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1290258

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
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	Darwin Plus: Marine Environment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which projects funded by the Darwin Plus Programme are in respect of aquatic biodiversity; and of those projects, how many are in respect of coral (a) preservation and protection and (b) disease prevention and eradication.
tabling member constituency	Rutland and Melton
tabling member printed	Alicia Kearns
uin	159374
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2021 answer text <p>Since 2012 Darwin Plus has contributed £10.7 million to 49 projects working on aquatic biodiversity across the UK Overseas Territories. Of these projects three have focused on coral preservation and protection to a total of £0.46 million. One of these projects successfully established a coral nursery in Little Cayman and saw coral nursery guidelines being incorporated into national policy in the Cayman Islands. There have not been any Darwin Plus projects working on disease prevention and eradication.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 08/03/2021 18:00:05 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4805 label Biography information for Alicia Kearns

1290339

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Bounce Back Loan Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will extend the bounce back interest free period on loans by an additional six months during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	159345
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government launched the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) to ensure that the smallest businesses could access loans of up to £50,000 to help businesses through this difficult period. Under BBLS no repayments are due from the borrower for the first 12 months of the loan, giving businesses the breathing space they need during this difficult time. In addition, the Government covers the first 12 months of interest payments charged to the business by the lender.</p><p>We have always been clear that businesses are responsible for repaying any finance they take out. However, we recognise that some borrowers will benefit from flexibility for their repayments. That is why we announced the Pay As You Grow measures.</p><p>Pay As You Grow was designed to provide Bounce Back Loan borrowers more time and flexibility over their repayments by giving them the option to:</p><ul><li>Extend the length of the loan from six years to ten.</li><li>Make interest-only payments for six months, with the option to use this up to three times throughout the loan.</li><li>Once six payments have been made, have the option of a six-month repayment holiday.</li></ul><p>On 8th February, the Government announced that these options would be made more generous – removing the requirement to make six payments before accessing the six-month repayment holiday.</p><p>Businesses will be able to use these options either individually or in combination with each other. In addition, they have the option to fully repay their loan early and will face no early repayment charges for doing so.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 03/03/2021 15:06:04 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1290395

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education: UK Relations with EU
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment he has made of the effect of the end of the transition period on (a) further and (b) higher education.
tabling member constituency	East Renfrewshire
tabling member printed	Kirsten Oswald
uin	912682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2021 answer text <p>The department has considered all aspects of how exiting the EU might affect further and higher education. This included consideration of participation in EU-funded programmes, future arrangements for migration and for access to student finance support. We have been committed to ensuring the country is prepared for every eventuality.</p><p>My officials also regularly engage with sector stakeholders on a range of issues, including EU exit and the transition period.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 01/03/2021 16:55:02 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4413 label Biography information for Kirsten Oswald

1290396

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Coronavirus Catch-up Premium
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	If he will ensure covid-19 catch-up funding for 16 to 19 year olds is not limited to students with low prior attainment in GCSE English and maths.
tabling member constituency	North West Leicestershire
tabling member printed	Andrew Bridgen
uin	912684
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2021 answer text <p>Catch up funding for 16- to 19-year-olds is provided through the 16-19 Tuition Fund. This is focused on supporting those young people who are at significant disadvantage and whose learning has been impacted most severely by the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>We have targeted this funding among 16–19 -year-old students for those with low prior attainment because:</p><ul><li>We know that these young people are disproportionately likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds.</li><li>Students who leave full-time education with low attainment are far more likely to become Not in Education, Employment or Training and far less likely to progress to higher level courses, including HE and apprenticeships. We also know that they earn significantly less over their lifetimes.</li><li>Students with low prior attainment are more likely to have fallen behind in lockdown, as they will have found it harder to ‘self-study’ at home and are more likely to disengage.</li></ul><p>Those without GCSE English and/or maths at the expected standard at age 16 is the agreed measure used for disadvantage in 16-19 education and an established part of the 16-19 funding formula.</p><p>Funding is available to spend on those students without a grade 5 or above in English and/or maths GCSE. However, providers are required to prioritise support for students who have not achieved a grade 4 in English and/or maths.  If providers have funding available within their allocations, they can consider whether any young people with a grade 4 also needs catch up support.</p><p>As further evidence emerges, we will consider if refinements to eligibility for future funding are needed to maximise its value and impact in providing catch-up support for 16-19 students.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 01/03/2021 17:28:40 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
tabling member	4133 label Biography information for Andrew Bridgen

1290397

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Regional Planning and Development
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps his Department plans to take to implement the Government's levelling up agenda.
tabling member constituency	Bridgend
tabling member printed	Dr Jamie Wallis
uin	912686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2021 answer text <p>We are implementing an exciting and ambitious reform programme to level up the further education sector, ensuring it becomes a powerhouse that supplies the skills employers need, and equips young people and adults to have productive and fulfilling careers.</p><p>On 21 January 2021 we published the Skills for Jobs white paper focused on giving people the skills they need, in a way that suits them, so they can get great jobs in sectors the economy needs and boost this country’s productivity. Area based planning is a key focus; Local Skills Improvement Plans will be introduced to help providers to better serve the needs of their local area.</p><p>We are also ensuring people have opportunities to upskill and reskill at different points in their life by delivering my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee. This includes introducing a Lifelong Loan Entitlement from 2025, funding people for their first level 3 (A level equivalent) course, and short, flexible ways to train through employer-led bootcamps. These measures will be a key enabler in levelling-up for those who do not have university level education.</p><p>We have put in place a number of programmes and policies to address the long-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, such as the COVID-19 catch-up premium and the Skills Recovery Package, which is focused on supporting young people. This includes incentives for employers to take on new apprentices, tripling the number of traineeships, and a new high-value course offer for school leavers.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 01/03/2021 17:39:44 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
tabling member	4766 label Biography information for Dr Jamie Wallis

1290398

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education: Greater London
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps his Department is taking to maintain levels of funding for universities and higher education institutes based in London.
tabling member constituency	Wimbledon
tabling member printed	Stephen Hammond
uin	912687
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2021 answer text <p>The London Weighting element of the Strategic Priorities Grant accounts for a small proportion of London-based providers’ income. Providers in London received around £64 million London Weighting in academic year 2020-21, which was less than 1% of their estimated total income.</p><p>The Strategic Priorities Grant, formerly referred to as the Teaching Grant, plays an important role in supporting providers and students to develop the skills and knowledge needed locally, regionally and nationally to support the economy.</p><p>The grant is funding supplied by the government on an annual basis to support higher education (HE) providers’ ongoing teaching and related activities. In the financial year 2020-21, the Department for Education provided £1,253 million in recurrent Teaching Grant funding. In financial year 2021-22, the department will maintain this level of funding and is providing £1,253 million in recurrent Strategic Priorities Grant funding.</p><p>We have asked the Office for Students (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, science, technology, engineering and mathematics and subjects meeting specific labour market needs.</p><p>We have also asked the OfS for a £10 million increase to the specialist provider allocation, to support these institutions which are particularly reliant on Strategic Priorities Grant funding, many of whom are London-based. We want to ensure that our small and specialist providers, including some of our top music and arts providers, receive additional support, and that grant funding is used to effectively support students.</p><p>Even with the removal of the London Weighting, the reforms mean that around 1 in 6 London providers are estimated to see an increase in their Strategic Priorities Grant funding. These are HE providers offering courses aligned with the government’s strategic priorities.</p><p>The OfS will consult on these changes, before final allocations for the 2021-22 financial year are confirmed, and carefully consider the impact of any changes on providers.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 01/03/2021 16:55:12 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond

1290399

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupil Premium
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What funding he plans to allocate to schools to cover the costs of families who sign up for pupil premium later in the school year.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham East
tabling member printed	Janet Daby
uin	912690
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2021 answer text <p>Pupil premium funding for the financial year 2021-22 will be based on the October 2020 census data. Pupils who become eligible later in the year will be provided for in the following year.</p><p>The move to using the October census for pupil premium funding will provide both schools and the Department with greater certainty around future funding levels earlier in the year. This will bring the pupil premium in line with the great majority of schools’ funding, which is already calculated by using data from the October census.</p><p>Pupil premium will continue to be based on “Ever6 free school meals”, whereby all pupils eligible for free school meals at the time of the October census, or at any point in the previous six years, will attract pupil premium funding. Per pupil funding rates for the pupil premium in 2021-22 will be the same as in 2020-21. As a result, we expect a typical school to see an increase in pupil premium funding from 2020-21 to 2021-22 as more children have become eligible for free school meals as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>In addition to the £2.5 billion in pupil premium funding for 2021-22, on 24 February 2021 the Government announced a further £300 million for a one-off Recovery Premium which will be allocated to schools based on the same methodology as the pupil premium. In this way, schools with more disadvantaged pupils will receive larger amounts.</p><p>Schools are best placed to decide how to use their pupil premium funding, and they can spend the funding on pupils who do not meet the eligibility criteria. As such, pupils that become eligible for free school meals after October 2020 can still benefit from the pupil premium.</p><p>Further information on this change can be found on gov.uk under “allocation changes from 2021 to 2022” at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 09/03/2021 13:18:02 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby

1290400

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to help make up for teaching time lost as a result of the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
tabling member printed	Jamie Stone
uin	912709
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to helping children and young people make up learning lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is why we have invested £1.7 billion to give early years, schools and colleges support to help pupils get back on track, including additional funding for tutoring, early language support and summer schools.</p><p>We have appointed Sir Kevan Collins as an Education Recovery Commissioner to advise on our recovery plan and academic and non-academic factors in supporting attainment will form a part of this work.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 09/03/2021 13:03:05 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4612 label Biography information for Jamie Stone

1293252

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Members: Correspondence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time is to receive a letter of reply from her Department to an hon. Member on immigration issues.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	160772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2021 answer text <p>The Department works to a target of responding to 95% of MPs written correspondence within 20 working days. Performance has been impacted by a very significant increase in the volume of correspondence received, alongside the need for Ministers and officials to instigate a remote process for drafting and signing correspondence during the period of COVID-19 restrictions.</p><p>The latest published data on UKVI performance against the service standard which includes data up to and including the end of quarter 3-2020/21 is held at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-november-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-november-2020</a></p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 04/03/2021 16:37:47 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1293253

registered interest
date	01/03/2021
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	Ice Skating: Coronavirus
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 assessment he has made of the effect of designating ice rinks as leisure facilities on access to that facility for skaters outside of normal working hours during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
tabling member printed	Brendan Clarke-Smith
uin	160810
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government’s ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ sets out an ambitious strategy for reducing obesity and includes ensuring the use of appropriate language when associated with unhealthy weight.</p><p> </p><p>In January The Minister of State for Digital and Culture provided evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee concerning how media representations can contribute to poor body image. Ministers and officials in my department are committed to reviewing this issue as part of the Online Advertising Programme Review, later this year.</p><p> </p><p>My department also works closely with the Advertising Standards Authority to ensure advertising presenting misleading, exaggerated and irresponsible content is taken down. In 2019 the Advertising Standards Association enhanced their standards through the inclusion of a new rule prohibiting negative gender stereotypes. Ads which pressure the audience to conform to an idealised gender-stereotypical body shape or physical features are likely to breach this rule.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 04/03/2021 15:47:11 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
tabling member	4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith