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1248459

registered interest
date	03/11/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Sports Competitors
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings she has had with governing bodies of sport on the granting of visas to self-employed professional athletes entering the UK after 1 January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	110771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text Home Office officials are in regular contact with each of the recognised Sports Governing Bodies [SGB], including annually reviewing the bespoke criteria that applies to each sport. This process of review ensures we strike the right balance between enabling top level international athletes to come to the UK, whilst protecting opportunities for resident sportspeople, based on the expertise of the SGB. The Home Office approved SGBs are listed at Appendix M of the Immigration Rules: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-m-sports-governing-bodies" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-m-sports-governing-bodies</a>.<p>Any sport seeking to employ migrant professional sportspeople must be listed within Appendix M of the Immigration Rules.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 110772 110773 question first answered 09/11/2020 12:40:51 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1248460

registered interest
date	03/11/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Sports Competitors
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the multiple governing bodies for many sports played in different nations throughout the Union, which of those governing bodies her Department consults when formulating policy on visa requirements for professional athletes.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	110772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text Home Office officials are in regular contact with each of the recognised Sports Governing Bodies [SGB], including annually reviewing the bespoke criteria that applies to each sport. This process of review ensures we strike the right balance between enabling top level international athletes to come to the UK, whilst protecting opportunities for resident sportspeople, based on the expertise of the SGB. The Home Office approved SGBs are listed at Appendix M of the Immigration Rules: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-m-sports-governing-bodies" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-m-sports-governing-bodies</a>.<p>Any sport seeking to employ migrant professional sportspeople must be listed within Appendix M of the Immigration Rules.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 110771 110773 question first answered 09/11/2020 12:40:51 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1248461

registered interest
date	03/11/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Sports Competitors
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to consult governing bodies of sports not recognised by the home nations on visa requirements for professional athletes after the end of the transition period.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	110773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text Home Office officials are in regular contact with each of the recognised Sports Governing Bodies [SGB], including annually reviewing the bespoke criteria that applies to each sport. This process of review ensures we strike the right balance between enabling top level international athletes to come to the UK, whilst protecting opportunities for resident sportspeople, based on the expertise of the SGB. The Home Office approved SGBs are listed at Appendix M of the Immigration Rules: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-m-sports-governing-bodies" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-m-sports-governing-bodies</a>.<p>Any sport seeking to employ migrant professional sportspeople must be listed within Appendix M of the Immigration Rules.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 110771 110772 question first answered 09/11/2020 12:40:51 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1236710

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Randox Laboratories: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September 2020 to Question 81767 on Randox Laboratories: Coronavirus, how many Randox sampling kits were recalled following Randox’s Field Safety Notice of 7 August 2020.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	93569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2020 answer text <p>The recall applied to all unused Randox kits in circulation at the time the recall notice was announced; up to 750,000 kits. This figure may be significantly less due to wastage and the majority have now been returned to Randox. We continue to work across the testing channels to remove any remaining kits from circulation. The specific data is not held in the requested format.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately grouped question UIN 81766 81768 question first answered 14/10/2020 13:51:09 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately previous answer version 50070 answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1236774

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Correspondence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there is a backlog in (a) opening and (b) responding to postal enquiries at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	93570
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2020 answer text <p>The DVLA’s 6,000 staff are largely based at a single site in Swansea and to adhere to Welsh Government social distancing requirements the number of staff on-site had been greatly reduced. While there are not generally delays in opening paper applications, processing them may take longer as they have to be dealt with in person. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to maximise staff numbers while meeting the requirement in Wales to maintain the two-metre social distancing and ensure it remains Covid secure.</p><p> </p><p>The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has a range of online services available which offer quick and easy ways of transacting. The DVLA’s online services have worked well and as normal throughout the pandemic. Between March and the end of August, the DVLA has issued nearly seven million vehicle registration certificates and three and a half million driving licences.</p><p> </p><p>The DVLA has also accelerated the development of additional online services to further reduce the number of paper applications and supported the take up of these through a publicity campaign. In June, the DVLA launched a new service allowing vehicle keepers to change their address online. This service was developed and introduced at pace and has been very successful with more than 213,000 change of address transactions completed online by the end of August. Further digital service enhancements are underway.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, drivers with a licence that expires between 1 February and 31 December 2020 have been given an automatic extension from the date of expiry. This means they will not need to renew their entitlement to drive until 11 months after the original expiry date.</p> answering member constituency Redditch answering member printed Rachel Maclean question first answered 25/09/2020 11:50:23 answering member 4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1231569

registered interest
date	04/09/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to support self-employed people whose industries have not re-started during the covid-19 outbreak after the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme closes on 19 October 2020.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	84998
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2020 answer text <p>The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extension or changes to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). The SEISS will remain open for applications for the second and final grant until 19 October.</p><p> </p><p>Some businesses will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others, and the Government will seek to support these businesses appropriately.</p><p> </p><p>Those who require more support may be able to benefit from other elements of the comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19</a>.</p><p> </p><p>As the economy reopens, it is right that state support is reduced and the focus shifts to getting people back to work. On 8 July, the Government introduced the Plan for Jobs which will make available up to £30 billion to assist in creating, supporting and protecting jobs. The Plan supports jobs through the Kickstart Scheme, protects jobs by reducing the level of VAT for the hospitality and accommodation sector, and creates jobs through £8.6 billion of infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects. This is alongside many other measures that will help support people and kickstart the economic recovery. More information can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020</a>.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 09/09/2020 15:30:33 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1231570

registered interest
date	04/09/2020
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	Arts: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support will be offered to self-employed people in the arts after the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme closes.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	84999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2020 answer text <p>We recognise the crucial role that self-employed individuals play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading. The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme has helped millions of people across the UK, with those eligible receiving a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit over the last three years. This has covered 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment.</p><p>In addition to this scheme designed to support the self-employed, the Government announced an unprecedented £1.57bn support package for organisations in the Arts and Culture sectors. This funding will help preserve and resume cultural activity, initially with socially distanced audiences and subsequently kick start employment opportunities for freelancers.</p><p>To complement the funding for organisations made available by Government, Arts Council England have announced £95m of additional support for individuals, including freelancers. This involves:</p><ul><li><p>An additional £75m in project grants. These will be focused on applications that maximise employment opportunities and those from under-represented groups. Freelancers are eligible to apply directly. National Portfolio Organisations can also apply to create new work with bids that create employment opportunities prioritised.</p></li><li><p>A further round of the ACE programme ‘Discover Your Creative Practice’ will open in the autumn. This will make approximately £18m available for individuals looking to develop new creative skills that will help them to further develop their career.</p></li><li><p>ACE will also be adding £2m into relevant benevolent funds to support those less well supported by the programmes outlined above, including stage managers and technicians.</p></li></ul><p>The government remains committed to supporting our prestigious and internationally renowned arts and cultural sector and is clear on the vital importance the Arts contribute to the well being of the nation at this time. We are committed to continuing to work with these sectors to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 10/09/2020 11:27:25 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1231571

registered interest
date	04/09/2020
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	Culture Recovery Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to ensure that funding from the Culture Recovery Fund reaches self-employed workers in the arts sector.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	85000
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2020 answer text <p>We recognise the crucial role that self-employed individuals play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading. The Secretary of State has announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors. By preserving many arts and cultural institutions, the self-employed and freelance workers will benefit with increased employment opportunities as these organisations resume cultural activities.</p><p>To complement the funding for organisations made available by Government, Arts Council England have also announced £95m of additional support for individuals, including freelancers. This involves:</p><ul><li><p>An additional £75m in project grants. These will be focused on applications that maximise employment opportunities and those from under-represented groups. Freelancers are eligible to apply directly. National Portfolio Organisations can also apply to create new work with bids that create employment opportunities prioritised.</p></li><li><p>A further round of the ACE programme ‘Discover Your Creative Practice’ will open in the autumn. This will make approximately £18m available for individuals looking to develop new creative skills that will help them to further develop their career.</p></li><li><p>ACE will also be adding £2m into relevant benevolent funds to support those less well supported by the programmes outlined above, including stage managers and technicians.</p></li></ul><p>The government remains committed to supporting our prestigious and internationally renowned arts and cultural sector and is clear on the vital importance the Arts contribute to the well being of the nation at this time. We are committed to continuing to work with these sectors to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 10/09/2020 11:25:49 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1229251

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Randox Laboratories: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Randox covid-19 tests have been distributed to (a) care home settings and (b) individuals, and what proportion of the UK’s total covid-19 tests were distributed by Randox up to 31 July 2020.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	81766
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2020 answer text <p>The recall applied to all unused Randox kits in circulation at the time the recall notice was announced; up to 750,000 kits. This figure may be significantly less due to wastage and the majority have now been returned to Randox. We continue to work across the testing channels to remove any remaining kits from circulation. The specific data is not held in the requested format.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately grouped question UIN 81768 93569 question first answered 14/10/2020 13:51:09 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1229252

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Randox Laboratories: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's new story of 7 August 2020, Update on Randox test kits, which elements of Randox covid-19 tests did not meet required safety standards; and through what processes that determination was made.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	81767
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2020 answer text <p>The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reviewed the regulatory documents relating to Randox home sampling kits and revealed that documents for the swabs did not meet the regulatory requirements to support CE marking of the swab within the kit.</p><p>On 15 July the decision was made by the Department to pause the use of Randox kits pending further investigation.</p><p>Following confirmation from the Department that despite instruction to quarantine these kits, there were still cases of the kits being used. On 6 August 2020, the MHRA contacted Randox and asked them to conduct without delay a recall of those affected sampling kits which had been distributed to the United Kingdom in order to ensure that the kits are not used.</p><p>Randox communicated this action by means of a Field Safety Notice. The Department as a customer/recipient of the Field Safety Notice instructed their users to take the actions detailed in the Field Safety Notice.</p><p>Randox issued the Field Safety Notice on 7 August 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Bedfordshire answering member printed Ms Nadine Dorries question first answered 21/09/2020 14:27:26 answering member 1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith