Written Statements

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

Tuesday 20 January 2026

Industrial Strategy and Global Talent Taskforce

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)]

Today the Government are setting out the next phase of delivery of the industrial strategy and a major package to strengthen the United Kingdom’s position as a world-leading destination for exceptional international talent.

Delivering the Industrial Strategy

We are moving further and faster to realise the vision set out in the industrial strategy to increase business investment in our highest potential sectors and create high-quality jobs across the UK. In a world where geopolitics is not something that happens somewhere else—and what happens across the world shapes the cost of energy, the price of food and the security of jobs—delivering this strategy is essential not just for raising living standards, but for supporting national security and sovereignty.

Today we are announcing a package of measures to support scale-ups, accelerate battery innovation and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens. This builds on the “Entrepreneurship in the UK” prospectus published at the Budget, which committed to change how the Government work with founders to back firms to start, scale and stay in the UK. Together, these actions mark a co-ordinated approach to ensure that UK businesses feel an immediate positive impact, unlocking investment and supporting innovation to boost economic growth.

Today’s announcement follows last week’s publication of the latest quarterly update on delivery of the industrial strategy. This was published alongside the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council’s 2026 mandate letter, which commissions the council to provide impactful advice and analysis on key delivery priorities. We have also announced three new members to the ISAC—Amelia Gould, Keith Anderson and Dana Strong—to broaden the council’s insight across UK industry.

In today’s global economy, we must use every tool of Government—domestic and international—to fight for the interests of working people, as well as fighting for British interests abroad.

BBB

The British Business Bank will be making a £25 million investment into Kraken Technologies as part of Kraken’s $1 billion demerger from Octopus Energy Group, the bank’s largest direct investment to date; and two £50 million scale-up fund investments into life sciences, via Epidarex Capital, and into deep tech, via IQ Capital. The last quarter has seen a step change in the activity of the British Business Bank, committing or deploying £1.03 billion in the last quarter.

UK Export Finance

So far this financial year, UK Export Finance has provided over £9 billion of support to help UK businesses grow, invest and secure new contracts overseas. We have introduced legislation to Parliament that will significantly expand UKEF’s firepower from the £80 billion it has today, so that it can back more British firms to seize opportunities in fast growing international markets. Later this month, the Secretary of State will convene major high street banks to unlock additional finance for high growth exporters.

Battery Innovation Programme

The Government are making their largest ever investment in UK battery research and development, with £180 million of battery innovation programme funding going towards supporting UK small and medium-sized enterprises to: secure private capital; accelerate the development of high-risk, high-reward technologies; and commercialise cutting-edge, home-grown battery innovation here in the UK, reducing exposure to volatile global supply chains.

Regulation package

Building on the Government’s regulation action plan progress update in October, the Secretary of State and the Chancellor have commissioned all Departments to set out plans by March to meet the 25% administrative burden reduction target, and the Government will update on further progress towards the target in due course.

The Government will also:

Launch deep-dives, working with industry and trade unions on health and safety regulation and farming and agritech regulation, building on the approach and lessons of the Fingleton review;

Launch the competition consultation “Refining our Competition Regime”, delivering on the commitment in the regulation action plan. This will include proposals to deliver increased pace, predictability, proportionality and improved processes across the UK’s competition regime, such as amending the decision-making model in mergers and markets investigations;

Not proceed with the proposed Audit Bill, avoiding further business burdens; and

Bring forward the consultation on modernising corporate reporting to early 2026, expanded to include virtual annual general meetings.

The Business Secretary and the Chancellor will also ask Ministers to develop and set outcome focused growth goals for key watchdogs that still lack clarity from Government on what growth means for them.

The industrial strategy was never about a single publication at a single point in time. These measures go further and faster, building on existing commitments to ensure that we succeed in ushering in 10 years of stability, growth and investment—the decade of national renewal, even as global pressures evolve.

Talent Package

We have seen competition for top talent around the globe intensify, particularly in research and technology. This is an opportunity for the UK to issue a clear and confident signal: that we welcome the world’s best minds to come and help us drive our industrial strategy and wider growth mission, and that they will find the environment, support and opportunities they need to thrive here.

This Government know that attracting top international talent is a catalyst for creating British jobs, boosting investment and increasing productivity. We are continuously working to better welcome top researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs to the UK, ensuring that we respond swiftly to changes in global mobility trends.

Today’s announcement follows the launch of the global talent taskforce, a new concierge service to support top talent to lay down roots in the UK; and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s £54 million global talent fund, which sits as part of a wider £5 billion HM Government offer on research talent, and which has already secured the relocation of top researchers and their teams to work in our industrial strategy priority areas.

The 2025 immigration White Paper set out plans to improve and expand key visa routes for talent, making it easier to move to the UK for exceptional researchers, entrepreneurs and future leaders.

And, in her 2025 autumn Budget, the Chancellor also expanded the enterprise management incentives scheme, so that scale-ups can offer more competitive equity, and increased the venture capital trust and the enterprise investment scheme investment limits to help high growth companies raise more capital as they scale.

Today’s package continues to build on this work with a series of targeted and practical measures designed to enhance the UK’s offer to exceptional talent. We are:

Doubling the resourcing of our global talent taskforce, including bringing in specialist private sector head-hunting expertise and emboldening our concierge offer to the world’s elite talent, starting with a dedicated focus on international AI talent;

Reimbursing visa fees in a limited and targeted manner for those with skills that will further our deep tech, innovation, and research and development aspirations, including in AI, quantum and semiconductors;

Expanding the global talent visa to make it simpler and easier for those with a relevant academic or research appointment and those in industry to get their visa, ensuring the UK can access the talent it needs, including those working in cutting-edge industries;

Launching a referral route to fast-track sponsorship licences for high-growth and high-potential firms supported by the global talent taskforce or the Office for Investment; and

Providing new Government-funded scholarships for International Mathematical Olympiad gold medal winners.

We are also adding a new talent pathway on business.gov.uk to provide a single, clear “shop window” for exceptional global talent considering relocating to our country.

This Government remain committed to exploring how we can best attract and retain the world’s top talent. By welcoming exceptional individuals through these initiatives, the UK is powering research and innovation that creates jobs, builds our science capabilities, attracts investment and strengthens our economy for the long term. These initiatives form part of our industrial strategy and broader growth mission to strengthen the UK’s global competitiveness, and strengthen cutting-edge industries—now and for the future.

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UK Trade Envoy Programme

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade (Chris Bryant)]

The Secretary of State has today made appointments to the United Kingdom’s trade envoy programme.

The United Kingdom’s trade envoys are important to this Government’s growth agenda. They support Ministers to deliver trade and investment outcomes within the industrial and trade strategies and attract foreign direct investment across UK regions.

Working in close partnership with our ambassadors, high commissioners and His Majesty’s trade commissioners, trade envoys support deeper bilateral trade relationships, lead trade missions, welcome inward delegations and address market access challenges, to ensure that British firms can compete and succeed.

The role as a United Kingdom trade envoy is unpaid and voluntary, with cross-party membership from both Houses.

The Secretary of State is pleased to appoint:

My hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner) as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Türkiye;

My hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Friern Barnet (Catherine West) as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Pakistan;

My hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Chris Murray) as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to France;

My hon. Friend the Member for Enfield North (Feryal Clark) as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Germany; and

My hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North (Catherine McKinnell) as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Italy

In addition to their existing roles, the Secretary of State is pleased to appoint:

My hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr Bailey) as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to the Republic of South Africa and to Mauritius;

My hon. Friend the Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (Florence Eshalomi) as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Ghana; and

My hon. Friend the Member for Bolton South and Walkden (Yasmin Qureshi) as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Algeria.

These new appointments are testament to the United Kingdom’s commitment to strengthen bilateral trade and support growth across the nation.

Today’s appointments mean that there are now 32 trade envoys focusing on 73 markets.

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Civil Service: Innovation

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Darren Jones)]

The British people deserve public services that work for them. I am announcing today changes to rewire the state and jump-start a move to a new model for Whitehall, fixing some of the fundamentals of how the civil service works by learning from the best examples of innovation in both the public and private sector.

The No. 10 innovation fellowship programme is an example of the opportunity to do government differently. A small number of leading technologists and data scientists have been given the freedom to approach public service delivery problems in new ways. From prison security to patient safety, the fellows are working on projects to make the state more productive and more dynamic. We will build on this success and expand the programme this year.

The need to innovate to deliver the public’s priorities is urgent. I am therefore also making broader changes to the delivery architecture of government. Supported by teams in the Cabinet Office, we will establish taskforces, working with Departments to drive forward delivery of some of this Government’s top priorities. Time-bound and focused on specific outcomes, taskforces will be granted freedoms to operate outside normal administrative rules so that they are unhindered in tackling high-impact challenges with singular determination.

To incentivise innovation throughout the wider civil service, I am also announcing changes to the performance management and recruitment of senior civil servants. Guided by the principle of targeting bonuses more towards the highest performers, bonuses and a system of pay progression will reward innovation and delivery in critical areas. We will also change the criteria for SCS selection to prioritise candidates with frontline delivery and innovation experience. Under-performers will be held accountable to tougher standards and must improve or face the consequences, including dismissal.

Alongside incentivising performance and innovation, we must build a civil service with the skills it needs for the future. I am announcing that we will establish a new National School for Government, which will provide learning and development for civil servants, while saving taxpayers money by ending current high-cost contracts with external providers.

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Telegraph Media Group: Proposed Sale

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)]

I wish to update the House on the sale of the Telegraph Media Group. As I set out in my written ministerial statement on 17 December 2025, I received a formal request from the representatives of RB Investco Ltd, the current owners of the call option to purchase Telegraph Media Group Holdings, to allow RB Investco Ltd to derogate from the Public Interest Merger Reference (Telegraph Media Group Limited) (Pre-emptive Action) Order 2024, in order to sell its call option to Daily Mail and General Trust. The 2024 order prevents the parties to the transaction from taking actions which may prejudice a reference to the Competition and Markets Authority and/or Ofcom for them to be able to carry out regulatory scrutiny. I am currently considering whether to grant the request to derogate from the order and will update Parliament once this decision has been made.

Following a thorough consideration of the terms set out in the derogation request and independent research, my Department has today written to the current and proposed owners of the Telegraph Media Group on my behalf to inform them that I am “minded to” intervene on the following public interest grounds specified in section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002:

Sufficient plurality of views;

Sufficient plurality of persons with control.

This will enable the necessary regulatory scrutiny to commence. These letters, and other relevant updates, will be published on gov.uk.

I have also considered the new merger under the foreign state influence regime, as specified in chapter 3A of the Enterprise Act 2002, and I am not minded to intervene. As set out in the Enterprise Act, if any new information comes to light which indicates influence from a foreign state, I must intervene.

It is important to note that I have not taken a final decision on intervention at this stage. The “minded to” letter invites further representations in writing from the parties and gives them until 9 am on Monday 26 January to respond.

If I decide to issue an intervention notice, the next stage would be for Ofcom to assess and report to me on the public interest concerns, and for the Competition and Markets Authority to assess and report to me on whether a relevant merger situation has been created, and any impact this may have on competition.

Following these reports, I would need to decide whether to refer the matter for a more detailed investigation by the CMA under section 45 of the Enterprise Act 2002.

I will update Parliament on my final decision at the earliest opportunity.

[HCWS1263]

International Education Strategy

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)]

Today I am announcing the launch of the UK’s refreshed international education strategy.

Together, the Department for Education, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are setting out a vision and road map to economic prosperity and resilience, through promoting the UK’s world-leading education system globally.

Unlike the previous strategy released in 2019, this approach removes targets on international student numbers in the UK and, while continuing to welcome international students, shifts the focus towards growing education exports overseas by backing UK providers to expand internationally, build partnerships abroad and deliver UK education in new markets.

By strengthening our international partnerships and leadership, we can help to bring stability and co-operation in an uncertain and changing world. War has returned to Europe, and old certainties have been shaken. The world’s population will exceed 8.5 billion people by 2030, and urgent challenges such as climate change are reshaping the skills that people need to thrive. Education equips people to succeed, societies to prosper, and nations to build the participation needed for global stability and growth. It has never been needed more than it is today.

The new international education strategy sets out three ambitions to harness the world-leading quality of UK education:

To increase the UK’s international standing through education and make the UK the global partner of choice at every stage of learning;

To sustainably recruit high-quality international higher education students from a diverse range of countries; and

To collectively grow education exports to £40 billion per year by 2030.

These ambitions leverage the strengths of the UK’s education system and the trust with which UK education institutions are viewed by global partners.

I am grateful to representatives of the UK education sector for their help during the development of this strategy. They are creating a promotional brochure to set out the UK’s offer to the world. We are also grateful to our international education champion, Sir Steve Smith. We will be convening a new education sector action group, chaired by Ministers, with representatives of the sector who will help us steer delivery and maximise the impact of the strategy.

The international education strategy will be available online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uks-international-education-strategy-2026

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Fuel Supply: Fees for Military Drivers

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)]

The Secretary of State will be using powers under the Energy Act 2013 to increase the hourly rate for use of military fuel tanker drivers paid by hauliers during a deployment of this capability. This programme is a long-standing fuel supply contingency measure jointly managed by my Department and the Ministry of Defence to make trained military drivers available to support fuel deliveries in an emergency.

This is a routine increase to keep the cost in line with inflationary increases since 2021, and in line with agreements signed with industry.

A direction under section 148(3)(b) of the Energy Act 2013 was made to increase the hourly price from £28.51 to £34.44. This will take effect on 20 January 2026. I believe this direction is fair and proportionate as it will now take account of inflationary price increases from 2021 calculated using the consumer prices inflation index and has been agreed with industry. The Secretary of State reserves the right to make further changes to the charging regime if that becomes necessary.

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Water White Paper

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)]

Today I am announcing the launch of this Government’s water White Paper, “A New Vision for Water”.

This paper sets out once-in-a-generation reforms for our water system, putting consumers and the environment first.

For too long, previous Governments have turned a blind eye to record levels of pollution and poor performance.

Companies have been profiting at customers’ expense, with vital infrastructure left to crumble and public trust destroyed.

This Government inherited that failure—and we are not shying away from it.

Every family in this country deserves clean water from their taps, seas their children can swim in, and bills that are fair and affordable.

We have already taken decisive action and have:

passed the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 to give regulators the powers to ban bonuses for polluting water bosses, and to take tougher and faster action against water companies.

secured a historic investment of £104 billion of private sector funding to rebuild the water network.

established the water delivery taskforce to get spades in the ground, fast-track delivery of new infrastructure projects and drive economic growth.

We are now going further. This White Paper sets out our response to Sir Jon Cunliffe’s Independent Water Commission’s final report of July 2025 and gives a clear vision for the reforms this Government will make to our water sector. I would like to reiterate my thanks to Sir Jon Cunliffe for his excellent leadership of the Commission.

We will:

Set out a clear direction for the water sector by revising the strategic policy statements, rationalising planning and introducing a more joined-up regional water planning function and framework to improve local decision making and delivery. There will be new overarching targets for the water environment to enable consistent oversight and alignment. This will increase the long-term stability of the water sector.

Reset the approach to regulation by abolishing Ofwat and creating a new single, integrated water regulator that combines the functions of the four existing regulators. This will replace the currently fragmented system with a proactive and targeted supervisory approach tailored to individual companies. We will create a new performance improvement regime to give the regulator the power to step in and put things right for the poorest performing companies.

Make the water sector more attractive to, and reliable for, long-term low-risk investors by simplifying performance commitments. We will introduce new measures to improve financial resilience and ensure investors receive a fair and stable return that compensates for risk.

Make sure customers are protected by creating a new independent water ombudsman, alongside stronger protections to keep bills predictable, affordable and fair. There will be better access to smarter metering to help those who need it most. New water efficiency labels will be on every appliance, so when customers buy a washing machine or shower, they will know exactly what it will cost not just to buy, but to run.

Protect our waterways from pollution with record investment in storm overflows and waste water treatment, taking action to tackle sewer misuse and introducing a clearer set of standards and enforcement for agricultural pollution. We will also end operator self-monitoring and develop a new, strengthened open monitoring approach, making data accessible to the public in near real time and helping to restore public trust in the system.

Increase the resilience and security of the water system by introducing statutory resilience standards and improving mapping of asset health. There will be new “MOT” checks on water infrastructure to stop water company assets being left to crumble. The new regulator will have a chief engineer and engineering capability so that decisions are grounded in practical understanding. We will improve infrastructure planning with better regulatory oversight to deliver projects more efficiently, attract third-party investment, and protect infrastructure from growing risks.

Several reforms will be taken forward immediately while others will form the foundation of a new water Bill. The Bill will provide the powers necessary for transformation and deliver the outcomes the public deserve.

To help stakeholders manage these changes, we will publish a transition plan detailing the journey to a new system.

This Government were elected with a clear mandate to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. We remain committed to delivering on that promise.

We will work in partnership with the water sector, investors and communities to drive this sector-wide transformation.

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Chinese Embassy

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed)]

This statement follows the decision I made today to grant planning permission and listed building consent for a new embassy in London.

The proposal is for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court site in the London borough of Tower Hamlets to provide a new Chinese embassy. It would involve the refurbishment and restoration of several listed buildings, and associated works.

The decision was in line with the recommendation of the independent planning inspector who held a public inquiry into this case between 11 and 19 February 2025.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Ministers making planning decisions must follow a quasi-judicial process. This means they must make decisions fairly, based on evidence and planning rules.

The decision letter and associated inspector’s report fully explains the reasons for the decision and is available on the Government’s website. The decision letter comprises the Secretary of State’s letter, the inspector’s report, and the following annexes: annex A (Schedule of Representations); annex B1 (List of conditions for the listed building consent); annex B2 (List of conditions for the planning permission); and annex C (Consolidated Drawing Schedule and revised drawings). Annex C is a separate document. The relevant plans to which these permissions relate are secured by condition. I will deposit a copy of the decision letter in the Libraries of both Houses, including all annexes.

Representations received from parties as part of the reference-back exercise are listed in the decision letter and are available on request. For convenience, I will deposit a full set of the reference-back correspondence in the Libraries of both Houses.

All material considerations were taken into account when making this decision.

The decision is now final unless it is successfully challenged in court.

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Mobile Phones and Social Media: Use by Children

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Liz Kendall)]

I will be updating the House via an oral statement later today.

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WorkWell Expansion

Tuesday 20th January 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Pat McFadden)]

Today, together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, we are announcing England-wide expansion of the WorkWell service from autumn 2026 backed by up to £259 million of investment over three years. We have seen great success with the 15 current WorkWell pilots, which provide integrated employment and health support for local working-age people, helping them to get into and on in work. It is a voluntary service which saw over 25,000 disabled people and people with health conditions receive support to stay in and re-enter the workplace, within the first 14 months of launch.

Key to helping local working age people get the support they need to stay in work or return quickly following a period of absence is ensuring local services are joined up to provide an integrated, holistic approach to health and work support. WorkWell is innovative because although funded by central Government it is designed and delivered by our local health systems, who work in partnership with local government, jobcentres, and community and voluntary groups. This allows us to intervene early at the point an individual feels their health condition or disability will have an impact on the work they do or make it more difficult for them to return to work quickly.

Good quality work is a key determinant of health, and that is why keeping people in work is a core priority for the Government. We know that 2.8 million working-age people are now economically inactive due to health conditions, with 800,000 more people out of work due to health problems now than in 2019. There are more people currently in work with work-limiting health conditions or disabilities than ever before, with almost one in four of the working-age population classed as disabled. The £259 million expansion of WorkWell that we are announcing today forms a key part of our wider Pathways to Work offer for working-age disabled people and those with health conditions.

Helping people along their unique pathway to work is what we mean when we say we want an opportunity welfare state. This is why I am pleased to share that, alongside our existing pilot sites, WorkWell will be available to support our working-age population across all of England from autumn 2026.

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