British Steel
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones)
The Government committed to updating Parliament on British Steel every four sitting weeks for the duration of the period of special measures being applied under the Steel Industry Special Measures Act 2025.
The Government priority remains to maintain the safe operation of the blast furnaces at British Steel. To that end, Government officials are continuing to provide on-site support to continue steel production, ensure that health and safety issues are being remedied, stabilise operations and improve the steady state of the business.
This month, I am pleased to confirm that British Steel will be welcoming its first cohort of apprentices in over 3 years. The programme will offer apprentices a high-quality training experience blending technical knowledge and practical skills, while helping the business to develop its next generation of engineers and technical experts.
Work continues to develop an impact assessment, which will be published in due course following Regulatory Policy Committee scrutiny. We are also continuing work on regulations under section 7 of the Act, to introduce a compensation scheme for steel undertakings that have received a notice under the Act.
On funding, the position remains that all Government funding for British Steel will be drawn from existing budgets, within the spending envelope set out at spring statement 2025. To date, we have provided approximately £180 million for working capital, covering items such as raw materials, salaries, and addressing unpaid bills, including for SMEs in the supply chain. This will be reflected in the Department for Business and Trade’s accounts for 2025-26.
As I have stated previously, our long-term aspiration for British Steel will require private investment to enable modernisation and decarbonisation, support jobs, safeguard taxpayers’ money and retain steelmaking in Scunthorpe. We are continuing discussions with Jingye on options to achieve that objective.
The Government commitment to the steel sector goes beyond our intervention at British Steel and we continue to see tangible benefits resulting from the wide-ranging actions we have taken. Since early August, UK steelmakers have been able to export more construction grade steel to the EU tariff-free, following a major win secured at the UK-EU summit earlier in the year to restore our country-specific steel quota to historic levels. This bespoke agreement provides a significant boost to producers including British Steel, cutting costs and providing more certainty when exporting to one of our largest trading partners.
This builds on a series of recent milestones delivered under the plan for change, including targeted action to reduce electricity costs, strengthen procurement rules and bolster our trade defence measures. Looking ahead, we will be publishing a steel strategy later this year, setting out our long-term vision for a revitalised and sustainable industry and the actions needed to get there.
This is a pro-steel Government that are taking decisive steps to restore our steel industry after years of neglect. We are working to secure good jobs in Scunthorpe and other steelmaking communities for many years to come.
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Liberty Speciality Steels UK: Contingent Liability
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones)
I have laid before Parliament a departmental minute setting out the particulars of a new contingent liability associated with Liberty Speciality Steels UK.
Speciality Steels UK Ltd, part of Liberty Steel Group, and the third largest steel manufacturing company—by capacity—in the UK was issued with a winding up order by the High Court on 21 August, following a petition from its creditors. SSUK employs 1,400 people across four sites in Rotherham, Stocksbridge, Wednesbury and Brinsworth. The company has now entered liquidation and the official receiver, an officer of the Insolvency Service, has been appointed as liquidator by the court.
The Department for Business and Trade has provided the OR with a letter of comfort and a letter of indemnity in respect of:
Carrying out the proper performance and duties expected as the official receiver and liquidator of the company; and
Investigating the cause of failure and identifying any asset recoveries against the company, current/former directors of the company, and any other parties; and
The winding-down of the company’s business and affairs and distributing assets of the company in the ordinary course as the official receiver's duties as liquidator.
The sudden nature of the announcement of SSUK entering into insolvency on 21 August and the urgency of the need to ensure that the OR can immediately formulate and implement a plan to address site risks, means we have sought to expedite the approval process. It has not been possible to observe the usual 14 Parliamentary sitting day waiting period for this contingent liability, since it only materialised when the company entered liquidation on 21 August when Parliament was not sitting.
On the 19 August, the permanent secretary for the Department for Business and Trade wrote to the Chairs of the Public Accounts Committee and the Business and Trade Committee, outlining our intention to provide funding for the official receiver to allow it to fulfil its statutory duties—noting the contingent liability that would be created for HMG—and asking for any objection to be notified within five working days. I can confirm that neither the PAC nor the BTC have raised any objections to the issuing of this overall funding and indemnity.
It is not possible at this stage to accurately quantify the value of the overall funding requirement with relation to the letter of comfort and letter of indemnity. The OR will assess the likely scale of any liability to Government, and costs will be reported to Parliament once a more accurate quantum is known.
HM Treasury has approved this proposal. The Department will consider any concerns raised by a Member of the House regarding this contingent liability and indemnity. If the liability is called, provision for any payment will be sought through the normal supply process.
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Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with India
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Jonathan Reynolds)
On 24 July 2025, the Government signed the UK-India trade deal. This deal will unlock economic growth in every corner of the UK, put money back into working people’s pockets, and delivers on the plan for change. It is expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, increase UK GDP by £4.8 billion, and boost wages by £2.2 billion every year. We are showing the world that we stand for free, fair, and open trade. In an increasingly unstable and volatile world, this deal provides businesses with confidence as they grow and expand.
This agreement drops the average Indian tariff on UK products from 15% to 3%, with tariff duties falling by around £400 million from entry into force, rising to £900 million after staging. This is alongside securing unprecedented preferential access to India’s federal procurement market, locking in guaranteed market access for UK service suppliers, and making trade quicker, cheaper, and easier through improved customs and digital processes.
This agreement will unlock new opportunities for businesses in every corner of the UK, including an expected £190 million boost for the west midlands and Scotland and £210 million for the north-west of England. The deal also aligns with our industrial strategy, supporting the UK’s high growth sectors.
And as India grows, so will the opportunities for the UK, giving businesses a competitive edge with the fastest-growing economy in the G20.
The UK Government have published a Command Paper titled “Informational Copy of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of India and associated documents, including the Impact Assessment and draft Explanatory Memorandum”. Copies of these have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Further information on the trade agreement has also been published on gov.uk.
The Government have commenced the necessary pre-ratification steps. On 24 July, the UK Government formally commissioned the Trade and Agriculture Commission as well as the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland to provide independent advice. Informed by this advice, the Government will then lay its own report under section 42 of the Agriculture Act 2020. After the TAC and section 42 reports have been laid before Parliament, the Government will begin the processes under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 in order to ratify the agreement. All needed legislation to implement the agreement will follow standard procedures. In parallel, negotiations for the double contribution convention will be finalised, which will then also be subject to the CRaG process.
I look forward to working closely with the business and trade and international agreements committees on the scrutiny of this agreement and updating the House further in due course.
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Indoor Cricket Domes
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
The Government are deeply committed to supporting the growth of grassroots sport across the UK. High-quality, inclusive facilities provide opportunities for connection and cohesion, as well as supporting people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in sport and physical activity wherever they live, helping to drive forward this Government’s plan for change.
As part of this ongoing commitment, on 25 August, the Government announced £1.5 million investment into two indoor cricket domes in Luton and Farington in Lancashire.
Luton and Preston are currently poorly served by cricket facilities. The aim is to increase opportunities for access to cricket and wider sport opportunities for underserved communities, in line with our broader strategic objectives for grassroots facilities investment. The cricket domes will offer significant benefit to under-represented groups, and increase the overall number of opportunities for physical activity by providing a covered outdoor environment which enables all-weather, all-year-round training and match play.
As we look forward to future sporting events in the UK, including next year’s women’s T20 cricket world cup, we will continue to prioritise grassroots clubs and facilities, getting more people involved in sport and physical activity.
This £1.5 million investment is in addition to the £400 million for grassroots facilities which the Government announced in June. The longer-term investment will prioritise underserved places, and through working closely with sporting bodies—including the England and Wales Cricket Board, devolved Government, and local leaders —the Government will establish what each community needs and then set out further plans in due course.
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Geelong Treaty: Contingent Liability
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
I am today laying a departmental minute before Parliament describing a contingent liability that His Majesty's Government will take on relating to the United Kingdom’s participation in the AUKUS security partnership with the United States of America and Australia. His Majesty's Government will hold this liability following entry into force of the Geelong treaty between the UK and Australia, which I have recently signed along with the Australian Deputy Prime Minister.
As set out in the strategic defence review, AUKUS is an enhanced security partnership that will strengthen security in the Indo-pacific and Euro-Atlantic, along with growing the UK economy. The first major initiative of AUKUS is our historic decision to support Australia acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. The treaty builds on the strong foundation of trilateral co-operation between Australia, the UK and the United States, advancing the shared objectives of the AUKUS partnership. It will enable the development of SSN-AUKUS and resilient trilateral supply chains.
As part of the co-ordinated approach to our respective SSN-AUKUS build programmes, Australia and the UK have decided to provide an appropriate indemnity to each other related to the supply of material, equipment, information and services transferred or to be transferred on a Government-to-Government basis in connection with SSN-AUKUS.
This contingent liability will not be incurred until entry into force of the treaty, which has also been laid before Parliament today. In accordance with usual practice for contingent liabilities, it will therefore not be incurred until at least 14 parliamentary sitting days have elapsed from the date on which the departmental minute is laid before Parliament.
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Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces Annual Report 2024: MOD Response
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Minister for Veterans and People (Al Carns)
I am pleased to place in the Library of the House today the MOD’s formal response to the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces annual report for 2024 on the fairness, effectiveness and efficiency of the service complaints system.
The ombudsman’s report assessed the service complaints system and the work of her office in 2024. The response sets out MOD’s comments to the report and our view on the two new recommendations she has made.
The MOD values the strong independent oversight that the ombudsman brings to the service complaints system.
Part of the improvements we intend to make will be the establishment of an Armed Forces Commissioner in 2026, with greater and more far-reaching powers than currently possessed by the ombudsman.
Additionally, the Ministry of Defence has committed to the creation of a new tri-service complaints team to take the most serious complaints alleging bullying, harassment and discrimination out of the chain of command for the first time.
We will continue to build upon this, as part of our Government commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve.
Attachments can be viewed online at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2025-09-01/HCWS891/
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Sizewell C Funded Decommissioning Programme: Contingent Liability
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Michael Shanks)
I am pleased to have laid a departmental minute describing the contingent liabilities arising from the signing of the funded decommissioning programme and Government support package for Sizewell C. Once operational, Sizewell C will deliver clean power for the equivalent of 6 million homes and support 10,000 jobs, representing a major boost for energy security, jobs and economic growth.
It is normal practice when a Government Department proposes to undertake a contingent liability of £300,000 and above for which there is no specific statutory authority, for the Department concerned to present to Parliament a minute, giving particulars of the liability created and explaining the circumstances.
Following the Government final investment decision on Sizewell C, and subject to satisfaction of the relevant conditions precedent, both the funded decommissioning programme and Government support package will come into force at the time of revenue commencement. This is when the revenue collection contract between Sizewell C and the revenue collection counterparty is entered into, giving effect to the regulated asset base mechanism under which Sizewell C will be funded.
Context and rationale
The funded decommissioning programme sets out the operator’s intended approach to decommissioning of Sizewell C, including how costs will be met and the corresponding cost estimates. A funded decommissioning programme is required in statute as per the Energy Act 2008. The objective of the regime is, as per the funded decommissioning programme guidance 2011, to ensure that the risk of recourse to public taxpayer funds for the decommissioning of new nuclear assets is remote.
The Government support package respond to “high impact, low probability” risks that either investors or the supply chain cannot take or cannot price at a level that is good value for money for UK taxpayers or consumers, or it is not otherwise appropriate for consumers to take through the regulated asset base. The Government support package documents have been published on gov.uk.
Details of contingent liabilities
Funded decommissioning programme
The funded decommissioning programme at Sizewell C will be funded via the regulated asset base. The regulated asset base contains a series of protections that aim to minimise the risk that public funds will be required to meet decommissioning costs. However, in certain remote circumstances whereby all the protections afforded by Sizewell C’s economic licence fall away or a shortfall in the fund materialises, public funds could be used to contribute towards decommissioning costs and this liability would crystalise.
Based on best estimates by the Government Actuary Department, the maximum potential exposure from the liability is £12 billion—in 2022 terms. This has been estimated on a worse-case scenario whereby the Government were required to meet the full costs of decommissioning the Sizewell C power plant. The figure is based on the publicly available estimates contained in Sizewell C’s decommissioning and waste management plan. Due to the safeguards built into the funded decommissioning programme’s structure, it is highly unlikely that these full costs would ever crystalise.
Government support package
There are four contingent liabilities associated with the Government support package. Risks have been quantified based on best estimates of the costs that the package could be called upon to cover.
For three of the four limbs, the total maximum exposure is estimated at the maximum regulated asset base value. Further detail on each limb is provided below:
The contingent financing agreement allows the Secretary of State to provide additional finance or discontinue the project and pay investors compensation under the discontinuation and compensation agreement, in case of the project higher regulatory threshold being reached and shareholders choosing not to provide additional finance. We are not able to accurately quantify the maximum exposure level due to uncertainty over the point at which the agreement would be triggered.
The discontinuation and compensation agreement provides for the project to be discontinued in certain remote circumstances, in which case the Secretary of State will pay compensation to debt and equity, capped at the value of the regulated asset base.
The nuclear administration and statutory transfers agreement gives the means to introduce a form of special administration regime in respect of relevant licensee nuclear companies as per the Nuclear Energy Financing Act 2022.
The supplemental compensation agreement provides “top-up” insurance for certain circumstances on top of the insurances that Sizewell C is required to maintain through the commercial insurance markets. Under the SCA, the Secretaries of State would be liable for 95% of an uncapped amount for claims, with shareholders liable for 5%.
Due to the risks and market sensitivities around the Sizewell C equity raise and final investment decision, this notification could not be sent prior to the final investment decision being taken. Due to summer and conference recess timings, there will not be 14 sitting days prior to the liability being undertaken on 1 October. I am therefore announcing this liability today in order to allow as much parliamentary sitting time as possible prior to conference recess for the liabilities to be scrutinised.
The Treasury has approved this proposal for the contingent liabilities in principle. My Department will keep Parliament informed of any changes to this contingent liability as appropriate.
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Medical Evacuation of Children: Gaza
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)
Today I want to update the House on the evacuation of children in urgent need of medical care from Gaza to receive specialist treatment in NHS hospitals across the UK. This was announced by the Prime Minister on 25 July, and a further update was published on gov.uk on 22 August.
No one who has watched the intolerable humanitarian crisis unfolding nightly on our TV screens can fail to be distressed by the devastating consequences for the people of Gaza. They are exhausted, scared and hungry. And they are dying. As of now, there are also no fully functioning health facilities and the few that remain open are operating under the most extreme and dangerous conditions. Water, fuel and medical supplies are all in short supply. Missile strikes are a constant hazard. It is a soul-destroying situation that compels us to act.
That is why a cross-Government taskforce, on the orders of the Prime Minister, are working urgently to get some of the critically ill and injured children medically evacuated from Gaza. We expect the children and their immediate family members to arrive in the UK over the course of the autumn where they will receive first-class care, from first-class medics in surroundings that are safe and welcoming. This is a UK-wide process, and I am grateful to the Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for their willingness to participate.
The UK Government are partnering with the World Health Organisation, which works on the ground and plays a critical role in supporting medical evacuations from Gaza. Participation in the UK Government evacuation is solely through the WHO supported process, and the UK Government cannot consider direct requests for assistance. The WHO will provide a list of potential patients assessed as priority cases by Gazan medical specialists, for an expert NHS clinical leaders team to review. Gazan children needing highly specialist medical care will then be matched with locations where capacity exists within the NHS to treat them.
Mindful that for these gravely weak and vulnerable children this is a potentially hazardous journey, children will only be transferred to the UK where it is clinically safe to do so and in the interests of each individual patient. As such, we will ensure medical assessments are undertaken before they travel.
On arrival in the UK, patients and their immediate family members will be granted access to the NHS, housing and other services for an initial two years. Should these individuals and their families wish to remain in the UK beyond that, they can apply for further permission to stay under existing routes within the immigration rules.
Robust security checks will be undertaken on all individuals who enter the UK as part of this process. Biometrics will be collected as part of the visa application process and prior to the final decision on the terms on which they will be granted entry to the UK.
The Government are working with both the NHS and the relevant local authorities to make sure both the children and their immediate families receive the help and support they need for the duration of their time in the UK. These are the innocent victims caught in the crosshairs of a bloody and brutal conflict. The least we in Britain can do is play our part and do our utmost to help them.
I expect to provide a further update to the House when the first cohort of children have arrived in the UK.
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Public Health Update
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ashley Dalton)
I would like to inform the House of several updates from the Department of Health and Social Care over the summer recess.
Licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England
On 7 August the Government published our response to the 2023 consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. The response confirms the Government’s commitment to introduce legal restrictions to ensure that cosmetic procedures that are deemed to pose the highest level of risk to the public, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift, are classed as Care Quality Commission regulated activities that can be performed only by specified regulated healthcare professionals.
The response also signals the Government’s commitment to developing and implementing a local authority licensing scheme for lower-risk, non-surgical cosmetic procedures using the powers granted through section 180 of the Health and Care Act 2022, and to introducing age restrictions for those undergoing cosmetic procedures.
The proposals will be developed through further stakeholder engagement and public consultation before being taken forward through secondary legislation and the requisite parliamentary processes.
Voluntary guidelines for commercial baby food and drink
On 22 August the Government published new voluntary guidelines for commercial baby food and drink as part of our ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.
These guidelines challenge baby food manufacturers to reduce levels of salt and sugar and to improve product labelling. Businesses have 18 months to meet the guidelines, and we will monitor progress.
Data from the national diet and nutrition survey shows that more than two thirds of children aged 18 months to three years are eating too much sugar. This increases the risk of weight gain and dental decay in the crucial early years of development.
Reducing salt and sugar in products means that parents and carers across England will be able to buy healthier food and drinks for their children. Clearer labelling guidelines will help parents understand what food they are buying, and support healthier choices.
Chickenpox vaccination programme for children
On 29 August the Government announced that we will be introducing a vaccine to protect against chickenpox into the routine childhood immunisation schedule from January 2026.
Eligible children will receive the MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, at routine GP vaccination appointments.
The vaccine will help reduce cases of chickenpox and protect children from serious complications that can cause hospitalisation and potentially death.
Eligibility for vaccination will be based on a child’s age on 1 January 2026, with further details to be announced later this year.
The vaccination programme supports the Government’s ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children and ensure that young people thrive as part of our 10-year health plan.
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NRS Healthcare: Insolvency
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)
I would like to inform the House about an important issue concerning NRS Healthcare—also known as Nottingham Rehab Ltd —a supplier of integrated community equipment services, which became insolvent on 1st August 2025.
NRS Healthcare provided essential services and equipment such as wheelchairs, hoists, and technology that supported disabled and older people to live independently at home. This helped avoid admissions to hospitals or care homes and assisted people in returning home after leaving hospital.
Local authorities have statutory duties under the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014 to arrange for the provision of disability aids and community equipment to meet the assessed needs of individuals in their area. While some local authorities provide these services themselves, many have contracts with external suppliers, such as NRS Healthcare. Customers of these services also include the NHS, private customers, pharmacies, and other adult social care and healthcare settings.
Before their insolvency, 44 local authorities had contracts with NRS Healthcare and relied on their services. NRS Healthcare supplied around 50% of hospitals with equipment used in adult social care across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Since the company filed for insolvency, the court has appointed an official receiver as the liquidator, supported by special managers, who are overseeing the wind-down of operations, managing the company's assets, and ensuring that statutory duties and obligations to creditors and people who draw on these services are met. The official receiver is an independent officer of the court required by law to carry out these duties.
As part of the liquidation process, the Government have made available short-term funding to the official receiver to cover the essential operating costs of NRS Healthcare and its affiliated companies. This funding has ensured that trading was able to continue for a limited time, to minimise disruption by providing crucial time for local authorities to put alternative supply in place. The use of this funding, should it be necessary, will be subject to robust scrutiny and governance by the Government and the insolvency office holders. The final cost to HM Government will be known when the insolvency process is complete. Costs will be reported in the DHSC annual report and accounts.
The Government have also provided the official receiver with a legal indemnity to protect them against financial loss or legal claims incurred while carrying out their duties. This indemnity is unlimited and will remain in place until the official receiver’s services are no longer required. The indemnity is a standard mechanism in high-risk or complex insolvencies where appointees are expected to act in the national interest without undue risk to the appointees. Crystallisation is expected to be limited.
Without the Government providing the above support, there was a risk that the official receiver would have had no choice but to close services immediately following their appointment, in line with their statutory duties. This could have had an immediate and significant impact on hospital flow and the safety of people in the community who relied on NRS Healthcare’s services.
These measures were therefore essential to enable the official receiver to discharge their duties for the benefits of creditors and protect public spending by avoiding additional hospital admissions or preventing discharge to care settings, while minimising risk to vulnerable people who previously relied on NRS Healthcare’s services. If the liability is called, provision for any payment will be sought through the normal supply procedure. The Treasury has approved this arrangement.
My officials in the Department of Health and Social Care are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will continue to do so until its conclusion.
We would like to acknowledge and thank all colleagues, particularly those in HMT, UKGI, MHCLG, NHS England, and Partners in Care and Health—a sector support programme funded by DHSC—for their efforts throughout this challenging period. Their support leading up to, and following the insolvency in brokering discussions, sharing vital information, and helping local authorities prepare and respond has been invaluable in minimising disruption and protecting those who rely on these essential services.
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Young Futures Hubs
(2 days, 1 hour ago)
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The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)
I am making this statement to bring to the House’s attention the following machinery of Government change.
I am today announcing that delivery responsibility for the cross-Government Young Futures hubs will move from the Department for Education to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This will bring ownership in line with overarching youth policy and delivery.
This change is effective immediately.
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