Written Statements

Thursday 30th October 2025 Written Statements

Thursday 30 October 2025

UK Newspapers: Foreign State Influence Regulations

Thursday 30th October 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts (Ian Murray)]

This Government are committed to a pluralistic media landscape, where citizens are able to access information from a range of sources in order to form opinions. The public’s ability to access a wide range of news, views and information about the world in which we live is central to the health of our democracy. It is vital that the UK has in place strong measures to protect this, including the foreign state influence regime, which ensures foreign states cannot control or influence UK newspapers or news periodicals.

In July 2025, the Government made affirmative regulations to allow foreign state-owned investors, or SOIs, to hold up to 15% of shares and voting rights in a UK newspaper owner, provided they are passive investors with no right or ability to appoint directors or other company officers of the newspaper owner, or to control or influence the newspaper owner’s policy, directly or indirectly. We introduced this 15% cap to balance the need to protect the sector from foreign state influence with the need for newspapers to be able to access new investment from a range of sources if they are to remain sustainable and innovate for the future.

Today we are publishing the Government response to the public consultation on the draft Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) (No. 2) Regulations 2025. This consultation ran from 16 July to 16 September 2025, and sought views on draft regulations which proposed to apply a 15% cap on aggregate holdings of shares or voting rights in a newspaper owner by SOIs acting on behalf of foreign powers of different countries.

The consultation also proposed that SOIs acquiring more than 5% of shares or voting rights in a UK newspaper owner directly must give the Secretary of State a qualifying notification within 14 days of the acquisition being made.

This legislation responds to concerns heard in Parliament about the remote risk that multiple SOIs, acting on behalf of different states, could each be able to hold up to 15%, resulting in a significant percentage of a UK newspaper being owned by foreign states.

The consultation response confirms that the regulations will introduce a 15% limit on the total shares or voting rights which may be held in a newspaper, directly or indirectly, by SOIs acting on behalf of any foreign power of any country or territory, and will introduce the notification requirement. In addition, they will introduce a requirement for SOIs which acquire a direct holding of more than 5% and must notify the Secretary of State of their investment, also to publish appropriate details about their investment on a website within the 14 day timeframe. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport commits to report to Parliament regularly on the details that SOIs have published about their investments pursuant to the regulations. We will endeavour for this to be every six months.

The draft regulations making changes to the foreign state influence regime have been laid before Parliament today.

[HCWS1009]

Office for Nuclear Regulation: Executive Powers Annual Report

Thursday 30th October 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)]

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has today published the annual report setting out the use of the Secretary of State’s powers exercised in respect of the Office for Nuclear Regulation during the year 2024-25. This is in accordance with section 108(1) of the Energy Act 2013.

[HCWS1011]

Energy Infrastructure Planning Projects

Thursday 30th October 2025 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Martin McCluskey)]

This Statement concerns an application for development consent made under the Planning Act 2008 by H2 Teesside Limited for the construction and operation of a blue hydrogen production facility situated in Teesside.

Under section 107(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of State must make a decision on an application within three months of the receipt of the examining authority’s report, unless exercising the power under section 107(3) of the Act to set a new deadline. Where a new deadline is set, the Secretary of State must make a statement to Parliament to announce it.

The statutory deadline for the decision on the H2 Teesside application was 30 October 2025. The Secretary of State has decided to allow an extension and to set a new deadline of 4 December 2025. This is to allow time to consider the information further. The decision to set the new deadline for this application is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.

[HCWS1010]

Early Pandemic PPE Procurement

Thursday 30th October 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)]

During the gathering and review of evidence for module five of the covid-19 public inquiry, officials at the Cabinet Office concluded in April 2024 that another supplier, Luxe Lifestyle Ltd, should be on the list of suppliers identified as having been processed through and awarded a contract from the “high priority lane” for personal protective equipment procurement in 2020. This addition takes the total number of companies awarded contracts through this route to 52.

The Department of Health and Social Care agrees with the Cabinet Office’s findings, and notes two other corrections that are to be published. The corrections amend the referral details for another supplier, P1F Ltd, replacing the previously named person with “FCO Donations Team”, and correct a spelling error for another (Inivos Ltd, previously misspelled as Invios).

These changes and the corrected lists will be published on a new gov.uk page, which will supersede the original page published on 17 November 2021 by the previous Government. This new page will carry any subsequent amendments that might arise. Corrected lists can be found at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2025-10-30/HCWS1006/

[HCWS1006]

Knife Surrender and Compensation

Thursday 30th October 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)]

The ninja sword surrender and compensation scheme and the extended surrender arrangements, introduced by this Government, has been one of the most successful weapon surrender regimes to date. Across both schemes, more weapons were surrendered by members of the public: 4,020, compared with 2,738 during the zombie- style knives and machetes scheme, which took place last year.

The Government have implemented a ban on ninja swords, approved by Parliament earlier this year, and the ban came into force on 1 August 2025.

A surrender and compensation scheme ran from 1 July to 31 July 2025. Compensating lawful owners is a legal requirement, and the owner must be offered compensation when handing in their items in compliance with the law and guidance. An analysis of the scheme is set out below.

Birmingham Pub Bombings: Request for Public Inquiry

Thursday 30th October 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)]

I wish to update the House on the Government’s consideration of the request for a statutory public inquiry into the events of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings.

First and foremost, I want to reiterate my deepest sympathies, and the sympathies of the Government, to all the families of those who were brutally murdered, whose lives were changed forever on 21 November 1974. The abhorrent attacks on the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town public houses, which tragically took 21 innocent lives and injured over 200 others, remain a source of profound grief and heartbreak to everyone affected and to the wider community within the great city of Birmingham, in what was one of this country’s darkest hours.

I would like to pay tribute to Justice4the21 for their continued campaigning, which has been both tireless and dignified. For over five decades, they have sought truth, justice, and accountability, while also grieving for their loved ones. Their unwavering efforts are testament to their remarkable strength, and their continued engagement with the Home Office has been central to our consideration of their request for an inquiry.

I also recognise the many others that have campaigned on this issue including members of the public, community organisations, and fellow parliamentarians. The commitment displayed has been a powerful reflection of the devastating aftermath that these heinous attacks continue to have on the Birmingham community, and I extend my gratitude to all those who have provided contributions.

After very careful consideration, the Government have decided not to establish a public inquiry into the Birmingham pub bombings. While I understand that this will be very disappointing news to the families, it is our firm belief that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery can effectively investigate the case, offering the best chance to provide answers to Justice4the21’s questions.

The commission was established exclusively to investigate troubles-related cases and operates independently from Government to consider all the circumstances around troubles-related deaths and serious injuries. To do this, the commission has been granted a wide range of powers to access information—including from Government Departments, the police, and the security and intelligence agencies—in connection with an investigation. In investigations into troubles-related offences, the commission has robust powers, including of arrest and to compel evidence. Its caseload is primarily driven by referrals from victims and their families, with the Guildford pub bombings, the Warrenpoint ambush, the Kingsmill massacre and the M62 coach bombing already referred to it by family members. The commission has the powers, resources, and expertise to support the families in seeking answers to their questions, and I would strongly recommend that anyone else affected by the troubles talk to the commission.

As the House will be aware, on 14 October, the Government introduced the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. This will put in place a reformed legacy commission, with strengthened governance and new conflict of interest duties, a statutory oversight board to provide accountability, and a statutory advisory group to ensure that the voices of victims and survivors are heard as part of the commission’s work. It also makes provision for enhanced fact-finding powers and a disclosure regime akin to that for public inquiries.

In addition, the Government have published a remedial order to remove the widely rejected immunity scheme that could have offered immunity to those who committed horrific terrorist acts such as the Birmingham pub bombings and which has been found by the courts to be incompatible with the UK’s human rights obligations.

The legislation will also ensure that the cases the commission is currently investigating, or which are referred to it, before our new legislation comes into force, are able to transition smoothly to the new prospective arrangements.

Today I have recommended to the families that they consider referring their case to the commission and discuss how it would approach an investigation. My officials and I will be available to support Justice4the21 as they consider their next steps.

Once again, I would like to thank the families for their advocacy and patience in this matter. I know that the passage of time does not ease the pain, but I want to make clear that the Government recognise the deep trauma that continues to be felt by the victims and loved ones of those killed or injured during the troubles, and we are absolutely committed to supporting everyone who seeks justice and accountability.

[HCWS1008]

Timms Review: Updated Terms of Reference and Next Steps

Thursday 30th October 2025 Written Statements

[The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)]

In June, the Government announced it would launch the Timms review, the first ever full review of personal independence payment, with the aim of ensuring we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment.

Listening to those with lived experience will be critical to the success of any future reform. That is why we launched the pathways to work consultation, to which the Government will respond today. It is why we ran collaboration committees to bring together groups of disabled people and other experts to inform the design of the support we offer. And it is why we will co-produce the Timms review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts.

Over the summer, I met with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations, disability, welfare and carers’ charities, think-tanks and other experts to discuss how we should approach co-production in the Timms review. This is the first time that the Government have undertaken coproduction on this scale, although there have been many good examples in local and devolved contexts, and we wanted to take time to learn from those with expertise and experience.

Having taken this feedback on board, we are today publishing updated terms of reference and setting out the next steps for the review. The updated ToR contain a small number of revisions to reflect the current Government policy following changes to the Universal Credit Act 2025, and to clarify the review’s overarching aims and fiscal parameters to give clarity to participants, stakeholders and the public. In line with the principle of co-production, they give the review a broad remit to set its own strategic direction, priorities and workplan. The revised ToR have been published on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timms-review-of-pip-terms-of-reference

I can also confirm today that I will co-chair the review alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. I look forward to drawing upon their wealth of knowledge and experience as we begin this work together.

As co-chairs, we will oversee a steering group with a majority of its membership made up of disabled people or representatives of disabled people’s organisations, ensuring disabled people are at the heart of the review. The group will be recruited through an open and transparent expression of interest process, which has launched today and is available on gov.uk and will run for four weeks.

We will share the EOI, which is available in a range of accessible formats, widely with stakeholders and across our networks.

The steering group will not work alone; it will shape and oversee a programme of participation and engagement that brings together the full range of views and voices.

We are ready to listen and learn, and we are committed to continued transparency and evaluation as this work continues. The review is expected to report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by autumn 2026, with an interim update expected ahead of that.

[HCWS1005]