same way as they do to permanent ones.

I am also meeting regularly with key disability stakeholders, to hear directly from them about the experiences of disabled people using public transport. This means we will be able to take action quickly if we find that passengers are not receiving the assistance to which they are entitled.

The Government has launched an active communications campaign which advises people about exemptions to the face coverings rules for disability and health reasons. The publication reminds people that not all disabilities are visible and includes a non-compulsory exemption card should people want to use it.

The Government remains as committed to delivering inclusive transport for all passengers as lockdown restrictions are lifted, as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials and ministers consider the needs of disabled people in all of their decisions, alongside other protected characteristics, in line with their duties under the Equalities Act and Public Sector Equality Duty. We work closely with stakeholders, including disability organisations, and our statutory advisors, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), to understand the needs of disabled people and ensure those views are reflected in policy decisions.

On 9 May the Department published statutory guidance to local authorities on reallocating road space which makes clear that authorities must consider the needs of disabled people and those with other protected characteristics when making changes to their transport networks. Public Sector Equality Duty requirements apply to temporary measures as they do to permanent ones.

The Department for Transport has considered the differences in the technical standards designed to provide protection for both vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, and vehicle occupants in the USA and the UK.

In the UK, new passenger cars and light goods vehicles must meet minimum levels of protection for pedestrian leg and head impacts, but there are no equivalent tests in the USA.

Occupant safety is more complex as there are several standards in both countries designed to improve safety for those inside vehicles. Research carried out by the European Union in preparation for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations suggests that occupant protection in both countries is broadly similar. However, differences in both the way vehicles are categorised and the make-up of the vehicle fleets make direct comparison difficult.

The Department has been working closely with the transport sector to plan for an increase in passenger numbers, while facilitating social distancing where possible. Train operators have increased service levels to approximately 70 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels as of 18 May. We continue to work closely with the industry to identify and implement solutions that protect key passenger and freight flows.

The Government guidance asks employers to consider changes to their working environments to make sure employees are safe while at work. This includes getting to and from their workplace. Workforce travel planning can play an important role in reducing demand on the transport system and controlling the virus. This will keep workers safe and ensuring space on the network for those who need to use it most. Ensuring as many people as possible can continue to work from home, staggering start and finish times for those who need to travel in and enabling those journeys to be on foot or by bicycle wherever possible, or by car, will all help.

Our guidance is not mandatory, but we look to employers to consider the advice closely and make the right decisions for their organisations and employees. We are working with employer organisations to ensure they draw their employees attention to the new guidance.

The Department is aware of the issues being faced by the taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) sector and are working with the industry to understand the particular pressures they are facing. The Self-employment Income Support Scheme will allow taxi and PHV drivers to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for the 3-month period from April to June. This may be extended if needed.

More information on the scheme is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme.

The Williams Rail Review’s recommendations are currently being finalised by their independent chair, Keith Williams, working with the Department. We intend to publish these recommendations before the summer recess as a government white paper to allow us to implement the reforms as soon as possible.

Our National Bus Strategy, which was announced alongside the ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’ package, aims to transform bus services across the country. We intend to publish the strategy later this year; I am keen to engage widely on our plans. We are currently finalising our approach to this.

Allocations for future funding for 2021/22 and beyond are subject to the upcoming Spending Review due to conclude in July. On February 2020 the PM announced a 5-year package of £5 billion of new funding to overhaul bus and cycling links across England outside of London.

The Department for Transport has set the following budget for 2020/21:

£259 million for Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) and a budget of £220m for the ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’ package.

Further to this, in previous years local authorities have spent:

• Around £1 billion spent by local authorities on Concessionary Travel for disabled and older people using non-ringfenced funding provided by MHCLG; and

• £930 million of support that local authorities provide for bus services from their own funds, including Government's grant to them.

The details of the £5 billion of new funding to overhaul bus and cycle links for every region outside London will be announced in the upcoming National Bus Strategy, to be published later this year at the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Local Authorities are responsible for the management of their local highway networks and the Bus Services Act 2017 provides the tools local authorities need to improve local bus services.

Notwithstanding that, as part of the £220 million Better Deal for Bus Users package the Government announced in September 2019, it has set aside up to £70 million for ‘Superbus’ pilots. The primary objective of this fund is “to increase bus patronage in an area through a package of measures covering bus priority”. The fund is currently open for expressions of interest.

The Government has also set out that £5 billion of funding will be provided to overhaul bus services and cycle links across the country. Further details of how this funding will be allocated will be set out in the National Bus Strategy later this year.

This is all in addition to the £2.5 billion Transforming Cities Fund which will provide an opportunity for the industry to work with local authorities on tackling congestion.

The Department for Transport has met with the Light Rail Standards and Safety Board to discuss their work programme following the Rail Investigation Accident Board report into the Sandilands tram accident. This included a discussion at the UK Tram annual conference in September last year.

The Department has provided over £1.8 million to help the Board take forward safety of light rail systems and is shortly to provide a further £1.5 million in this regard. Further funding for future years will be determined following the next Spending Review. It is also expected the sector provide funding in parallel to ensure the safety of the systems they operate.

The Department for Transport has met with the Light Rail Standards and Safety Board to discuss their work programme following the Rail Investigation Accident Board report into the Sandilands tram accident. This included a discussion at the UK Tram annual conference in September last year.

The Department has provided over £1.8 million to help the Board take forward safety of light rail systems and is shortly to provide a further £1.5 million in this regard. Further funding for future years will be determined following the next Spending Review. It is also expected the sector provide funding in parallel to ensure the safety of the systems they operate.

Regular and on-going communication takes place between the Department and all agencies that have a role to play in safeguarding the vulnerable. There is concerted activity by the rail industry to manage the risk and put in place suicide prevention strategies.

DfT has a leadership role across the industry and drives a variety of regular meetings and working groups. In addition to the work of the National Suicide Prevention Working Group, the department chairs a regular working group meeting (DfT and aligned agencies suicide prevention meeting) that is attended by Network Rail, TfL, and the wider transport sector. This group now meet regularly to share good practice, update on activity and look for shared opportunities for suicide prevention initiatives.

A specific example of a forthcoming workshop is the Suicide Prevention (Dissuasion) Workshop being held on 26 March 2020 which will bring together Network Rail, Transport for London, Train Operators, the ORR, and the wider transport sector, to promote new thinking and developments in the prevention arena.

The remit of the Network Rail-led industry Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) is to provide decarbonisation options for the Department and other funders by examining the suitability of different traction options for each part of the rail network, and the cost and timing of their possible deployment.

Analysis conducted for TDNS will inform Government decisions about the scale and pace of rail decarbonisation between now and 2050 as part of our Transport Decarbonisation Plan. Individual schemes will be developed through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline to deliver an affordable and deliverable programme of decarbonisation.

During a routine structural inspection of Clifton Bridge in 2018, Highways England identified a number of safety critical repairs were needed. During these planned works, further structural repairs were found to be necessary which led to the closure of the bridge.

I understand how busy this stretch of the A52 is and Highways England did not take the decision to close the bridge lightly. The Department is working with Highways England to make sure everything possible is being done to resolve the situation and get traffic moving across the Clifton bridge as quickly and as safely as possible. One lane has already re-opened.

Highways England is working closely with local authorities to ensure there are no restrictions on the diversion routes.

Highways England invited all Local Resilience Forums (LRF), Nottingham City and County, to attend a briefing on the timings / stages necessary to safely restore the bridge capacity to normal.

Highways England also meets weekly with local authorities and the emergency services to discuss mitigation measures, share progress, and plan works.

Restrictions will be in place for some time until permanent repairs are completed. Highways England continue to liaise with local authorities to explore how the impact of the Clifton Bridge closure on the publics journey, can be further reduced.

During a routine structural inspection of Clifton Bridge in 2018, Highways England identified a number of safety critical repairs were needed. During these planned works, further structural repairs were found to be necessary which led to the closure of the bridge.

I understand how busy this stretch of the A52 is and Highways England did not take the decision to close the bridge lightly. The Department is working with Highways England to make sure everything possible is being done to resolve the situation and get traffic moving across the Clifton bridge as quickly and as safely as possible. One lane has already re-opened.

Highways England is working closely with local authorities to ensure there are no restrictions on the diversion routes.

Highways England invited all Local Resilience Forums (LRF), Nottingham City and County, to attend a briefing on the timings / stages necessary to safely restore the bridge capacity to normal.

Highways England also meets weekly with local authorities and the emergency services to discuss mitigation measures, share progress, and plan works.

Restrictions will be in place for some time until permanent repairs are completed. Highways England continue to liaise with local authorities to explore how the impact of the Clifton Bridge closure on the publics journey, can be further reduced.

Officials from the Department facilitated conversations between Highways England and the local Highway Authority, Nottingham City Council, so that the effects of the emergency closure of the A52 Clifton Bridge could be managed as carefully as possible.

The Secretary of State has not discussed this matter with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Highways England continue to collaborate closely with the Local Highways Authority.

Officials from the Department facilitated conversations between Highways England and the local Highway Authority, Nottingham City Council, so that the effects of the emergency closure of the A52 Clifton Bridge could be managed as carefully as possible.

The Secretary of State has not discussed this matter with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Highways England continue to collaborate closely with the Local Highways Authority.

Electrification can deliver benefits for rail users and will play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050. Since the beginning of Control Period 6 (CP6) in April 2019, we have delivered over 130 single track miles of electrification, with around 120 more single track miles planned by March 2021.

Electrification for the remainder of CP6 will be committed as business cases for each scheme are approved. This is a standard feature of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, which ensures an affordable, deliverable programme of investment by assessing schemes continuously throughout the Control Period.

A White Paper based on the Williams Rail Review’s recommendations will be published in due course.

We intend to publish the strategy later this year and are currently developing our plans how best to proceed.

Network Rail’s Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) will be complete later this year. TDNS will inform our Transport Decarbonisation Plan, to be published this year, which will set out a credible and ambitious plan for the UK to ensure transport delivers its contribution to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

No date has been agreed for publication of TDNS.

The Department is working closely with Network Rail, train operators, and stakeholders, to develop options for improving rail capacity and performance through Central Manchester, especially affecting Manchester Piccadilly station Platforms 13 and 14. Some work to these platforms has already been carried out to improve performance and passenger experience, including better customer information systems, and improvements to passenger circulation areas.

The Government is ensuring that the railways play their part in delivering our ambitions to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and to reduce the air pollution created by transport. The work of the Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce has informed the Government and rail industry’s approach to decarbonisation over the last year.

I accept the recommendations in the taskforce’s final report. In line with those recommendations, Network Rail is developing a Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy, with the Department and industry partners. The Strategy will inform Government decisions in 2020 about the scale and pace of further rail decarbonisation.

Alongside this work, the Government announced the Transport Decarbonisation Plan on 15 October last year to bring together a bold and ambitious programme of coordinated action needed to end the UK’s transport emissions by 2050. We are aiming to publish a call for engagement document in due course.

We continue to welcome market led proposals and the Market Led Guidance remains live at www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-market-led-proposals. Where proposals have been received we have engaged with backers and where appropriate supported their engagement with Network Rail and the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline process.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everybody has the same opportunity to use the rail network. According to the data collated by the Office of Rail and Road, for the last 13 rail periods, 38,102 vehicles out of a total of 98,232 (or 38.8%) that were used as rail replacement services were compliant with Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations.

I met with industry on 14 January to discuss this issue and tasked it with producing a robust, achievable plan with a series of milestones and delivery points to show how train operators will move to providing fully compliant rail replacement services. I expect to receive a copy of this plan by the Easter recess.

The Department for Transport does not hold any information on passenger journeys on vehicles exempt from compliance with the Persons of Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability (PRM-TSI). There are no vehicles in scheduled passenger service which are fully exempted from the requirements of the PRM-TSI. There are around 1,300 vehicles (9%) in the national fleet with short term, time-limited dispensations against a range of non-compliances with standards in the PRM-TSI. As these vehicles are upgraded and replaced the number in service diminishes throughout the coming months. Data on the volume of passengers and the frequency of service for vehicles with time-limited dispensations would be a matter for the operators to monitor.

The Department is confident that the Operator of Last Resort (OLR) has the capacity to step into Train Operating Companies where necessary and keeps this capacity under review. In addition, the OLR has the capability to expand where needed.

In Summer 2018 the Government published a public consultation on proposals to require the provision of accessible on-board information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.

We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and expect to announce our next steps regarding the making of Regulations and publication of guidance later in the year.

The Government will continue to engage with the sector on our plans for reforming the regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles including options to introduce new legislation. We are supporting licensing authorities to make use of their extensive existing powers; statutory guidance will shortly be issued to licensing authorities on protecting passengers and updated best practice guidance on other matters will follow later this year.

Where a rail franchise is transferring to the Operator of Last Resort, the Department would follow the TUPE regulations. Consultation with all levels of a Train Operating Company’s staff would take place.

We are not able to provide information regarding the proportion of claim forms that were re-sent by our customers as we do not hold this data. We handle customer claim forms carefully and while we are not aware that any Access to Work claim forms have been lost by DWP we would be happy to look into any issues individuals raise with ATW.

We are aware that there were postal delays during July and August 2021, however we are now seeing payment clearance times returning to normal levels.

Access to Work customers have 9 months within which to submit their request for payment, once costs have been incurred. Access to Work aim for customers to be paid within 10 days of receipt of claims and all supporting evidence.

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide details of average processing times for payments to support workers as we do not hold this data.

We are currently building a digital service which will enable people/customers to:

• Submit a claim for Access to Work online
• View the status of previously submitted claims
• See how much of their grant award is left

We have extensively tested and iterated designs for this service with a range of users to ensure it is inclusive, usable and meets the needs of Access to Work recipients.

We will begin testing this new service with a small number of users soon before scaling up next year.

Access to Work is a discretionary grant scheme which provides funding for in work adjustments and support for people with disabilities and health conditions. The Prompt Payment Code refers to the Government and Private Sector commercial contract payments. As Access to Work is a grant scheme and does not procure the support for customers, the Code does not apply.

DWP and Access to Work recognise the importance of reimbursing grant funding at the earliest opportunity and aims to make payments within 10 working days of a fully completed claim for reimbursement.

Access to Work customers have 9 months to submit their request for payment, once costs have been incurred. Access to Work aim for customers to be paid within 10 days of receipt of claims and all supporting evidence.

Following postal delays during July and August 2021, we are seeing payment clearance times return to normal. We are not aware of any systemic issues with users of the scheme being able to book Sign Language Interpreters.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no plans to record the effect of occupational hearing loss nationally.

HSE publishes information recorded by other agencies about occupational hearing loss in relation to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) and the Labour Force Survey, available from the statistics section of HSE’s website (https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/deafness/index.htm and https://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/statistics.htm).

HSE also sponsors the THOR-GP project, a programme of research into the wider incidence of occupational disease being undertaken at the University of Manchester, which includes occupational hearing loss (http://research.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/epidemiology/COEH/research/thorgp/).

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) are made under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and apply to all sectors and workplaces in Great Britain.

The 2013 regulations clarified and simplified the list of reportable ill-health conditions (occupational diseases), as a result of a recommendation made by Professor Löfstedt in his report “Reclaiming health and safety for all: An independent review of health and safety (legislation,” published in 2011.

HSE keeps the regulations, including the specified injuries and reportable diseases under review. The list of current reportable occupational diseases will be considered as part of the next formal post-implementation review of RIDDOR, which is due to report in 2023. Reporting of occupational noise induced hearing loss will be considered as part of this.

Google has partnered with DWP to offer free flexible online IT training for 9,000 jobseekers across the UK, developed by Google. Through the DWP National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT), jobseekers will have access to Google IT Certificates which focuses on IT Support, Data Analyst, Project Manager and UX Designer ensuring that the labour market of tomorrow stands a better chance of getting that job. These certificates are recognised by industry experts and employers.

All of the course content and registration form is hosted on the Coursera platform. Coursera is committed to ensuring that learners with visual and hearing impairments, as well as other disabilities, are able to succeed in their courses. Coursera strives to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) 2.1 AA published by World Wide Web Consortium. All of the course content should be compatible with these screen readers:

• JAWS (Windows)
• NVDA (Windows)
• VoiceOver (iOS and Mac)
• TalkBack (Android)

DWP work coaches have access to communications about the programme which they can tailor depending on each customers circumstances. Where customers need additional support, their work coach can explain the courses to them and are able to complete the registration on their behalf. In addition, Coursera support DWP work coach queries through a dedicated email address and 24/7 support to participants through email, online discussion forums, live chat and accessibility support tickets.

DWP aims to increase the number of Disability Employment Advisers during the 21/22 financial year. We are currently working through the planning process and will make an announcement once this has been completed.

During the 19/20 financial year, DWP employed approximately 685 Disability Employment Advisers across England, Scotland and Wales. DWP aims to increase this number during the 21/22 financial year.

The Universal Credit system collects data on claimants disabilities but as this is voluntary we do not currently record specific type of disability or health condition of Kickstart participants. While we do plan to evaluate the experiences of disabled people participating in Kickstart, it will not be possible to quantify specific types of disability owing to the small sample sizes involved.

Eligible young people are referred to the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme by their Work Coach. The Work Coach will work with the young person to find Kickstart jobs that might be a good fit, and they will be able apply for the position.

As of 15/01/21, there has been 6368 applications with potential of hundreds of thousands of roles and 1868 new starts in the UK. We are not yet able to break starts data down below regional level.

Disability Employment Advisers are an integral part of our services and we remain absolutely committed to supporting disabled people, including ensuring access to Disability Employment Advisers. We are planning to increase resourcing levels of Disability Employment Advisers during 21/22. Alongside this we are doubling the number of Work Coaches who provide support to all claimants including those who are disabled, and continue to provide support for disabled people through the Work and Health Programme and Access to Work.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given for PQ114936.

The Government is committed to transforming the lives of disabled people, and will publish the National Strategy for Disabled People this year.

It will be informed by insights from the lived experience of disabled people. The Government has already engaged widely to support the development of the National Strategy and future work. This has taken place with a diverse range of stakeholders, including: the Disability Charities Consortium, Disabled People’s Organisations Forum and Regional Stakeholder Network (which includes disability organisations and individual disabled people), as well as businesses and business organisations, regulators, academia, professional bodies and the Devolved Administrations.

This engagement will include online surveys and virtual round tables across the UK to enable disabled people to share views and insights on key challenges as the National Strategy is developed and implemented.

The latest available statistics are for the year 2018/19. These show that of working age disabled people who self-reported difficulty with their hearing there were 38% (166,000) in employment and 62% (270,000) not in employment in the UK. Amongst those who reported difficulty with their hearing, 61% (42,000) were in employment and 39% (27,000) were not in employment who self-reported reported difficulty with their hearing as their main health condition.

These figures are shown in table 3.3 of ‘The employment of disabled people 2019’ official statistics publication which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-employment-of-disabled-people-2019. The next release of these statistics, covering 2019/20, is due in Spring 2021.

The not in employment category includes people who are unemployed and economically inactive. Reliable estimates for these two sub-categories are not possible due to small sample sizes.

Background

Source: Annual Population Survey, April 2018 to March 2019.

Notes:

• Reliable data on ‘Difficulty with hearing’ is only available using annual estimates due to sample sizes.
• Numbers shown are to the nearest 1,000 percentages to the nearest 1 per cent.
• Figures are for the working age population, comprised of people aged 16 to 64.
• Disability is defined according to the Government Statistical Service harmonised standard, in line with the Equality Act 2010 core definition.

The available information on the number of households with children with Universal Credit in payment, by parliamentary constituency, is published and can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

The Serious Case Panel now considers systemic themes and issues taken from serious cases, rather than the specific cases themselves. The Serious Case Panel in its new form met on 19 March 2020 and 2 July 2020. The Terms of Reference for the Panel and the minutes of the meetings from the 19 March and the 2 July are published on Gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/dwp-serious-case-panel).

The Serious Case Panel now considers systemic themes and issues taken from serious cases, rather than the specific cases themselves. The Serious Case Panel in its new form met on 19 March 2020 and 2 July 2020. The Terms of Reference for the Panel and the minutes of the meetings from the 19 March and the 2 July are published on Gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/dwp-serious-case-panel).

The Serious Case Panel is comprised of the DWP Permanent Secretary, DWP Directors General and the Independent Case Examiner. The membership of the Senior Executive Team on the Panel ensures views from all parts of DWP business are represented. This allows actions and recommendations at the Panel to be driven through the Department. Independent members provide additional external expertise. External experts might be invited to support specific discussions at the Panel where this is appropriate.

It would be inappropriate to comment on the Safeguarding review due to current legal proceedings. However, as part of our commitment to improving vulnerable customers’ experience with the Department; we currently have 10 Senior Safeguarding Leaders in place and plan to have 25 in place by Autumn. They will work across all services and with key partners to support and deliver a consistent service to vulnerable customers. We have also established the Customer Experience Directorate to co-ordinate policy development, guidance and learning as well as monitor the implementation of change.

Access to Work (ATW) is a demand-led, discretionary grant scheme administered by Jobcentre Plus (JCP). The scheme de-risks the recruitment and retention of disabled people for employers by contributing towards covering the costs of support above the level of reasonable adjustment for disabled people at work.

Since the Access to Work factsheet was published in October 2012, it has been amended 12 times in subsequent years. Access to Work recognises the importance of providing information in accessible formats and works with stakeholders to gain an understanding of the key issues. To ensure accessible information was made available during the coronavirus pandemic. British Sign Language (BSL) videos reflecting the new measures Access to Work introduced to support disabled people were developed. These videos can be accessed via the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0aQWFFHARyXcQd-0mz0lOTZOfI15L8H

To provide accessible information Access to Work continues to work with stakeholders including UK Council on Deafness (UKCOD) to ensure key communications are translated into British Sign Language. Access to Work engages regularly with stakeholders to prioritise communications, and will be publishing advice on Access to Work “Reconsiderations” in the near future, with more communications to follow.

Access to Work (ATW) is a demand-led, discretionary grant scheme administered by Jobcentre Plus (JCP). The scheme de-risks the recruitment and retention of disabled people for employers by contributing towards covering the costs of support above the level of reasonable adjustment for disabled people at work.

Access to Work guidance is available in English and Welsh in html, word and PDF formats on the gov.uk website, and in addition information on DWP services is produced in accessible formats, including BSL videos.

When deciding which communications are translated into British Sign Language, Access to Work will consider the following:

• Direct feedback from Access to Work British Sign Language users,
• Stakeholder engagement with disability charities and organisations, including the UK Council on Deafness (UKCOD),
• Feedback from the Access to Work Stakeholder Forum, and
• Departmental communication priorities.

Using feedback from these groups and taking account of the wider Departmental communication priorities, Access to Work will identify communications that are causing the most concern and will be the most beneficial for British Sign Language users.

Disabled people who are British Sign Language users who have queries about Access to Work can contact Access to Work via the BSL video relay service (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) to discuss queries.

Access to Work have been working hard to ensure high standards of their British Sign Language (BSL) translations, including working with the British Deaf Association (BDA) to obtain feedback on their videos and BSL translations and to better understand what matters to BSL users.

Access to Work works with one professional translator when developing BSL products. Recognising the need to ensure the translator has enough time to understand the key messages and interpret them in a way that can be easily understood by BSL users, additional time is built into the contract. The additional times enables Access to Work to work closely with the translator to go through the draft scripts and ensure information is accurately translated and that key messages are interpreted in a way that makes sense for BSL users whilst ensuring accuracy.

Wherever possible, post-production testing is included as part of the assurance process, to ensure user comprehension. This has been more difficult during the COVID-19 outbreak, due to the pace of change and social distancing measures.

Please note that the Access to Work factsheet was not published in 2015 – it was first pub-lished on 1 October 2012 and has been amended 12 times in subsequent years.

We are absolutely committed to improving our services, especially to the most vulnerable, which is why we have set up the Serious Case Panel. The panel was developed to take themes and systemic issues that come out of various case reviews and make recommendations for improvements.

More information about the Serious Case Panel will be published in due course.

We are absolutely committed to improving our services, especially to the most vulnerable, which is why we have set up the Serious Case Panel. The panel was developed to take themes and systemic issues that come out of various case reviews and make recommendations for improvements.

The Serious Case Panel met on 30 September 2019 and 7 November 2019 and will meet quarterly from now on.

More information about the Serious Case Panel will be published in due course.

The Serious Case Panel meets quarterly.

Membership comprises of Civil Servants and independent members.

The Serious Case Panel takes themes and systemic issues that come out of case reviews, and makes recommendations for improvements across the relevant areas of the department.

The Serious Case Panel takes themes and systemic issues that come out of case reviews, and makes recommendations for improvements across the relevant areas of the department.

DWP Visiting undertakes safeguarding visits for customers who are deemed to be vulnerable in relation to benefit claims.

DWP cannot provide figures exclusively for payments stopped in relation to safeguarding visits as the Department does not hold this information centrally and to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

DWP Visiting undertakes safeguarding visits for customers who are deemed to be vulnerable in relation to benefit claims.

DWP cannot provide figures exclusively for payments stopped in relation to safeguarding visits as the Department does not hold this information centrally and to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

The Department does keep this information centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

DWP Visiting undertakes safeguarding visits for customers who are deemed to be vulnerable in relation to benefit claims.

DWP cannot provide figures exclusively for payments stopped in relation to safeguarding visits as the Department does not hold this information centrally and to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

The information is not available.

The government is committed to delivering a sustainable long-term solution to poverty in all its forms and in all parts of the UK by building a strong economy and ensuring that the benefit system works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay.

The evidence shows that full time work substantially reduces the risk of being in poverty. Universal Credit is designed to help people move into work faster, stay in work longer and spend more time looking to increase their earnings, provides more financial help with childcare costs and removes the 16-hour ‘cliff edge’ for those who are working. To help families keep more of what they earn we have delivered another rise in the National Living Wage, increasing a full-time worker’s annual pay by over £2,750 since its introduction, and by nearly £3,700 with the recently announced rise from this April, with our tax changes making basic rate tax payers over £1,200 better off from April 2019, compared with 2010.

In order to develop a better understanding of the drivers of food insecurity and identify which groups are most at risk we have introduced a new set of food security questions in the Family Resources Survey questionnaire from April 2019 onwards. This will enable us in the future to monitor the prevalence and severity of household food insecurity across the UK and for specific groups.

National Statistics on the number and percentage of children in low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Statistics for the percentage of children in low income households is not available at constituency level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. Statistics for the East Midlands region can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718, “children-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2017-18-tables” in tables 4.16ts and 4.17ts (for relative low income, before and after housing costs) and 4.22ts and 4.23ts (for absolute low income, before and after housing costs).

The statistics are only available for all children and cannot be broken down into the categories requested because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates.

National Statistics on the number of children in low income households are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Statistics for the number of children in low income households is not available at combined Local Authority level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. Statistics for the East Midlands region can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718, “children-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2017-18-tables” in tables 4.17ts (for relative low income, before and after housing costs) and 4.23ts (for absolute low income, before and after housing costs).

Work on analysing the responses to the consultation on coronial investigations of stillbirths has been delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we plan to publish the response to the consultation as soon as possible.

The Government has accepted the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice that young people, including students, may be offered a COVID-19 vaccination within three months of turning 18 years old. The second dose of the vaccine would be offered eight weeks after the first dose.

Students over the age of 16 years old with underlying health conditions that put them at risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 have been offered both doses of vaccine as part of phase one of the vaccine deployment programme. Age is assessed to be the strongest factor linked to mortality, morbidity and hospitalisations.

A meeting will be arranged in due course.

Ministers and officials have not yet met with Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. However, we have committed to meeting hon. Members representing Nottinghamshire constituencies to discuss maternity safety at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. A meeting will be arranged in due course.

Free hearing tests are available through general practitioners. Larger pharmacies and opticians can also carry out hearing tests. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with partners to ensure that appropriate hearing checks are carried out for children and young people with a learning disability, or who are autistic, in special residential schools.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance ‘5 ways to prevent hearing loss’ is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/-5-ways-to-prevent-hearing-loss-/

Free hearing tests are available through general practitioners. Larger pharmacies and opticians can also carry out hearing tests. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with partners to ensure that appropriate hearing checks are carried out for children and young people with a learning disability, or who are autistic, in special residential schools.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance ‘5 ways to prevent hearing loss’ is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/-5-ways-to-prevent-hearing-loss-/

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has brought no prosecutions against Nottingham University Hospitals Trust for failure to comply with duty of candour regulations.

The CQC has brought one prosecution against an English NHS trust in September 2020. In addition, the CQC has taken criminal enforcement action via Fixed Penalty Notices issued to two trusts for failure to comply with duty of candour regulations in 2018 and 2019.

The information requested is not held centrally. We have no plans to make the production of joint parks and public health strategies a statutory duty. It is for local authorities to determine how they can most effectively act to improve the health of their local populations.

The Government is committed to publishing data that has informed its decision making, including the tier allocations. The Department publishes a weekly watchlist giving epidemiological COVID-19 data for each lower-tier local authority in England. This is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-cases-by-local-authority-epidemiological-data

Detailed data on hospital activity is available at the following link:

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

The dashboard on the progress of the virus across a range of metrics is updated every day at the following link:

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk

The Contain framework sets out how national and local partners work with the public at a local level to prevent, contain and manage outbreaks, this includes the allocation of areas to the appropriate tier, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/containing-and-managing-local-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreaks/covid-19-contain-framework-a-guide-for-local-decision-makers

Epidemiological data and projection models on local restriction tiers, including commentary on individual tier allocation decisions, is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938964/Coronavirus_England_briefing_26_November.pdf

This provides further information and context beyond the headline metrics as to why areas are in particular tiers currently.

The Government is committed to publishing data that has informed its decision making, including the tier allocations. The Department publishes a weekly watchlist giving epidemiological COVID-19 data for each lower-tier local authority in England. This is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-cases-by-local-authority-epidemiological-data

Detailed data on hospital activity is available at the following link:

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

The dashboard on the progress of the virus across a range of metrics is updated every day at the following link:

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk

The Contain framework sets out how national and local partners work with the public at a local level to prevent, contain and manage outbreaks, this includes the allocation of areas to the appropriate tier, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/containing-and-managing-local-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreaks/covid-19-contain-framework-a-guide-for-local-decision-makers

Epidemiological data and projection models on local restriction tiers, including commentary on individual tier allocation decisions, is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938964/Coronavirus_England_briefing_26_November.pdf

This provides further information and context beyond the headline metrics as to why areas are in particular tiers currently.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulates ‘face masks’ that are medical devices, those intended to be used in a clinical/health care setting for the protection of the patient rather than the wearer. The MHRA has not conducted or participated in an assessment of anti-viral medical face masks for use in a health care setting.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have been approached by a number of suppliers claiming to have products or technologies with anti-viral properties. The Innovation and Sustainability Team within NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently looking into these claims and their potential application across a range of items.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not met with the Secretary of State for Transport on the role of buses in helping provide access to healthcare.

However, National Health Service organisations already include the utilisation of bus services for patient, visitors and staff as part of their overall strategy along with other transport services to provide access to healthcare. This includes consideration of existing services, as well as the setting up of bus services specifically for the NHS e.g. shuttle buses. Guidance has been provided to the NHS on this in ‘Health Technical Memorandum 07-03 NHS car-parking management: environment and sustainability 2015 edition’.

Antibody testing is a key part of the Government’s testing programme and will play an increasingly important role as we move into the next phase of responding to COVID-19. On 21 May the Government announced plans for a national roll-out of antibody testing in the National Health Service and care sector.

Although we do not yet know whether antibodies indicate immunity from reinfection or transmission, antibody tests are helping us better understand how COVID-19 is spreading across the country.

On 21 May the Government announced plans for a national roll-out of antibody testing in the National Health Service and social care sector. All NHS and adult social care staff in England are being offered an antibody test, with patients and care residents eligible at their clinician’s request. To date we have performed over 1.7 million tests through this route.

Antibody testing data is held by Public Health England with trusts across England routinely reporting data. This will enable analysis broken down by age, gender, ethnicity and geographic area. The data will also be used extensively with other healthcare data in the SIREN study.

The United Kingdom Government’s national personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement team has been working extremely hard in recent weeks to source clear facemasks which comply with UK safety standards. While the product is not CE marked, UK Government regulators have agreed that a particular mask can enter the National Health Service supply chain for use during COVID-19 and further details will be announced as soon as possible about availability to health and care settings.

Where regulators find that PPE (as regulated by the Health and Safety Executive) or medical devices (as regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) can ensure an adequate level of health and safety in accordance with the essential requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/425 or the requirements of Directive 93/42/EEC, they may authorise the making available of these products for supply to frontline healthcare.

The recommendations for the use of face masks by hospital staff and face coverings for hospital visitors have been made for to help prevent the spread of infection. Evidence has shown that those infected with COVID-19 can have very mild or no respiratory symptoms (asymptomatic) and potentially transmit the virus to others without being aware of it, so it is important we take steps to reduce the risk of transmission from staff who may be asymptomatic.

Staff working alone in a private workspace will not be expected to wear a mask but when they leave the private work area to move through the hospital building, e.g. on an errand, or for meal breaks, they should put on a surgical face mask as outlined in the guidance.

For some, wearing of a face covering may be difficult, and therefore all other measures must also be considered and introduced e.g. social/physical distancing, timed appointments; being seen immediately and not kept in waiting rooms. Individual risk assessments should be undertaken where required; for example, patients with mental health and learning disabilities. Such risk assessments must be documented.

The use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have an impact on patients who are deaf or have a hearing impairment as they can block the face of healthcare workers and prevent the ability to use visual cues such as facial expressions and lip reading.

The Government's personal protective equipment procurement team has sourced clear surgical face masks to support communication with patients who may be deaf or hearing impaired. They are working with regions to identify where those are best distributed.

Where clear masks are not possible, communication tactics should be considered to support patients and visitors who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.

We know that face coverings can cause significant communication challenges for those who rely on lip-reading, facial expressions or clear and unmuffled sounds such as people who are deaf or have hearing loss.

We are engaging with disability organisations to assess the impact of requirements to wear face coverings. We are working across Government to identify what reasonable adjustments can be made for disabled people.

The Government recognise concerns about the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly face masks when it comes to people who are deaf or have hearing loss. The United Kingdom’s Government’s national PPE procurement team has been working extremely hard to source clear facemasks which comply with UK safety standards and have procured stocks of clear masks into health and social care settings, to support those who need to lip read. Distribution solutions for these are currently being confirmed. Our priority remains saving lives, including those frontline staff who need to wear PPE as they go about their vital work.

The recommendations for the use of face masks by hospital staff and face coverings for hospital visitors have been made for to help prevent the spread of infection. Evidence has shown that those infected with COVID-19 can have very mild or no respiratory symptoms (asymptomatic) and potentially transmit the virus to others without being aware of it, so it is important we take steps to reduce the risk of transmission from staff who may be asymptomatic.

Staff working alone in a private workspace will not be expected to wear a mask but when they leave the private work area to move through the hospital building, e.g. on an errand, or for meal breaks, they should put on a surgical face mask as outlined in the guidance.

For some, wearing of a face covering may be difficult, and therefore all other measures must also be considered and introduced e.g. social/physical distancing, timed appointments; being seen immediately and not kept in waiting rooms. Individual risk assessments should be undertaken where required; for example, patients with mental health and learning disabilities. Such risk assessments must be documented.

The use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have an impact on patients who are deaf or have a hearing impairment as they can block the face of healthcare workers and prevent the ability to use visual cues such as facial expressions and lip reading.

The Government's personal protective equipment procurement team has sourced clear surgical face masks to support communication with patients who may be deaf or hearing impaired. They are working with regions to identify where those are best distributed.

Where clear masks are not possible, communication tactics should be considered to support patients and visitors who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.

There are already e-prescriptions and medicine delivery services in place around the country. For controlled medications, someone can pick up the medicine for someone else, they just need to show their ID.

There are already e-prescriptions and medicine delivery services in place around the country. For controlled medications, someone can pick up the medicine for someone else, they just need to show their ID.

There is no legal requirement for a pharmacist to be present when a prescription for controlled drugs is signed. However, when a Schedule 2 controlled drug is collected from a pharmacy, the pharmacist is legally required to determine whether the person collecting is a patient, patient’s representative or healthcare professional, and maintain a record of the person supplied. These measures are important to prevent the misuse and diversion of controlled drugs.

No formal assessments have been made. NHS England published ‘The Commissioning Framework for Hearing Loss Services’ to provide guidance to the health and care system to address inconsistencies including in access and variation in provision. NHS England also produced national guidance for more local Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for the commissioning of hearing loss services based on the local needs of their population including for elderly people. They use a local commissioning process that determines how providers deliver care for the National Health Service area they are responsible for including in residential and nursing homes. This is not monitored nationally.

There is agreed national education and training for people working in hearing services.

No formal assessments have been made. NHS England published ‘The Commissioning Framework for Hearing Loss Services’ to provide guidance to the health and care system to address inconsistencies including in access and variation in provision. NHS England also produced national guidance for more local Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for the commissioning of hearing loss services based on the local needs of their population including for elderly people. They use a local commissioning process that determines how providers deliver care for the National Health Service area they are responsible for including in residential and nursing homes. This is not monitored nationally.

There is agreed national education and training for people working in hearing services.

No formal assessments have been made. NHS England published ‘The Commissioning Framework for Hearing Loss Services’ to provide guidance to the health and care system to address inconsistencies including in access and variation in provision. NHS England also produced national guidance for more local Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for the commissioning of hearing loss services based on the local needs of their population including for elderly people. They use a local commissioning process that determines how providers deliver care for the National Health Service area they are responsible for including in residential and nursing homes. This is not monitored nationally.

There is agreed national education and training for people working in hearing services.

According to published data from the Estates Return Information Collection, Nottingham City Hospital consumed 30 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of coal in 2018-19. This is a reduction of 50% when compared to the corresponding figure for 2014-15 (60 million). Data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/england-2018-19

The Government recognises the importance of reducing usage of non-renewable energy sources by public sector organisations, both in terms of meeting its commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and reducing levels of air pollution. The National Health Service is taking several actions to support this, including the phasing out of primary heating from coal and oil fuel in NHS sites. Investment requirements to further transform the NHS estate will be considered as part of the multi-year capital budget the Department will receive at the next capital review.

Individual National Health Service organisations are responsible for maintaining their estates. NHS provider organisations invest more than £3 billion of capital annually. 2019-20 NHS planning guidance makes clear that providers should ensure capital investments are consistent with their clinical strategies and how they demonstrate the delivery of safe, productive services.

We recognise the challenge for providers in maintaining their existing estates and investing in new facilities. In August 2019, we announced £1.8 billion of additional funding, which included a £1 billion boost to NHS capital spending, allowing existing upgrade programmes to proceed and tackling the most urgent infrastructure projects.

The temporary £20 per week increase to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits was introduced specifically to provide support to those who have seen their income fall as a result of the pandemic. This is just one part of a wide-ranging package of support the Government has provided to protect people's jobs and incomes. We are continuing to respond to the economic situation as it evolves and are keeping all measures under review.

Making the £20 per week increase permanent would require a substantial ongoing increase in borrowing or tax rises, with 2020-21 spending on working-age benefits set to be the highest since records began as a share of national income.

Officials are working at pace to deliver the measures for small businesses as announced by the Chancellor. The Covid-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which will provide financing facilities for SMEs of up to £5 million, launched today (Monday 23^rd March). The Small Business and Retail grants will be made available by local authorities in coming weeks - with extra resources being provided to them to help deal with the administration of such grant schemes. These measures are part of a wider, unprecedented package of support for businesses and workers to ensure as best we can that people remain employed and firms financially secure.

All LGBTQ+ individuals seeking asylum in the UK are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim before a decision is taken, including where it may be sensitive or difficult to disclose.

Each case is considered on its individual merits by caseworkers who receive extensive training. All available evidence is carefully and sensitively considered in light of published country information ensuring all individuals are treated fairly and with dignity.

The Home Office work closely with a range of organisations specialising in asylum and human rights protection to trans and LGB communities.

We ensure LGBTQ+ asylum seekers are signposted to relevant NGOs specialising in the support of these individuals. This is done through an information leaflet given to all asylum claimants at the point of claim which includes sections on legal advice, additional help and assistance with links to relevant legal bodies and support organisations.

LGBTQ+ claimants can access specialist support upon claiming asylum from Rainbow Migration (formerly known as the UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG)) who will guide them through the asylum procedure, including providing relevant information. They also offer one-to-one and group peer support to claimants.

My Department has been engaging and coordinating with the Department for Transport on the implementation and delivery of the National Bus Strategy as an integral part of helping to build stronger local communities.

The strategy will focus on the needs of passengers and encourage more people to use the bus network. It will set out how national and local government, as well as the private sector, will come together to meet the needs of local communities. Local authorities have a vital role to play in ensuring local bus services meet local communities’ specific needs, with buses that can get closer to where people live, at a time convenient for them. Both Departments have also been working to help guide delivery to support better connected communities.

Every premature death of someone homeless is one too many and we take this matter extremely seriously.?It should not happen that people die prematurely?and on the street?because they are homeless.

We are absolutely committed to ending rough sleeping by the end of this parliament. To achieve this, we are providing £437 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in 2020/2021.This marks a £69 million increase in funding from the previous year.

This year we have expanded the Rough Sleeping Initiative with investment of £46 million for 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 2,600 bed spaces and 750 staff. Next year, we are allocating a further £112 million to around 270 areas, funding up to 6,000 bed spaces and 2,500 staff. And this is having an impact.?The RSI?impact evaluation?shows that the Initiative has reduced the number of people sleeping rough by 32 per cent in the areas funded, compared to the number it would have been had the RSI not been in place.

We do not hold data on the?number of deaths as a result of people taking shelter in refuse bins.?However, we understand some local councils and businesses have conducted research and supplied advice on this issue in recent years.

This Government is aware that a skilled frontline workforce is essential to delivering good services and ultimately reducing homelessness.?Delivery of the?Key Groups?Training programme launched in Summer 2019. ?The training programme is expected to cater for 3,450 members of the frontline homelessness workforce by the end of June 2020.

Local authorities and outreach teams work tirelessly to ensure that appropriate support is given to all rough sleepers regardless of where they are found, be that in tents, doorways, bins or on the street.