Written Statements

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

Monday 13 April 2026

Carbon Dioxide Supply

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Chris McDonald)]

This statement provides an update on Government intervention in the supply of carbon dioxide.

On 26 March 2026, in response to risks to supply chains arising from the ongoing conflict in the middle east, the Government directed Ensus UK Ltd to restart production to generate a significant volume of carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide will be captured and sold to the market for use in food manufacture and preservation, beverage manufacture, energy, healthcare, and other essential applications.

For several months, the Government have been in discussion with Ensus to agree a standby arrangement. Under this arrangement, Ensus is required to maintain the plant in a quiescent state, at modest cost to Government, and keeps it ready to be activated at short notice in the event of a carbon dioxide shortage, or a credible risk of one emerging.

When the Government could have stepped back and let the plant close last year, we stepped in to keep it available. This intervention illustrates the different approach taken by this Government—an active and strategic state prepared to act where it is in the national interest. While previous Governments closed Britain’s gas storage, this Government have repeatedly acted to support our resilience, from saving British Steel from collapse to securing the future of the chemical cracker at Grangemouth. The Ensus intervention is part of that same deliberate pattern.

It forms part of wider Government work to ensure the UK maintains access to critical industrial inputs during periods of global supply disruption, such as the ongoing conflict in the middle east.

The Government are also taking steps to diversify the UK’s long-term carbon dioxide supply, strengthening UK resilience and reducing exposure to future global shocks. We will work with industry to develop and deliver this long-term plan.

My Department will continue to work with industry and relevant lead Government Departments to monitor risks to supply. We will protect taxpayers’ money by operating the plant only for as long as necessary. This is why we have agreed that the plant will operate for an initial period of three months but will be subject to regular review. The Department for Business and Trade will closely monitor the associated spend, which will be reported in DBT’s accounts for 2026-27, with 2025-26 spend also disclosed in the annual report and accounts. If conditions require it, the Government will not hesitate to extend this period and will retain the ability to restart the plant for a longer period as a precautionary measure.

[HCWS1501]

Trade Union Access to the Workplace and TUPE Reform

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)]

The Government have set the country on the path of national renewal, building a Britain for all on the firm foundations of security, respect and opportunity. That means creating an economy that delivers for working people: productive, profitable and growing, and creating the best environment for business by maximising job security to raise productivity, improve skills and cut the costs of staff turnover.

The Government’s plan to make work pay will bring employment rights legislation into the 21st century. We are building an economy based on fair competition between businesses, greater productivity in the workplace, job security for workers, and fair reward for hard work, delivered in partnership with businesses, trade unions, public sector employers and civil society.

Government response to the consultation “Make Work Pay: trade union right of access”

As part of this, last autumn we consulted on strengthening trade union access to the workplace. Respondents engaged extensively, and their feedback has been carefully analysed and used to inform the final statutory access framework.

The Government response published today sets out the decisions and how the right of access framework will operate in practice, ensuring it is proportionate and enables regulated and responsible union access to the workplace. This includes:

Clear requirements for written union access requests and employer responses, supported by Government-issued templates;

Defined time periods for responses, negotiation and any referrals to the Central Arbitration Committee, with flexibility for agreed extensions;

Circumstances where the CAC must refuse access and when it may be reasonable to do so, ensuring safeguards for all parties; and

A three-tier enforcement system and clear factors the CAC must consider when setting fines, such as the scale and resources of the liable party.

Consultation on draft code of practice on Trade Union Right of Access

Alongside the Government response, we are launching a consultation on a new draft code of practice on statutory trade union access. The code will provide clear, practical guidance for employers and unions on how to navigate the new framework and apply it across different types of workplaces. This is an opportunity for all interested parties to help shape this guidance before it is finalised, helping ensure that the new statutory right of access is well understood and supports smooth, effective implementation.

The consultation will run for six weeks, closing in April.

The final policy details for trade union access to workplaces will be set out in legislation through statutory instruments, which will be laid in Parliament this summer alongside the code of practice.

TUPE Call for Evidence

Today we are also launching a call for evidence on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations—TUPE. The Make Work Pay plan committed to reforming the TUPE regulations. The regulations exist to support business transfers and protect staff whose job is moved to a new employer. We believe firms should be able to smoothly transfer part or all of their business or transfer service provision, and supporting a stable workforce during transitions can in turn support a competitive business environment. The TUPE regulations should be easy to understand and follow for employers and protect staff.

We intend to consider reforms based on these principles —maintaining the right level of employment rights and protections but simplifying the process for employers.

Through this call for evidence, we will gather evidence on the prevalence and experience of TUPE, including on how many employees it affects and what types of employees and employers are affected. It will also gather evidence on whether employers understand the current rules, and whether the current required steps are followed in practice. We will engage stakeholders throughout. The information gathered will support decision making on any TUPE reforms.

Next steps

This package of consultations sets out the next steps in delivering our plans. They are critical to shaping the practical implementation of this legislation, helping the Government to deliver reforms that are both effective and inclusive. It is in everyone’s interest to get the relationship between employer and worker right. These consultations and the further consultations planned will help us make work pay for both.

[HCWS1499]

Industrial Strategy

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

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

I wish to update Parliament on a package of significant measures and a major investment to drive forward the delivery of the Industrial Strategy, strengthen the UK’s advanced manufacturing base, and ensure the country remains a leading hub for business and investment in a volatile global environment. This builds on the statement made in January, which set out measures to support scale-ups, accelerate battery innovation, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens. Alongside this package, the Government will publish the latest quarterly update on delivery of the Industrial Strategy and confirm the re-appointment of Clare Barclay as Chair of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council for a further term.

Delivering the Industrial Strategy with support for Advanced Manufacturing

We are backing the advanced manufacturing sector with over £700 million to help UK industry move faster towards electrification, create pathways into fulfilling, skilled careers and strengthen our supply chains. This will support up to 4,200 jobs, backing local communities and putting more money in people’s pockets.

At the heart of this package is a £380 million DRIVE35 grant to support the delivery of what will be one of Europe’s largest battery gigafactories in Somerset, with a frame of 100% British steel. This project, delivered by Agratas, will strengthen the UK’s battery manufacturing capability, support growth across the automotive and battery supply chains, and reinforce the competitiveness of the UK automotive sector as it transitions to electrification. The project is expected to support up to 4,200 jobs directly and a strong local skills pipeline, including apprenticeships and training in battery manufacturing and engineering, working with local partners such as the University Centre Somerset. It will supply batteries to Jaguar Land Rover, helping to anchor future electric vehicle production in the UK. This builds on previous Government action to support Jaguar Land Rover and its supply chain following the cyber-attack, helping to protect jobs across the automotive sector.

Backing business to transition, innovate, and compete

This investment sits within a wider package to help advanced manufacturing businesses transition, innovate and compete in electric vehicle manufacturing. This includes interventions from our DRIVE35 programme:

Announcing the winners of four R&D competitions worth £90 million, backing innovation across the UK automotive and battery ecosystem and supporting UK leadership in zero emission vehicle technologies, such as a £32 million project where JLR are partnering with semiconductor firm ARM to bring auto and tech firms together to advance software-defined vehicles technologies for EVs.

Funding of £100 million to help the automotive supply chain and support automotive suppliers to transition their systems and capabilities towards EV manufacturing, focused on the west midlands and north-east of England.

The package also includes the first round of multi-year R&D support through the battery innovation programme to back next-generation battery technologies and UK supply chain capabilities, with up to £22 million awarded—matched by industry—to UK-led R&D projects. We have also opened a round 2 competition, worth £25 million, to support business-led collaborative R&D. The package will support innovation in “breakthrough” battery cell materials, including novel cathode materials and solid-state batteries. It will enable UK battery firms to secure private investment and compete globally. This funding will support the development of a circular value chain in battery materials, mining, refining and recycling, and boost our economic resilience. We have also announced £1.4 million of connected and autonomous mobility pathfinder programme grants for feasibility studies exploring autonomous freight in Teesside, Sunderland and the Port of Tyne, as well as self-driving passenger services at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, at an NHS site, at an airport, and in London, advancing safer, more efficient, automated transport.

We are also expanding the Made Smarter adoption programme, doubling our investment up to £99 million over three years, to support manufacturing SMEs to adopt industrial digital technologies, growing local ecosystems and the significant sectoral strengths that are found across the English regions. Taken together, these measures will help firms invest in new capability, adopt new technologies, and build stronger domestic supply chains in strategically important sectors.

In addition, up to £16.44 million-worth of grants will be deployed from the Made Smarter innovation programme to drive the development of scalable, industrial digital technologies, improving productivity while reducing energy and resource use. The programme is designed to help manufacturing SMEs close the UK’s digitalisation gap by connecting innovators with real-world challenges and supporting solutions that boost productivity, resilience and sustainability.

Skills and jobs

The Government are also doubling down on creating a skilled workforce fit for the future and driving forward implementation of our £182 million industrial strategy engineering skills package. This includes £47 million of adult skills funding to train up the next generation of engineers and inventors, and we will be writing to Mayors shortly to allocate this funding to strategic authorities to ensure it is aligned with local needs.

This package also includes £1.8 million to expand engineering and construction T-level provision, and £8 million in capital funding to support clean energy engineering courses at levels 4 and 5. For example, Durham University will upgrade engineering laboratories and create a new flight controls lab to expand capacity in clean energy and advanced manufacturing, while Yeovil College will transform its engineering building with specialist equipment and redesigned teaching spaces to boost high-level skills in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and defence engineering.

A new battery manufacturing apprenticeship unit has been launched, which will help meet the skills needs of Agratas’s new Somerset gigafactory. The unit will give employers flexible, targeted training to quickly build the specialist workforce needed for the UK’s growing battery sector.

Access to finance

This package also reflects a step change in public financial institution support to UK industry. The British Business Bank is increasing support for advanced manufacturing as part of our wider funding for the industrial strategy sectors. From this month, it will deploy the additional £4 billion of industrial strategy growth capital to support growth and investment, and build the ecosystem of specialist investment funds focused on industrial strategy sectors. UK Export Finance has already backed over £6.6 billion of advanced manufacturing investment over the last two years. This includes £128 million to support the export of two submarine rescue vehicle systems to the Indonesian Navy. The deal will inject over £67 million into the UK economy through British suppliers SMP Ltd and Forum Energy Technologies Ltd to manufacture these advanced vehicles in York and Bristol, safeguarding and creating jobs across the domestic manufacturing and defence industries. In the summer they will announce plans to go even further, supercharging UKEF’s ability to help UK companies tap into the power of international markets.

This package demonstrates the Government’s determination to compete for the industries of the future, strengthen resilience in critical sectors, and back investors who create skilled jobs nationwide.

[HCWS1490]

Product Safety Framework Reform: Consultations

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)]

We have launched three consultations setting out major reforms to modernise the product safety framework and review the UK’s furniture fire safety regulations. Using the powers provided by the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, our proposals will strengthen protection for consumers from unsafe products and create a level playing field that supports responsible businesses. Proposals will clarify responsibilities and streamline regulations, which will create certainty and support growth and investment. At the heart of these proposals is a commitment to consolidate and modernise market surveillance and enforcement powers across product safety legislation.

The existing product safety framework has been stretched to its limit by increasingly globalised supply chains and the ever-changing way in which consumers buy products. The new framework must address the issues of today and be prepared to deal with the potential challenges of tomorrow. Modern-day products and supply chains have exposed UK consumers to new harms. We have seen serious incidents that have tragically caused death and personal injury, from fatal house fires caused by unsafe e-bike batteries exploding, to children being injured by swallowing powerful magnets marketed as toys. These incidents highlight the real risks posed by unsafe products and are why these consultations are so important.

A particular challenge has been the rise of e-commerce, which has rapidly changed the way consumers buy products and exposed regulatory gaps in today’s global supply chains. For too long, online marketplaces have made third-party sales of dangerous products too easy. As announced in the Budget 2025, we are consulting on proposals to introduce new requirements on online marketplaces and create a level playing field for UK “bricks and mortar” businesses and our high streets.

We must ensure that people can rely on the safety of products they buy and use every day, whether in the home or the workplace. The consultations set out how we will bring product safety protections up to date and ensure they work for the future.

The consultations cover proposals in the following areas:

Getting the basics right: proposals for the new framework to cover a wider scope of products, updating how a safe product will be defined and how the safety of a product can be assessed to reflect modern technology and new hazards. This will be monitored through updated and consolidated enforcement powers.

Accountability throughout the supply chain: proposals setting out the responsibilities of businesses in scope of the new framework, including online marketplaces and online sellers, and their core obligations to protect consumers from dangerous products.

A new approach to product information: proposals to allow product information to be provided more flexibly—both physically and digitally—and to move towards a “digital by default” approach to product information.

Building on the new foundations: proposals for additional tools to manage products posing greater risk of harm and paving the way for further reform of sector and product-specific regulations; and a call for evidence on how artificial intelligence-enabled products can best be regulated to balance safety and innovation.

A reformed enforcement framework: addressing duplication, overlap and inconsistent terminology, and establishing a single, coherent framework that is clearer for regulators, more predictable for businesses, and better able to respond to modern risks. It will also modernise and consolidate the UK’s market surveillance system, giving authorities clearer, more consistent powers to act quickly on unsafe or non-compliant products across all routes to market, including online.

The consultations will support us in determining how best to put our plans into practice. I encourage everyone with an interest in product safety to respond to the consultations and share their views to help deliver a safer future for all.

Alongside the two broad product safety framework consultations, we have published a third consultation to review the UK’s furniture fire safety regulations. This consultation sets out our intent to implement new furniture fire safety regulations that can be met by passing a smoulder test, which is consistent with the approach taken in much of the EU and the United States. This follows an evidence-led approach to craft a set of proposals that will maintain a high level of fire safety, while meaningfully reducing the reliance on chemical flame retardants.

These consultations will close after 12 weeks on 23 June 2026.

Alongside this package of consultations, the Government intend to introduce legislation to reform product labelling for certain products where the UKCA—UK conformity assessed—or CE marking applies. These measures follow the product safety review and the Government’s subsequent commitment to consider the most effective way to introduce digital labelling. The measures will give more flexibility to businesses over how these products are labelled, both physically and digitally. This is only the first step. The consultations build on this announcement and include proposals to provide greater flexibility in product labelling in the future.

I have placed copies of the consultations in the Library in both Houses.

[HCWS1496]

Subscription Contracts Regime: Response to Implementation Consultation

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)]

Subscription contracts play an increasingly significant role in the lives of UK consumers. Across the economy, people rely on subscription services for everything from streaming and software to meal kits, fitness, and household essentials. There are an estimated 155 million active subscriptions in the UK, representing around £26 billion of consumer spending each year. While this model brings genuine convenience for many, far too often people find themselves stuck in subscriptions they no longer want or need, or paying for contracts that automatically renewed without their full awareness. Some £1.6 billion is spent annually on unwanted subscriptions in the UK.

This Government are committed to protecting consumers and ensuring that they have clarity and control over their spending, especially during a time when household budgets are under pressure. Today we are taking an important step to deliver on that commitment by publishing the Government response to the consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime.

This marks another milestone in enhancing consumer protection and implementing measures introduced in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. These will strengthen consumer rights and help people across the UK keep more of their hard-earned money, which will save consumers an average of £14 per month for every unwanted subscription they can cancel.

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024 and established a new regulatory framework for subscription contracts. This requires businesses to give clear pre-contract information and send regular reminders about ongoing subscriptions. Businesses must also ensure that it is straightforward for consumers to cancel, and provide online cancellation if consumers can sign up online. The Act also introduces new statutory cancellation rights, including 14-day cooling-off periods when free or discounted trials roll on to higher full price terms or when contracts of 12 months or more auto-renew.

These measures maintain and build on existing protections under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Government response to the consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime

The Government have reviewed the evidence submitted through the consultation process and will bring forward secondary legislation for the following proposals:

Cooling-off rights and refunds

If a consumer exercises their 14-day initial cooling-off right (after they sign up) or 14 day renewal cooling-off right (after trial ends or a contract renews for longer than 12 months), new return and refund rules will provide:

For returnable goods, consumers will receive a refund when goods are returned, including standard delivery costs.

For perishable and bespoke goods, they will receive a full refund if they cancel before the goods are supplied. If they cancel after the goods are supplied, the trader will be entitled to reduce the refund by the value of those goods—including all delivery costs.

Where goods are sealed for specified reasons—for example, for health protection or hygiene—and become unsealed after delivery or goods become inseparably mixed with other goods after delivery, the trader will be entitled to reduce the consumer’s refund to cover the value of these now unreturnable goods.

For service contracts, if consumers cancel during an initial or renewal cooling-off period, they will be entitled to a partial refund proportionate to the services supplied before cancellation.

For digital content contracts, consumers may waive their initial cooling-off right in return for the supply of digital content during the initial cooling-off period. If consumers cancel during the renewal cooling-off period, they will be entitled to a partial refund proportionate to the digital content supplied during the renewal period before cancellation.

Extension of the cooling-off period

If a trader is in breach of the requirement to inform a consumer about their cooling-off rights, the cooling-off period extends to 14 days after the trader corrects their breach, up to a maximum of 12 months after the original end date.

Ancillary contracts and mixed contracts

We will legislate so that if the main subscription contract is cancelled, ancillary contracts are treated in the same was as they are under the existing Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Contractual terms and auto-renewal

We will legislate to prevent contractual terms that make it disproportionately difficult for consumers to stop a subscription from auto-renewing.

Cancellation remedies for breach of duties

If traders breach statutory obligations, such as failing to send reminder notices, consumers will have clear rights to appropriate refunds. We will also introduce a list of specific breaches for which refunds will apply automatically.

Information notices

Consumers must be provided with clear information about their contract and the purpose of communications must be clear. Notices must be provided on a “durable medium” (a format that the consumer can easily access in the future) and important information must be both clear and prominent.

Charitable memberships

We recognise the vital contribution of the UK’s cultural and heritage charities, and the public benefit they provide. In response to concerns raised by the sector, the Government will exclude certain charitable cultural and heritage memberships from the new subscription regime, ensuring they are not subject to additional requirements beyond those that already apply under existing consumer law. Broadly this will exclude contracts which are between a charity and a consumer and that allow consumers to attend performances, see collections, or visit places—for example, museums, galleries, historical properties, landscapes, wildlife, performing arts—which are related to their charitable purpose.

Next steps

This new framework will empower consumers with clearer rights, fairer terms, and easier ways to manage their subscriptions. It will also support competition and growth by ensuring businesses operate on a level playing field with strong, trusted consumer protections at its core. Under the new regime, consumers will benefit from:

Clear, tailored information before they sign up to a subscription.

Reminders before a trial period ends or a 12 months-plus contract auto-renews.

Easy, straightforward cancellation routes, including online cancellation if consumers can sign up online.

A new renewal cooling-off period, allowing consumers to exit a contract within 14 days of a trial or a contract renewing for longer than 12 months-plus if they change their mind.

In a world where an increasing numbers of goods and services are sold using subscriptions, these measures will protect consumers from being trapped in unwanted subscription contracts and be better able to control how and where they spend their money. Together the measures are anticipated to provide £400 million of consumer benefits per year.

The Government will bring forward secondary legislation covering the above, when parliamentary time allows, and we expect the regime to commence in spring 2027. We will also publish guidance to support implementation.

I am placing a copy of the Government response to the consultation in the Libraries of both Houses.

[HCWS1498]

Call for Input: New Powers to Protect UK from Acts of Adverse Economic Pressure

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)]

As an open trading nation, the UK thrives on its connections with the world. International trade fuels economic growth in the UK, and delivers significant benefits for businesses, workers and consumers alike. However, rising geopolitical tensions and growing uncertainty are reshaping global trade dynamics. Unfair trading practices are emerging that disrupt supply chains and distort competition, sometimes aimed at forcing changes in law or policy.

When supply chains are disrupted, it is working people who feel it first—in higher prices at the checkout, in uncertainty about their jobs, and in the disruption to the businesses and industries their communities depend on.

That is why we recognised these risks in our Trade Strategy, published last year. We are already taking action to make our economy more resilient and secure, and we work closely with allies through the G7, the World Trade Organisation and the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership to challenge unfair practices wherever they occur. Now we are asking whether additional powers are needed, and on Thursday 9 April we launched a call for input to consider the case for developing new powers to reinforce our ability to respond to acts of adverse economic pressure against the UK.

We are seeking to understand whether the UK Government should strengthen the UK’s economic security and resilience against acts of adverse economic pressure, and if so how, while supporting growth, competitiveness, and our international obligations. This call for input will be open for 10 weeks and will aim to gather views from a broad range of stakeholders on the opportunities, risks, and implementation considerations associated with taking new powers. This includes perspectives from businesses, industry, consumer organisations, other representative and sector bodies, as well as insights from think-tanks, academics, the devolved Governments, Crown dependencies, and overseas territories.

We welcome the Business and Trade Committee’s recent inquiry into economic security and their agreement that the Government should explore new powers in this area.

To support this, my Department has published a summary of the Government’s existing powers in this area and set out the case for considering new powers, including what form such powers could take. A copy of the call for input document has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and is available on www.gov.uk.

This is about one thing: protecting working people from economic shocks they did nothing to cause. If new powers are required, we will introduce them. We will always try diplomacy first. But if that fails, families, businesses, and communities across the UK deserve to know that their Government have the tools to stand up for them. We are not changing who we are as a trading nation; we are making sure we can stay who we are, even when others play by different rules. This is what this call for input is about, and that is how we deliver growth that works for everyone.

[HCWS1491]

Our Place to Give: Growing Place-based Philanthropy

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

Today the Government launch Our Place to Give: a plan for growing place-based philanthropy. This sets out the first steps we will take towards achieving our vision of building ambitious and long-term partnerships with philanthropists and delivering tangible and lasting impact within our communities.

This Government are focused on delivering a decade of national renewal, and we cannot achieve this change alone. A partnership model that adequately recognises the potential of philanthropy to drive positive social impact across the breadth of the UK is essential to address some of our biggest challenges.

The UK has a proud history of philanthropy, which is an integral part of the glue that binds communities together. Whether it is the donation of wealth, time, or talent, giving back creates a sense of pride and belonging.

Change starts with partnership and Our Place to Give sets out how the Government will work with local government, civil society and philanthropists to address barriers and strengthen place-based philanthropy. We are focused on two key outcomes:

For places: helping local organisations and areas with the greatest funding needs better access philanthropic investment.

For philanthropists: encouraging more high net-worth individuals to give back to communities, by making it easier to work with Government and places on opportunities to maximise place-based funding.

This represents a fundamental shift and a genuinely new approach to working together and forms one part of the Government’s impact economy agenda. We will work to foster an environment of mutual respect and trust, ensuring philanthropic voices are brought into the early stages of policy design and implementation, utilising their expertise, insight and experience to tackle some of the most pressing and challenging societal issues across this country. This includes partnering on Government priorities, including the £5.8 billion Pride in Place programme and the £500 million better futures fund.

This Government want to empower philanthropists and communities to do more together. MPs are uniquely placed to champion local priorities and a toolkit has been developed to support with practical steps on how to engage with place-based philanthropy in their constituency.

The UK is one of the best countries in the world to conduct philanthropy, and we are committed to working with philanthropists and communities to drive sustained positive change across the country.

[HCWS1500]

Further Education College Condition Allocation 2026-27

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

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

I am pleased to announce £307 million of capital funding will be allocated to further education colleges and designated institutions across England in 2026-27 to help them maintain, improve, and ensure the suitability of their estate. This is the second year of the FE college condition allocation, providing colleges with funding certainty to strategically plan and manage their estates.

FE colleges will have the discretion to prioritise how best to use this funding over a three year period, supported by spend guidance the Department has published on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-college-condition-allocation-2026-to-2027



This funding forms part of the £1.7 billion investment announced in the UK’s modern industrial strategy to improve the condition of FE college buildings. It is also part of the Government’s education estates strategy, published in February 2026, which set out plans for an education estate that supports opportunity for all, backed by a 10-year plan to deliver a decade of renewal to transform schools and colleges. High quality and inspiring college buildings are essential for expanding opportunity, breaking down barriers, and ensuring clear pathways from education into skilled employment.

By investing in FE colleges, we are investing in the country’s future workforce and long-term growth.

[HCWS1495]

Improving School Food Standards in England: Consultation Launch

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Olivia Bailey)]

I have asked my Department to consult on proposed changes to the school food standards in England.

A good meal or a nutritious breakfast can set a child up for the day, helping them to concentrate, learn, and thrive. Working alongside the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities and as part of our 10-year health plan for England, we have committed to overhaul school food standards to ensure that every child gets the good-quality food they need that gives them the best start in life.

Too many children are not getting the nutritious food they need. The latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows children consume twice the recommended amount of free sugars, and most are consuming insufficient fibre. Over 10.5% of children aged 4 to 5 start school with obesity and by the end of primary school this rises to 22.2%. This is simply not good enough.

The school food standards are out of date, and that is why we are proposing to update the regulations to align with the latest nutritional guidance to reduce sugar, increase fibre and limit unhealthy foods. These are changes that respond directly to what parents, health experts, and the food sector have been telling us for years. It means increasing fibre by ensuring schools offer more wholegrains, vegetables, pulses and fruit across meals and snacks. It means reducing sugar by limiting sweetened breakfast items, desserts and drinks, and by lowering the added sugar content of everyday menu options. It means restricting foods that are higher in fat, sugar and salt, such as deep-fried items, processed meats, confectionery and savoury snacks, and ensuring these appear less often or in controlled portions. It also means doing this in a way that schools can continue to serve food that children are familiar with. For secondary schools, we propose phasing in some of these changes to give schools and caterers more time to adapt.

Improving nutritional quality must go hand in hand with ensuring that children and young people enjoy the food they are served. Our objective is not only to make school meals healthier, but to ensure they are appealing, familiar and fulfilling, so that healthier choices are enjoyed. Children’s voices will be central to this consultation. We want to hear directly from children and young people on how healthier meals can best meet their needs. To support this, the Department is working with youth organisations and representative bodies to ensure that children are engaged in age-appropriate and inclusive ways.

Schools must comply with the school food standards to make sure that children get the healthy meals they deserve, and we know that governing bodies play a central role in shaping the quality and nutritional value of school meals. These updated standards are not about making that job harder; they are about giving the whole school-food community a clear, modem framework to work to, with the support needed to make it happen. We recognise the importance of clear, nationally consistent arrangements for supporting and assuring compliance with the school food standards and are developing our wider approach. To underpin this broader compliance framework, we are setting out two targeted proposals to reinforce leadership and visibility in schools. We are proposing schools appoint a lead governor for school food and publish their food policies and menus online, which would strengthen accountability and improve compliance. Throughout this entire process, we will continue working closely with schools to identify the guidance they need to meet higher standards. We will also work alongside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as it develops a new food strategy to ensure the food on children’s plates is good quality, accessible and affordable.

These proposals apply to England only and the consultation will run for nine weeks, closing on 12 June 2026. The consultation and the Government response will be published on www.gov.uk. We will also place a copy of the Government response in the Library of each House.

A consultation will allow the Department to capture and consider a wide range of views, about how our proposals to change policy are likely to impact schools, local authorities, parents, children, and young people. We will consider all responses to the consultation and use them to inform our proposals for better meeting the policy objectives of state funded schools.

[HCWS1494]

Student Loan Interest Rates: Academic Year 2026-27

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson)]

On the 7 April the Government announced that we are capping the maximum interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3—postgraduate—student loans at 6% for the 2026-27 academic year, from the 1 September 2026 to the 31 August 2027.

This short-term protective measure removes the risk of any temporary increase in inflation causing loan balances to compound at an unsustainable rate, and will protect students and graduates from the potential of inflationary pressures due to the situation in the middle east.

Student loan interest rates are ordinarily set for each academic year by reference to the retail prices index value for the year to the preceding March. On that basis, interest rates for academic year 2026-27 would normally be determined using the outturn RPI figure for March 2026, which is due to be published on 22 April 2026.

The Government are therefore making this change ahead of student loan interest rates being confirmed for the coming 2026-27 academic year.

Under existing arrangements, borrowers on Plan 2 loans may be charged interest of up to RPI plus 3%. This maximum rate applies to borrowers in repayment earning above the upper interest rate threshold, which increased to £52,885 on 6 April 2026. For Plan 3 loans and Plan 2 students in study, a flat rate of RPI plus 3% applies to all borrowers.

Capping the maximum interest rate at 6% instead of RPI plus 3% will ensure no Plan 2 or Plan 3 borrower faces an interest rate above 6% for academic year 2026-27.

This follows changes this Government have already made to the student finance system we inherited to improve it and make it fairer for students, graduates and taxpayers. This includes increasing the repayment threshold for Plan 2 loans to £28,470 in April 2025—its first increase since 2021—and we increased it again on 6 April this year, to £29,385. We are also reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants from the 2028-29 academic year, providing students from low-income households with up to £1,000 extra support that will not need to be repaid to ensure those from the poorest families receive more support without increasing their debt.

The Government are continuing work to make the student finance system fairer for students, graduates and taxpayers.

[HCWS1489]

Grooming Gangs: Independent Inquiry

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Shabana Mahmood)]

Today, I am announcing the formal commencement of the independent inquiry into grooming gangs.

The setting-up date of the inquiry, as per section 5 of the Inquiries Act 2005, is 13 April 2026.

The inquiry will confront one of the darkest periods in our country’s history, where the most vulnerable people were abused and let down by those meant to protect them. I am committed to delivering the truth, accountability and reform that victims and survivors deserve and expect.

On 9 December 2025, I updated the House on the publication of the draft terms of reference for the independent inquiry into grooming gangs. Given the importance of getting this right, I asked the chair and panel of the inquiry to undertake a period of consultation, including with victims and survivors of these crimes, before returning their views to me for agreement on the final terms of reference.

The final terms of reference for the independent inquiry into grooming gangs were published on gov.uk on Tuesday 31 March. This upheld our previous commitment to agree terms of reference by the end of March. The interval between publication and formal commencement reflects the timing of parliamentary recess.

The terms were agreed with the chair and panel following a period of consultation. This included an online open consultation, which received over 25,000 responses, direct engagement with victims and survivors across England and Wales and engagement with parliamentarians. I would like to place on record my thanks to the chair of the inquiry, Baroness Anne Longfield CBE, and the panel, Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE, for their work in leading this consultation.

The terms of reference have been shaped by the testimony, priorities and lived experience of victims and survivors and make clear that their experiences will continue to guide the inquiry’s work throughout. I would like to pay tribute to their involvement and tireless campaigning to ensure we right the wrongs of the past and ensure evil perpetrators of these crimes have nowhere to hide.

The inquiry is time-limited for three years, supported by a £65 million budget, to help ensure that justice is delivered swiftly for those who have already waited too long for answers. Its initial phase will focus on identifying priority areas for investigation, before undertaking targeted local investigations alongside a national-level review of the findings of those investigations. The criteria used to select local areas will be published by the inquiry within three months of the formal setting-up date.

The inquiry will examine systemic, institutional and individual failures, making recommendations for improvement at both national and local levels, as appropriate. The inquiry will be laser focused on grooming gangs and will explicitly examine the role ethnicity, religion and culture played in these crimes. It will seek to hold individuals, institutions and statutory services responsible to account for any failures.

With a national remit across England and Wales, the inquiry will work closely with the national police operation into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, Operation Beaconport, overseen by the National Crime Agency. As set out in the terms of reference, where criminal allegations and evidence are identified by the inquiry, this will be referred to law enforcement.

The Government accepted all 12 recommendations in Baroness Casey’s national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse. The Government remain fully committed to implementing these recommendations and to driving forward broader action to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The Government are clear that this inquiry must deliver truth, accountability, and meaningful reform so that the injustices suffered by victims and survivors are not repeated and children are better protected in every community in future.

I recognise the long-standing interest from parliamentarians in this work. The inquiry has committed to publishing their findings regularly and I remain committed to keeping Parliament informed as the inquiry progresses.

[HCWS1492]

FIFA Men’s Football World Cup 2026: Licensing Hours

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

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

Late last year the Government consulted on proposals to make a contingent licensing hours order under section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 for the 2026 FIFA men’s football world cup. The majority of respondents were in favour of licensing hours being relaxed for the semi-final and final stages of the tournament, with some calling on us to go further and extend hours for games in the earlier rounds of the tournament.

Having considered the consultation responses, the Government intend to proceed with a contingent licensing hours order for England and Wales to enable communities to come together at their local licensed premises to support the home nations—England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland—where they progress past the group stages of the tournament.

The Government have already announced a contingent order that will apply if any of the home nations reach the rounds of 32 and 16 as for the quarter finals, semi-finals and finals for matches that kick off between 8 pm and 10 pm UK time.

Having considered this further, I now wish to announce that we will also extend for round of 32 and round of 16 matches that kick off at 5 pm and 6 pm. For these matches licensing hours will be extended until 1 am the following morning, rather than 11 pm on the day of the match, allowing more time for fans to do post-match analysis and hopefully celebrate a great victory for a home nation. The order will apply to premises already licensed until 11 pm for the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises in England and Wales, and will only come into effect should a home nation play in the matches.

This order will enable communities to come together to collectively support the home nations teams and celebrate their success, while also providing a welcome boost to the hospitality sector at this challenging time. The order will be laid in Parliament in due course and an economic note will be published alongside it on legislation.gov.uk.

[HCWS1493]

Southport Inquiry: Phase 1 Report and Phase 2 Terms of Reference

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Shabana Mahmood)]

On 7 April 2025, the then Secretary of State for the Home Department announced the establishment of an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005, to be chaired by the right hon. Sir Adrian Fulford. This inquiry was to examine the appalling events that took place at a children’s dance class in Southport on 29 July 2024.

Three young girls were tragically murdered on that day, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King, and many more were seriously harmed. Our thoughts remain with the families who have suffered such devastating loss, as well as those who survived the attack but live with the lasting physical and psychological impact.

The chair has today published his findings from the first phase of this inquiry, which provides a detailed account of the events leading up to the attack, and the attack itself. The inquiry examined the perpetrator’s history and interactions with a range of state systems including policing and criminal justice, education, health and social care, as well as considering the account of all those who were impacted by the attack.

The findings point to missed opportunities which could have stopped this attack from occurring. They indicate systematic failures, structural gaps, and a lack of ownership of the risk from the many agencies involved. The inquiry also highlights how agencies failed to adequately share information and take all the facts about the risk the perpetrator posed to the community into consideration, which ultimately meant that his risk was not managed effectively.

Sir Adrian has examined these issues thoroughly, and I welcome his recommendations. The Government are determined to learn the lessons identified by the inquiry and to take the necessary action to reduce the risk of such an attack happening again. I must thank the chair, his team, and all those that took part in the inquiry, for the speed, rigour and professionalism with which they have conducted their work.

The Government will consider the report and its recommendations and will respond in full later this summer. Alongside this, the Government will respond to the recommendations made by the Prevent commissioner, Lord Anderson KC, in his “Lessons for Prevent” report, which examined Prevent’s role in the Southport attack and the murder of Sir David Amess.

While the first phase of the inquiry has looked specifically at the failings in this case, it has identified wider gaps in how to address the risk from individuals who hold a fascination with extreme violence. Following consultation with the chair and those most affected by this attack, I am today publishing the terms of reference for the second phase of the Southport inquiry.

I have asked the chair in phase 2 to examine the adequacy of arrangements for identifying and managing the risk posed by individuals who are fixated with extreme violence. The inquiry will consider the role of multi-agency management, the interventions needed to reduce risk to the public, the effectiveness of laws around knives and weapons, and the extent to which the internet and social media are influencing and enabling people to carry out violent attacks.

This next phase of the inquiry will begin immediately and is expected to report in spring 2027. A copy of the terms of reference for phase 2 of the Southport inquiry will be placed in the Library of each House.

The Government will provide the inquiry with the resources it needs to complete this next phase and will fully support the chair in the discharge of his duties. We will continue to engage with those affected by the events in Southport, to ensure that their questions are answered, and their views are heard, as this next stage commences.

[HCWS1497]

UK-US Arrangement on Pharmaceuticals Pricing and Tariffs

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Kanishka Narayan)]

I am repeating the following written ministerial statement made today in the other place by the Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, my noble Friend Lord Vallance of Balham.

Today I can update the House that the UK and US Governments have published the joint text of our arrangement on pharmaceuticals pricing and tariffs. This builds on the general terms for the UK-US economic prosperity deal announced in May 2025 and takes forward joint commitments made when the principles of the partnership were first announced in December 2025. The arrangement will improve the lives of NHS patients, support our life sciences sector and grow the economy.

Central to the partnership are the actions the Government are taking to improve and protect UK patient access to new and important medicines. More NHS patients will get improved access to life-changing new treatments because of the medicines pricing changes we have made, and the associated UK medicines spend targets set out in the arrangement. Investing in medicines helps keep people healthier for longer, reduces pressure on the health service over the longer term, and ensures that we have an NHS that is fit for the future.

The update to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost-effectiveness threshold, made for the first time in two decades, has already made a direct difference for NHS patients. Two medicines have already been recommended by NICE under the new threshold, giving patients immediate access to life-changing medicines—including a brain cancer drug for patients as young as 12 and a last-resort treatment for patients with a rare form of stomach cancer who had already exhausted other options. NHS patients in England will be able to access these through the health service, thanks to the new thresholds.

In addition, the arrangement includes clarification of the US commitments on its “most favoured nation” pricing policy and support for UK patient access, including outlining expectations from the US Government that companies will continue to launch new medicines quickly in the UK.

The partnership supports our life sciences sector, which not only saves lives but creates jobs, drives investment and powers innovation across our economy. UK pharmaceuticals exports to the US—worth over £5 billion in 2024—will be subject to no additional US tariffs as a result of section 232 or section 301 investigations for at least three years. This includes avoiding section 232 tariffs on patented pharmaceuticals of up to 100% announced by the US on Thursday 2 April. This makes the UK the first and only country to benefit from a commitment to tariff-free access to the US pharmaceuticals market, providing certainty for UK exporters, and giving the UK sector a significant competitive advantage over other trading partners. This supports economic growth and helps protect our vital pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, which in 2025 added £28.5 billion to the UK economy, employed over 50,000 people in high-skilled jobs across the country, and exported almost £21 billion in pharmaceutical products worldwide.

We have also achieved preferential terms for medical technology exports, which will be subject to no additional tariffs as a result of section 232 or section 301 investigations for at least three years—protecting over 195,000 UK jobs in the med-tech sector. The UK and US have also agreed to work together towards mutual recognition of medical device approvals—cutting red tape and supporting future innovative health technologies to reach patients on both sides of the Atlantic.

The partnership has received widespread support from the life sciences sector and will lead to greater investment in UK life sciences. It has already started generating results, such as £500 million investment in UK research and development and manufacturing in Surrey from the global biopharmaceutical company UCB, which was announced in January.

We will continue to work closely with the life sciences sector to help land investment into the UK, and deliver on our ambition for the UK to become the third most important life sciences economy by 2035, as set out in our life sciences sector plan.

The finalising of this arrangement does not introduce any further costs for HM Government beyond those set out previously. The Government will continue to assess the costs and benefits of this arrangement.

[HCWS1487]

Independent Review of Carer’s Allowance Overpayments: Progress on Response

Monday 13th April 2026 Written Statements

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

The Government published the report of the Independent Review of overpayments of Carer’s Allowance linked to earnings, and the Government’s response to its recommendations, on 25 November 2025—the review can be found on gov.uk. Today I am providing an update on progress in responding to those recommendations, including more detail on our plans to reassess cases that may have been subject to faulty guidance on the averaging of fluctuating earnings.

The Government inherited a system where some busy carers, already struggling under a huge weight of caring responsibilities, found themselves with unexpected debts due to overpayments of carer’s allowance. The independent review, undertaken by Liz Sayce, showed that mistakes were made, and we are determined to put them right. We welcomed the report and accepted, or partially accepted, 38 of the 40 recommendations. We have already made around half of the changes that the report recommended. Work has begun on the others, but some changes will take more time to put in place.

As part of their response, the Government committed to reassessing carer’s allowance cases that may have been affected by faulty guidance on the averaging of irregularly fluctuating earnings. This guidance, which was in place between April 2015 and September 2025, did not accurately reflect the statutory position. I am pleased to announce that the reassessment exercise will begin today, 13 April 2026. Funding of £75 million has been provided for the exercise in the financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.

The Department for Work and Pensions expects to review over 200,000 cases, potentially reducing, cancelling or refunding debts for around 25,000 carers.

For the vast majority of cases, the Department has all the information it needs to reassess the case, so there will be no need for most people to do anything. The Department will contact them by SMS and letter if it needs any further information in order to conduct the reassessment.

For other, older cases, the Department may no longer hold information because GDPR rules state that personal data must be kept only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. For these cases, the Department will open access to a straightforward online form for people to complete. We aim to do this in late 2026, building on learned lessons from the reassessment of cases for which we already hold the relevant data. The Department will work with organisations supporting carers to encourage people who think they may have been affected to register via the online form for a reassessment.

We will also let people know once their cases have been reassessed and whether any overpayment has been reduced as a result of the reassessment.

Although the independent review covered England and Wales, at the request of the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, the reassessment exercise will include relevant carer’s allowance cases in Scotland, including those that were administered by the Department on behalf of Scottish Ministers between September 2018 and September 2025.

Advice and support for anyone whose carer’s allowance case is or might be involved in the reassessment exercise will be available—at no cost—from the Department or from trusted partner organisations such as Carers UK and the Carers Trust.

The Department has committed to update the Public Accounts Committee and the Work and Pensions Committee every six months on progress in the implementation of the Government’s response to the independent review. This will enable the Committees to scrutinise progress and hold the Department to account. Information will also be included in the Department’s annual report and accounts.

[HCWS1488]