Daily Report Thursday, 17 December 2020 This report shows written answers and statements provided on 17 December 2020 and the information is correct at the time of publication (06:57 P.M., 17 December 2020). For the latest information on written questions and answers, ministerial corrections, and written statements, please visit: http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/ CONTENTS ANSWERS 6 Government Departments: BUSINESS, ENERGY AND Procurement 12 INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 6 National Security Council: Amazon 6 Coronavirus 13 Climate Change Convention: Public Sector: Procurement 13 Children and Young People 6 UK Membership of EU: Energy Supply 7 Referendums 13 Green Homes Grant Scheme 7 DEFENCE 14 Industrial Health and Safety: Afghanistan: Immigration 14 Coronavirus 8 Cobra: Coronavirus 14 Innovate UK 8 Gurkhas 14 Postal Services 8 HMS Prince of Wales: Repairs Sharing Economy: Industrial and Maintenance 14 Health and Safety 9 Ministry of Defence: Solar Power: Planning Declassified UK 15 Permission 9 Navy 15 Work Experience: Minimum Navy: Reserve Forces 16 Wage 10 Overseas Operations (Service CABINET OFFICE 10 Personnel and Veterans) Bill 16 [Subject Heading to be DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND Assigned] 10 SPORT 17 Coronavirus: Disease Control 11 Bowling: Great Yarmouth 17 Debt Collection 12 British Telecom: Redundancy 17 Employment: Coronavirus 12 Bus Services: Coronavirus 18 Government Departments: Digital Technology: Carbon Billing 12 Emissions 18 Food: Advertising 19 Listed Places of Worship Gaza: Intensive Care 34 Grant Scheme 19 Hong Kong: British National Music: Coronavirus 20 (Overseas) 34 Technology 20 Indonesia: Ahmadiyya 35 EDUCATION 21 Iraq: Kurds 35 Children in Care 21 Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Children: Day Care 21 Conflict 35 Coronavirus: Schools 22 Occupied Palestinian Territories: Coronavirus 36 GCE A-level and GCSE: Assessments 23 Private Infrastructure Development Group: Fossil National Curriculum Tests: Fuels 36 Coronavirus 23 Private Infrastructure Religion: Education 24 Development Group: Students: Coronavirus 25 Overseas Aid 37 Teachers: Contact Tracing 26 South China Sea 37 Teachers: Coronavirus 27 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 38 ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND Abortion: Drugs 38 RURAL AFFAIRS 28 Adult Social Care Infection Landfill: West Midlands 28 Control Fund 38 Odour Pollution: Monitoring 28 Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Pet Travel Scheme 28 Death 38 Walley's Quarry: Odour Atrial Fibrillation: Diagnosis 39 Pollution 29 Baby Care Units: Standards 39 Wines: Imports 30 Brain Tumours: Research 39 FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH Care Homes: Visits 40 AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 31 Carers 41 China: Detainees 31 Compulsorily Detained China: Human Rights 31 Psychiatric Patients 41 China: Uighurs 32 Contact Tracing: Computer Climate Change Convention 32 Software 43 Developing Countries: Coronavirus 43 Nutrition 32 Coronavirus: Disease Control 43 Gaza: Coronavirus 33 Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups 44 Gaza: Food Supply 33 Coronavirus: Greater Gaza: Health Services 33 Manchester 45 Coronavirus: Gyms 45 Immigration: Homelessness 59 Coronavirus: Screening 45 Immigration: Stop and Search 60 Exercise Cygnus 47 Islam 60 Food: Labelling 48 Police: South Yorkshire 60 Genetic Engineering 48 Refugees: Public Consultation 61 Health Professions: Training 49 Refugees: Safety 61 Health Services: Private Seasonal Workers: Pilot Sector 49 Schemes 62 Hospital Beds 50 Undocumented Migrants: Hospital Beds: Private Sector 50 English Channel 62 Hospitals: Admissions 50 HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT 63 Medical Equipment: Licensing 51 Housing First 63 Medical Records: Data Protection 51 Housing: Construction 63 Medicine: Research 52 Housing: Insulation 64 NHS 111: Coronavirus 52 INTERNATIONAL TRADE 64 NHS Digital: Contracts 52 Arms Trade: Export Controls 64 Pharmacy: Screening 53 Digital Technology: Overseas Trade 66 Public Health: Nitrogen Oxides 54 Fossil Fuels: Export Credit Social Services: Sick Pay 54 Guarantees 67 Statins: Older People 54 JUSTICE 67 Workforce Development Fund 55 Courts: Coronavirus 67 HOME OFFICE 55 Courts: Disability 68 Asylum: Applications 55 Courts: Video Conferencing 69 Asylum: Employment 55 Domestic Abuse 70 British Nationals Abroad: Prisons: Coronavirus 70 Repatriation 56 Probate: Coronavirus 71 European Criminal Records Information System 56 LEADER OF THE HOUSE 71 Europol 57 Members: Coronavirus 71 Home Office: Marketing 57 TRANSPORT 72 Immigrants: Finance 58 Arms Length Bodies 72 Immigration Controls: Blue Badge Scheme: Coronavirus 58 Coronavirus 72 Immigration: Afghanistan 59 Buses: Hydrogen 73 Freight: Felixstowe Port 73 Social Security Benefits: Highways England: Air Medical Examinations 90 Pollution 73 Statutory Sick Pay 90 Jetties: River Thames 74 Unemployment: Coronavirus 91 Motorways: Accidents 74 WRITTEN STATEMENTS 92 Pedestrians: Safety 75 ATTORNEY GENERAL 92 Railway Stations: Staffordshire 75 Update: Publication of the Railways: Standards 76 Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure and the Criminal Railways: Tickets 76 Procedure Investigations Act Roads: Staffordshire 76 1996 Code of Practice 92 Shipping: Carbon Emissions 77 BUSINESS, ENERGY AND Shipping: Pay 77 INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 93 Shipping: River Thames 78 Update on the UK Internal Market (UKIM) Bill 93 Stockport Viaduct: Repairs and Maintenance 78 CABINET OFFICE 94 Transport for London: Finance 79 Meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee 94 TREASURY 79 State of the Estate in 2019-20 95 Bus Services: Coronavirus 79 The 2025 UK Border Strategy 96 Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme 80 DEFENCE 96 Off-payroll Working: Future Nuclear Deterrent Coronavirus 80 Annual Update 2020 96 Off-payroll Working: Ethnic EDUCATION 97 Groups 81 Education Updates 97 Self-employed: Coronavirus 81 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 99 WORK AND PENSIONS 82 Covid-19 Update 99 Department for Work and DHSC Contingencies Fund Pensions: Complaints 82 Advance 100 Habitual Residence Test 83 Update on Reciprocal Personal Independence Healthcare Arrangements 101 Payment: Coronavirus 87 HOME OFFICE 102 Social Security Benefits 87 Provisional Police Grant Social Security Benefits: Report (England and Wales) Coronavirus 88 2021/22 102 Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals 89 HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND TREASURY 111 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 106 Bilateral loan to Ireland under Building Safety Update 106 the Loans to Ireland Act 2010 111 Local government update 108 Contingencies Fund advance 111 JUSTICE 109 Economy Update 112 Government response to Financial Services Update 113 independent review of terrorist National Risk Assessment of supervision 109 money laundering and terrorist Judicial Conduct Investigations financing in the UK 115 Office Annual Report 2019– Tax exemptions: Employer- 2020 110 reimbursed coronavirus PRIME MINISTER 110 antigen tests and easement for Machinery of Government employer-provided cycles Change 110 exemption 117 TRANSPORT 110 Treasury Update 118 Contingencies Fund Advance 110 Updating the Special Resolution Regime Code of Practice 118 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 Amazon Patrick Grady: [129046] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the effect of Amazon's commercial practices on (a) workers’ rights, (b) the environment, (c) public finances, (d) digital rights and (e) fair markets; and if he will make a statement. Paul Scully: All employers must comply with employment law. If a worker believes that they have suffered a breach of their employment rights, they can get support and advice from Acas. If they cannot resolve the issue with their employer, they can take a claim to an employment tribunal. The government also spends over £35m a year on enforcement of employment rights to protect vulnerable workers. Regarding the environment, I welcome the steps that Amazon has taken so far in an effort to decarbonise and encourage the company to continue with its Science-Based Targets commitments and move quickly towards Net Zero, including working with companies in its supply chains. Regarding public finances, I cannot comment on individual taxpayers. Regarding digital rights, the UK has strong safeguards and enforcement regimes to ensure that personal data is collected and handled responsibly and securely. We would expect Amazon, like all organisations who process personal data, to comply with the UK’s Data Protection legislation, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003. Regarding fair markets, the Government is committed to ensuring digital markets remain competitive and deliver positive outcomes for consumers, small businesses, and society. That is why we have announced funding to establish a new Digital Markets Unit within the Competition and Markets Authority from 2021-22. We will consult on proposals for a new pro-competition regime for digital markets in early 2021. Climate Change Convention: Children and Young People Stewart Malcolm McDonald: [129053] To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with (a) schools, (b) university and college students and (c) youth groups on how they can engage with COP26. Kwasi Kwarteng: Officials across Government have been working closely with young people and youth NGOs to ensure COP26