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1304536

registered interest
date	23/03/2021
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	Clothing: Manufacturing Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to enable and support overseas workers who are victims of corporate harm in the supply chain of UK fashion brands to access remedy via UK courts.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173210
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2021 answer text <p>Whether an overseas worker would be able to access remedy against a UK company in the courts of England and Wales or an employment tribunal would depend on a number of different factors, including whether the court or tribunal has territorial jurisdiction, the nature of the employment relationship, and what right the claimant is asserting under UK law. This would be assessed on a case-by-case basis.</p><p> </p><p>The UK government has an extensive history of funding organisations such as the Ethical Trading Initiative who proactively support worker representation, freedom of association and collective bargaining. This support has led to direct remediation of labour rights violations for vulnerable workers, including dismissal for joining a union.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 30/03/2021 15:39:49 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304534

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrants: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to suspend the No Recourse to Public Funds conditions on public health grounds for the duration of the covid-19 outbreak, as recommended by the Work and Pensions Select Committee in its first report of Session 2019-21, DWP’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, published 22 June 2020.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173208
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to protecting vulnerable people and has acted decisively to ensure that we support everyone through this pandemic.</p><p>Healthcare is not classified as a public fund, and testing and treatment for COVID-19 is free of charge to all regardless of immigration status. Also, NHS Trusts have been advised that no immigration checks are required for these patients. The guidance can be viewed here:<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide</a>.</p><p>Many of the wide-ranging COVID-19 measures the Government has put in place are available to migrants with NRPF. These range from assistance being given under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-employed Income Support Scheme, statutory sick pay and discretionary hardship payments for those who have to self-isolate.</p><p>Migrants who have been granted leave on the basis of their family life / human rights can apply to have the NRPF condition on their stay lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application.</p><p>Since the onset of the pandemic, we have continued to prioritise NRPF ‘change of conditions’ applications and deal with them compassionately. Data published in February 2021 for quarter 4 of 2020 shows the average time taken to make a decision on cases is 18 days. Of the decisions taken in the same period, 86% were granted.</p><p>Local authorities may also provide basic safety net support, regardless of immigration status, if it is established that there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems or family cases where the wellbeing of a child is in question.</p><p>The Government has provided unprecedented support of over £8 billion of funding to local authorities in England to help councils manage the impacts of COVID-19 and respond to the spending pressures they are facing, including £4.6 billion which is not ringfenced. Additional funding of nearly £19 billion has also been provided for the devolved administrations under the Barnett formula as part of the wider government response.</p><p>In light of the support that is available to those with NRPF, we do not believe it is necessary to suspend the NRPF condition for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 26/03/2021 12:39:47 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304535

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
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	Coronavirus: Inquiries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it Government policy to undertake an inquiry into the disproportionate effect of covid-19 on BAME, migrant and low-income workers.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173209
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2021 answer text <p>We have no plans to do so. The Minister for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch MP) is leading cross-Government work to understand the disparities in the risks and outcomes from COVID-19 among the black, Asian and minority ethnic community and the relationships between the different risk factors.</p><p>Her first quarterly progress report concluded that a range of socioeconomic and geographical factors coupled with pre-existing health conditions were contributing to the higher infection and mortality rates for ethnic minority groups. The report can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quarterly-report-on-progress-to-address-covid-19-health-inequalities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quarterly-report-on-progress-to-address-covid-19-health-inequalities</a></p><p>Findings of the second quarterly progress report included the role of deprivation in the unequal impact of COVID-19 which is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/second-quarterly-report-on-progress-to-address-covid-19-health-inequalities/second-quarterly-report-on-progress-to-address-covid-19-health-inequalities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/second-quarterly-report-on-progress-to-address-covid-19-health-inequalities/second-quarterly-report-on-progress-to-address-covid-19-health-inequalities</a></p><p>Tackling deprivation will be the focus of the third quarterly progress report. The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has been set up to explore issues faced by ethnic minorities in this country and the challenges identified in the COVID-19 response is a key part of the Commission’s work, which is due to report shortly.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 30/03/2021 16:14:10 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304537

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
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	Clothing: Manufacturing Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to establish a judge-led public inquiry into Leicester’s garment industry.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173211
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2021 answer text <p>We are engaging with the sector to understand the systemic issues that lead to non-compliance and what measures could be used to tackle them. I have met with the British Retail Consortium to discuss the issues in the sector and will be holding a roundtable with their members to further discuss potential solutions. We also look forward to seeing the outcomes of work between the enforcement agencies and retailers as part of the work of the Apparel and General Merchandise Public/Private Protocol, a partnership between the enforcement agencies and industry partners, including NGOs, sector bodies and brands, aimed at tackling labour exploitation in the garment industry.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 30/03/2021 15:41:42 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304539

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
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	Coronavirus: Vaccination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to ensure that undocumented migrants will be able to access covid-19 vaccinations without fear of immigration enforcement action.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173212
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2021 answer text <p>Vaccination against COVID-19 is offered to every adult living in the United Kingdom free of charge, regardless of immigration status. No immigration checks are needed to receive these services and the National Health Service is not required to report undocumented migrants to the Home Office.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 29/03/2021 13:16:26 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304540

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will work with the Office for Students to provide guidance to universities on how to effectively take account of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on academic performance.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173213
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2021 answer text <p>It is vital that a fair approach to exams and assessment is in place and understood by students. As autonomous bodies, higher education (HE) providers will make their own judgements about how best to ensure students’ achievements are reliably and fairly assessed.</p><p>The government’s clear and stated expectation is that quality and academic standards must be maintained. We expect providers to make all reasonable efforts for student achievement to be reliably assessed and for qualifications to be awarded securely.</p><p>The Office for Students (OfS), as the HE regulator in England, has produced guidance to the sector setting out expectations about provider approaches to teaching and assessment during this time. OfS guidance is clear that standards must be maintained, but clearly changes to assessments may be required in some circumstances. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has also published resources for providers on practical ways in which students can be assessed and complete their studies while ensuring quality and standards are upheld.</p><p>The government will continue to work closely with the QAA, professional bodies and the OfS to ensure students continue to leave university with qualifications that have real value, reflect their hard work and allow people to progress.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 30/03/2021 08:34:18 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304541

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will require the Competition and Markets Authority formally assesses the offers made by universities for the 2020-21 student intake.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173214
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2021 answer text <p>The government is committed to transforming the lives of young people so they can go as far as their hard work will take them. Our primary goal has been to ensure that the vast majority of students who wanted to go to university in the 2020-21 academic year could do so. We took steps, with support from the higher education (HE) sector, to increase capacity in the 2020-21 cycle. The end of cycle figures from UCAS for the 2020 cycle show that the percentage of accepted applicants deferring their place only went up by 0.7 percentage points compared to 2019. HE providers, as autonomous bodies, are independent from the government and are responsible for their own recruitment decisions.</p><p>The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is an independent non-ministerial department. The CMA makes its own choices about which cases to take forward based on its published prioritisation principles. The CMA offers guidance on consumer law for HE providers. It has been clear that obligations under the law have not changed during the COVID-19 outbreak and that HE providers must ensure that they are meeting these obligations.</p><p>The government has been clear throughout the COVID-19 outbreak that we expect providers to ensure that they are fully complying with their consumer law obligations, including in relation to admissions decisions. The department has regular contact with the CMA, including via the Consumer Benefit Forum, which was formed following the government’s consultation on the Office for Students (OfS) regulatory framework in 2017. Information about the Consumer Benefit Forum is available here: <a href="https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-wellbeing-and-protection/student-protection/consumer-benefit-forum/" target="_blank">https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-wellbeing-and-protection/student-protection/consumer-benefit-forum/</a>.</p><p>On 30 November 2020, the CMA published a re-statement of their views on consumer law in relation to HE. This is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fc4bab98fa8f5474e63ab0b/HE_restatement_.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fc4bab98fa8f5474e63ab0b/HE_restatement_.pdf</a>.</p><p>The CMA had also previously published guidance on consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds affected by COVID-19. This sets out the CMA’s view on how the law operates to help students understand their rights and help providers treat their students fairly. This is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/consumer-protection-review-of-higher-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/consumer-protection-review-of-higher-education</a>.</p><p>Although the CMA is able to take enforcement action where there are breaches of consumer law, the OfS also has an important role, as the regulatory body in HE. All registered HE providers are subject to ongoing OfS conditions of registration relating to student protection and consumer law. The OfS is also responsible for ensuring that HE providers comply with their registration requirements.</p><p>The OfS does not get involved in individual student complaints, as that is for the relevant HE provider and possibly the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education. Students can, however, notify the OfS of issues that may be of regulatory interest to it. These are called ‘notifications’. The OfS uses this information as part of its regulatory monitoring activity and to keep HE providers under review to ensure that they comply with the ongoing conditions of registration. The OfS has produced a guide for students to support them in this process, which is available here: <a href="https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/office-for-students-notifications/" target="_blank">https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/office-for-students-notifications/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 01/04/2021 16:14:47 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304542

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Fees and Charges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of abolishing tuition fees (a) for the duration of the covid-19 outbreak and (b) in perpetuity.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173215
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2021 answer text <p>The government is committed to a sustainable higher education (HE) funding model that supports high quality provision, meets the skills needs of the country, and maintains the world-class reputation of UK HE. We recognise that tuition fees must continue to represent value for money for students and taxpayers, both during the COVID-19 outbreak and after.</p><p>The government has already announced that the maximum tuition fee cap will remain at £9,250 for the 2021/22 academic year in respect of standard full-time courses at approved (fee cap) providers. We also intend to freeze the maximum tuition fee caps for 2022/23 to deliver better value for students and to keep the cost of higher education under control, the fifth year in succession that maximum fees have been frozen. Our income-contingent student loan system helps remove financial barriers to study and means that no eligible student needs to pay tuition fees upfront.</p><p>The COVID-19 outbreak continues to be a difficult and uncertain time for students. The government’s expectations are very clear: HE providers should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and seek to ensure that all students regardless of their background have the resources to study remotely. The HE regulator in England, the Office for Students (OfS), has made it clear that all HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and standards. The OfS is taking very seriously the potential impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on teaching and learning. It is actively monitoring providers to ensure that they maintain the quality of their provision, that it is accessible for all, and that they have been clear in their communications with students about how arrangements for teaching and learning may change throughout the year. The OfS is also following up directly with providers where they receive notifications from students, parents or others raising concerns about the quality of teaching on offer and requiring providers to report to them when they are not able to deliver a course or award a qualification. If the OfS has any concerns, it will investigate further.</p><p>If students have concerns, there is also a complaints process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) to consider their complaint. The OIA website is available at: <a href="https://www.oiahe.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.oiahe.org.uk/.</a></p><p>After finishing study, we believe that it is right that students should contribute to the cost of their HE, and that this contribution should be linked to their income. Only those who earn above the repayment threshold, which is £27,295 per year from April 2021, are required to make repayments. This system of income-based repayment means that those who have benefited the most from their education repay their fair share and helps to ensure that costs are split fairly between borrowers and the taxpayer.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 26/03/2021 12:58:08 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304543

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
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	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of forgiving student debt accrued during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2021 answer text <p>This has been a very difficult time for students, and the government is working with the higher education (HE) sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies. We thank all HE staff for their tireless work to ensure that young people do not have to put their lives or their academic journeys on hold.</p><p>The government’s clear and stated expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and should seek to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the resources to study remotely.</p><p>Universities are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees within maximum fee limits set by regulations. The government is committed to a sustainable HE funding model that supports high quality provision, meets the skills needs of the country and maintains the world-class reputation of UK HE. We recognise that tuition fees must continue to represent value for money for students and taxpayers, both during the COVID-19 outbreak and afterwards.</p><p>The government has already announced that the maximum tuition fee cap will remain at £9,250 for the 2021/22 academic year, in respect of standard full-time courses at approved (fee cap) HE providers. We also intend to freeze the maximum tuition fee caps for the 2022/23 academic year to deliver better value for students and to keep the cost of HE under control (the fifth year in succession that maximum fees have been frozen). Our income-contingent student loan system helps remove financial barriers to study and means that no eligible student needs to pay tuition fees upfront.</p><p>The Office for Students, as the regulator for HE providers in England, has made it clear that HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards. These standards set out requirements to ensure that courses are high-quality, that all students (both domestic and international) are supported and achieve good outcomes and that standards are protected, regardless of whether a provider is delivering its courses through face-to-face teaching, remote online learning or a combination of both.</p><p>Whether or not an individual student is entitled to a refund will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the HE provider and student. If students have concerns, there is a process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education to consider their complaint, this is the case for both domestic and international students. The OIA website is available at: <a href="https://www.oiahe.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.oiahe.org.uk/</a>.</p><p>The OfS does not get involved in individual student complaints, as this is for the relevant HE provider and possibly the OIA. Students can, however, notify the OfS of issues that may be of regulatory interest to it. These are called ‘notifications’. The OfS uses this information as part of its regulatory monitoring activity and keep higher education providers under review to ensure that they comply with the ongoing conditions of registration. The OfS has produced a guide for students to support them in this process, which is available here: <a href="https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/office-for-students-notifications/" target="_blank">https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/office-for-students-notifications/</a>.</p><p>The government recognises that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The department has worked with the OfS to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for the academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. We have also made an additional £70 million of student hardship funding available to HE providers this financial year. HE providers have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need – this is available to all students.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 30/03/2021 09:13:28 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1304544

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of cancelling all student debt.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
uin	173217
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2021 answer text <p>Cancelling all student loan debt would have a significant fiscal impact on the economy, and on taxpayers, many of whom may not have benefited directly from higher education (HE), but who would be required to fund this additional public spending.</p><p>The latest statistical release, published in December 2020, shows that the value of outstanding loans at the end of March 2020 reached £140 billion: <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01079/" target="_blank">https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01079/</a>.</p><p>The government’s approach to student finance ensures that costs are split fairly between borrowers and the taxpayer. This approach has helped more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds go to university than ever before. Taxpayers currently subsidise around 50% of the cost of HE, which is a conscious investment in the skills capacity of the economy.</p><p>We believe that it is right that students should contribute to the cost of their HE and that this contribution should be linked to their income. Monthly repayments are linked to income and not to interest rates or the amount borrowed. Repayments are made at 9% of amounts earned over the relevant repayment threshold. The repayment threshold is currently equivalent to £26,575 a year for borrowers with a post-2012 loan, rising to £27,295 from 6 April 2021. Borrowers are protected, as their repayments decrease if their income decreases, and stop where income falls below the relevant repayment threshold. Any outstanding debt is written off after 30 years or in line with the terms of the borrower’s specific loan type, with no detriment to the borrower.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 30/03/2021 08:53:19 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe