Adam Dance

Effective workplace support for menopause symptoms is crucial not only for employee wellbeing, but also because if women cannot access the support they need, employers will miss out on their skills and experience.

This Spring, we launched voluntary action plans for large employers, encouraging them to publish what they are doing to support employees experiencing menopause, alongside the steps they are taking to address their gender pay gap.

We have published step-by-step guidance, including a list of evidence-informed actions, to support employers in developing their action plans. Our common-sense actions include menopause training for managers, transparent, flexible working policies, and tailored workplace adjustments.

This guidance is available to employers across the country, including in Yeovil constituency, to support employers in providing effective support and flexibility for employees experiencing menopause.

In addition, other measures introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 encourage more supportive and flexible workplaces; for example, improved access to flexible working and enhanced Statutory Sick Pay can help employees manage menopause symptoms.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to PQ 64372

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), and to championing the rights of individuals with mental health issues and learning difficulties who are afforded protection in relation to the protected characteristic of disability, where their condition meets the Act’s definition of disability.

The Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on a person’s ability to do normal daily activities.

The Act makes it clear that businesses and public bodies that provide goods and services must not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people, including those who may not have physical disabilities.

The Act places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. The Act is clear that the failure by a service provider to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled person could amount to disability discrimination.

Similar strong protections apply in employment, where a reasonable adjustment applies where an employer is recruiting or already employing disabled people. Failure to make adjustments or generally treating disabled applicants or employees less favourably than others would amount to unlawful disability discrimination. Where the law is breached, disabled people may enforce their rights in court or at an employment tribunal.

The administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already been applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The Cabinet Office has addressed the data breach of 30 March 2026, where a technical failure during a surge of 60,000 access requests allowed 138 members to view others' benefit statements. Investigations confirmed this was a session management malfunction and not a cyber-attack.

Following the Cabinet Office’s notification to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Capita performed a root cause analysis and strengthened system controls to prevent a recurrence. The Cabinet Office has further mandated that Capita provide formal accounts to the Public Accounts Committee and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee to ensure the provider remains fully accountable for the security of member information.

The administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office. While the scheme does not publicly report overpayments due to administrator errors, in the last ten years overpayments caused solely by ‘administrative errors’, resulted in a total of 381.

The scheme follows the HM Treasury guidance on “Managing Public Money” which requires the scheme, where possible, to recover any money that a member is not entitled to. Recognising that recovery of overpayments may cause distress we work closely with individual members to ensure that payment recovery plans are affordable, take account of hardship and minimise the impact for the member both in terms of finances and wellbeing. This usually includes setting payment plans to recover monies owed over a reasonable period of time.

The administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office. However, the government has a duty to recover overpaid public money to ensure the scheme remains fair and sustainable for all taxpayers.

The Civil Service Pension Scheme pays out 732,000 pensions per month, and processes in excess of 1,000,000 member transactions each month. There have been, on average, 40 cases a year where human or administrative error led to a member being overpaid since 2014. While many overpayments in the scheme occur due to the late notification of a member's death, these specific cases do not relate to processing mistakes. Under current contracts, if the scheme cannot recover these funds from the member, it seeks recovery from the pension administrator.

We recognise that being asked to repay funds can be stressful. To manage the impact on retired civil servants, the scheme administrator works individually with those affected to create manageable recovery plans. These plans focus on the member's specific ability to pay, often spreading repayments over a long period to ensure that no undue financial hardship is caused.

We are developing a Construction Jobs Plan as part of the Industrial Strategy, which will set out the activities to address current skills shortages construction faces in delivering construction and government commitments, including the National Infrastructure Pipeline, which projects an investment of £725 billion over the next decade, alongside the delivery of 1.5 million new homes.

Government is investing £625 million in construction skills over this Parliament to support delivery of 60,000 additional skilled workers and encourage employers to invest in training.

This includes Foundation Apprenticeships, expanded Skills Bootcamps, and the launch of Construction Technical Excellence Colleges.

The government has committed to clarifying the law in relation to fully virtual Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Officials are engaging with investors and business across the country on the practicalities of this and a full assessment will be undertaken as part of our Modernising Corporate Reporting programme. This will include consulting on the shareholder safeguards that should accompany the change, including consideration of digital access. This will ensure that fully virtual meetings only take place where shareholders agree, preserving the option for physical or hybrid attendance where it is shareholders’ preferred format.

The Government recognises the impact that post office and retail closures can have on employees, communities and access to essential services. The closure of stores where post offices are based is typically a commercial decision by the retailer rather than Post Office Limited.

Post Office Limited has indicated it will locally advertise the opportunity for a replacement branch for all branches affected by the recent announcement of the closure of certain Morrissons stores. My officials are in close contact with Post Office Limited to ensure it continues to meet the Government’s network requirements.

The government is not able to make predictions on total future numbers of businesses starting, closing or contracting. Our plan is to make the UK the best place to start and grow a business, with a culture that supports entrepreneurship in every community and high street.

Our Small Business Plan, launched in July 2025, contains over 200 targeted actions, which will make a real difference to the day-to-day trading operations of small and medium sized businesses and give them the right support to grow and thrive.

From April 2026, we are introducing permanently lower business‑rates multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, worth nearly £900 million a year and benefiting over 750,000 premises. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the government has introduced £4.3 billion transitional support package, to protect ratepayers from large overnight increases.

We have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning around 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. The government and Ofgem are taking decisive action to inform and protect non-domestic energy consumers as well as improving access to redress when issues occur. Later this year, we will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy, to help reinvigorate our communities. These measures will provide meaningful, long-term support to rural retailers at the heart of their communities.

Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer protection law, overseen by the Competition Market Authority (CMA). The Government and the CMA are closely monitoring petrol and diesel prices in light of instability in the Middle East, and the Chancellor and Secretary of State recently met with fuel retailers to set out a clear message: unfair practices will not be tolerated.

We are also engaging regularly with refiners, importers and distributors to ensure any emerging risks are identified and managed promptly. The UK benefits from strong and diverse security of energy supplies, and there are no issues with fuel supply.

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero closely monitors live fuel stock levels to ensure we have an accurate picture of the supply situation, and current indications show that petrol station forecourts across the UK remain well stocked. We also maintain regular engagement with industry, who confirm that the road fuel supply chain is operating across the UK as normal.

The Government does not measure stock levels at individual forecourts so localised concerns will not always show on our data. However, the government continues to liaise with industry to closely monitor the situation and will act should the situation require it.

The government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which seeks to gather evidence on the role that these technologies, including renewable liquid fuels (RLFs) such as hydrotreated vegetable oil, could play in ensuring that every household has a low-carbon option that is right for them. The consultation will run until 10 February and can be found here: Exploring the role of alternative clean heating solutions - GOV.UK.

UK clean energy and related supply chain jobs are projected to rise from around 440,000 in 2023 to around 860,000 by 2030.

In April, we announced plans to train up to 18,000 skilled workers to install heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and work on heat networks through the Heat Training Grant and Warm Homes Skills Programme.

We have established the industry led Construction Skills Mission Board, tasked with developing and delivering a comprehensive industry skills led action plan. Further initiatives to support SMEs in the retrofit supply chain across the country in the Warm Homes Plan which will be published soon.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. Last year, the Government launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers.

The consultation has now closed, and a Government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed. The Government recently published a summary of responses to the consultation which set out that we government continues to believe that the current regulations aren’t sufficient and we remain minded to directly regulate this market when parliamentary time allows.

From 19 December 2024 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees can now access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards.

Government is committed to ensuring that children have the best start in life. Preventing social media companies from offering their services to under-16s will help children have a healthier relationship with technology.

We will monitor closely how these new measures work in practice and change children’s online experiences. We will use surveys, media monitoring data, justice and health statistics to understand effects on children’s attitudes, time online, and potential harms they face. Insights from parents, young people, platforms and experts will also be critical to evaluate these policies.

We will also work with Wellcome Trust, who will be funding independent nationwide studies of the impact of the social media ban on youth mental health, with research teams working with tens of thousands of teenagers across the UK.

DSIT is committed to addressing the ageing digital infrastructure across the UK public sector.

DSIT has worked closely with HMT to ensure that organisations are receiving the funding they require to modernise their infrastructure and will monitor this progress through its regular Digital Business reviews.

In addition, DSIT is undertaking discovery work to identify the most cost-effective methods for addressing outdated systems. This will be integrated into the technology modernisation action plan taking place later this year. The plan aims to better understand the public sector’s legacy landscape, leveraging AI and automation to improve data quality and processes for civil servants.

The Secretary of State and I have acted to prevent platforms hosting child sexual abuse material and material that contributes to violence against women and girls by banning AI nudification apps and requiring platforms to take down non-consensual intimate images 48 hours after they are reported. We have always been clear that there is still more to do.

Under the Online Safety Act, services must have proportionate systems and processes in place to prevent users from encountering illegal content including online harassment and threatening or coercive communications. These duties are enforced by Ofcom, which can hold companies to account where they fail to protect users.

The Act also strengthened the criminal law, including new offences for threatening and false communications , enabling law enforcement to take action against online abusers.

It is crucial every woman and girl can access trusted health information online. The government is committed to promoting trusted sources of health information. The Online Safety Act does not prevent adults or children from accessing legal content about women’s health. The largest services will also have additional duties meaning they cannot arbitrarily remove content. Users will also have access to effective complaints procedures to appeal when content is unduly taken down. DSIT will continue to engage with Ofcom and industry to ensure the Online Safety Act is being implemented as we expect.

The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill was introduced in November 2025 to increase UK defences against cyber attacks. These reforms will ensure the UK economy is better protected than ever by securing the most important essential and digital services and suppliers which businesses and public services rely on.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology produced an Impact Assessment for the introduction of the Bill that identifies the expected impact the legislation will have on regulated entities. The assessment highlights that cyber security is a critical enabler of economic growth, and it is expected that the improved security resulting from businesses adhering to the regulations will mean the benefits of adherence outweigh the cost of adherence. Further analysis will be undertaken for relevant secondary legislation to support the implementation of the Bill, and the Impact Assessment will be updated upon Royal Assent.

The government's forthcoming Modernising Corporate Reporting consultation will provide an opportunity for users of corporate reporting to comment on the effectiveness of the existing risk reporting framework which includes businesses' cyber risk reporting and the Department for Business and Trade will consider the impact on business growth of any changes to risk reporting following this consultation.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities. Physical activity is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, playing a critical role in preventing chronic diseases, supporting treatment and management of long-term conditions, and boosting general health and wellbeing, helping relieve NHS pressures through an estimated £10.5 billion in savings a year. Building movement back into people’s lives is a key part of the Health Mission shift from treatment to prevention, with the 10-Year Plan setting out the government’s plan to work across sectors to get millions moving more.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities. Physical activity is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, playing a critical role in preventing chronic diseases, supporting treatment and management of long-term conditions, and boosting general health and wellbeing, helping relieve NHS pressures through an estimated £10.5 billion in savings a year. Building movement back into people’s lives is a key part of the Health Mission shift from treatment to prevention, with the 10-Year Plan setting out the government’s plan to work across sectors to get millions moving more.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities. Physical activity is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, playing a critical role in preventing chronic diseases, supporting treatment and management of long-term conditions, and boosting general health and wellbeing, helping relieve NHS pressures through an estimated £10.5 billion in savings a year. Building movement back into people’s lives is a key part of the Health Mission shift from treatment to prevention, with the 10-Year Plan setting out the government’s plan to work across sectors to get millions moving more.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities. Physical activity is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, playing a critical role in preventing chronic diseases, supporting treatment and management of long-term conditions, and boosting general health and wellbeing, helping relieve NHS pressures through an estimated £10.5 billion in savings a year. Building movement back into people’s lives is a key part of the Health Mission shift from treatment to prevention, with the 10-Year Plan setting out the government’s plan to work across sectors to get millions moving more.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires all local authorities in England to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. Each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within their available resources.

Library service provision, including the number and location of static libraries, should take account of factors such as the rurality of the area and the availability and cost of public transport links. The statutory library provision in Somerset is delivered from 32 static libraries, as well as a mobile library service and a home library service.

The Government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27 will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

The department’s approach to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform, including funding and implementation, is set out in the SEND consultation document and its accompanying annexes which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first-html-version.

The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and we have recently consulted on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school better reflects current nutritional guidance and support children’s health, wellbeing and learning.

The new School Food Standards will be announced in September 2026 with implementation from September 2027. This will provide schools and caterers sufficient time to plan menus and adapt their supply chains so the changes can be embedded successfully. Additionally, a small number of requirements will be implemented from September 2028 for secondary schools. Over that time, we will continue to engage with schools, caterers and parents to help them prepare for the changes. We will be working with the sector to promote best practice and share different ways in which schools are meeting the new standards.

Through the department’s engagement with the sector, we have heard a clear and consistent message from teachers that the current system is not working and driving unnecessary and bureaucratic processes.

The department’s proposed reforms aim to create a more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable system that ensures all children and young people receive the support they need to thrive in education.

To drive inclusive practice across the workforce, we are investing £200 million of new funding to ensure that all teachers, educators, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

We value the hard work of teachers and educators up and down the country and we have specifically designed our new continuing professional development courses to be flexible to work around their schedules. We know that best practice already exists across the system and the new training package will help take that further.

New National Inclusion Standards will also set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches, which help educators to identify and support children and young people with additional needs.

We are also drawing on user-centred research with schools, settings, families and professionals, to design the Individual Support Plans, so that they serve to reduce workload for teachers and educators by bringing information together in one place and cutting down on duplicated recording.