Naz Shah

The recommendations of the 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission's report refer to action in the areas of employment, education, house, health and criminal justice. That same year the Government launched The Race Disparity Audit (RDA) to drive change by publishing authoritative data and analysis about the variances in treatment or outcome affecting people of different ethnicities in those areas and others.

Since October 2017, the Government has used RDU data and analysis to support and launch a number of initiatives including:

• Department of Health and Social Care’s independent review of mental health legislation and practice to tackle the issue of mental health detention.

• New powers for the Office for Students to hold Universities to account for how well their students do; and independent university league tables agreed to highlight progress made on reducing student disparities. The Sunday Times Good University Guide is now including ethnic minority attainment gaps as part of theirs.

• The allocation of £90m of dormant assets to the creation of a new, independent organisation - Youth Futures Foundation (YFF). YFF aims to overcome the barriers to training and employment opportunities that young people from an ethnic minority background experience.

• Established a new Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities to examine all aspects of continuing racial and ethnic inequalities in Britain. It will build on the work of the Race Disparity Unit. The Commission will carry out a deeper examination of what the causes of these disparities are, and seek to establish what works to address them effectively.

• Implemented 16 recommendations from the Lammy Review, to improve the treatment and outcomes of BAME people in the criminal justice system, and have committed to enacting a further 17.

I refer the Hon. Member to the list of current Cabinet Committees contained here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-cabinet-committees-system-and-list-of-cabinet-committees, and would also like to refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ107708. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Government is currently considering responses to a Call for Evidence on public sector debt management, which closed in September 2020. The government will publish an update in due course and make further announcements in the usual way.

I refer the Hon. member to the answers given to PQ 55066 on 10 June 2020, PQ 46692 on 29 May 2020 and to PQ 45460 on 11 May 2020.

The Government is working with specialist multicultural marketing agencies, addressing barriers by targeting audiences with bespoke COVID communications. Core marketing materials are translated into multiple languages nationally and on request from Local Authorities and external stakeholder groups. We are also utilising trusted voices, relevant channels, and translated messages to reach a wide range of audiences across the country. This helps the Government to maximise the impact of its ongoing multichannel communications strategy.

I refer the Hon. member to the answers given to PQ 55066 on 10 June 2020, PQ 46692 on 29 May 2020 and to PQ 45460 on 11 May 2020.

The Government is working with specialist multicultural marketing agencies, addressing barriers by targeting audiences with bespoke COVID communications. Core marketing materials are translated into multiple languages nationally and on request from Local Authorities and external stakeholder groups. We are also utilising trusted voices, relevant channels, and translated messages to reach a wide range of audiences across the country. This helps the Government to maximise the impact of its ongoing multichannel communications strategy.

Enforcement of sales of age-restricted products is governed by distinct legislation and the respective lead department.

The Department supports enforcement efforts in England and Wales through funding for Citizens Advice Consumer Service, to relay crucial intelligence to local Trading Standards. To report suspected illegal sales to minors, the public is encouraged to contact Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133, or Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000.

Additionally, individuals can report suspected traders to the police using the non-emergency number, 101.

Government is committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Post Office network and has provided over £2.5 billion in funding to support the Post Office network over the past decade and is providing a further £628 million for the Post Office between 2022 and 2025.

The Post Office network is not in decline. As CEO Nick Read confirmed recently, the network is as large as it has been for about five years with around 11,700 branches. Government continues to monitor Post Office's network numbers and performance, and Post Office publishes an annual network report.

Our business rates package announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement will help the high streets and small businesses. This comes after the Government reversed the Health and Social Care Levy, enabling smaller firms to reduce their National Insurance bills even further by increasing the Employment Allowance.

Furthermore, on 9 January, the Government announced the Energy Bills Discount Scheme. Under the new scheme, eligible non-domestic customers receive a per-unit discount to their energy bills during the 12-month period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, subject to a threshold level of £107/MWh for gas and £302/MWh of electricity. This scheme followed the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ensured business were protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.

Additionally, in April 2023, Post Office made improvements to postmasters’ remuneration, including increasing payments for banking deposit transactions by 20%. This is in addition to improvements made by Post Office in August 2022.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon Member for Islwyn (Chris Evans) on 18 March to question UIN 18120.

Ofcom requires all landline and mobile telephone communications providers to provide a number of services for customers with disabilities, including access to an approved text relay service. The Warm Home Discount helpline has operators trained in taking calls from text relay services. The helpline also has a step-by-step Interactive Voice Response interface at the beginning of calls to help users navigate the service.

In addition to the telephone service, users can write to the Warm Home Discount helpline at: 110552 Warm Home Discount Scheme, PO Box 26965, Glasgow, G1 9BW.

Households not receiving rebates under the Warm Home Discount may still be able to receive assistance under the Industry Initiatives element of the scheme. This can include benefit entitlement checks, financial assistance, debt-write off, energy advice as well as energy efficiency measures. Over 327,000 households were helped under that route last winter.

For longer-lasting reductions in their energy bills, low-income households may be eligible for energy efficiency measures through government schemes including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Home Upgrade Grant. Over 39% of households in Bradford West have benefitted from energy efficiency measures installed under ECO since 2013.

The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will provide support of £400 for energy bills for around 900,000 households without a domestic electricity supply. Those eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding will need to submit a short online form via the Government’s GOV.UK pages, with the application portal due to open this month.

The Government is aware that homeowners have leased their roof space to receive free solar panels under commercial “rent a roof” schemes.  Under these arrangements, the panel providers remain owners of the equipment and receive the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) payments from the energy supplier, while the homeowner benefits from the savings they make on their electricity bills.

The FIT scheme allowed for such assignment of rights to FIT payments, but it did not prescribe how such arrangements should work: it was for the parties involved to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement. While the FIT was a government scheme which provided the framework for an investment opportunity, the various marketing approaches and offers that commercial ‘rent a roof’ companies employed were not government schemes.

The Government takes the issues associated with the sale and use of fireworks seriously. That is why there is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place for fireworks that controls the sale, availability and use.

We have no current plans to place further restrictions on the sale of fireworks to the public but we continue to monitor the situation. We are committed to promoting the safe and considerate use of fireworks through our programme of action, including through education and awareness raising.

Following the outcome of a review of its recognised NGB status last summer, the British Ju Jitsu Association Governing Body (BJJAGB) submitted evidence to Sport England relating to its compliance with the Home Country Sports Council's recognition criteria.

It is now for the Home Country Sports Council Boards to decide on the recognition of the organisation. This information will be communicated in the near future.

Following the outcome of a review of its recognised NGB status last summer, the British Ju Jitsu Association Governing Body (BJJAGB) submitted evidence to Sport England relating to its compliance with the Home Country Sports Council's recognition criteria.

It is now for the Home Country Sports Council Boards to decide on the recognition of the organisation. This information will be communicated in the near future.

In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” as an independent state.

The Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the lifeblood and research and development centres of our world-leading music sector.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry, including live venues at every level. We are working with industry and across Government to improve the sector's economic resilience to future economic shocks, as we did through the pandemic, and the recent Energy Bills Support Scheme.

We will continue to engage with the sector on the impact of current pressures. As part of this engagement, I recently met the Music Venues Trust to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and how to support growth of the music sector and wider Creative Industries.

Regarding support for Bradford West specifically, across all artforms and disciplines, the Arts Council has invested £21.86 million since 2018/19 in 145 projects. This includes seven successful music specific applications, including:

• Nightrain, a 400 capacity live music venue, received £11,000 in 2021 via the Supporting Grassroots Live Music Fund to purchase new sound equipment, which enabled the venue to offer more opportunities to up and coming bands.

• Nightrain also received two Culture Recovery Fund awards, totalling £168,500.

• 18 Bradford West based projects received Culture Recovery Funding totalling £3.93 million. These included producers and cultural venue The Brick Box, including The Brick Box Rooms, which are often utilised for music performances. The Brick Box received £25,000 through the Arts Council’s Emergency Response funds for organisations, £105,000 through Culture Recovery Fund and £90,000 in National Lottery Project Grants.

• Another music sector organisation which received Culture Recovery Fund support was Pro Audio Systems, who received £263,000, enabling the provision of quality electronic audio equipment to venues in the region.

• Lukas Hornby, Bradford-based producer, DJ, VJ, composer and musician received £2,500 from the Arts Council’s Emergency Response fund for individuals.

• National Lottery Project Grant awards have also been made to grassroots community choirs the Friendship Choir (£14,000) and Millside Voices Community Choir (£15,000).

The Creative Industries have been identified by this Government as a priority growth sector. We will shortly be publishing a Creative Industries Sector Vision that will set out our ambitions, shared with industry, to support all parts of the creative sector to 2030. We look forward to working with the music industry to deliver on these objectives.

The Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the lifeblood and research and development centres of our world-leading music sector.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry, including live venues at every level. We are working with industry and across Government to improve the sector's economic resilience to future economic shocks, as we did through the pandemic, and the recent Energy Bills Support Scheme.

We will continue to engage with the sector on the impact of current pressures. As part of this engagement, I recently met the Music Venues Trust to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and how to support growth of the music sector and wider Creative Industries.

Regarding support for Bradford West specifically, across all artforms and disciplines, the Arts Council has invested £21.86 million since 2018/19 in 145 projects. This includes seven successful music specific applications, including:

• Nightrain, a 400 capacity live music venue, received £11,000 in 2021 via the Supporting Grassroots Live Music Fund to purchase new sound equipment, which enabled the venue to offer more opportunities to up and coming bands.

• Nightrain also received two Culture Recovery Fund awards, totalling £168,500.

• 18 Bradford West based projects received Culture Recovery Funding totalling £3.93 million. These included producers and cultural venue The Brick Box, including The Brick Box Rooms, which are often utilised for music performances. The Brick Box received £25,000 through the Arts Council’s Emergency Response funds for organisations, £105,000 through Culture Recovery Fund and £90,000 in National Lottery Project Grants.

• Another music sector organisation which received Culture Recovery Fund support was Pro Audio Systems, who received £263,000, enabling the provision of quality electronic audio equipment to venues in the region.

• Lukas Hornby, Bradford-based producer, DJ, VJ, composer and musician received £2,500 from the Arts Council’s Emergency Response fund for individuals.

• National Lottery Project Grant awards have also been made to grassroots community choirs the Friendship Choir (£14,000) and Millside Voices Community Choir (£15,000).

The Creative Industries have been identified by this Government as a priority growth sector. We will shortly be publishing a Creative Industries Sector Vision that will set out our ambitions, shared with industry, to support all parts of the creative sector to 2030. We look forward to working with the music industry to deliver on these objectives.