Lucy Powell
Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central
First elected: 15th November 2012
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
(since September 2023)Select Committees
House of Commons Commission (since September 2023)Restoration and Renewal Client Board (since September 2023)
Members Estimate Committee (since September 2023)
Restoration and Renewal Programme Board (since September 2023)
Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (since October 2023)
14 Former APPG memberships
Conception to Age Two - First 1001 Days, Drones, Education Governance and Leadership, Families in the Early Years, Greater Manchester, Literacy, Miscarriages of Justice, Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes, Nursery Schools, Nursery and Reception Classes, Oracy, Prescribed Drug Dependence, Reuniting Britain Post-Brexit, Skills and Employment, Social MobilityDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2019 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
(43 debate interactions)
(29 debate interactions)
(16 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(87 debate contributions)
(72 debate contributions)
(56 debate contributions)
(46 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(4,338 words contributed)
(4,227 words contributed)
(4,095 words contributed)
(3,005 words contributed)
Manchester Central Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
of 9,387 signatures (1.51%)
of 14,681 signatures (1.10%)
of 15,035 signatures (0.74%)
of 75,600 signatures (0.40%)
of 3,037 signatures (6.36%)
of 14,681 signatures (1.10%)
of 45,901 signatures (0.34%)
of 9,387 signatures (1.51%)
Petition Closed
Give further financial support to the Events and Hospitality industry
Gov Responded - 15 Oct 2020 Debated on - 11 Jan 2021 View Lucy Powell's petition debate contributionsclosed 3 years, 1 month ago
Being the first to close and still no clue as to when we can open, this seasonal industry is losing its summer profits that allows them to get through the first quarter of next year.
Even if we are allowed to open in December, 1 months profit won't be enough to keep us open in 2021. We need help
Petition Closed
Create a Minister for Hospitality in the UK Government
Gov Responded - 3 Nov 2020 Debated on - 11 Jan 2021 View Lucy Powell's petition debate contributionsclosed 3 years ago
The UK hospitality industry. Responsible for around 3m jobs, generating £130bn in activity, resulting in £38bn in taxation. Yet, unlike the Arts or Sports, we do not have a dedicated Minister.
We are asking that a Minister for Hospitality be created for the current, and successive governments.
Petition Closed
Increase Number of Guests Permitted at Weddings, according to Venue Capacity
Gov Responded - 11 Sep 2020 Debated on - 9 Nov 2020 View Lucy Powell's petition debate contributionsclosed 3 years, 2 months ago
Weddings take months and even years of intricate planning. Myself and many others believe the maximum number of guests authorised at wedding ceremonies should be increased. The number of guests permitted at weddings should be calculated according to venue capacity.
Petition Closed
Let Us Dance - Support nightclubs, dance music events and festivals
Gov Responded - 14 Oct 2020 Debated on - 9 Nov 2020 View Lucy Powell's petition debate contributionsclosed 3 years, 2 months ago
Extend funding to nightclubs, dance music events and festivals as part of the £1.57bn support package announced by the government for Britain's arts and culture sector to survive the hit from the pandemic. #LetUSDance
Latest EDMs signed by Lucy Powell
Jamal Edwards MBE
Tabled by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)That this House remembers the life and achievements of Jamal Edwards MBE, a musical pioneer, entrepreneur, author and philanthropist born in Luton, raised in Acton, who never forgot his roots; recognises that Jamal’s work had a tremendous impact on music in the UK, notably launching SBTV, a ground-breaking platform that …
(Most recent: 8 Mar 2022)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 26
Scottish National Party: 4
Independent: 3
Conservative: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Liberal Democrat: 1
Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone
Tabled by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)That this House notes that some 1,200 deaths a year are attributable to poor air quality in Greater Manchester; believes that, on that basis, movement towards establishing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Greater Manchester is vital; stresses that a CAZ must be properly resourced to prevent it simply becoming …
(Most recent: 8 Feb 2022)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 14
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Lucy Powell, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
2 Urgent Questions tabled by Lucy Powell
Lucy Powell has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
1 Bill introduced by Lucy Powell
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make administrators and moderators of certain online forums responsible for content published on those forums; to require such administrators and moderators to remove certain content; to require platforms to publish information about such forums; and for connected purposes.
4 Bills co-sponsored by Lucy Powell
Short and Holiday-Let Accommodation (Registration) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Karen Buck (Lab)
Representation of the People (Young People's Enfranchisement and Education) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Jim McMahon (LAB)
Fire Safety Information Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Maria Miller (Con)
Mutual Guarantee Societies Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Christina Rees (LAB)
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)7 Other Department Questions
Cabinet Office’s Equality Hub sponsors the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
At the EHRC, between 20-25 people are spending part of their time considering how AI affects their area of focus. Excluding staffing costs, in the 2022-23, EHRC direct expenditure related to AI work was approximately £160k.
AI is a priority for the Equality and Human Rights Commission and is included in their strategic plan 2022 – 2025. The Commission is receiving a flat-cash settlement for 2023-2024, which, along with the wider public sector, means they will need to prioritise and will have limited flexibility within the year to increase resources available for work on AI.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government is committed to the licence fee for the rest of the current Charter. However, the BBC's funding model faces major challenges due to changes in the way people consume media. It is therefore necessary to look at ways to ensure the BBC’s funding model is sustainable in the long-term.
The Government wants to see the BBC continue to succeed, which is why we need to consider the most fair and appropriate funding mechanism to be introduced at the end of the current Charter period.
The Department is considering all possible future funding options to ensure the BBC’s long-term sustainability in a rapidly changing, digital world.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Youth Investment Fund will fund the construction or redevelopment of up to 300 youth facilities - such as small youth facilities, youth centres and activity centres - targeting investment in left-behind areas, where young people have the greatest need and lowest provision.
The fund is designed to target support towards both upper tier local authority areas and more isolated pockets of need at district ward level. These smaller areas of need are often overlooked because they are masked by other relatively less deprived areas. All eligible areas have been identified and ranked by a combination of youth need and low provision, with detailed methodology underpinning their selection using high quality, robust and publicly available data. The methodology used has been published on GOV.UK.
The main phase of the Youth Investment Fund, which opened on 1 August 2022, has received nearly 500 applications to date.
Following a competitive application process, Social Investment Business were appointed as the intermediary grant maker to deliver the Youth Investment Fund on behalf of DCMS. The grant awarded to Social Investment Business is in line with the typical costs and scope outlined in the IGM specification of requirements published on GOV.UK.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Youth Investment Fund will fund the construction or redevelopment of up to 300 youth facilities - such as small youth facilities, youth centres and activity centres - targeting investment in left-behind areas, where young people have the greatest need and lowest provision.
The fund is designed to target support towards both upper tier local authority areas and more isolated pockets of need at district ward level. These smaller areas of need are often overlooked because they are masked by other relatively less deprived areas. All eligible areas have been identified and ranked by a combination of youth need and low provision, with detailed methodology underpinning their selection using high quality, robust and publicly available data. The methodology used has been published on GOV.UK.
The main phase of the Youth Investment Fund, which opened on 1 August 2022, has received nearly 500 applications to date.
Following a competitive application process, Social Investment Business were appointed as the intermediary grant maker to deliver the Youth Investment Fund on behalf of DCMS. The grant awarded to Social Investment Business is in line with the typical costs and scope outlined in the IGM specification of requirements published on GOV.UK.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Youth Investment Fund will fund the construction or redevelopment of up to 300 youth facilities - such as small youth facilities, youth centres and activity centres - targeting investment in left-behind areas, where young people have the greatest need and lowest provision.
The fund is designed to target support towards both upper tier local authority areas and more isolated pockets of need at district ward level. These smaller areas of need are often overlooked because they are masked by other relatively less deprived areas. All eligible areas have been identified and ranked by a combination of youth need and low provision, with detailed methodology underpinning their selection using high quality, robust and publicly available data. The methodology used has been published on GOV.UK.
The main phase of the Youth Investment Fund, which opened on 1 August 2022, has received nearly 500 applications to date.
Following a competitive application process, Social Investment Business were appointed as the intermediary grant maker to deliver the Youth Investment Fund on behalf of DCMS. The grant awarded to Social Investment Business is in line with the typical costs and scope outlined in the IGM specification of requirements published on GOV.UK.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Olympic Delivery Authority was dissolved by Act of Parliament on 2 December 2014 and the Secretary of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport became responsible for all outstanding obligations and liabilities of the Olympic Delivery Authority. No legal responsibilities for the Stratford Village Development Partnership are held by the Department.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The AI White Paper emphasised the importance of ensuring that UK regulators and public bodies have the capacity, expertise, and capabilities to implement government’s pro-innovation approach whilst recognising and understanding the risks. This is particularly true for those regulators for which AI falls squarely within their regulatory remit, but also applies to a much wider range of public and regulatory bodies considering the implications AI has across the economy.
The Cabinet Office ALBs include 3 bodies that are either formally or informally classified as regulators:
The Civil Service Commission: The CSC are often referred to as a ‘regulator’ of recruitment into the Civil Service but undertake assurance/compliance work in respect of civil service recruitment only and are out of scope.
The UK Statistics Authority includes the Office of Statistics Regulation who set the statutory Code of Practice for Statistics and assess compliance with the Code. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) utilises a regulator on a 0.33 FTE basis for their work providing guidance on how the principles in the Code of Practice for Statistics can help in designing, developing and using models to improve their trustworthiness, quality and value. Their guidance covers both traditional statistical techniques, such as linear regressions, and newer techniques, like machine learning, when they are used to create outputs that inform decision making or public policy. The OSR also regularly engages with other regulators on this topic through the attendance of workshops and working groups to ensure they remain aware and responsive to any developments in this space. The OSR does not plan to increase the time allocated to these issues. The promotion of the Code of Practice for Statistics into new areas of statistical analysis and data use has been a long-standing area of focus for the next year, and will continue to be, including in relation to AI (e.g. large language models).
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission: the Equalities Hub have provided a separate response on this PQ (188555) via the Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, Minister for Equalities.
As part of the AI regulation White Paper consultation, we are engaging closely with regulators across the wider landscape and their sponsoring government departments to understand the organisational capacity they need to regulate AI effectively, across technical, regulatory, and market-specific expertise. This will inform our work to develop policy options with a view to addressing any gaps that emerge.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Addressing the challenges of disinformation and misinformation is a whole of Government effort, and the Cabinet Office works closely with all relevant Departments including the Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The CDU is a standing unit which draws on a range of expertise from across government, social media platforms and disinformation specialists in academia and civil society to lead the fight against misinformation and disinformation.
It would not be appropriate to comment on operational details such as staffing levels publicly as doing so would give malign actors insight into our capabilities. However, staffing requirements are continually reviewed to ensure appropriate levels of resourcing, including surge capacity where needed.
The Evening Standard is classified as a regional title. However, due to the coverage and reach that the publication has with the general public and businesses, it is sometimes added to national titles if an upweight is required in the London area.
Spend data for the whole of government is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office. However, the Cabinet Office publishes expenditure for its own department, including on public information campaigns, on a rolling monthly basis on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements.
The Evening Standard is classified as a regional title. However, due to the coverage and reach that the publication has with the general public and businesses, it is sometimes added to national titles if an upweight is required in the London area.
Spend data for the whole of government is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office. However, the Cabinet Office publishes expenditure for its own department, including on public information campaigns, on a rolling monthly basis on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements.
There have been no estimates made of the level of UK produced steel procured by GPA on behalf of the Cabinet Office Estates in 2019-20 or 2020-21. At present most steel GPA sources is part of the construction base build of properties under leases and outside of the scope of the procurement rules.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The number of claimed vouchers issued for each software type were as follows:
a) Accountancy – 191 Vouchers.
b) E-commerce – 203 Vouchers.
c) Customer Relationship Management – 436 Vouchers.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department conducted a Public Sector Equality Duty impact assessment during the development of the programme. A business impact assessment was not required as the scheme was not enacted through legislation or regulation however options were assessed as part of the development of the business case. An evaluation is being undertaken to understand lessons to be learned from the design of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme following its closure. These findings will be applied to future policies, including within digital adoption.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department considered alternative options to deliver the Help to Grow: Digital scheme before announcing its closure however we could not justify its continued cost to the taxpayer due to the lower than expected take up. The decision to close the scheme enabled the Government to refocus efforts towards other support mechanisms for small businesses, ensuring businesses get the backing they need in the most efficient and productive way possible. The Help to Grow: Management scheme remains in place and includes a module to assist in understanding digital adoption.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Help To Grow Digital (HTGD) had an initial budget allocation for each of the HTGD scheme years which were as follows: 21/22 - £20m, 22/23 - £72m, 23/24 - £107m and 24/25 £97m* (* - subject to Spending Review).
When the scheme finally closed on 31st March 2023, the total RDEL Programme spend was c£31.4m.
The decision to close the scheme enabled the Government to refocus efforts towards other support mechanisms for small businesses, ensuring businesses get the backing they need in the most efficient and productive way possible.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
At the closure of the Help to Grow Digital scheme (31/03/23), 1527 applications for vouchers had been received. 1394 applications were accepted, and 133 applications were rejected.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of the AI regulation White Paper consultation, the Government is engaging closely with regulators across the wider landscape to understand the organisation capacity they need to regulate AI effectively.
The Department for Business and Trade sponsors the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). CMA staff recorded approximately 2,300 hours on the CMA’s “AI Foundation Models: Initial Review” project from 27 March to 2 June 2023. This equates to approximately 7 FTE. In addition, given the CMA’s remit other work by CMA staff may have direct or indirect relevance to AI. Decisions on future allocation of CMA resources will depend on the findings of the CMA’s initial review and other demands at that time.
The Department directly includes or sponsors a number of other regulators and public bodies, such as the Office for Product Safety and Standards and the Financial Reporting Council. These regulators are not directly responsible for regulating AI but may consider its implications and effects across numerous parts of their work. It is not possible to accurately disaggregate resource working on AI issues for these bodies.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of the AI regulation White Paper consultation, the Government is engaging with regulators to inform policy options. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero sponsors two regulators – the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) and the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). These organisations are not directly responsible for regulating AI and, to date, neither of these organisations has spent budget on the regulation of AI.
The Government is committed to supporting competition in the UK’s fixed telecoms market. Our strategy aims to support market entry and expansion by making it as easy and attractive as possible for people to invest in, and build, networks. The Government’s Statement of Strategic Priorities for Ofcom, published in 2019, requires Ofcom to set stable and long-term regulation that incentivises network investment and ensures fair and effective competition between new and existing network operators. Ofcom must take this strategic priority into account when reaching its decisions, such as when considering offers from Openreach.
The Government has noted Ofcom’s decision to allow the Equinox II offer to proceed. Ofcom’s conclusion is that Equinox II is consistent with promoting network investment and competition, thereby delivering better consumer outcomes. Regulation of the fixed telecoms market remains a matter for Ofcom which is an independent regulator.
More broadly, competition is thriving in UK fixed telecoms, with over 100 companies now building gigabit-capable networks thanks to the Government’s policies to prioritise competition and investment.
The AI White Paper emphasised the importance of ensuring that our regulators and public bodies have the capacity, expertise, and capabilities to implement our pro-innovation approach whilst recognising and understanding the risks. This is particularly true for those regulators for which AI falls squarely within their regulatory remit, but also applies to a much wider range of public and regulatory bodies considering the implications AI has across the economy.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is the sponsoring department for the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the Office for Communications (Ofcom), the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), and the Phone Paid Services Authority. Activity related to AI is carried out as part of wider activity that falls within each organisation’s remit, and this presents a challenge with disaggregating 'AI resource' in order to provide figures on the proportion of budget spent and staff working on AI regulation.
The ICO and Ofcom in particular have already taken significant steps to upskill themselves to understand new technologies and new business models, and develop and deploy new skills and regulatory tools. This includes their joint efforts via the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) to develop their collective capabilities through knowledge exchange and joint work on cross-cutting topics. IPO continue to focus on AI reflecting the significant implications it has for areas falling within their remit - and are resourcing this work accordingly.
As part of the AI regulation White Paper consultation, we are engaging closely with regulators across the wider landscape and their sponsoring government departments to understand the organisational capacity they need to regulate AI effectively, across technical, regulatory, and market-specific expertise. This will inform our work to develop policy options with a view to addressing any gaps that emerge.
The different applications and uses of AI technologies are becoming increasingly central to many UK regulators within their domains, noting the faster adoption rates in some sectors - such as Finance, Information Technology, Media and Telecoms.
As part of the AI regulation White Paper consultation, we are engaging closely with regulators across the landscape and their sponsoring government departments to understand their relative levels of capability - noting that it is not a straightforward exercise to identify distinct 'AI resource'. We will continue to work closely with regulators to ensure that our regulatory framework for AI can be implemented effectively, including by exploring regulatory capability gaps and possible solutions or mitigations.
We are also developing a range of functions, outlined in the White Paper, to support regulators to undertake their regulatory activities. The proposed monitoring and evaluation function, along with other central functions designed to support implementation by regulators, including by supporting coordination between regulator, will allow us to quickly identify if regulator capability is a barrier to implementation and leverage existing AI expertise across government to build capability where necessary.
Alongside this, our regulators are already coordinating and working together to share expertise and ensure that AI innovations have efficient and safe regulatory routes to market, for example using forums like the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum and the NHS AI and digital regulations service; or initiatives like the ICO’s award-winning AI and Data Protection Risk Mitigation Toolkit, or the MHRA’s ground-breaking Software and AI as a Medical Device Change Programme Roadmap.
We will be providing further details as part of the publication of the White Paper Consultation Response in the autumn. We encourage responses to the consultation - including in the context of regulators’ capabilities - before the 21 June deadline.
26 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Questions
(View all Lucy Powell's BEIS questions)The Government is working with the steel industry, the unions and devolved administrations to support the UK steel sector to develop a long-term sustainable future. We are working hard to make sure that UK producers of steel have the best possible chance of competing for and winning contracts across all Government procurement.
BEIS collates and publishes annually information on how much steel is purchased for Government’s major infrastructure projects in the previous financial year, including what proportion is UK-produced.
We have collated the 2019/20 data and expect to publish later this year. We will start collating the data on UK steel procured in 2020/21 in due course.
The Government and industry have made a joint commitment to invest £3.9 billion in aerospace research and development (R&D) from 2013 to 2026. The Government’s share of the £1.95 billion is managed through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme. An annual breakdown of funding allocated (a) in total, and (b) by each funding stream is set out in the table below. Budget allocations have not been made beyond 2021 so are assumed.
£m | Allocated Budgets | Planned Allocations | |||||
Year | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 | 22/23 | 23/24 | 24/25 | 25/26 |
Strategic Programme | 138.1 | 147 | 130 | 143.2 | 145.6 | 149.2 | 150 |
Small Business | 1.9 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0 |
NATEP | 0 | 1 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 0 | 0 |
FlyZero | 0 | 1.5 | 13.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 140 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 |
The table below sets out the breakdown Expressions of Interest (EoIs) submitted the Aerospace Technology Institute Strategic Programme by quarter in 2020.
Expressions of Interest to the ATI Strategic Programme in 2020
2020 | PROCEED | REJECT | Total |
Q1 | 11 | 22 | 33 |
Q2 | 7 | 52 | 59 |
Q3 | 23 | 29 | 52 |
Q4 | 37 | 26 | 63 |
Grand Total | 78 | 129 | 207 |
Projects that are successful at EOI have options about when to submit a full stage application. They will be automatically invited to the next available competition but can choose to defer. This means it is not simple to track which EOIs submitted in 2020 came forward to a full stage application in the same year and we cannot provide that breakdown here.
In total 35 full stage applications were recommended for funding in 2020. Not all these projects have completed the due diligence and grant award process and so we are unable to provide a project-level breakdown of grant awarded. Details of live projects can be found on the Innovate UK transparency data page:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/innovate-uk-funded-projects.
Some of the 35 successful projects will relate to EoIs received in the previous year. Not all successful EoIs received in 2020 will result in a full application in that year.
A total of 32 expressions of interest were submitted. The full stage applications are assessed in parallel by the ATI, Innovate UK and BEIS based on technical, market and economic criteria. Applicants will be notified of the results of the full stage competition on 14 May 2021, with public announcements expected once the grant offer process is completed.
There were 34 applications and 11 projects were recommended for funding. The 11 projects are all in the contracting phase, going through financial and viability checks. Until they receive their grant offer letters we cannot announce which projects have been allocated funding.
The Department is using information on eligible businesses, held by the Valuation Office Agency, to help determine the level of support each Local Authority requires.
We expect that over 680,000 businesses will benefit from the new £5bn Restart Grant scheme, and in the coming weeks we will be communicating the level of funding each Local Authority will receive, including publishing on GOV.UK.
The Department is using information on eligible businesses, held by the Valuation Office Agency, to help determine the level of support each Local Authority requires.
We expect that over 680,000 businesses will benefit from the new £5bn Restart Grant scheme, and in the coming weeks we will be communicating the level of funding each Local Authority will receive, including publishing on GOV.UK.
The Government is committed to protecting consumers from unfair behaviours. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) prohibits fake and misleading reviews online. Alleged breaches of the CPRs should be sent in the first instance to the Citizens Advice consumer service, www.citizensadvice.org.uk/, who will refer on cases to trading standards for appropriate enforcement action.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued guidance to consumers on avoiding fake reviews which can be found at: https://www.asa.org.uk/news/avoiding-fake-views-a-guide-to-testimonials-and-endorsements.html.
Furthermore, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into online reviews displayed on several major websites in May 2020. The CMA will investigate, among other things, whether the traders responsible for the websites are taking sufficient measures to remove fake and misleading reviews. Details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/online-reviews.
The Government is committed to ensuring digital markets remain competitive and deliver positive outcomes for consumers, small businesses, and society. That is why we have announced funding to establish a new Digital Markets Unit within the Competition and Markets Authority from 2021-22. We set up the Digital Markets Taskforce in March to offer expert advice.
The Government is now considering the Taskforce’s recommendations and will respond in due course.
The Government is committed to ensuring digital markets remain competitive and deliver positive outcomes for consumers, small businesses, and society. That is why we have announced funding to establish a new Digital Markets Unit within the Competition and Markets Authority from 2021-22. We set up the Digital Markets Taskforce in March to offer expert advice.
The Government is now considering the Taskforce’s recommendations and will respond in due course.
The Department is consulting on a new approach to subsidy control that will best reflect the needs of the UK economy. Since 1 January 2021, the subsidy control regime with which public authorities need to comply is defined by our international commitments, including World Trade Organisation rules on subsidies, the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation agreement (TCA),Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, and other obligations resulting from other international trade agreements.
Details on these commitments, with a particular focus on granting authorities, was published by the Department on 31 December 2020 and is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/complying-with-the-uks-international-obligations-on-subsidy-control-guidance-for-public-authorities.
The guidance relating to grant support for businesses required by law to close states that these grants count towards applicable subsidy control limits, including that which limits support to €3 million per undertaking under Section 3.12 of the Temporary Framework.
EU State aid rules no longer apply to subsidies granted from 1st January 2021 in the UK. The only exception is aid within scope of the Withdrawal Agreement, specifically Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol which applies to measures affecting trade in goods and wholesale electricity markets between Northern Ireland and the EU, and Article 138 in relation to aid for EU programmes and activities within the Multiannual Financial Framework.
The Government is currently consulting on its proposed approach for establishing a bespoke UK-wide subsidy control regime. The Government is keeping under close review the impact of subsidy control rules on the ability of businesses to access grants and will publish new guidance as and when circumstances require it.
The EU State Aid rules and limits no longer apply in the UK, except in respect of aid in scope of the Northern Ireland Protocol and Article 138 in relation to aid for EU programmes and activities within the Multiannual Financial Framework. Subsidies must instead meet the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement as well as the other Free Trade Agreements we have reached with the rest of the world and our WTO commitments.
Existing guidance for Covid-19 Business Support grants references pre-existing EU State Aid limits. A policy decision has been taken to retain the previous limits allowed under the EU State aid regime to ensure continuity for beneficiaries.
The Government has put forward an unprecedented package of support for businesses in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19. This support includes the Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs who missed out on much needed business during the busy festive period. Grants were made available to eligible pubs upon entry to Tier 2 or Tier 3 restrictions following the scheduled Tier review dates of 2 December and 16 December, and to those that entered Tier 4 between 2 and 29 December if they had not already qualified for the grant.
On 24 February, we published data relating to allocations and grant payments made by Local Authorities to businesses up to 17 January 2021. This includes the Christmas Support Payment: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.
The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is a discretionary scheme aimed at supporting businesses, including those that have not been mandated to close but have had their trade adversely affected by the nationalised restrictions. Local Authorities have been allocated a further £500m in discretionary funding via the ARG, in addition to £1.1bn already allocated in November 2020. Local Authorities can use the ARG to support businesses in their local area, as they see fit. We expect Local Authorities to use this additional resource quickly to support businesses in their area.
This data relates to allocations and grant payments made by Local Authorities to businesses up to 17 January 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 5 January a further package of support for businesses that are required to close, or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. Business that are mandated to close may be eligible for grants of up to £4,500 for every six weeks of closure through the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) Addendum: 5 January onwards. The Closed Business Lockdown Payment (CBLP) is a one-off payment of up to £9,000 to support business during the difficult Spring period. In order to make administration simpler for Local Authorities, the CBLP has been paid to eligible businesses, together with the LRSG, in one single payment.
We have not yet published data on the CBLP. Yesterday, we published data relating to allocations and grant payments made by Local Authorities to businesses up to 17 January 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.
The Government covers interest payments on behalf of borrowers for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) for the first 12 months after drawdown of a facility. For CBILS, interest rates and fees will vary between banks and will depend on the specific lending proposal. The interest rate for Bounce Back loans is set at 2.5%.
As of 28 January 2021, the total value of interest payments made for both schemes is as follows:
- Total amount recorded for interest paid to Banks under BBLS: £193,269,778
- Total amount recorded for interest paid to Banks under CBILS: £81,991,145
For CBILS, the Government also covers arrangement fees on behalf of borrowers.
As of 28 January 2021, the total amount recorded for arrangement fees paid to banks is £24,256,440.
Banks are not permitted to charge any fees for administering BBLS.
The Government has put forward an unprecedented package of support for businesses in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19. This support includes the Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs who missed out on much needed business during the busy festive period. Pubs in scope of this scheme will need to provide evidence that they derive more than 50% of their income from drink sales. Grants were made available to eligible pubs upon entry to Tier 2 or Tier 3 restrictions following the scheduled Tier review dates of 2 December and 16 December, and to those that entered Tier 4 between 2 and 29 December if they had not already qualified for the grant.
We worked closely with Local Authorities to calculate the amount of funding required for this scheme, using business rates data and local business information. We continue to work closely with Local Authorities to ensure that funding is delivered to pubs that are in scope of this scheme as quickly as possible.
On 5 January 2021, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced one-off top-up grants, worth up to £9,000 per property, to help retail, hospitality and leisure businesses affected by the new closures through to Spring.
We have worked with Local Authorities to best calculate the amount of funding required, using business rates data and local business information. We are working with places to ensure that funding reaches businesses that are in scope as quickly as possible.
Local Authorities have discretion to use the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) to support businesses in the way that best fits their local area. Eligibility for the ARG is set locally and guidance makes clear that Local Authorities may use this funding for grants or for other related business support as they see fit. The number of businesses that are eligible in each area is determined by individual Local Authorities.
The Government has put forward an unprecedented package of support to help businesses which are severely affected by restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. This package of support includes the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) which was announced in November 2020 to provide discretionary business grants and wider business support in England. An initial £1.1 billion was allocated to Local Authorities under this scheme in November, and a further £500 million of top-up ARG funding was announced at the start of the third lockdown period in January.
This funding is shared between all Local Authorities in England and they have the discretion to use the ARG scheme to help businesses in the way they see fit. We are working closely with Local Authorities to ensure that support is delivered to businesses that are in scope as quickly as possible.
The table below sets out the volume of proposed redundancies indicated on HR1 forms received between January 2019 and December 2020:
| Volume of proposed redundancies indicated on HR1 forms received by the Redundancy Payments Service | |
| 2019 | 2020 |
Jan | 28,138 | 29,496 |
Feb | 32,189 | 27,804 |
Mar | 41,626 | 44,235 |
Apr | 85,913 | 61,502 |
May | 35,229 | 73,254 |
Jun | 23,932 | 155,576 |
Jul | 21,372 | 149,301 |
Aug | 22,581 | 57,749 |
Sep | 26,575 | 81,670 |
Oct | 23,798 | 51,351 |
Nov | 27,652 | 36,686 |
Dec | 17,412 | 23,083 |
Employers are only required to file a Form HR1 where they are “proposing” to dismiss 20 or more employees at a single “establishment”.
“Propose” and “establishment” have distinct meanings in this context.
The aggregate number could include proposed dismissals due to insolvency, restructuring of a solvent/continuing business, or proposed relocation of employees, for example.
It should be noted that a proposal to make a given number of dismissals does not necessarily result in all or any of the proposed dismissals occurring.
The Government has put forward an unprecedented package of support to help businesses which are severely affected by restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. This package of support includes the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) which was announced in November 2020 to provide discretionary business grants and wider business support in England. An initial £1.1 billion was allocated to Local Authorities under this scheme in November, and a further £500 million of top-up ARG funding was announced at the start of the third lockdown period in January.
This funding is shared between all Local Authorities in England and we are working closely with Local Authorities to ensure that support is delivered to businesses that are in scope as quickly as possible.