With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to take question 8 and 12 together.

This Government is committed to protecting the world’s rainforests. During my recent visit to Brazil, I raised the UK’s commitment to environmental protection and offered support to Brazil in the transition to renewable energy and a lower carbon economy.

We are working in partnership with Brazil and through UK Government-led programmes, investing over £150 million of climate finance in forest programmes across the country.

I was delighted that on my return from Brazil in August, the PM announced an extra £10 million in the aftermath of recent fires.

DFID is fully supporting the Government’s preparations to ensure that the UK leaves the EU on 31 October. At the same time, as the Prime Minister made clear at the recent G7 Leaders meeting, the UK is strongly committed to tackling the two immense threats of climate change and biodiversity loss. Putting climate change and environment at the heart of our development programming is a high priority for DFID. While we have, since July 2019, deployed a small number of staff (fewer than 5) who were working on climate change to work on planning for our exit from the EU, overall the number of staff working on climate change is increasing.

DFID is fully supporting the Government’s preparations to ensure that the UK leaves the EU on 31 October. At the same time, as the Prime Minister made clear at the recent G7 Leaders meeting, the UK is strongly committed to tackling the two immense threats of climate change and biodiversity loss. Putting climate change and environment at the heart of our development programming is a high priority for DFID. While we have, since July 2019, deployed a small number of staff (fewer than 5) who were working on climate change to work on planning for our exit from the EU, overall the number of staff working on climate change is increasing.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The development of a detailed policy to split payments of Universal Credit in Scotland is something for the Scottish Government to determine.

Any policy has to be capable of implementation and as a consequence must fit with the existing architecture of the system if it is not to undermine system stability for all claimants across Great Britain.

Scottish Government final proposals have not yet been shared with the Government. We welcome the great care Scottish Government is taking with this.

When a comprehensive set of proposals has been decided upon by the Scottish Government, we will provide advice on timing and implementation dates, with regard to the wider plan to deliver Universal Credit and the relative priorities of split payment proposals against other demands.

Officials from both Governments continue to explore these issues together to see if a workable solution to the many issues raised can be found.

When an individual suffering from domestic abuse requests a split payment, we will make split payments available to them.

Whilst DWP is not intending to introduce split payments by default, as a department we respond positively to requests for split payments, and can take other actions to support those experiencing abuse, such as making a managed payment of rent direct to landlords. We also ensure that claimants who disclose domestic abuse are signposted to specialist organisations for support. All work coaches undergo mandatory training regarding how to support vulnerable claimants, including recognising the signs of domestic abuse.

We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government to establish the practicalities of delivering split payments in Scotland.

Universal Credit has been designed with accessibility in mind and we are committed to providing personalised support for all claimants.

Where our customers need assistance to access our services and information, we make reasonable adjustments to meet their individual needs. DWP customers who have a specific communication barrier are able to use a variety of different communication methods including via third party interpreters for British Sign Language (BSL) and textphone and next Generation Text services are available to customers who are unable to contact the Department by phone.

In addition, Universal Credit claimants can use their online accounts to send messages direct to their Work Coach or Case Manager, check their Universal Credit benefit payments and notify us of any changes.

We are currently in the design stage of a test to implement Video Relay Service for our Universal Credit British Sign Language customers in one geography by June 2019. This will be robustly evaluated incorporating customer insight ahead of any decision to roll out the service nationally.

Universal Credit has been designed with accessibility in mind and we are committed to providing personalised support for all claimants.

Where our customers need assistance to access our services and information, we make reasonable adjustments to meet their individual needs. DWP customers who have a specific communication barrier are able to use a variety of different communication methods including via third party interpreters for British Sign Language (BSL) and textphone and next Generation Text services are available to customers who are unable to contact the Department by phone.

In addition, Universal Credit claimants can use their online accounts to send messages direct to their Work Coach or Case Manager, check their Universal Credit benefit payments and notify us of any changes.

We are currently in the design stage of a test to implement Video Relay Service for our Universal Credit British Sign Language customers in one geography by June 2019. This will be robustly evaluated incorporating customer insight ahead of any decision to roll out the service nationally.

Goal 10 is to reduce inequality within and between countries, and so responsibility for delivery is shared across Government. For example, the Office for Disability Issues in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) leads on disability policy, the Race Disparity Unit in the Cabinet Office is key to our approach on race equality, DWP and HM Treasury are responsible for addressing income inequality within the UK, and the Department for International Development leads on tackling inequality between countries.

To aid transparency, all Departments are expected to set out how their activity aligns to the Goals in their Single Departmental Plans. The Government Equalities Office is coordinating reporting for Goal 10 across Government for the Voluntary National Review this year.

The Department has already introduced a function on the Universal Credit system to ‘pin’ key profile notes so they are instantly visible to all staff helping a claimant. The Department continues to develop its approach to capturing accurate, aggregate data on claimants, including those with complex needs.

Further work on understanding any vulnerabilities our claimants may have, and apply this learning to the design of Universal Credit is ongoing. This has been prioritised for the current Universal Credit development phase. The Department will report back to the Work and Pensions Select Committee with an update on its progress in late Spring 2019.

The UK’s forthcoming Voluntary National Review (VNR) will take stock of the UK’s contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), at home and abroad, since they were agreed in 2015. It will highlight the areas where the UK is performing well and also identify the areas where we need to further reinforce our efforts. The VNR will cover all 17 Goals, including Goal 10 (reduce inequality within and among countries), and will demonstrate the UK’s domestic and international activity. It will be underpinned by data, to ensure it is robust and credible.

In July, the UK will present a Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the United Nations, setting out the UK’s contribution to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), at home and abroad. The report will include how the Government is supporting delivery of Goal 10 (reduce inequality within and among countries).

The UK’s commitment to Leave No-one Behind means ensuring the inclusion of the poorest and most marginalised people. Furthermore, DFID’s Data Disaggregation Action Plan and Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan set out our goal to increase the level of disaggregated data we collect, report and use to ensure a deeper understanding of who is at risk of being left behind, where they are, and why.

The armed forces covenant not only obliges Government Departments to recognise their duty to support armed forces personnel and veterans and their families, but encourages organisations and businesses across the country to do the same. I am pleased to say that there are now more than 3,300 signings, and we are signing about 25 companies or organisations each week.

We currently have no plans to conduct an external evaluation of the work of the Community Partners and the contribution that they have made, but an internal review of the Community Partner role and other disability employment enabling roles identified that there was some overlap in the support provided to claimants. In order to remove the overlap and focus on key areas we are introducing new disability employment roles from April 2019.

We are committed to continually improving the employment support we offer disabled people, including those with mental health conditions, and will ensure valuable learning from the Community Partners is built into the ongoing support we provide through our Jobcentres. We will not be reducing the amount of resource devoted to supporting disabled people into work.

We are investing up to £115 million of programme funding to support the work and health agenda to enable investment in new models and to build the evidence of what works. This includes mental health trials - more than doubling the number of Employment Advisers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services - and the £3.9 million Challenge Fund, which was launched in November 2018.

DWP is committed to providing the best possible support for all our claimants, including the most vulnerable in society. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs.

Work Coaches undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. Specific training and guidance is provided for working with different vulnerable groups and those with complex needs including claimants with mental health conditions.

We are providing all Work Coaches with an additional two day workshop, designed by experts in mental health and psychologists, and delivered where possible alongside external mental health partners. The training began in November 2017 and will be completed by end of March 2019. Next month we will start delivering this training to staff across the entire organisation who are employed in a claimant facing role, whether this is engaging with claimants by telephone, face to face or digitally.

In June and July 2018, activity was undertaken in a number of operational sites where the Mental Health training had been delivered in order to evaluate the learning provided to work coaches and ensure it was delivering the requisite skills and behaviours originally envisaged.

The outputs of that activity were used to refine the training products, where required, and supported decisions on the delivery approach for the training that will commence in April 2019.