This application is currently being considered by the City of London Corporation. Following requests to call in the application, a holding Direction restricting the grant of permission was issued by this Department on 19 November, to allow those requests to be considered. A decision on whether to call in the application will be made in due course. The issuing of a Holding Direction should not be taken as an indication as to whether an application will be called in or not. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.

The full unredacted papers dating from 1972 and 1973 are held at The National Archives under file references FCO 17/1763 and FCO 51/297. They were transferred to The National Archives under the terms of the Public Records Act and are publicly available to be viewed.

Antisemitism is evil and has absolutely no place in our - or any - society. In March 2024 the UK took on the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for one year, which comes ahead of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration on Holocaust remembrance in January 2025.

Listing recognises the special architectural or historic interest of a building, and ensures that the conservation of its significance is given particularly careful consideration by local planning authorities through the planning and listed building consent processes. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has the power to call in applications for planning permission or listed building consent.

The Bevis Marks Synagogue in the City of London was listed at Grade I in 1950, reflecting its status as the oldest synagogue in Great Britain, and among the oldest in continuous use in Europe. It is one of the most splendid architecturally, as well as being a place of religious and cultural significance.

Historic England is a statutory consultee in relation to applications planning permission or listed building consent relating to Grade I-listed buildings. It is working closely with the Synagogue and the City of London Corporation to ensure that commercial growth in the City is achieved without harm to the Synagogue. As a result of its negotiations with Historic England the City Corporation recently designated a conservation area around the Synagogue and is now considering a specific policy for the protection of the Synagogue’s immediate setting.

Article 15 of The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (England) Order 2015 outlines the statutory publicity requirements for Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). LPAs must give notice by site display in at least one place on or near the land to which the application relates or by serving the notice on any adjoining owner or occupier. They must also publish information about the application on their website and in certain circumstances, they must give notice in a local newspaper. Where relevant planning considerations are raised by local residents, these must be taken into account by the local authority before they determine an application. Publicity beyond the statutory requirements is at the discretion of LPAs.

National Health Service providers are expected to handle all medical data in line with data protection and data retention policies and comply with reporting requirements placed on them by NHS England. The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) for children and young people are commissioned on the terms of the NHS Standard Contract. These terms are mandated and include standard escalation and contract management terms applicable across NHS clinical services.

The department does not hold information on the number of Virtual School Heads (VSHs) in post. However, all local authorities in England with responsibilities for children’s social care must appoint at least one person to this post.

The appointment of a VSH for previously looked-after children is a statutory requirement under Section 23ZZA of the Children Act 1989 (inserted by the Children and Families Act 2017).

The Children in Need Review recognised the impact that VSHs have in raising aspiration and promoting educational achievement of looked-after and previously looked-after children, recommending that their role is further extended to cover all children with a social worker. The Timpson Review of School Exclusion also found ‘good evidence that VSHs are effective in supporting schools’.

The Government is committed to the protection of our historic environment, including listed buildings such as the Bevis Marks Synagogue, and we have put in place a strong legislative and policy framework to achieve this. In determining planning applications, local planning authorities are under a statutory duty to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses. This is supported by national planning policy which, in particular, states that any substantial harm or loss to the significance of a Grade I listed building such as the Synagogue should be wholly exceptional and where there is less than substantial harm, the harm should be weighed against the public benefits. In addition, local planning authorities are required to consult Historic England on any proposals affecting a listed building or its setting.

The department is clear that driving up quality in higher education (HE) in England remains one of our highest priorities. This includes tackling the unacceptable pockets of poor-quality provision and taking regulatory action where appropriate.

The department has encouraged the Office for Students (OfS) to implement a visible and effective inspections regime where the OfS has concerns about the quality of provision. This will involve on-site inspections. The OfS announced its first wave of onsite inspections on 26 May, which will look specifically at business and management courses provided by eight higher education providers (HEPs). These will also examine whether poor-quality online learning has replaced face-to-face teaching to the detriment of students’ academic experience.

Through section 33 of the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, the government has amended the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 to make express provision for the OfS to publish notices, decisions or reports given or made in the performance of its functions, including whether a HEP is under investigation. This new legislation sets out the factors that the OfS must consider when deciding whether to publish. The OfS recently consulted the sector on this and is now considering responses before it makes use of these provisions.

As the independent regulator of HE in England, responsibility for initiating investigations and deciding whether, and when, it announces them, or the names of the providers being investigated, is a matter for the OfS. The OfS is required to consider the implications for students planning their higher education this autumn.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

The department collects and publishes data on the number of children looked after in local authority care in England. The latest figures are published in our annual statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions. Information on the number of children looked after who were adopted during the year between 2010 and 2020 is in Table H1: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/9f60e85a-74b8-44b8-7ed5-08d962ee4bef. This is the first release of data covering the time period of the COVID-19 outbreak. Information on the number of children who have been adopted from a care setting outside England is not collected by the department.

We recognise children adopted from care, including those adopted from care overseas, can remain vulnerable and have high levels of need. We are committed to ensuring they have the support they need to thrive in education.

In September 2018, we introduced new duties on local authority virtual school heads and designated teachers to promote the educational achievement of pupils who are no longer looked after because they are the subject of an adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order. This includes support for children who have been adopted from outside of England.

The school admissions code has recently been amended so that, as of 1 September 2021, children adopted from state care outside of England have the same priority in school admission as children who were previously looked after in England. The school admissions code is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2.

We recognise that children adopted from outside England and Wales do not currently attract pupil premium plus. The department is aware of this issue and is actively exploring whether pupil premium plus can be extended to these children. In the meantime, schools should support the needs of all pupils, regardless of whether they are eligible to attract pupil premium plus, as support from schools is not contingent on receipt of this funding.

The department collects and publishes data on the number of children looked after in local authority care in England. The latest figures are published in our annual statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions. Information on the number of children looked after who were adopted during the year between 2010 and 2020 is in Table H1: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/9f60e85a-74b8-44b8-7ed5-08d962ee4bef. This is the first release of data covering the time period of the COVID-19 outbreak. Information on the number of children who have been adopted from a care setting outside England is not collected by the department.

We recognise children adopted from care, including those adopted from care overseas, can remain vulnerable and have high levels of need. We are committed to ensuring they have the support they need to thrive in education.

In September 2018, we introduced new duties on local authority virtual school heads and designated teachers to promote the educational achievement of pupils who are no longer looked after because they are the subject of an adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order. This includes support for children who have been adopted from outside of England.

The school admissions code has recently been amended so that, as of 1 September 2021, children adopted from state care outside of England have the same priority in school admission as children who were previously looked after in England. The school admissions code is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2.

We recognise that children adopted from outside England and Wales do not currently attract pupil premium plus. The department is aware of this issue and is actively exploring whether pupil premium plus can be extended to these children. In the meantime, schools should support the needs of all pupils, regardless of whether they are eligible to attract pupil premium plus, as support from schools is not contingent on receipt of this funding.

The department collects and publishes data on the number of children looked after in local authority care in England. The latest figures are published in our annual statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions. Information on the number of children looked after who were adopted during the year between 2010 and 2020 is in Table H1: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/9f60e85a-74b8-44b8-7ed5-08d962ee4bef. This is the first release of data covering the time period of the COVID-19 outbreak. Information on the number of children who have been adopted from a care setting outside England is not collected by the department.

We recognise children adopted from care, including those adopted from care overseas, can remain vulnerable and have high levels of need. We are committed to ensuring they have the support they need to thrive in education.

In September 2018, we introduced new duties on local authority virtual school heads and designated teachers to promote the educational achievement of pupils who are no longer looked after because they are the subject of an adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order. This includes support for children who have been adopted from outside of England.

The school admissions code has recently been amended so that, as of 1 September 2021, children adopted from state care outside of England have the same priority in school admission as children who were previously looked after in England. The school admissions code is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2.

We recognise that children adopted from outside England and Wales do not currently attract pupil premium plus. The department is aware of this issue and is actively exploring whether pupil premium plus can be extended to these children. In the meantime, schools should support the needs of all pupils, regardless of whether they are eligible to attract pupil premium plus, as support from schools is not contingent on receipt of this funding.

My Lords, the Government are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, as well as safety and fairness, across all levels of sport. We believe that this guidance is well researched and well considered. It acknowledges the complexity of balancing inclusion, fairness and safety and it provides a decision-making framework to help individual sports decide what is right for their circumstances. It thereby helps to address a gap which has been present for too long in the sports sector.

The Government’s position was set out in its response to a petition calling for the sex of violent and sexual offenders be recorded throughout justice system which can be found here:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/590123

Advice to competing national teams at EURO 2020 is a matter for UEFA. Any crowd unrest will be addressed through effective policing and stewarding, as is the case at all football matches

The vast majority of the public have complied with the measures the Government has put in place during the pandemic, and we expect everyone to continue to do the right thing and follow the rules and guidance that will help keep us all safe. Our police forces face unprecedented challenges as they play the critical role of maintaining public order during this public health emergency. We have moved quickly to give the police the powers and guidance they need to support compliance with essential social distancing measures, this includes quadrupling the penalty for attending an illegal gathering of over 15 people in England to £800, doubling on each successive offence up to a maximum of £6,400.

The department regularly engages with a wide range of organisations around its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including on data and the evidence base.

The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) COVID-19 Infection Survey results between 2 September to 16 October, published on 6 November, show no evidence of differences in the positivity rate between primary and secondary school teachers, other key workers and other professions.

This evidence was endorsed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), the body of experts that provides scientific advice to the government for emergencies. More information is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/935102/sage-65-meeting-covid-19-s0863.pdf.

On 26 November the ONS published additional analysis that addresses concerns raised by Dr Rasmussen and others on the number of school workers, key workers and other professions in England who had COVID-19. This also shows no clear evidence as to whether there is a difference in the level of individuals who test positive for COVID-19 between teachers and other key workers.

The department continues to review data, analysis and advice from a number of different sources including SAGE, Public Health England, the ONS, and the Joint Biosecurity Centre to ensure our policies are guided by the most up to date scientific evidence.

The Government is committed to undertaking a fan-led review of football governance and is currently considering the scope and structure of the review.

We will continue to liaise with a wide range of stakeholders and will analyse all relevant resources as work progresses.

At each stage of the department’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice, and if we think that the guidance should be revised based on further evidence then we will not hesitate to act swiftly and decisively.

On 21 August, the World Health Organisation published a new statement advising that “children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same condition as adults, in particular when they cannot guarantee at least a 1-metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area”. As a result, the department has revised its guidance on face coverings in schools and colleges, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education.

As the guidance outlines, in areas of national government intervention, face coverings should be worn by staff, visitors and pupils in secondary schools when moving around indoors, such as in corridors or communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain. Otherwise, all schools, including primary schools, have the discretion to require the use of face coverings by adults and pupils in year 7 and above in indoor communal areas where social distancing cannot be safely managed. Children in primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

Based on current evidence, and in light of the mitigating measures that schools are already putting in place, face coverings will not be necessary in the classroom. Face coverings would have a negative impact on teaching and their use in the classroom should be avoided.

To assist households impacted by the February severe weather incidents, the Government activated the Flood Recovery Framework, a comprehensive package of support measures to support local recovery.

This package includes the Community Recovery Grant, a one-off £500 hardship grant, available to eligible flooded households. Those households are also able to receive a 100% Council Tax rebate (for a minimum of three months); rebates will apply to the flooded property and any temporary accommodation those households are required to move into. In addition, the DEFRA sponsored Property Flood Resilience scheme makes available grants of up to £5,000 to eligible flooded households to improve the resilience of those properties against future flooding incidents.