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1281710

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Housing: Cats and Dogs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support the Government has made available to kennel and cattery businesses in the context of the re-classification of those services as essential and the implications of that matter for the eligibility of those workers regarding furlough.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	145015
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2021 answer text <p>There has been no change in the status of kennel and cattery businesses. Under the current restrictions veterinary services, animal rescue centres, and animal boarding facilities may stay open. Continued access to animal boarding facilities at this time is important for animal welfare purposes, including where required to enable critical workers to go to work or to allow owners to attend medical or vaccination appointments.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities have been allocated £500 million in discretionary funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant to support businesses that are significantly impacted by the restrictions even though not required to close. This is in addition to £1.1 billion already allocated in November 2020. Local authorities have discretion to use this funding to support businesses in the way they see fit. For example, this could include businesses which supply the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors, or businesses in the events sector or businesses outside the business rates system, which are effectively forced to close. Businesses which cannot maintain their workforce because operations have been affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) can furlough employees and apply for a grant to cover a portion of their usual monthly wage costs, more information on eligibility can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#who-can-claim" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#who-can-claim</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has issued advice for pet owners and livestock keepers on looking after the welfare of animals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This includes guidance on how to access animal boarding facilities safely and is clear that you should only access these facilities by appointment and recommends that you ask the facilities if they provide a collection and drop-off service. More information can be found at: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fguidance%2Fcoronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cemma.pryor%40defra.gov.uk%7Ccdb47b630757448d00e308d8c6b349ed%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637477820629969763%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=mxkLP22r5dSOqrjTZUrEgEXXa865J4yjnU7KPk9P3v8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals</a></p><p> </p><p>The Canine and Feline Sector Group has also issued advice for pet businesses, including animal boarding establishments, on how to operate safely within the new restrictions. This includes a protocol for the handover of pets and may be found online: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cfsg.org.uk%2Frepository%2F360%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cemma.pryor%40defra.gov.uk%7Ccdb47b630757448d00e308d8c6b349ed%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637477820629979758%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=Lv0ltm7otHRRm7rC69TMolIwHHXsAZ%2FP5hU8B6W9HEo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cfsg.org.uk/repository/360/</a></p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 03/02/2021 11:29:27 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1281247

registered interest
date	27/01/2021
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government: Remote Meetings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will extend the provisions of the Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority Meetings) (England) Regulations 2020 to allow local authorities to conduct meetings remotely beyond May 2021.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	144677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>To extend the facility for councils to continue to meet remotely, or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation.</p><p>There is no option to extend the current regulations under the Coronavirus Act 2020 as section 78 (2) contains the sunset date of 7 May 2021.</p><p>There is considerable pressure on the Government’s legislative programme, but the Government is carefully considering next steps in this area.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 01/02/2021 17:29:14 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1280631

registered interest
date	26/01/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Remand in Custody
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of unconvicted people being held in prison on remand awaiting trial.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	143752
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>We are aware of the need to mitigate the impact of delays on those who are un-convicted and held in prison. Judges are prioritising the most urgent cases, and we are providing an extra £57m to support services. As one of the first among other comparable jurisdictions globally to resume jury trials, our Crown Courts currently list thousands of cases each week.</p><p>We anticipate that providing the courts with timely information relating to the defendant and services will help to reduce unnecessary remands and increase the appropriate use of bail and bail conditions. In September 2020, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) began a trial of a dedicated and proactive Bail Information Service (BIS) in several courts and prisons in the North West of England and in Wales. In conjunction with this trial, HMPPS are rolling out a Covid-19 response BIS in all public sector remand prisons. Both trials aim to inform the design, resourcing and delivery of a future dedicated and proactive national BIS.</p><p>The majority of bail cases that had their first hearing in November 2020 were listed for trial prior to December 2021, and where the defendant is in custody, most cases were listed for trial prior to July 2021. There are rare exceptions where a trial is listed into 2023 and these are judicial decisions.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 01/02/2021 16:44:09 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1280634

registered interest
date	26/01/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Remand in Custody: Ethnic Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment he has made of the effect of remand custody on (a) Black, Asian and minority ethnic people and (b) white people.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	143753
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>The decision to remand an individual in custody or to grant bail is solely a matter for the courts acting in accordance with the Bail Act 1976 and the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012, which provides a framework of remand in custody and creates a presumption in favour of bail for all defendants involved in criminal proceedings.</p><p>A comparative assessment of the effect of remand on different ethnic groups has not been conducted. The Ministry of Justice holds information for remand outcomes broken down by ethnicity in the Magistrates’ and Crown Court at the following links: · Crown Court <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888657/remands-crown-court-tool-2019.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888657/remands-crown-court-tool-2019.xlsx</a> · Magistrates Court <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888658/remands-magistrates-court-tool-2019.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888658/remands-magistrates-court-tool-2019.xlsx</a></p><p>Research by the Youth Justice Board on Ethnic disproportionality in remand and sentencing in the youth justice system was published on 21 January 2021 and can be accessed via the following link: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/952483/Ethnic_disproportionality_in_remand_and_sentencing_in_the_youth_justice_system.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/952483/Ethnic_disproportionality_in_remand_and_sentencing_in_the_youth_justice_system.pdf</a> Routine Youth Justice Statistics 2019/2020 were released on 28<sup>th</sup> January also show remand broken down by ethnicity: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/youth-justice-statistics-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/youth-justice-statistics-2019-to-2020</a></p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 01/02/2021 16:48:20 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1280651

registered interest
date	26/01/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Animal Housing: Cats and Dogs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will reverse the reclassification of kennel and cattery businesses from animal welfare to non-essential.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	143754
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>There has been no change in the status of kennel and cattery businesses. Under the current restrictions veterinary services, animal rescue centres, and animal boarding facilities may stay open. Continued access to animal boarding facilities at this time is important for animal welfare purposes, including where required to enable critical workers to go to work or to allow owners to attend medical or vaccination appointments.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has issued advice for pet owners and livestock keepers on looking after the welfare of animals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This includes guidance on how to access animal boarding facilities safely and is clear that you should only access these facilities by appointment and recommends that you ask the facilities if they provide a collection and drop-off service. More information can be found at: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fguidance%2Fcoronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cpqtransfers%40defra.gov.uk%7Ce3835daf693a4dec875208d8c473ca72%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637475348895479454%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=f%2BW6Kv%2Bq7feswXolhSaCViATnMhOwyw2iZyAc46UZWU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals</a></p><p> </p><p>The Canine and Feline Sector Group has also issued advice for pet businesses, including animal boarding establishments, on how to operate safely within the new restrictions. This includes a protocol for the handover of pets and may be found online: <a href="https://www.cfsg.org.uk/repository/360/" target="_blank">https://www.cfsg.org.uk/repository/360/</a></p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 01/02/2021 16:45:42 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1280802

registered interest
date	26/01/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
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 Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2020 to Question 138439 on Television Licenses: Non-payment, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the high proportion of cases in which the defendant does not enter a plea.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	143755
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has not carried out an assessment of the reasons why defendants in TV Licensing cases fail to enter a plea. However, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has undertaken a review of the Single Justice Procedure Notice, to encourage greater engagement. The new Single Justice Procedure Notice will be adopted by TV Licencing as well as other relevant prosecutors later this year.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 01/02/2021 16:57:31 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1280803

registered interest
date	26/01/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people, by offence, were prosecuted under the single justice procedure in each month of 2020; and what the plea rates were for offences charged under the single justice procedure in each month of 2020.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	143756
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>Data showing the number of defendants dealt with via single justice procedures (SJP) notices at the magistrates’ courts by plea and offence in England and Wales from January – September 2020 (latest available) can be found in the attached table.</p><p>The data supplied is a subset of published information relating to the timeliness of defendants dealt with by SJP notice which is available in Table 1 of the Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly, latest to September 2020.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 01/02/2021 17:12:45 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp attachment 1 file name Copy of PQ 143756.xlsx title Table
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1279941

registered interest
date	25/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Supply Teachers: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available for casual supply teachers who are not contracted to a school during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	142917
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2021 answer text <p>Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. Schools have autonomy over these budgets and their employment arrangements and decisions on staffing are made at the local level.</p><p>If supply staff employed via employment agencies are unable to work due to COVID-19, their employment agency can place them on furlough and use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to claim for 80% of their wages, including during school holiday periods, provided that the eligibility criteria are met. Information on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme</a>. Information on the eligibility criteria is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme</a>.</p><p>Employers can now flexibly furlough their employees for the hours the employee would usually have worked in that period, whilst also being able to work outside of the hours they are furloughed. Employees can work for any amount of time, and any work pattern but they cannot do any work for their employer during hours that employers record them as being on furlough. Further information is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#flexible-furlough-agreements" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#flexible-furlough-agreements</a>.</p><p>The decision to furlough an employee, fully or flexibly, is entirely at the employer's discretion as it is dependent on a range of factors that the employer is best placed to determine, for example, the amount of work available for employees.</p><p>The Government has provided additional financial support for those who are unable to work because they have COVID-19, or are self-isolating, which is outlined here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-what-to-do-if-youre-employed-and-cannot-work?priority-taxon=5ebf285a-9165-476c-be90-66b9729f50da#if-someone-you-live-with-has-symptoms-of-coronaviru" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-what-to-do-if-youre-employed-and-cannot-work?priority-taxon=5ebf285a-9165-476c-be90-66b9729f50da#if-someone-you-live-with-has-symptoms-of-coronavirus</a>.</p><p><strong><br> <br> </strong></p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 29/01/2021 15:54:22 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1279945

registered interest
date	25/01/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Supply Teachers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme compulsory for education supply staff.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	142918
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2021 answer text <p>Agency workers, including supply teachers, are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in the same way as other employees and can continue to be claimed for during periods of school closure provided that the usual eligibility criteria are met. However, the furloughing of staff through the CJRS is a voluntary arrangement, entered at the employers’ discretion and agreed by employees.</p><p> </p><p>Functions given to HMRC under the Coronavirus Act 2020 to implement the CJRS do not enable Government to require employers to furlough their staff or alternatively require employees to agree to be furloughed. It is not for the Government to decide whether an individual firm should put its staff on furlough.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education has published detailed guidance on the application of financial support schemes for the education sector, including for supply staff with various different employment arrangements, on GOV.UK.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 28/01/2021 16:10:28 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1279946

registered interest
date	25/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Supply Teachers: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the (a) employment and (b) income of supply teachers.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	142919
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department does not hold data on the rate of employment or the income of supply teachers.</p><p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has released estimates of the number and value of claims made to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). This outlines the number of companies, and employees who have been supported by the CJRS by employment sector, including education. However, the statistical release does not provide data on specific job roles within a sector. The information is available to view here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-december-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-december-2020</a></p><p>If supply staff employed via employment agencies are unable to find work, their employment agency can place them on furlough and use the CJRS to claim for 80% of their wages, including during school holiday periods, provided that the eligibility criteria. are met. Information on the CJRS is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme</a>. Information on the eligibility criteria is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 29/01/2021 15:52:16 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham