Written Statements

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Written Statements

Wednesday 2 September 2026

Chemical Weapons Convention: Declaration of Protective Programmes

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (Louise Sandher-Jones)]

The United Kingdom’s chemical protection programme exists to safeguard against the threat of chemical weapons. The UK’s entirely defensive focused programme is permitted under the chemical weapons convention, with which the United Kingdom remains fully compliant.

As required by the convention, the United Kingdom submits annual information—via the required template—to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. In line with the Government’s commitment to transparency, I am placing in the Library of the House copies of the summaries provided to the organisation that describe the United Kingdom’s chemical protection programme for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Attachments:

Chemical Weapons Convention (20230315_Annex B -UK Protective Programmes CWC Annual Declaration for 2022 Final.pdf).

Chemical Weapons Convention (20240201.Annex C -UK Protective Programmes CWC Annual Declaration for 2023_ Final (1 ).pdf).

Chemical Weapons Convention (20250331.Annex D UK Protective Programmes CWC Annual Declaration for 2024 Final.pdf).

Chemical Weapons Convention (20260210.Annex E UK Protective Programmes CWC Annual Declaration for 2025 Final.pdf).

Attachments can be viewed online at:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-09-02/hcws305

[HCWS305]

Capacity Market: Consultation on Changes for Prequalification 2027

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)]

I am tabling this statement to inform Members of the publication of two documents relating to the capacity market:

A consultation on changes for prequalification 2027; and

An open letter inviting stakeholder views on new technologies in the capacity market.

The above documents support our objectives of delivering clean power by 2030 and accelerating progress towards net zero, while ensuring security of supply.

Since its introduction in 2014, the capacity market has secured sufficient capacity to ensure consistent and reliable electricity supply in Great Britain. The funding provided through the capacity market scheme aims to incentivise investment in new and existing generation, interconnectors, batteries and consumer-led flexibility mechanisms to ensure that sufficient capacity is available to meet future demand when required. This capacity is acquired through competitive annual auctions held at intervals four years ahead and one year ahead of their respective delivery years. The Government regularly amend the framework underpinning the capacity market before auction cycles to ensure that it is cost-effective and meets broader strategic objectives, including the transition to clean power.

The prequalification 2027 consultation published today seeks views on a package of proposals intended to strengthen confidence that capacity secured through the capacity market will be delivered when required, ensure that consumer-led flexibility is appropriately valued for its contribution to security of supply, and deliver further administrative and operational improvements to the scheme.

Specifically, the consultation seeks views on:

Reviewing the delivery assurance framework: Strengthening confidence that capacity will deliver when required. This includes enhanced testing and more stringent data requirements.

Consumer-led flexibility: Referred to as demand-side response, or DSR, in CM legislation. Proposals consider how we can more accurately de-rate DSR capacity, support DSR capacity through to delivery by making trading and terminations changes and improve operational efficiencies.

Further administrative and operational improvements to the capacity market: Clarifications and amendments to improve transparency, consistency and enforceability of the rules.

Secondly, we are publishing an open letter inviting stakeholder views on new generating technologies that should be considered for inclusion in the capacity market. Stakeholders are now invited to provide views and supporting evidence on such technologies.

The capacity market remains Great Britain’s main mechanism for ensuring capacity adequacy, and these publications focus on how the Government can ensure the scheme continues to meet its primary security of supply objective. The proposals put forward seek to ensure that the scheme remains fit for purpose and continues to play a crucial role in delivering secure electricity supplies to consumers in a clean power system.

[HCWS303]

Planning Application: Botley West Solar Farm

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Written Statements

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

This statement concerns an application for development consent made under the Planning Act 2008 by Photovolt Development Partners on behalf of SolarFive Ltd for the construction and operation of a solar farm on land in the West Oxfordshire, Cherwell and Vale of White Horse districts.

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

The statutory deadline for the decision on the Botley West solar farm application was 10 September 2026.

I have decided to allow an extension and set a new deadline of 10 November 2026 for deciding this application. This is to enable my Department and other interested parties to consider further information received from the applicant.

The decision to set the new deadline for this application is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.

[HCWS304]

NHS Pension Scheme

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)]

Over the past year, I have made regular statements about the implementation of the McCloud remedy in the NHS pension scheme. This hugely complex undertaking across the public sector pension schemes is required to address age discriminatory policy legislated for by the coalition Government in 2013.

The NHS pension scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by the NHS Business Services Authority. In 2025, the NHSBSA failed to meet its McCloud delivery deadlines. In response, in July 2025, I commissioned Lisa Tennant in her capacity as chair of the NHS pensions board to carry out an independent review of the NHSBSA’s delivery of the McCloud remedy. The report from this review has been published today on www.gov.uk. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

The review was an extensive and forensic undertaking. It has identified and made recommendations across two broad categories of findings:

Strategic factors: including governance, leadership, organisational culture and systemic issues

Operational factors: including the operating model, operational readiness, digital and data, customer experience and change management.

Lisa Tennant’s final report makes clear that further action is required to put the NHS pension scheme on a secure footing and to prepare it for long-overdue modernisation.

Since July 2025, I have regularly met Lisa to hear her emerging findings and I have increased the Department’s oversight and support for the NHS pension scheme:

NHSBSA is now required to provide much more frequent and detailed reporting of scheme performance to the Department;

I have ensured that McCloud planning and delivery resources were increased;

I have visited the NHSBSA’s headquarters in Newcastle to see at first hand its work to strengthen delivery arrangements at the NHS pension scheme.

The NHSBSA has also acted. A dedicated new leadership team for the NHS pension scheme has been created. When the McCloud planning was largely complete, the NHSBSA team started to reassess in June how the pension scheme’s rules were being applied. They reported to the Department at the end of July that there were issues in the administration of a small proportion of members’ records, with the earliest dating back to 2008. Most of these issues built up between 2014 and today, and in a small number of cases, I regret to say that some are ongoing. As a result, while the vast majority of members are receiving the correct pension amount, some will have been entitled to more.

To establish with absolute certainty that all the affected members have been properly identified, I have this week appointed the Government Actuary’s Department to lead a comprehensive audit of the scheme’s administration. I will report back to the House on the audit’s progress and findings. A new departmental board has been established, with external and independent expertise, to oversee the NHSBSA’s implementation of the audit’s findings and its wider pensions operations. This board will meet regularly from next week, reporting to me.

Based on what we know today, around 95% of members will be unaffected. Many of those who are will already be retired and receiving a pension. The NHSBSA will continue to pay pensions promptly and reliably, and to process retirement applications.

Each member who is directly affected will be contacted personally by the NHSBSA, and I will make sure that this happens as quickly as possible. No action is needed by anyone who is a member of the NHS pension, whether working or retired. NHSBSA will ensure that information for members is available on its website and is updated regularly. Records will be corrected and, where appropriate, pension awards will be updated. Where payments or increases are due, interest will be payable.

There has rightly been much scrutiny of progress in delivering the McCloud remedy, which resulted from poor decision making by previous Governments. McCloud implementation introduced significant additional pressure on the administration of the NHS pension scheme, which was already strained, due to growth in scheme membership numbers, complexities in scheme design and an outdated technology infrastructure.

In the light of the new issues that have been uncovered, I have directed the NHSBSA to reassess the deliverability of its McCloud plans. I will continue to hold the authority to account for the delivery of the NHS pension scheme and to provide regular updates to the House, setting new statutory deadlines for McCloud when I can do so with confidence.

I am making this statement today because I want to be transparent about these concerning issues at the NHS pension scheme, and to confirm this Government’s commitment to addressing them in full. I will shortly visit the NHSBSA and will make it clear that if progress is not made at sufficient pace, I will consider what further action is required. I will keep the House updated on progress.

[HCWS307]

Northern Ireland Parades Commission

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Chris Bryant)]

I wish to update the House on the recent High Court decision regarding Portadown District LOL No.1’s application to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland, as well as the steps I am taking in light of the ruling.

In July 2026 a member of the Portadown Orange Lodge sought a judicial review challenging the Parades Commission’s determination to restrict the return leg of the annual Drumcree parade along Garvaghy Road in Portadown. On 25 August 2026, the High Court in Belfast quashed the Parades Commission’s determination. The commission did not contest the proceedings, due to procedural issues identified in relation to how the decision was recorded. Specifically, not every commissioner had approved the final text of the commission’s determination.

The Parades Commission performs a vital and complex quasi-judicial role in what can often be sensitive and difficult circumstances. Over the past three decades, Northern Ireland has made significant progress in easing tensions surrounding parades. Today, the vast majority of parades take place peacefully and without community tension, with fewer than 5% of the nearly 4,000 annual parades deemed sensitive.

However, the recent High Court ruling has highlighted clear procedural defects. The Commission must have the fullest possible confidence of all communities across Northern Ireland. I met with the commissioners on 1 September to discuss their response. Having considered it, I am satisfied that the issues raised are being taken seriously and that progress is being made.

To provide public assurance, support the commission and ensure its operational framework is legally sound and procedurally fair, I have ordered an independent judge-led review into the commission’s decision-making procedures and organisational governance. This will strengthen the commission’s immediate and future work. In the meantime, the current commissioners have my full backing. It is in the public interest that they continue their critical functions as we work together to restore public trust in this vital institution.

Scope and Governance of the Review

Progress on the judge-led review will be monitored directly by Baroness Anderson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, who will report back to me.

Although the terms of reference are still being finalised, the review will concentrate on the commission’s decision-making procedures—placing particular emphasis on ensuring that decisions are evidence-based, transparent, robust and fair in order to eradicate the procedural defects that were identified.

The legal framework of the parading sector, as set out in the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, remains outside the scope of this review.

The review will commence this month, with the final report submitted to myself and the chair of the commission within two months of the review commencing. Following the submission of the final report, Baroness Anderson will maintain direct ministerial oversight of the implementation programme to embed any recommended measures, with a progress report to be published before the end of the year.

I have also instructed officials to launch a public appointments process shortly to appoint commissioners. This is standard practice, as one commissioner has recently resigned and the remaining commissioners are approaching the end of their terms of office.

Whatever the shortcomings highlighted in the High Court ruling, there is no justification for anyone stepping outside the law. I urge all communities to remain committed to the lawful notification of parades, to conduct all processions and protests lawfully, and to support the work of this review as we strengthen the commission for the future.

[HCWS306]