Stephen Flynn

The role and number of trading standards officers is a matter for local authorities who fund and appoint them to consider.

BEIS officials regularly meet with stakeholders such as Chartered Trading Standards Institute, National Trading Standards Board and Trading Standards Scotland, as well as others, in relation to consumer policy enforcement. However, staffing levels are a matter for local authorities to decide.

The role and number of trading standards officers is a matter for local authorities who fund and appoint them to consider.

BEIS officials regularly meet with stakeholders such as Chartered Trading Standards Institute, National Trading Standards Board and Trading Standards Scotland, as well as others, in relation to consumer policy enforcement. However, staffing levels are a matter for local authorities to decide.

The draft auction parameters for the fourth Contracts for Difference allocation round, including the administrative strike prices for wave and tidal stream, and any minima for particular technologies, will be published shortly.

BEIS Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives of Ofgem to discuss a range of energy related matters, including transmission charging arrangements for renewable generation projects in Scotland and across GB.

Transmission charging is a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator, and it is currently reviewing some aspects of these charging arrangements, with plans to consult on proposals this year. The Department is in close touch with Ofgem to understand how its proposals can help support delivery of a secure, net zero energy system at lowest cost for consumers. Most major investment in new renewable generation projects continues to be underpinned by Contracts for Difference arrangements introduced by the UK Government, and for which overseas generators are not eligible to bid.

Sports and physical activity providers and facilities are at the heart of our communities, and play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.

Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many sport clubs have benefited from. An income scheme announced in July by the Secretary of State for Local Government, aims to support local authorities who have incurred irrecoverable loss of income from sales, fees and charge which they had reasonably budgeted for. On 22 October, the Government announced a £100m support fund for local authority leisure centres. In addition, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has also provided £210 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic.

We are continuing to work with organisations to understand what they need and how we may be able to support them.

It is right that sporting organisations have the freedom to benefit commercially from their products and negotiate their own broadcasting and sponsorship deals.

But such organisations also have an important role to ensure the agreements they enter into are socially responsible and not detrimental to their fans. Gambling operators too are obliged to ensure that all their sponsorship and marketing activity is done responsibly and never targeted at children or vulnerable people.

The Government has committed to a further review of the Gambling Act to ensure it remains fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.

It is right that sporting organisations have the freedom to benefit commercially from their products and negotiate their own broadcasting and sponsorship deals.

But such organisations also have an important role to ensure the agreements they enter into are socially responsible and not detrimental to their fans. Gambling operators too are obliged to ensure that all their sponsorship and marketing activity is done responsibly and never targeted at children or vulnerable people.

The Government has committed to a further review of the Gambling Act to ensure it remains fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.

The Gambling Commission has issued licences to 2,690 gambling operators. Government does not hold figures on how many of these operators have entered into commercial sponsorship agreements with Premier League football clubs but of the 20 football clubs who currently compete in that league, 10 have front of shirt sponsors who are gambling operators. None of the operators who are currently involved in shirt sponsorship arrangements with Premier League football clubs – either under their own brands or through ‘white label’ partnerships – have been fined by the Gambling Commission for breach of their Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice.

The Gambling Commission publishes details of regulatory action it has taken on its website, including a list of sanctions imposed upon operators which can be seen here https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Regulatory-sanctions-register-operators.pdf

The Gambling Commission requires all operators licensed under the Gambling Act 2005 to make a contribution towards the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm. Most operators donate to GambleAware, a charity which commissions dedicated support for problem gamblers, as well as research and awareness-raising on gambling-related harm. For the 2018-19 financial year, operators donated £9.6m to GambleAware, and industry body the Betting and Gaming Council estimates that operators gave a further £9.7m to other charities. For that same financial year, the gambling sector paid around £3bn to the exchequer in gambling taxes.

GambleAware commission support and treatment services for those suffering through gambling problems, including the National Gambling Helpline and counselling services provided by GamCare. GambleAware commissioned services complement those of NHS England who are scaling up treatment provision for problem gambling as part of the NHS Long-term plan. This will see up to 14 new specialist clinics open in the next 5 years, 2 of which have opened already. The Health Secretary has also announced that a cross-government addiction strategy, to include gambling, will be published in 2020.

In May 2018 the government published its response to the consultation on gaming machines and social responsibility measures, which made clear that if industry failed to provide the funding needed to meet current and future needs, government would consider all options, including a mandatory levy. Following this, in July 2019, five large gambling operators announced that they will increase the amount they give tenfold, from 0.1% to 1% of their gross profits over the next four years, and as part of this have committed to spend £100 million on treatment.

We make use of all available information to understand labour demand and supply, considering both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements. This includes engaging closely with farmers, growers, and industry bodies to consider the latest data and business intelligence. Defra is also working across Government to ensure there is a long-term evidence-based strategy for the agricultural workforce beyond 2021.

The Government is working to ensure that we produce an ambitious and attractive Freeport offer that achieves the Prime Minister’s aim of levelling up our regions and attracting business investment across the whole of the UK. In doing so the Government is working with the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government.

Specific locations for Freeports will be chosen through a fair and transparent process. Details will be announced in due course.

The Government is working to ensure that we produce an ambitious and attractive Freeport offer that achieves the Prime Minister’s aim of levelling up our regions and attracting business investment across the whole of the UK. In doing so the Government is working with the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government.

Specific locations for Freeports will be chosen through a fair and transparent process. Details will be announced in due course.

The Government is working to ensure that we produce an ambitious and attractive Freeport offer that achieves the Prime Minister’s aim of levelling up our regions and attracting business investment across the whole of the UK. In doing so the Government is working with the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government.

Specific locations for Freeports will be chosen through a fair and transparent process. Details will be announced in due course.

The Government is working to ensure that we produce an ambitious and attractive Freeport offer that achieves the Prime Minister’s aim of levelling up our regions and attracting business investment across the whole of the UK. In doing so the Government is working with the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government.

Specific locations for Freeports will be chosen through a fair and transparent process. Details will be announced in due course.

The Government is working to ensure that we produce an ambitious and attractive Freeport offer that achieves the Prime Minister’s aim of levelling up our regions and attracting business investment across the whole of the UK. In doing so the Government is working with the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government.

Specific locations for Freeports will be chosen through a fair and transparent process. Details will be announced in due course.

Our approach to tackling coronavirus is driven by the latest scientific and medical advice. This advice has not recommended a long-term border closure similar to other countries such as New Zealand.

The need for border measures is reviewed every 28 days, to ensure that they remain in line with the latest scientific evidence, and that they continue to be effective and necessary. An economic assessment is completed before measures are implemented and impacts captured through the review process.

Passengers from Aberdeen will be able to connect onto HS2 services from Edinburgh and Glasgow, benefitting from improved connectivity and journeys times to the rest of the network. Better connectivity promotes growth through agglomeration which induces investment and supports the levelling up of the UK economy.

The full business case for HS2 ‘High-Speed 2: Phase One ‘moving Britain Ahead’ was revised and published in April 2020 ‘. HS2 Ltd’s ‘Economic case advice for the DfT’ publication in 2017 provides an illustrative estimate that 5% of the overall transport user benefits will be distributed to passengers from Scotland with the full HS2 network in place. As part of the Integrated Rail Plan we will consider the benefits and the best way to serve Scotland.

As of the 7^th July Approximately 148,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply for through the Kickstart Scheme and over 44,000 young people have started Kickstart jobs. There were also over 247,000 jobs approved for funding by the Scheme.

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 7th July and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

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

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

I refer the honourable member to my answer to question 107629, answered on 2 November 2020.

I refer the honourable member to my answer to question 107629, answered on 2 November 2020.

Public Health England has not made a comparative assessment. We continue to advise that members of the public continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces where they are likely to come into contact with those they do not regularly meet.

The Government’s travel corridor policy remains a critical part of the COVID-19 response as it reduces the risk of importing infections from abroad, while at the same time permitting inbound travel from certain destinations without the need for travellers to self-isolate where the risk of importing COVID-19 is deemed sufficiently low. Travel corridors are informed by risk assessments provided by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, working closely with Public Health England.

The Government’s travel corridor policy remains a critical part of the COVID-19 response as it reduces the risk of importing infections from abroad, while at the same time permitting inbound travel from certain destinations without the need for travellers to self-isolate where the risk of importing COVID-19 is deemed sufficiently low. Travel corridors are informed by risk assessments provided by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, working closely with Public Health England.

The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes the official forecast for local authority borrowing and spending in their Economic and Fiscal Outlook, including future spending on principal and debt interest. The latest estimate in the March 2023 forecast is published here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2023/.

Figures for principal and interest repayments to the Public Works Loan Board for the financial years 2020-21 to 2022-23 are published in their annual reports and accounts. Links to those reports can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-work-loans-board-annual-report-and-accounts.

The Health and Social Care Levy will levy a 1.25% tax on taxpayers liable to Class 1, Class 1A, Class 1B and Class 4 National Insurance contributions, via a temporary increase to NICs rates in 2022-23 and a separate Levy from 2023-24. Revenue raised will be ringfenced to support UK health and social care bodies.

The Government has published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) setting out that this measure will affect over 1.6 million employers required to introduce this change, including through one-off familiarisation costs. Further details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-social-care-levy/health-and-social-care-levy.

The UK Government plans to establish Freeports across the UK as soon as possible. These will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK. Freeports will spread jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country by unleashing the economic potential of our ports.

In the UK Government’s recently published consultation response, we outlined that that the UK government is evaluating options for local authorities to retain business rates as part of the Freeports programme. This would apply in England only, or where decisions are not devolved. Further details will be included in the Bidding Prospectus, which will be published in due course.

Where policies are devolved, as in Scotland, the implementation and design of Freeports, including any infrastructure funding, will be a matter for each devolved administration to decide upon - although the UK Government will provide any assistance necessary if requested. The UK Government continues to work collaboratively and openly with the devolved administration in Scotland to deliver at least one Freeport in Scotland as soon as possible.

The UK Government plans to establish Freeports across the UK as soon as possible. These will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK. Freeports will spread jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country by unleashing the economic potential of our ports.

In the UK Government’s recently published consultation response, we outlined that the Freeports model on offer will provide some seed capital from the UK Government to address infrastructure constraints relevant to Freeports and their surrounding area. This would apply in England only, or where decisions are not devolved. Further details will be included in the Bidding Prospectus, which will be published in due course.

Where policies are devolved, as in Scotland, the implementation and design of Freeports, including any infrastructure funding, will be a matter for each devolved administration to decide upon - although the UK Government will provide any assistance necessary if requested. The UK Government continues to work collaboratively and openly with the devolved administration in Scotland to deliver at least one Freeport in Scotland as soon as possible.

The Graduate route was introduced in 2021 to help new graduates who have successfully completed their eligible study in eligible UK universities get a head-start on their career by allowing these graduates to work or look for work for up to three years immediately following their graduation.

A full impact assessment of the route was published in March 2021 and can be found on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-1248-4-march-2021

The Home Office has no plans to remove the application fee or to extend the length of stay for the Graduate route.

The Graduate route was introduced in 2021 to help new graduates who have successfully completed their eligible study in eligible UK universities get a head-start on their career by allowing these graduates to work or look for work for up to three years immediately following their graduation.

A full impact assessment of the route was published in March 2021 and can be found on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-1248-4-march-2021

The Home Office has no plans to remove the application fee or to extend the length of stay for the Graduate route.