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1277267

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to support students who have paid rent for accommodation at university but are unable to use it as a result of covid-19 restrictions.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	910862
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own rent agreements. The government plays no direct role in the provision of student accommodation. However, the government encourages all providers of student accommodation to review their accommodation policies to ensure that they have students best interests at heart. We also urge them to communicate their policy clearly and be fair.</p><p>We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The department has worked with the Office for Students to clarify that providers are able to draw on existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. The government is making available up to a further £20 million on a one-off basis to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students.</p><p>Maintenance loans are available as a contribution towards a student’s living costs while attending university. The system targets the most living cost support at those from the lowest income families, who need it most.</p><p>Maximum living costs support increased by 10.3% in cash terms for eligible new students on the lowest incomes in 2016/17 compared to the maximum support available for new starters in 2015/16 under the previous system. Further inflationary increases in living costs support have been made in each academic year since, with an increase of 2.9% announced for the 2020/21 academic year and 3.1% for the 2021/22 academic year, taking the support available for the lowest income students to record levels in cash terms.</p><p>Students who have applied for a loan for living costs for 2020/21 and have been awarded a lower amount than the maximum and believe their household income for the current tax year (2020-21) will drop by at least 15% compared to the household income they provided when they were initially assessed, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.</p><p>If students have concerns about their accommodation fees, they should first raise their concerns with their accommodation provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, and their higher education provider is involved in the provision of the accommodation, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider their complaint.</p><p>If a student thinks their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: <a href="https://www.thesac.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.thesac.org.uk/</a>, <a href="https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain" target="_blank">https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain</a> and <a href="https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml" target="_blank">https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 18/01/2021 18:22:29 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1277268

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to support university students during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Bosworth
tabling member printed	Dr Luke Evans
uin	910861
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>We understand that this is a very difficult and uncertain time for students, and we are working with universities, higher education (HE) institutions, mission groups, unions and professional Sector Bodies to make sure that all reasonable efforts are being made to enable all students to continue their studies and provide the support required for them to do so. Our expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and the Office for Students (OfS) will continue to actively monitor universities to ensure that quality of provision is maintained and accessible for all.</p><p>Students undertaking courses that would normally require attendance on-site will qualify for loans for living costs in the 2020/21 academic year, even if universities are providing course lectures and/or tutorials online only due to COVID-19, provided students continue to engage with their HE provider.</p><p>Students who suspend their studies for a variety of reasons, including shielding, can apply to Student Finance England for their living costs support to be continued while they are absent from their course. Students who suspend their studies due to illness automatically receive living costs support for the first 60 days of their illness.</p><p>Students who have applied for a loan for living costs for 2020/21 and have been awarded a lower amount than the maximum and believe their household income for the current tax year (2020-21) will drop by at least 15% compared to the household income they provided when they were initially assessed, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.</p><p>In these exceptional circumstances, we recognise that some students may face financial hardship or experience mental health issues. We have asked universities to prioritise mental health support and ensure that students required to self-isolate receive the support they need. I have also set up a sub-group of the HE taskforce to ensure there is appropriate focus on this important matter. To support with this further, we have worked closely with the OfS to help clarify that providers can draw upon existing funding to increase hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19. Providers are able to use OfS Student Premium funding worth around £256 million for this academic year towards student hardship funds. We are also currently making available up to £20 million of additional hardship funding to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students. In addition, the £3 million OfS funded mental health and well-being platform, Student Space, has been extended for the whole of the 2020/21 academic year to provide extra support during these unprecedented times. The platform is designed to work alongside existing services.</p><p>I continue to emphasise to Vice Chancellors at every opportunity that student welfare should remain a priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust sector guidance and support where necessary.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 18/01/2021 18:28:50 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4781 label Biography information for Dr Luke Evans

1277269

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What support his Department is providing to help safeguard (a) staff and (b) children in early years settings during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	North Thanet
tabling member printed	Sir Roger Gale
uin	910858
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>The department has worked collaboratively with Public Health England to develop a system of controls, which when implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, create an inherently safer environment where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced for children and staff.</p><p>Settings must comply with health and safety law, which requires them to assess risks and put in place proportionate control measures. Settings should thoroughly review their health and safety risk assessment and draw up plans on re-opening, in the event that they have to close. Settings should have active arrangements in place to monitor that the controls are effective, working as planned, and updated appropriately, for example when any issues are identified, or when there are changes in public health advice.</p><p>When conducting risk assessments, settings should ensure consideration is given to staff and children with protected characteristics from groups where a disparity has been shown by the review of disparities in risks and outcomes (for example, age and sex, where someone lives, deprivation, ethnicity and/or people’s occupation).</p><p>The department has published the ‘Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak’ guidance, which provides details on the system of controls and how they work in practice. The guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures</a>.</p><p>We are continuing to work closely with other government departments and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the early years sector. This includes ongoing discussions about providing testing via the education testing programme as well as strongly encouraging local authorities to prioritise appropriate testing for early years staff via Community Testing programmes, which now covers all local authorities. The fastest way testing can currently be delivered is through the community rapid asymptomatic testing being run by local authorities.</p><p>We are rolling out our asymptomatic testing programme to primary schools, schools-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools. The asymptomatic testing programme will offer all primary school, schools-based nursery and maintained nursery school staff home Lateral Flow Device test kits for twice weekly testing. This will help to break the chains of transmission of COVID-19 in education settings by identifying asymptomatic positive cases. Those who test positive will then self-isolate, helping to reduce transmission of the virus.</p><p>Furthermore, with regard to vaccinations, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.</p><p>Under the priority groups for the first phase of vaccine rollout, those over 50 years of age, and all those 16 years of age and over in a risk group, would be eligible for vaccination within the first phase of the programme. This prioritisation captures almost all preventable deaths from COVID-19.</p><p>Regarding the next phase of vaccine rollout, the JCVI have asked that the Department of Health and Social Care consider occupational vaccination in collaboration with other Government departments. The department is inputting into this cross governmental exercise.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 18/01/2021 18:14:21 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	87 label Biography information for Sir Roger Gale

1276133

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Television Licences: Non-payment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to publish the outcome and data of the consultation on decriminalising TV licence evasion, which closed on 1 April 2020.
tabling member constituency	Dudley North
tabling member printed	Marco Longhi
uin	137331
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>The consultation closed in April 2020 after receiving 150,000 responses.</p><p>The government intends to publish the response to the consultation on decriminalisation of TV licence evasion shortly.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale question first answered 18/01/2021 13:40:43 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4789 label Biography information for Marco Longhi

1276167

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Commonwealth: Diplomatic Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consular assistance arrangements his Department has with embassies and consulates of Commonwealth countries in (a) Andorra, (b) Benin, (c) Burkina Faso, (d) Cape Verde, (e) Central African Republic, (f) Comoros, (g) Congo, (h) Djibouti, (i) Dominica, (j) East Timor, (k) Equatorial Guinea, (l) Gabon, (m) Guinea-Bissau, (n) Honduras, (o) Liechtenstein, (p) Monaco, (q) Nicaragua, (r) San Marino, (s) St Kitts and Nevis, (t) Suriname, (u) Togo and (v) Tonga.
tabling member constituency	Caerphilly
tabling member printed	Wayne David
uin	137141
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>We provide help and support to British nationals around the world 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, through our network of trained staff, including our network of over 200 Honorary Consuls (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/909020/Honorary_Consulates_August_2020.csv/preview). British nationals in these countries who require Consular assistance can contact the Foreign, Commonwealth &amp; Development Office 24/7 for help or advice by calling 0207 008 5000, or contacting their nearest British embassy, High Commission or Consulate (https://www.gov.uk/world/embassies).</p><p>In one of the few countries where there is no British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate, we may provide in country support via agreements with partner countries, and/or existing coverage from FCDO posts in neighbouring countries. Commonwealth embassies may offer to help British nationals. We may also help Commonwealth nationals in non-Commonwealth countries where they do not have diplomatic or consular representation, but will normally ask their nearest embassy to provide any ongoing assistance required.</p><p>Details of the remit of our consular support are set out in Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/914039/FCO_BritsAbroad_A4web_020920.pdf).</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 18/01/2021 17:37:30 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	1398 label Biography information for Wayne David

1276173

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Department for International Trade
answering dept id	202
answering dept short name	International Trade
answering dept sort name	International Trade
hansard heading	Procter and Gamble: China
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department has held discussions with Procter and Gamble on increasing trade with China.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	137210
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department for International Trade has not held discussions with Procter and Gamble on the subject of increasing trade with China.</p> answering member constituency North East Hampshire answering member printed Mr Ranil Jayawardena question first answered 18/01/2021 17:09:42 answering member 4498 label Biography information for Mr Ranil Jayawardena
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1276175

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Electric Vehicles: Charging Points
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what performance metrics his Department uses to assess the UK Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Test
tabling member printed	Dr Alan Whitehead
uin	137114
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>The UK Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF) was launched in August 2019, and Zouk Capital LLP was appointed to manage £200 million of Treasury funds and raise matching funds from private investors.</p><p> </p><p>The aim of using this model of a commercially managed fund is to catalyse private sector investment into the electric vehicle charging sector in order to accelerate the roll-out of publicly accessible charging infrastructure. Treasury funds are provided on a pari passu basis with private sector investors, with the intention of all limited partners, including Treasury, earning a commercial return. Zouk has made two investments so far, and despite the challenges of the pandemic, has maintained its momentum of fund raising. So far, it is therefore meeting the objectives of catalysing private sector investment and accelerating the roll-out of publicly accessible charging infrastructure.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 18/01/2021 16:01:25 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	62 label Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead

1276176

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria of the benefit cap grace period.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	137215
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>There are no plans to amend the eligibility of the benefit cap grace period. Helping claimants back into work, including through delivery of our Plan for Jobs, remains a primary focus, as returning to employment will significantly increase the likelihood of a household not being affected by the cap.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 18/01/2021 17:51:49 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1276179

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Serious Violence Taskforce
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the cross-Whitehall Crime and Justice Taskforce was created; and who the members of that Taskforce are.
tabling member constituency	Torfaen
tabling member printed	Nick Thomas-Symonds
uin	137244
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-10-22/107708" target="_blank">PQ107708</a>. The membership of the Taskforce is available on Gov.uk.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 137245 question first answered 18/01/2021 17:33:45 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4479 label Biography information for Nick Thomas-Symonds

1276180

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Serious Violence Taskforce
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the dates were of each of the meetings of the Crime and Justice Taskforce.
tabling member constituency	Torfaen
tabling member printed	Nick Thomas-Symonds
uin	137245
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-10-22/107708" target="_blank">PQ107708</a>. The membership of the Taskforce is available on Gov.uk.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 137244 question first answered 18/01/2021 17:33:45 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4479 label Biography information for Nick Thomas-Symonds