Daily Report Wednesday, 25 March 2020 CONTENTS
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Daily Report Wednesday, 25 March 2020 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 25 March 2020 and the information is correct at the time of publication (06:30 P.M., 25 March 2020). For the latest information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements, please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/ CONTENTS ANSWERS EDUCATION BUSINESS, ENERGY AND Academic Year and Free INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY School Meals Hygiene: Products Assessments: Teachers Post Offices: ICT Asylum: Children Seabed: Mining Children and Young People: Small Businesses: Mental Health Services Government Assistance Disability and Special Supermarkets: Coronavirus Educational Needs: Children CABINET OFFICE Educational Institutions: Hygiene Brexit: Coronavirus Free School Meals Paula Vennells Free School Meals: Prime Minister: Ministerial Coronavirus Policy Advisers Free Schools: Stoke-on-Trent DEFENCE North Defence Equipment: Costs Hospitals: Coronavirus DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND Schools: Finance SPORT Sixth Form Education: Finance Arts: Coronavirus Special Educational Needs: Broadband: Staffordshire Coronavirus Broadband: Standards Students: Coronavirus Internet: Safety Teachers: Violence and Abuse Licensed Premises: ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND Coronavirus RURAL AFFAIRS Performing Arts: Coronavirus Agriculture: Flood Control Bovine Tuberculosis: Autism: Mental Health Vaccination Services Seafood: USA Chickenpox: Lost Working Supermarkets: Coronavirus Days FOREIGN AND Cocaine COMMONWEALTH OFFICE Coronavirus British Airways: Coronavirus Coronavirus: Cancer British Nationals Abroad and Coronavirus: Disease Control EU Nationals: Coronavirus Coronavirus: Drugs British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus: General Coronavirus Practitioners British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus: Health Services Registration Coronavirus: Homelessness British Nationals Abroad: Repatriation Coronavirus: Midwives Developing Countries: Coronavirus: Palliative Care Coronavirus Coronavirus: Pharmacy Diplomatic Service: Telephone Coronavirus: Schools Services Coronavirus: Sleeping Rough Embassies: Peru Coronavirus: Tocilizumab Guatemala and Peru: Coronavirus: Vaccination Coronavirus Defibrillators India: Visas Dental Services: Protective Indonesia: Ahmadiyya Clothing Peru: Coronavirus Drugs: Coronavirus Saudi Arabia: Women's Rights East and North Hertfordshire Travel: Coronavirus NHS Trust: Finance Viral Diseases: International Electronic Cigarettes Cooperation Foetuses: Pain Zimbabwe: Humanitarian Food: Testing Situation Housing: Health HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE Lung Diseases: North West Abortion: Counselling Medical Equipment: Abortion: Disability Certification Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling Medical Equipment: Screening Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse MMR Vaccine NHS Refuges: Domestic Violence NHS: Protective Clothing INTERNATIONAL NHS: Staff DEVELOPMENT Ovarian Cancer Abortion: Overseas Aid Pigmeat: Nitrates Coronavirus: International Cooperation Protective Clothing Developing Countries: Testicular Cancer Coronavirus HOME OFFICE Gaza: Coronavirus Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse Overseas Aid Crimes of Violence: Young Overseas Aid: Charities People Overseas Aid: Coronavirus Domestic Abuse: Children Palestinians: Schools Drugs: Organised Crime Palestinians: Textbooks Offences against Children UNRWA: Finance Places of Worship Security Funding Scheme: INTERNATIONAL TRADE Nottinghamshire Export Controls: Tees Valley Police JUSTICE Police Community Support Crematoriums: Coronavirus Officers: Protective Clothing Crime: Victims Police: Staffordshire Debt Collection: Regulation Riot Control Weapons: Civil Domestic Abuse: Children Disorder Domestic Abuse: Courts Wrecks: Theft Legal Aid Scheme HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT Offenders: Females Buildings: Insulation Prison Accommodation Estate Agents: Coronavirus Prisons: Gender Housing: Construction Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Local Government Finance Order 1974: Prosecutions Planning Permission: Theft: Prosecutions Coronavirus NORTHERN IRELAND Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus Pregnant Women: Northern Ireland Private Rented Housing: Disabled Facilities Grants SCOTLAND Low Incomes: Coronavirus [Subject Heading to be Low Pay Assigned] Music: Non-domestic Rates TRANSPORT NHS: Finance Aviation: Antisocial Behaviour Off-payroll Working Aviation: Coronavirus Older People: Coronavirus Bus Services: Coronavirus Roadchef: Employee Benefit Electric Vehicles: Charging Trusts Points Schools: Coronavirus High Speed 2 Railway Line: Small Businesses Females Small Businesses: Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Coronavirus Coronavirus Social Enterprises: Public Transport: Coronavirus Coronavirus Railways: Coronavirus Stocks and Shares: Overseas Roads: Safety Companies TREASURY Tax Avoidance: Coronavirus Aviation: Coronavirus Transport: Infrastructure Bank Services Transport: Stoke-on-Trent Beer: Excise Duties North Business: Coronavirus VAT: Energy Business: Unpaid Taxes WORK AND PENSIONS Child Benefit: Coronavirus Employment: Coronavirus Credit Food Banks: Coronavirus Credit Rating: Coronavirus Jobcentres: Coronavirus Credit: Interest Rates Rents: Coronavirus Economic Situation: Newport Self-employed: Coronavirus West Social Security Benefits: Employment: Coronavirus Coronavirus Entertainments and State Retirement Pensions: Exhibitions: Coronavirus Coronavirus Labour Turnover: Coronavirus Universal Credit: Coronavirus Licensed Premises: Coronavirus Loans: Interest Rates WRITTEN STATEMENTS TREASURY CABINET OFFICE Financial Services Update First meeting of the Oil and Gas Decommissioning Withdrawal Agreement Joint Relief Deeds Committee Pensions Update HOME OFFICE Simplification of the Immigration Rules Notes: Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant interest has been declared. Questions with identification numbers of 900000 or greater indicate that the question was originally tabled as an oral question and has since been unstarred. ANSWERS BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY Hygiene: Products Taiwo Owatemi: [31578] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) pharmacists, (b) suppliers and (c) other outlets do not profiteer from the price of hand sanitisers. Nadhim Zahawi: [Holding answer 23 March 2020]: On 5 March, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued a public statement to reassure businesses and consumers that it is monitoring retail practices during the Coronavirus outbreak. If required, the CMA will take direct enforcement action or advise the Government to take additional measures. Post Offices: ICT Mr Kevan Jones: [29842] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether officials in his Department have been notified of any payments to individual sub- postmasters following the settlement of the group litigation on the Horizon IT system on 12 December 2020. Paul Scully: It is impossible to ignore the financial and emotional suffering that the Horizon litigation process has caused for affected postmasters and their families. The Post Office has accepted – on the Horizon Accounting System – that it got things wrong in the past in its dealings with a number of postmasters and has apologised. This apology is only the start of a process of real change in the Post Office so that this situation is never repeated again. The Post Office has notified the Department that they have settled two long-running and complex disputes with sub-postmasters who had declined to join the group litigation. As an operational matter for the Post Office, the Government was not party to the discussions. Seabed: Mining Dr Matthew Offord: [29891] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many exploratory deep sea mining licences the Government has issued. Nadhim Zahawi: In 2012 and 2013, the Government sponsored two 15-year exploration contracts for UK Seabed Resources Ltd, a subsidiary of the US corporation Lockheed Martin. The Government is developing the International Seabed Authority’s deep sea mining code, so future mining is conducted in a safe and environmentally sensitive way. Small Businesses: Government Assistance Dan Jarvis: [31515] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support is available to small businesses who specialise in contact sport during covid-19 outbreak. Paul Scully: [Holding answer 23 March 2020]: Sports clubs and social enterprises form an integral part of this country and it is important they are given as much support as possible. The government has announced a comprehensive package of direct support for business through tax relief and cash grants to help business manage cash flow during the Coronavirus outbreak. For example, businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England will not have to pay business rates for the 2020-21 tax year. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), delivered by the British Business Bank, is now open for applications from eligible smaller businesses, including unincorporated businesses such as partnerships and sole traders. Businesses can access the first 6 months of that finance interest free. Decision- making on whether a business is eligible to access CBILS will be fully delegated to the 40+ accredited lenders. Details on all Government business support is on: www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/. Supermarkets: Coronavirus Ms Angela Eagle: [32057] To ask the Secretary of State for Business,