Alex Brewer

In November 2023, the Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita. This was under the previous government. The Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December 2025. We are aware that Capita’s current performance is having a detrimental impact on some members.

We are working urgently with Capita to resolve these issues, and to ensure that civil servants, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

We have established a cross-departmental team to work with Capita to develop and implement a recovery plan. Alongside this, Capita is increasing staffing in key areas, to increase processing times in relation to new retirements and support for members, particularly those impacted by delays.

The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). Whilst the roll out of the scheme is an operational decision for IBCA as an independent body, I fully support their commitment to moving forward as swiftly as possible and as the Minister, I stand ready to help and assist in any way I can to speed up the payments.

IBCA has paid over £96 million in compensation. In April, IBCA wrote to all those who are living with infection and registered with a support scheme and asked those who have less than 12 months to live to come forward. IBCA is now prioritising claims for those who are living with infection and registered with a support scheme and nearing the end of their lives. Going forward, IBCA has outlined that it is aiming to contact an average of 100 people to begin their claim every week. At that rate, they expect to have brought in to claim all those who are infected and registered with a support scheme this calendar year. The Government expects IBCA to begin payments to people who are affected by the end of this year.

Retail plays a vital role in communities such as North East Hampshire, supporting local jobs, access to essential goods and vibrant high streets, and we recognise the importance of sustaining this provision. Local retail provision is ultimately determined by commercial decisions of individual companies. However, through the Retail Sector Council and wider high street support, we are helping retailers adapt and continue serving communities, including areas affected by store closures.

We are delivering permanently lower business rates multipliers for over 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties, backed by a £4.3 billion support package over three years, including transitional relief to protect businesses from large bill increases following revaluation. Later this year we will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy, to help reinvigorate our communities.

DBT has no current plans to make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of the covid-19 pandemic and increases in business rates and NI contributions on SMEs.

At the Budget 2026, the Valuation Office announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.

The Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, including a support package worth £4.3 billion. We are also introducing new permanently lower tax multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year benefiting over 750,000 properties.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has no plans to make a specific assessment of the merits of private debt recovery practices for fuel transactions. However, the Government expects all firms to treat individuals in debt fairly and to act in a responsible manner. Under general commercial law, businesses may claim reasonable debt recovery costs and interest on late payments. The specific imposition of administration fees by private firms in fuel recovery is a commercial matter, though such fees must remain transparent and proportionate to the costs incurred.

The Government funds free, impartial debt advice for people struggling with problem debt. Individuals can use the MoneyHelper debt advice locator tool to find an advisor - https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/money-troubles/dealing-with-debt/debt-advice-locator

My Department conducted social value research into the most frequent users of Post Office services to inform the Green Paper on the Future of the Post Office, published last year. The research found that frequent users are more likely to be older, live in rural areas, or be less confident using digital technology.

In the Government’s response to the Green Paper, we committed to protecting access to services for these and other users by maintaining a minimum network of 11,500 Post Office branches and retaining all six geographical access criteria. This includes, for example, the requirement that 99% of the UK population live within three miles of a Post Office outlet. The Post Office network continues to meet and exceed these Government-set access criteria at a national level.

The Government is also committed to ensuring that those who need in-person banking services can continue to access essential services. To support this, the Government is commissioning an independent Review into Access to Banking Services. This Review will assess whether changes in the availability of in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment, the scale of any such detriment, and which groups are most affected, including older people.

My Department conducted social value research into the most frequent users of Post Office services to inform the Green Paper on the Future of the Post Office, published last year. The research found that frequent users are more likely to be older, live in rural areas, or be less confident using digital technology.

In the Government’s response to the Green Paper, we committed to protecting access to services for these and other users by maintaining a minimum network of 11,500 Post Office branches and retaining all six geographical access criteria. This includes, for example, the requirement that 99% of the UK population live within three miles of a Post Office outlet. The Post Office network continues to meet and exceed these Government-set access criteria at a national level.

The Government is also committed to ensuring that those who need in-person banking services can continue to access essential services. To support this, the Government is commissioning an independent Review into Access to Banking Services. This Review will assess whether changes in the availability of in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment, the scale of any such detriment, and which groups are most affected, including older people.

The Government is working closely with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is reviewing the heating oil market, including pricing. We will carefully consider the CMA’s report and recommendations to ensure a fair outcome for consumers, and we are clear that we will not tolerate unfair practices or exploitative behaviour in the market. The Government recognises the pressures that price volatility can place on rural and off‑grid households and continues to monitor prices closely. In addition, we are providing £53 million of targeted support for low‑income heating oil households.

The latest fuel poverty statistics estimate that 13.8% of rural households in England were in fuel poverty in 2025, compared with 7.2% in semi-rural areas and 9.2% in urban areas. These estimates predate impacts of the conflict in the Middle East.

In March, the Chancellor announced £53 million for low income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices, alongside a commitment to new regulation of this sector. The Government will continue to monitor the situation ahead of the winter and plan for all contingencies. Homeowners living in properties heated by oil and LPG are also eligible for £9,000 off the cost of a heat pump.

Government is aware of the issues facing some heating oil customers and is committed to ensuring they are effectively protected from future fossil fuel price spikes.

We welcome the CMA’s comprehensive examination of the heating oil industry, and we will work closely with the CMA to understand their findings and develop options to increase consumer protections in this sector.

This will include considering how regulation can give consumers more confidence.

The Government recognises there is significant potential to deploy solar across the public estate, which is why we are intensifying efforts to build renewables on public land and the built estate.

A new Cabinet Office-chaired Taskforce will bring department’s together to assess where renewables can be built and support them bringing forward viable projects.

In addition, along with Great British Energy, the Government has invested up to £255 million in solar energy installations and associated technologies on public buildings, supporting around 250 schools, over 270 NHS sites and around 15 military sites across the country.

We are closely monitoring the impact of energy prices on businesses caused by the situation in the middle east. Should there be a need, we will not hesitate to act in a targeted and timely manner as we assess the ongoing impact of this crisis on businesses, SMEs and local industries. We are increasing the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant for properties heated by oil and LPG, taking the total grant to £9,000. This will help SMEs and businesses in England and Wales most impacted by rising energy prices to electrify their heating and provide greater certainty over energy bills.

We are committed to ensuring 99% of premises receive gigabit coverage by 2032. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations reporting, as of January 2026, 84% of premises in the North East Hampshire constituency already have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection.

For the remaining premises that are not in scope of suppliers’ commercial plans, Building Digital UK (BDUK) is working with broadband suppliers to identify coverage solutions as quickly as possible. A market engagement consultation for suppliers was published on 1 June to confirm supplier interest in the remaining premises in Hampshire and other areas of south-east and central England.

Protecting children online is a priority. Through our recent consultation, we heard directly from 14,000 children, including those who are often underrepresented such as children with learning disabilities, who, according to research, encounter disproportionately more harm online.

On 15 June, the government published a progress statement announcing a ban on social media services from providing their services to under 16s. We recognise the need to support those with additional needs. The government is continuing to strengthen wider support for children, including access to youth services and enrichment activities in schools and beyond the classroom, backed by funding through the national youth strategy. Our approach will reduce serious harms while preserving safe, positive online spaces such as access to learning resources. We are also helping to connect trusted adults with young people, including funding mentoring through The King’s Trust.

Children have the strongest protections under the Online Safety Act. Its duties apply to AI-generated content in the same way as other content, requiring regulated services to tackle illegal AI content and protect children from harmful AI content on their platforms.

In March, the Government launched a consultation and National Conversation on children’s digital wellbeing, seeking views on harms (and mitigations) linked to AI chatbots and social media. This closes on 26 May.

The government is also strengthening the criminal law, through the Crime and Policing Bill we will criminalise deliberately modifying or adapting AI models to generate child sexual abuse material, and bring unregulated AI chatbot services into scope.

All 3G networks in the UK have now been switched off. EE and Vodafone switched off 3G in February 2024, Three in November 2025, and VMO2 in February 2026. Ofcom’s expectation of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) was that they would provide broadly equivalent levels of coverage after switching off 3G. As reported in its 2025 Connected Nations report, Ofcom has received very few complaints from customers about the 3G switch-off. The mobile industry has not reported to Ofcom any significant disruption.

The 3G switch-off released spectrum to be reallocated to improve the newer and more efficient 4G and 5G networks.

The MNOs have committed significant investment which aligns with the Government's ambition of all populated areas being able to access higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We continue to work with network operators to ensure this investment translates into benefits for communities right across the UK. In parallel, we are continuing work to identify and address barriers to deployment where it is practical to do so.

Government’s ambition is for populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities.

We continue to work with the mobile network operators (MNOs) to ensure that their investment benefits communities right across the UK. As part of the terms of their merger, VodafoneThree has committed to investing £11 billion to upgrade their joint networks, and BT/EE and Virgin Media O2 have similarly significant investment plans in place.

We are addressing barriers to mobile infrastructure deployment where they exist, including by launching a call for evidence on 18 December 2025 to help determine where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of digital infrastructure. We also continue to work closely with Ofcom to ensure there is sufficient spectrum available to deliver high quality wireless connectivity across the UK.

Alongside this, the Shared Rural Network, which is jointly funded by the Government and the UK’s main MNOs, continues to deliver 4G coverage in areas where there is little or no coverage currently.

This Government recognises the important role that youth work, early intervention and having a trusted adult plays in young people’s lives.

The Department has not done a specific assessment of the impact that access to youth services and after-school clubs has on levels of vandalism and antisocial behaviour among under-18s in North East Hampshire. However, DCMS research found that Local Authorities which have decreased their investment into youth saw increased incidences of bike theft, shoplifting, possession of weapon offences, and a higher proportion of young offenders who reoffend.

In December 2025, we launched Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. The majority of the funding underpinning the first steps of the Strategy will be available from next the financial year 2026/27. We will share more information as our plans develop.

As part of the strategy, DCMS has committed £70 million over the next three years to support local authorities to rebuild a high-quality offer for young people and create a network of 50 Young Futures Hubs. These hubs will meet three outcomes of increasing opportunities, improving mental health and wellbeing, and reducing crime and antisocial behaviour.

My department is committed to ensuring that our youth policies are inclusive and do not exclude any young people.

Our recent consultations with young people as part of our National Youth Strategy informed us that they wanted safe and welcoming spaces. To make sure that young people of all backgrounds can access safe spaces, we are investing £350 million to refurbish or build up to 250 youth facilities through our Better Youth Spaces programme.

We will review and update our policies wherever necessary to ensure legal compliance. We will also continue to uphold the Equality Act’s protections against unlawful discrimination and harassment.

My department has been co-producing a new National Youth Strategy with young people from all backgrounds, including those in rural areas from low socio-economic backgrounds, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential The Strategy will support better coordination of youth services across different regions, including rural areas and move away from one-size-fits-all approaches. This includes enhancing access to high-quality enrichment opportunities through an enrichment expansion programme, which will invest £22.5 million across 3 years to support up to 400 schools to provide a youth-voice led and tailored extracurricular enrichment offer.

By doing so we are providing a voice for all young people and their communities to help rebuild the youth and extra-curricular provision throughout the country.

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government.

DCMS-funded statistical analysis shows that a year after a drop in local authority expenditure on youth services, areas see increased incidences of some types of antisocial behaviour.

We are co-producing a National Youth Strategy which will set out a new long-term vision for young people, and an action plan for delivering this. We aim to publish the Strategy later this year.

The Leveson Inquiry led to the establishment of a strengthened, self-regulatory system for the press, this includes the creation of the Press Recognition Panel, by Royal Charter. There are also two press regulators, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and the Independent Monitor of the Press (Impress), while other publishers, including the Financial Times and the Guardian, have chosen to stay outside either regulator with their own detailed self-regulatory arrangements.

This self-regulatory system is important for press freedom, but with this freedom comes responsibility. Newspapers must operate ethically and within the bounds of the law. This includes ensuring that members of the public are able to raise concerns about inaccurate reporting through clear, timely and effective routes to redress. If the public wishes to raise concerns about press reporting, they can do so via the relevant regulator. These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including discrimination, accuracy, privacy, and harassment. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections.

The news and media landscape has moved on significantly since the Leveson Inquiry and we need to address the wider challenges in the digital age, including mis and disinformation. The Government’s priority is seeing an independent, thriving and plural press, where journalists are safe and able to report on stories in the public interest and that matter to communities, so that traditional news sources continue to be rated high on trust, accuracy, and impartiality.

The 15 or 30 hours must be able to be accessed free of charge to parents and there must not be any mandatory charges for parents in relation to the free hours. This does not prevent providers from offering and charging for food and other consumables, as long as these charges are not mandatory

The statutory guidance also emphasises transparency at the heart of how the entitlement should be passed on to parents, including that any additional costs should be clear on websites, contracts, and invoices.

The Parent Poll Wave 15 found just 27% of all parents identified the cost of childcare as the primary barrier to accessing their preferred childcare option. 72% of parents, with children attending formal childcare, said they had to pay for extras. Additionally, our £3.7 billion high needs capital investment between 2025 and 2030 will support the creation of new specialist places, including in the early years. Local authorities will be able to use the funding to create the right mix of places, wherever they identify gaps.

We want all families to access high-quality, affordable early education and care, as the evidence is clear that it boosts development.

The study of early education and development shows that among the 40% most disadvantaged children, starting formal early education and care before age two, and attending over 20 hours per week from ages 2 to 4, is linked to a higher likelihood of achieving a good level of development, compared with starting after 3 and for less than 10 hours. These children were more likely to meet expected attainment at key stage 1 than those attending fewer than 10 hours.

Earlier evidence from ‘Effective pre-school primary and secondary education’ found that attending pre-school increased the likelihood of obtaining five or more GCSEs grade A* to C by 8.4 percentage points on average.

The department continues to build evidence through evaluation of the entitlements expansion and new research, such as the new longitudinal study Children of the 2020s.

The reforms outlined in ‘Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform: putting children and young people first’ will give early years settings the training, evidence-based tools and expert input they need to welcome children with diverse needs into their settings and provide the right support from day one. This will include dedicated early years inclusion training within a 3-year £200 million national training package, access to expert advice through the new Experts at Hand offer, and an additional £47 million in 2026/27 through the inclusive early years fund to support the sector to become more inclusive of children with SEND

Alongside this, the department will strengthen local accountability and give parents greater confidence that their children can access the early education and childcare they are entitled to. This will include working with local authorities to strengthen their sufficiency planning for children with SEND, reviewing whether statutory requirements are clear enough and exploring how to improve data on the availability of suitable places, including for those needing specialist support. Early years children can also benefit from our £3.7 billion high needs capital investment between 2025 and 2030 to create new specialist places.

The government is providing over £500 million per financial year over the next three years through the Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) to equip schools, nurseries and colleges with more upfront funding to help them become inclusive by design. It should be invested, alongside core funding allocations, to build a strong inclusive offer for all pupils and improve outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We have now published guidance for school leaders on how to make the best use of the IMF and develop an Inclusion Strategy, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-mainstream-fund-support-for-school-leaders/developing-an-inclusion-strategy-using-the-inclusive-mainstream-fund.

This guidance explains that schools should evaluate the impact of approaches funded by the IMF in their strategy, using data to measure positive outcomes for pupils with SEND.

Over £500 million per financial year over the next three years through the Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) equips schools, nurseries and colleges, including those in North East Hampshire, with more upfront funding to become inclusive by design. We have placed conditions on the IMF to ring-fence it for this purpose and payments will be made for the 2026/27 financial year at the end of June for local authorities and the start of July for academies.

We have now published guidance for school leaders and leaders of 16-19 provision to support effective use of their IMF, alongside guidance for local authorities and those involved in managing the use of the Inclusive Early Years Fund.

Inclusion strategies, which set out how schools are utilising their allocations will invest in inclusion to build a core inclusive offer, will allow for greater accountability, help Ofsted understand how inclusion is implemented, and boost transparency for parents and local partners.