Financial Inclusion Strategy
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Lucy Rigby)
Today, I have laid the financial inclusion strategy—Command Paper 1424. Financial inclusion means that people can access the financial products and services they need. When people are financially excluded, every day is harder, plans are precarious, and a financial setback can snowball into a crisis. But when people are included, a potential shock can become a manageable obstacle, and aspirations can become achievements. These benefits have knock-on effects for our wider society, making financial inclusion a bridge to opportunity and an engine for growth.
I want to see a financial services system that works for everyone, where people can access the products and services they need to build their financial resilience and achieve their goals. The strategy sets out our approach to improving financial inclusion and, in turn, ensuring that everyone can access the financial products they need to participate fully in the economy, manage their money well, and plan for the future.
The strategy brings together a package of initiatives to improve access to financial services and strengthen financial resilience across the UK. This builds on the Government’s existing progress, such as the ongoing roll-out of 350 banking hubs, and looks to future opportunities, such as the development of a new digital pass which can help people prove their identity. It is structured around six key pillars: banking and digital inclusion; savings; insurance; credit; problem debt; and financial education and capability. Three themes of mental health, accessibility, and economic abuse have been considered throughout to ensure that interventions address the specific barriers consumers affected by those issues can face. Through these areas of focus, the strategy also supports wider Government priorities, including building household financial resilience and driving sustainable economic growth. Its measures include:
Action to tackle the impact of economic abuse on victim-survivors’ credit scores, enabling people to regain their financial independence following the devastating impact of abuse;
A new pilot taken forward by the largest banks to open bank accounts for people who struggle to access mainstream banking, such as people experiencing homelessness;
A new national coalition of employers to support organisations to help their employees save for unforeseen circumstances;
Action to drive greater accessibility of products for people who can face challenges in using essential financial services, such as people with disabilities and mental health conditions.
The strategy has been developed with the support of a financial inclusion committee of consumer and industry representatives. It has also been informed by extensive engagement with wider stakeholders across Government, regulators, civil society, and the financial services sector. I would like to thank all those who have contributed their time and expertise to the development of this important work.
This strategy will be delivered in partnership across Government, regulators, civil society, and the financial services sector. The UK Government will also continue to engage closely with the devolved Governments on areas of shared and devolved responsibility. Together, we will work to support consumers to build financial confidence, resilience, and wellbeing.
This strategy will guide Government and industry activity to promote financial inclusion, and it will be reviewed in two years’ time to ensure that progress is made.
The financial inclusion strategy is available on gov.uk: www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-inclusion-strategy
[HCWS1019]
Independent Review of Social Work Regulation: England
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)
The Government are taking a step today to ensure that social workers can continue to support and protect the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our society by announcing an independent review of Social Work England. This statement to the House sets out the scope of the review and the timeline for delivery.
Under section 64 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, the Secretary of State for Education is required to commission an independent person to undertake a review of the operation of part 2 of the Act. The review will cover the period from December 2019 to September 2025.
The Secretary of State for Education has appointed Dame Annie Hudson to conduct a review to ensure the regulation of social work is fit for purpose and continues to benefit both the professionals it oversees and the individuals it aims to protect.
Dame Annie was appointed for the wealth of experience and knowledge she has of social work, both as a former social worker and her roles as former strategic director of children’s services for Lambeth London borough council and former director of children’s services for Bristol city council. She was also chief executive of the college of social work and more recently chair of the child safeguarding practice panel.
The primary focus of the review will be to assess how effectively Social Work England is discharging its statutory functions and delivering against the objectives set out in the Act, which are:
To protect, promote and maintain the health, safety and well-being of the public;
To promote and maintain public confidence in social workers in England;
And to promote and maintain proper professional standards for social workers in England.
The review will engage in a call for evidence, review the evidence available and consult representatives and those with expertise or experience of social work as required by the Act.
Through this statement we are committing to assessing:
The establishment of SWE and the transfer of powers from the health and care professions council to SWE.
The regulatory mandate of SWE as set out by the 2017 Act, and to reviewing the Social Workers Regulations 2018, to understand how SWE is delivering against the legislation in co-ordination with other bodies concerned with the delivery of social care functions in England and the devolved Administrations.
SWE’s governance and accountability mechanisms, including reporting on activities and providing information and advice.
The effectiveness and efficiency of SWE’s core regulatory functions: registration, professional standards, education and training standards, and approval, including for approved mental health professionals and best interests assessors, and fitness to practise.
The delivery of the Secretary of State’s powers as set out in the 2017 Act in relation to SWE’s fees income; grants; oversight of SWE’s transparency and performance; the use of improvement standards as set out in the 2017 Act for social workers; and to ensure adequate provision of social work training.
How SWE’s functions relate to the wider social work landscape, with particular reference to how initial education and training standards and professional standards align with others, including those from Government.
In addition, the review will consider the current model of professional regulation for social workers and make recommendations on whether any changes to SWE’s delivery of its functions are needed to enable more efficient and effective regulation and/or to improve the standards of social work practice.
The review will commence from today, 5 November 2025, and is expected to conclude by spring 2026. The report and a Government response will be laid before Parliament.
[HCWS1025]
Down Syndrome Act 2022: Draft Statutory Guidance Consultation
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Dr Zubir Ahmed)
People with Down syndrome have the right to make informed decisions about their future. This Government recognise our duty to support them in achieving their goals and aspirations in life.
There is estimated to be around 47,000 people in the UK with Down syndrome who, despite existing legal duties and frameworks, often face real challenges accessing services and the right support due to a lack of understanding of their needs and how to meet them.
We are determined to set this right. That is why we are breaking down barriers to opportunity for disabled people through our 10-year health plan, and today we are launching a consultation on draft statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022.
I strongly encourage everyone with an interest to respond to the consultation and share their views.
The guidance supports the Government’s aims to ensure disabled people’s access to, and experience of, services is fair and effective. It does this by raising awareness and bringing together in one place the practical steps that organisations should take to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. It also helps to clarify the support and services people with Down syndrome can expect to receive.
During the passage of the Down Syndrome Act, it was clear there were concerns about ensuring that the guidance could have the widest possible benefit for people with other chromosomal conditions, genetic conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs, and we have sought to address areas where there are overlaps.
We expect the guidance to improve support for people with Down syndrome and also for those with other conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs. An equalities impact assessment has been published alongside the consultation.
In March 2024, the previous Government formally commenced the Down Syndrome Act, bringing into force the duty for the Secretary of State to consult on and publish guidance. On 21 October 2025, we laid amendment regulations to ensure the Act reflects current NHS structures.
I am grateful to Sir Liam Fox for introducing his private Members’ Bill, now the Down Syndrome Act. I fully recognise that quite some time has passed since the Act received Royal Assent in April 2022. Following close engagement with our partners, this Government are now in a position to publish the draft guidance for public consultation, with today’s announcement taking us a step closer to the final guidance being published.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks, and easy read versions of the draft guidance and the consultation questions have been made available, so everyone is able to make their voice heard.
I am proud to say that people with lived experience, and the organisations who support them, have been at the heart of the work to develop this guidance.
I would like to thank all those people with lived experience, their families and carers, and partner organisations who have worked tirelessly to help us produce the draft guidance for consultation, and to all colleagues who supported us to get this over the line.
I look forward to receiving responses to this consultation to help us to develop guidance that has a real and lasting impact on people’s lives.
[HCWS1026]
Telecoms Fraud Charter
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)
My noble Friend the Minister of State, Home Office, Lord Hanson of Flint, has today made the following written ministerial statement:
Today, I am pleased to inform the House that we are publishing the second Telecoms Fraud Charter.
The Telecoms Fraud Charter sets out a series of ambitious fraud prevention commitments from major consumer and business telecommunications providers operating across the UK.
These commitments represent a significant step forward in further strengthening the telecommunications sector’s response to fraud, addressing some of the most prevalent and harmful scams perpetrated via voice and text channels. Measures include enhanced protections against the spoofing of legitimate network numbers, improved filtering to block scam calls and messages before they reach consumers, and the introduction of new rules to ensure quicker resolution of fraud cases by telecoms providers.
Further detail will be published online, but the charter will contain actions focusing on:
Cross-industry data sharing to improve the detection and disruption of fraud;
Strengthening SMS protections to block scam texts and reduce abuse of messaging platforms;
Preventing scam calls and spoofing through technical upgrades to the network;
Improving customer awareness through clearer guidance and public education campaigns;
Better support for victims, including new fraud resolution deadlines;
Improved collaboration with industry and law enforcement to drive intelligence sharing and co-ordinated enforcement.
Telecoms providers have made notable strides in recent years in addressing fraud, supported by technological innovation and strengthened collaboration with Government and law enforcement agencies. However, those signing this charter have shown a clear commitment to go further and faster to prevent fraud, acting with urgency and ambition.
I welcome their proactive approach and commend their dedication to safeguarding consumers from fraudulent activity. Government stand firmly alongside the sector in this fight. We will continue to convene, support, and challenge all partners to go further and faster, holding them to account for the commitments they make in this charter. Together, we can make the UK a hostile environment for fraudsters and a safer place for everyone.
The Telecoms Fraud Charter will be published on www.gov.uk on 5 November.
[HCWS1022]
Independent Monitoring Panel Report: January to June 2025
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Hilary Benn)
On 24 February 2025, I informed the House that an Independent Monitoring Panel would scrutinise the operation of the internal market guarantee set out in the “Safeguarding the Union” Command Paper. The first monitoring period for the guarantee ran from 1 January through to 30 June 2025 and I can confirm that the panel has today published its report for that period. I have deposited a copy in the Library of the House for the record.
Under the guarantee, the Government undertook that 80% of all freight movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland would be treated as not at risk of moving onwards to the EU, and therefore moving within the UK internal market system. It is the role of the panel’s expert appointees to monitor that commitment on the basis of data, provide recommendations to the Government to support the good functioning of the UK’s internal market and ensure that the facilitations within the Windsor framework are fully used.
The panel’s report today has confirmed that over the first six-month monitoring period, 96% of the value of goods moved by freight met the guarantee. The report also contains an important set of recommendations to the Government. I have informed the panel that the Government are grateful for those recommendations, which will now be considered as part of our response to the independent review of the Windsor framework. I will update the House on the Government’s response to that review in due course.
[HCWS1021]
Rail Reform
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)
Today I have published our consultation response, “A railway fit for Britain’s future”, and introduced the Railways Bill to Parliament.
Up and down the country and across all political parties, the consensus is clear: our railways need urgent reform. Passengers feel abandoned—forced to treat delays, cancellations, and poor value for money as unavoidable facts of daily life. Meanwhile, a broken, outdated model is holding the railway back, stopping it from unlocking the growth our country needs and delivering the efficiency taxpayers rightly expect.
The need for change was laid bare in the thousands of responses to our recent consultation. The British public were unequivocal: we need an affordable, reliable railway that passengers can count on and that makes the most of every taxpayer pound invested. One that makes education, healthcare, public services, and even just the support of family and friends more accessible to those who need them. A railway that backs our businesses and helps our communities thrive. A railway fit for Britain’s future.
So today I am bringing forward legislation that will pave the way for the biggest transformation of Britain’s railways in 30 years. Informed by the consultation feedback, the Railways Bill will give us the tools we need to create Great British Railways—a new, publicly owned company to oversee the management of track and train.
Today’s passengers are at the mercy of a complex system of poorly co-ordinated organisations, all incentivised to look inward and outsource blame. GBR will put an end to this by bringing together the work of 17 different organisations—from train operators to public bodies, Government, and the regulator—eliminating unnecessary duplication and creating a single organisation responsible for operating, maintaining, and improving our railways.
Unencumbered by the bureaucracy and perverse incentives of the old system, GBR will have the tools and authority it needs to make the railway deliver for passengers, freight, and taxpayers—and to be held unambiguously accountable for doing so. It will be the “directing mind” for the network, responsible for improving performance and taking long-term decisions across the whole system to unlock growth, decarbonise transport, enable the construction of new homes and support a thriving supply chain. GBR will be underpinned by a clear set of statutory duties—including those relating to passengers and accessibility, rail freight, and social and economic benefits—as well as an overarching strategic direction set by the Government. This approach will enable GBR to make decisions with a whole-system view, optimising network use and utilising opportunities such as open access to make the most of constrained capacity.
GBR will create a new culture that prioritises passengers and their experience. It will simplify fares and ticketing, setting more transparent fares in line with parameters set by Ministers. It will consolidate the ticket retailing operations of 14 separate train companies—each with their own websites and apps—into a single, straightforward GBR ticketing platform. A new GBR app and website will make it easy to purchase tickets, check train times, and access a range of support all in one place. Together, this will make it easier for passengers to understand the fares system, to know they are buying the right ticket, and to be confident they are getting the best value.
The Bill will pave the way for creating a powerful voice for passengers, with a passenger watchdog responsible for setting tough standards and, where these are not met, investigating issues and resolving disputes. It will protect and advocate for all passengers’ interests and rights, offer advice, and independently monitor passenger experience, reporting on its findings publicly and transparently.
GBR will work in partnership with devolved leaders to create a national railway that serves local needs. Through a new statutory role for devolved leaders, national and local strategies will be factored into GBR decision-making ensuring communities across Britain feel the benefits of our reforms. England’s mayors will have a greater say in how the railways will run, enabling genuine local influence and laying the foundations for integrated public transport that meets the needs of the communities it serves.
Devolved Ministers in Scotland and Wales will also have an enhanced role, with bespoke arrangements to ensure GBR is able to deliver an integrated national network across Great Britain. I will publish a joint memorandum of understanding with Welsh Ministers setting out how our continued collaboration will drive improvements to our railways across the Wales and borders area. Scottish Ministers have a similarly strong settlement reflecting their role as funder of the railway, including powers of direction and guidance over GBR. This will be set out in a joint memorandum of understanding that will outline how GBR will work with Scottish Ministers to maximise local opportunities and deliver for communities.
While this Bill will unlock the most significant set of reforms our railway has seen in a generation, we are not waiting for the creation of GBR to drive improvements across the rail network. We have accelerated the roll-out of pay-as-you-go and we are ushering in a new era of transparency with latest performance data now available at over 1,700 stations. We recognise that disabled passengers’ experience on today’s railway too often falls short. That is why today I have also published an accessibility road map: a transitional plan focused on delivering immediate improvements while laying the foundations for longer term transformation led by GBR.
This Bill enters Parliament 200 years on from the birth of the modem railway. The first passenger train between Shildon, Darlington, and Stockton in 1825 marked the start of a technological revolution that would change the course of world history and trigger an explosion of growth and prosperity across the country. As this Government continue their mission to deliver a decade of national renewal, the plans I am setting out today will ensure the railway is fit to drive economic growth in the 21st century as it has done in the past.
[HCWS1024]
Rail Reform: Wales and Borders
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)
Today we have introduced the Railways Bill to Parliament. This landmark legislation is a significant milestone in our journey to modernise and improve rail services across the United Kingdom, delivering a more integrated, accountable, and passenger-focused railway.
Throughout the development of this Bill, I have greatly valued the positive and constructive engagement between UK Government, Welsh Government, and Transport for Wales officials, which has been supported by the strong inter-ministerial relationship between UK and Welsh Ministers. Our ministerial discussions have been both productive and forward-looking. We are committed to the UK and Welsh Governments’ shared ambition to establish a clear set of joint objectives, understanding of the governance and management roles of UK and Welsh Ministers in relation to railways and railway activities for the Wales and borders area.
A key outcome of this collaboration is the inclusion of a specific clause in the Bill, which provides for the development of a memorandum of understanding between the Secretary of State for Transport and Welsh Ministers, represented by Ken Skates as Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales. This clause recognises the shared ambition to codify devolved responsibilities, funding arrangements, and joint governance mechanisms, thereby strengthening accountability in the delivery of rail services across the Wales and borders area. In parallel, UK and Welsh Government officials have jointly undertaken the drafting of the heads of terms for this memorandum, which has been a positive and collaborative process.
The heads of terms will provide a basis for the development of the memorandum. It will provide clarity on the expectations of how UK and Welsh Ministers and delivery agencies such as GBR and Transport for Wales will work together to deliver a more integrated railway in the Wales and borders area. This agreement will form the foundation for the MOU and reflects our shared priorities and principles for working together.
The heads of terms includes our shared ministerial intention for:
Shared objectives and control period/funding period planning for the Wales and borders area—An outline of jointly agreed and published objectives and business plans that are shaped by both Governments.
Track and train integration—Agreed principles to deliver a more responsive and resilient railway by delivering a simpler, better, integrated railway for the users of the Wales and borders network.
A GBR Wales and borders business unit—To provide the Wales and borders area with a dedicated, empowered business unit within GBR that will deliver against the shared objectives set by both Governments.
England and Wales cross-border services—An aligned framework between the Welsh Ministers and the Secretary of State for joint governance and transparent funding arrangements concerning cross-border rail services, reflecting the vital importance these services have on the connectivity, wellbeing and economic development of communities in both Wales and England.
Access and use—Principles to enable GBR and TfW to work together to simplify access contracts and charging framework and ensure GBR’s capacity allocation decisions and infrastructure capacity plan development are consistent with the joint objectives established for the Wales and borders area.
Core valley lines—To support TfW to integrate track and train, reduce internal regulatory complexity, and jointly develop an interface framework with GBR for service continuity across both networks.
Wales rail board and enhancements—A formally recognised and renewed Wales rail board as a strategic body within the governance framework. The evolved Wales rail board will review funding allocations, business plans, and performance of enhancement schemes across the Wales and borders area.
Governance—Governance principles to ensure adequate accountability channels to UK and Welsh Ministers by GBR and TfW.
Appointments and Representation—Welsh Ministers role in shaping the overall recruitment strategy for the GBR board, and consultation from the GBR CEO during the recruitment of senior executives within the Wales and borders business unit.
The publication, review and amendment process for the MOU.
The heads of terms will enable us to move forward with the full development of the MOU, which we aim to publish and share publicly in spring of 2026. This will provide clarity and transparency on how our respective Governments will work together to deliver better rail outcomes in the Wales and borders area.
Alongside and supported by the development of the MOU, a partnership agreement will be developed between Great British Railways and Transport for Wales for the Wales and borders area. This agreement will support operational alignment and ensure that both organisations can work effectively together to deliver high-quality rail services for passengers in the Wales and borders area.
This statement marks a significant step forward in our collaborative approach to rail reform, and I am confident that our continued joint working with the Welsh Government will support the delivery of a modern, integrated railway that works for passengers across the United Kingdom.
[HCWS1023]
Keep Britain Working Review: Government Response
(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Pat McFadden)
I am pleased to make a statement today, jointly with the Business and Trade Secretary, on Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working review, which he has submitted to the Government.
As ill health is one of the biggest drivers of economic inactivity in the UK—800,000 more people are out of work now than in 2019 due to health problems—the Government commissioned Sir Charlie to investigate the factors behind that and look at how Government and businesses can work together to turn it around.
As well as delivering our plan to get Britain working, we need to help people to stay in work and prevent them from falling out of work in the first place due to ill health. With a further 600,000 people set to leave the workforce by 2030 if current trends continue, we need to keep Britain working.
Sir Charlie has engaged extensively with business, disabled people, health professionals and other key voices across the UK, ensuring that a wide range of voices and experience have shaped his recommendations. I would like to thank Sir Charlie, for his excellent work and collaborative approach, as well as everyone who has contributed.
As well as setting out the scale, nature and cost of inactivity on individuals, employers and the state, the review identifies three problems: first, a culture of fear felt by both employees and employers; secondly, a lack of an effective or consistent support system for employers and their employees in managing health and tackling barriers faced by disabled people; and thirdly, structural challenges for disabled people, creating barriers to starting and staying in work.
In response to these problems, the review sets out a fundamental shift from a model where health at work is largely left to the individual and the NHS, to one where it becomes a shared responsibility between employers, employees and health services.
To keep the momentum from employers, we are today announcing that we will be taking forward the recommendation to set up a vanguard phase. We will work with the businesses who have already stepped up to become a vanguard to test different approaches and build evidence for a better workplace. All employers taking part in this phase will be doing so voluntarily.
The vanguard phase needs to continue the spirit of collaboration with business and disabled people. We are pleased to announce that we will be appointing Sir Charlie Mayfield to co-chair a vanguard taskforce, alongside myself and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, to lead this vanguard phase in partnership with Government.
The taskforce will also bring together representatives from business, disabled people, workers representatives and health experts to shape and deliver this work. We will bring forward more detail in due course.
The review rightly sets out that data, evidence and insight will be central to the success of the vanguard phase. We are today asking Sir Charlie and the taskforce to oversee the rapid set-up of a workplace health intelligence unit to work closely with business to systematically provide the data and insight that both businesses and Government need to support the vanguard and inform wider reform. Through the vanguard, we intend to work with businesses and disabled people to pilot and develop improvements and reform.
We agree with Sir Charlie’s diagnosis that the fit note system is not working as intended. It is currently a missed opportunity to get people the help they need to get in and get on in work. We are already piloting innovative approaches to the fit note and we are committed to further reform so that it works better for patients, employers and the health system. We will bring forward further detail in due course.
We agree that access to work needs improving. This is why, through the “Pathways to Work” Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the scheme. We are working with disabled people and people with health conditions, in addition to their representative organisations and people that support them, on a plan for reform.
We also recognise that Disability Confident needs to deliver more for disabled people and employers. The vanguard phase will test stronger standards and practical support, helping employers recruit, retain and develop disabled staff, making Disability Confident a mark of genuine inclusion.
This review gives us a clear roadmap for reform. We look forward to working with Sir Charlie Mayfield, with business, and with disabled people and people with health conditions to keep Britain working.
I will update the House on progress as this critical work moves forward.
[HCWS1020]