Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) quality of university courses related to the UK's industrial critical minerals needs.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
It is one of the government’s highest priorities and an important manifesto commitment to drive up quality and standards in higher education (HE), which is a fundamental part of our levelling up agenda. We owe it to all our students, wherever they are from, that at the very least they can expect a minimum standard of excellence that is going to lead to a qualification that will improve their future prospects and help them achieve their life goals.
In order to be registered with the English HE regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), HE providers in England are required to meet a minimum set of requirements. These are designed to ensure that all students receive a high-quality academic experience, students’ interests are protected and that students’ qualifications hold their value over time. Providers must deliver successful outcomes for all their students, which are recognised and valued by employers, and/or enable further study. The government welcomes the recent OfS consultation on regulating quality and standards in HE and expects the OfS to progress rapidly to ensure that a robust and enhanced quality regime will be operational as soon as possible.
The OfS provides funding to support high-cost science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, which will include high skilled jobs in the minerals industry. Further details can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/skills-and-employment/supporting-stem-subjects/.
The Strategic Priorities Grant, formerly referred to as the HE Teaching Grant, will play an important role in supporting providers and students to develop the skills and knowledge needed locally, regionally, and nationally to support the economy. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has asked the OfS to reform the Grant for the 2021-22 financial year, to ensure that more of taxpayers’ money is spent on supporting HE provision which aligns with national priorities, such as healthcare, STEM and subjects meeting specific labour market needs.
The OfS will consult on these changes before final allocations for the 2021-22 financial year are confirmed.
We are also reforming higher technical education to make it more prestigious and popular so that it delivers the skills employers need. We will introduce high-quality, nationally recognised approved higher technical qualifications that meet employer needs, starting with the digital route from September 2022.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the valuation list of non-domestic business rates for hospitality businesses in view of the effect of the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown restrictions on that sector.
Answered by Jesse Norman
This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth about £10 billion, and has frozen the business rates multiplier for all businesses for 2021-22.
The Government has provided various schemes to support firms, including wholesalers, including Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans, Bounce Back Loans, grants and VAT deferrals.
The Budget will set out the next phase of the Government’s plans to tackle the virus, protect jobs and support business.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the re-introduction of business rates from 1 April 2021 on hospitality businesses.
Answered by Jesse Norman
This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth about £10 billion, and has frozen the business rates multiplier for all businesses for 2021-22.
The Government has provided various schemes to support firms, including wholesalers, including Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans, Bounce Back Loans, grants and VAT deferrals.
The Budget will set out the next phase of the Government’s plans to tackle the virus, protect jobs and support business.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much has been paid out to hospitality businesses by local authorities under the Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment scheme since 5 January 2021.
Answered by Paul Scully
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 Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment (CBLP) which was established in response to the national restrictions that began on 5 January. Through the CBLP, businesses that have been mandated to close by Government, such as non-essential retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, can receive a one-off cash grant of up to £9,000 to support them through to spring.
We are working closely with all Local Authorities in England to deliver funding to businesses that are in scope of this scheme as quickly as possible, while safeguarding public funds.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to updated coronavirus restrictions from 1 October 2020, what proportion of grants have been paid out by local authorities to hospitality businesses under the (a) Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) and (b) Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed).
Answered by Paul Scully
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 includes extensive grant funding for businesses that have had to close due to national and localised restrictions, as well as funding for businesses severely impacted by restrictions even if not required to close. The Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed and Open), which applies to businesses mandated by Government to close alongside businesses that can open during periods of localised restrictions, is incorporated within this funding.
The LRSG (Open) grant programme does not apply during the national restrictions that began on 5 January. The relevant businesses will instead receive grant support through the LRSG (Closed) Addendum: 5 January onwards. The LRSG (Closed) is also superseded by the LRSG (Closed) Addendum: 5 January onwards. We are working closely with Local Authorities to ensure that funding is delivered to businesses that are in scope of these schemes as quickly as possible, while safeguarding public funds.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure local authorities are able to effectively pay coronavirus support grants to hospitality businesses under existing schemes.
Answered by Paul Scully
Hospitality businesses are currently required to close due to the legal restrictions that have been put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. Closed businesses will be eligible for grants of up to £4,500 per 6-week period of closure plus an additional one-off payment of up to £9,000 via local authorities.
In addition to these mandatory grants for closed businesses, £1.6bn has been allocated to local authorities in discretionary funding allowing them to provide grants to businesses that are not required to close but which are severely impacted.
There has been close engagement with the local government sector throughout the design and implementation of grant support for businesses during the local and national Covid-19 restrictions.
Full guidance to local authorities has been published in respect of all grant schemes, as have several iterations of FAQs picking up on issues raised by local authorities.
The Government is committed to meeting the additional New Burdens costs to local authorities. Financial support has started to be provided through some of the grant schemes. A further New Burdens assessment is currently underway and we will provide the additional funding to local authorities at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what data his Department is (a) collecting and (b) making available on the issuing of coronavirus support grants to the hospitality sector.
Answered by Paul Scully
Between March and September last year, over £11.68 billion was paid out to over a million business premises under the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF), the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF) and the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund (LADGF). A full breakdown of grant funding allocated to and distributed by each local authority is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.
We have since made further grant support available via Local Authorities to help businesses that have had to close due to national and localised restrictions, as well as funding for businesses severely impacted by restrictions even if not required to close. This includes the Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment (CBLP), the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), and the different Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) schemes. More details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19#support-for-businesses-affected-by-coronavirus-restrictions.
We are not able to share a full breakdown of the funding allocated and distributed by each Local Authority under these new schemes at this stage.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his department's guidance, Check if your business is eligible for a coronavirus grant due to national restrictions (for closed businesses), updated on 21 January 2021, when he plans to publish further guidance on subsidy rules which may affect hospitality businesses.
Answered by Paul Scully
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. 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 which references pre-existing EU State Aid limits have been rolled forward until such point as a new domestic subsidy approach is agreed. 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 in the hospitality sector to access grants, and will publish new guidance as and when circumstances require it.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report of 24 December 2020 by Christian Solidarity Worldwide entitled Church leaders abducted amid renewed violence in Kaduna state, what recent assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Nigeria; and what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports of increased communications and co-ordination between (a) terrorist factions from the north east and (b) rural banditry in the north west of that country.
Answered by James Duddridge
For over a decade, terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, have caused immense suffering to local communities, predominantly in North East Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin region. We are aware that Boko Haram and other terrorist groups have been attempting to develop a presence in North West Nigeria for many years and have claimed responsibility for a number of incidents in the region. We are also aware that Boko Haram have claimed responsibility for attacks they have not directly conducted. We continue to monitor developments closely and are committed to helping Nigeria tackle the threat posed by the terrorist groups in North East Nigeria. We are providing a comprehensive package of humanitarian and stabilisation assistance to Nigeria to help tackle the threat and support affected communities.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of (a) the attack on 2 December 2020 on the Christ Apostolic Church near Abeokuta in Ogun state and (b) other recent attacks on Christian communities by Fulani assailants in southern Nigeria.
Answered by James Duddridge
The FCDO condemns all attacks on places of worship including these recent attacks in southern Nigeria. We continue to encourage the Government of Nigeria to take urgent action to protect all those at risk of inter-communal violence, to bring perpetrators to justice, and to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of such violence and meet the needs of all communities. The FCDO is supporting this through the development of a new conflict, security and justice programme, which aims to reduce levels of inter-communal violence by building more effective conflict-management systems.