Alex Mayer

Our supplier contract stipulates all products used should be, so far as is reasonably possible, cruelty free, and compliant with the recommendations of Cruelty Free International.

All soaps supplied comply with the relevant cosmetic regulations (Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products) which means they are not allowed to be tested on animals.

The government will uphold the Public Sector Equality Duty and ensure that all parties exercising public functions comply with its provisions. This includes ensuring effective guidance for these parties and updating it as the need arises.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this Government and ending the scourge of domestic abuse is a crucial aspect of this.

Prosecutors in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) must have regard to the Government’s statutory guidance framework for controlling or coercive behaviour (the “Framework”). The Framework is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/controlling-or-coercive-behaviour-statutory-guidance-framework.

CPS guidance on controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship explicitly refers to and expands on this Framework. When considering evidence of coercive or controlling behaviour, the guidance states that relevant behaviour can include “threatening to hurt or physically harming a family pet”. CPS guidance is available here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/controlling-or-coercive-behaviour-intimate-or-family-relationship.

CPS prosecutors can access a wide range of domestic abuse learning modules and instructor-led programmes, in which they are prompted to consult the CPS guidance above. Prosecutors also recently completed the roll out of a national course on domestic abuse, which all prosecutors who handle these cases were required to attend.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Lady’s Parliamentary Question of 16 December is attached.

Government values the historic role of market towns in the economic and social life of the United Kingdom and is focused on its plan to breathe life back into our high streets.

This means addressing anti-social behaviour and crime, stamping out late payments, empowering communities to make the most of vacant properties, strengthening the Post Office network, and reforming business rates. We are also working with the banking industry to roll out banking hubs, to ensure essential banking services are maintained for businesses and residents.

To drive further progress, we will publish a Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.

As the Minister responsible for the Government's interest in Post Office Limited, I meet regularly with the CEO and Chair of Post Office to discuss various issues related to Post Office Limited, including directly managed branches. My officials also meet regularly with Post Office and discuss a range of issues including directly-managed branches.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works with other departments and industry to proactively mitigate the risks and impacts of unplanned power outages, cyber-attacks, and severe weather events like heatwaves, through ongoing horizon-scanning, data sharing, and business engagement.

As part of the next UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), Government departments are inputting into an assessment of the resilience of the cold chain sector to rising temperatures and heatwaves. The assessment will identify cold chain vulnerabilities to heatwaves, explore adaptation responses, and develop an effective adaptation plan through to 2050. The outputs will be included in the next CCRA, to be published in 2027.

According to the Post Office, the number of DVLA photocard renewals made at Directly Managed Branches for the 2023/2024 Financial Year was 55,014.

Across the total network, the number of DVLA photocard renewals made for the same Financial Year was 525,827.

According to the Post Office, the number of Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence applications made at Directly Managed Branches for the 2023/2024 Financial Year was 15,150.

Across the total network, the number of SIA licensed applications made for the same Financial Year was 97,954.

There are currently no plans to update Ecodesign regulations for circulator pumps. We are currently aligned with EU circulator regulations; however the Government will assess all new EU regulation on a case-by-case basis and will consider aligning where we see fit.

Mandatory energy audits required under the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme provide large businesses with cost-effective ways to save energy and reduce bills. Our Business Energy Advice Service pilot in the West Midlands is also delivering subsidised energy assessments and grant funding for energy efficiency measures to SMEs in the region and we are currently considering options for support for SME decarbonisation across England.

For households, the Government offers a digital service ‘Find Ways to Save Energy in your Home’ (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency) which provides tailored recommendations for home improvements to increase energy efficiency and clean heat. This service is complimented by our Energy Efficient Home website which supports consumers with wider information on energy saving tips and further investment (including grant opportunities) for energy efficient measures.

The UK will announce a 1.5°C aligned 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution at COP29, followed by publication of the detail underpinning it - known as Information to facilitate Clarity, Transparency and Understanding (ICTU) - ahead of the February 2025 deadline. The UK's NDC is an economy-wide target, incorporating all greenhouse gas emissions and sectors, including from agriculture, waste and land-use. As a signatory of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action, the UK is committed to integrating agriculture and food systems into our NDCs, National Adaptation Plans, and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans.

The Ostend Declarations commit signatories to delivering cross-border projects in the North Seas, and set out a shared target of 300GW of offshore wind in the North Seas by 2050.

We are committed to radically increasing the deployment of offshore wind, essential to meet our net zero goals. The UK is a world leader in offshore wind, with 14.8 GW of generation capacity, the highest deployment in Europe.

We have been working closely with the North Seas partners to unlock the renewable potential of the North Seas, including offshore wind and offshore hybrid assets. Minister McCarthy will attend the North Seas Energy Cooperation Ministerial Meeting in Denmark on 24 October to advance these goals, and we are preparing for the North Sea Summit in Hamburg next June.

Building demand for low carbon products is essential for achieving net zero. Public procurement is a key lever for driving demand. At COP28 the UK declared its intention to meet international green procurement pledges for low emission steel and concrete in public construction by 2030 (link here).

Ministers are considering their options to grow demand for low carbon steel, cement and concrete, the first step of which is resolving questions such as how to measure embodied emissions in products and defining what a low carbon product is.

The Government will consult on options for answering these questions in due course.

The Government is committed to implementing all remaining provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Act 2022 as soon as possible. These measures will help deliver the benefits of advanced digital connectivity.

Most provisions have been implemented. Those remaining are complex and technical. We must ensure they are implemented carefully, to create certainty and avoid post-implementation delays. The Department has policy and legal resources dedicated to deliver these, and we will bring forward a consultation on the implementation of sections 61 to 64, including transitional provisions, as soon as possible.

Alternative methods cannot currently replicate the complexity of an intact biological system, so the use of animals remains essential both in basic and translational medical research and in preclinical testing. Currently 32% of Medical Research Council-funded research programmes involve some use of animals licensed under the ASPA (Animals Scientific Procedures Act). The manifesto committed the Government to partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing. This is a long-term goal, and it will likely take many years of scientific and technical advancement and validation to reach this point.

The Government funds research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and many programmes, including those on organoids, cell behaviour or AI, may eventually lead to the development of human-specific technologies that can replace the need for the use of animals. The Government also funds the development and dissemination of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research through the National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs). Since its launch in 2004, the NC3Rs has committed over £100 million through its research and innovation to provide new 3Rs approaches for scientists in academia and industry to use

The Government believes Digital Champions play a key role in advancing the digital connectivity agenda - and help local communities to realise the benefits advanced connectivity can bring. We strongly encourage local and combined authorities to appoint them as dedicated officers where possible.

We have set out more details on the role that Digital Champions can play within the Digital Connectivity Portal. The Portal is an extensive online resource providing best practice guidance helping local authorities to facilitate digital infrastructure deployment. It can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/digital-strategy-and-leadership#digital-champion

This Government wants all areas of the UK to benefit from good quality mobile coverage. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including Bedfordshire, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030, and to increase 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by the end of 2025 through the Shared Rural Network programme.

We are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment and competition. As part of this work, the Government intends to reform the planning system to make it easier to build and deploy digital infrastructure.

Coaches are a really important part of the tourism industry, enabling millions of people every year to go on day-trips, visit heritage sites, go to the theatre or travel around the UK, often at affordable prices. We remain committed to collaborating with stakeholders to strengthen our partnerships and promote sustainable growth within the sector.

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) is responsible for setting the UK Advertising Codes while the Advertising Standards Authority enforces them. Both are independent of the government.

Section 5 of the CAP Code contains the rules regarding advertising targeted at children. Section 8 contains rules for promotional marketing including prize draws. ASA guidance states that video and mobile game ads must be targeted appropriately if they contain elements unsuitable for children.

As part of the UK Advertising Codes, issued by the Committees for Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committees of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations of the Advertising Standards Authority, adverts must not be placed in children’s media, for instance a game mainly intended for children, and advertisers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that under-18s are excluded from their targeted marketing. There are also a range of robust rules and restrictions which apply to gambling adverts, wherever they appear, including online. As the statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain, the Gambling Commission requires all licensed operators to abide by the Advertising Codes.

We are considering the best available evidence, including on advertising, from a wide range of sources to inform decisions on how best to fulfil the manifesto commitment to reducing gambling-related harm. We will provide further updates to the House soon.

This Government recognises that sport facilities are at the beating heart of communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help clubs to get more people active and by backing these clubs, the Government will support more people participating wherever they live.

We will continue to support grassroots sport including through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme that will invest £123 million across the UK this year.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arms Length Body, Sport England - which invests an average of £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Over the last five years Bedfordshire has received over £8.8 million and Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard constituency has received over £192,000 from Sport England to support projects which facilitate participation in grassroots sport.

Additionally, Bedfordshire received £5,305,046.28 in funding across 51 facilities through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, Park Tennis Court Programme and the Swimming Pool Support Fund. Of this amount, £1,798,441 was awarded across six facilities in Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, including £1,032,533 for a new artificial grass pitch and changing pavilion at Tithe Farm Road Recreation Ground. Full breakdowns of the facilities funded through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme and through the Park Tennis Court Programme are available on gov.uk, and a breakdown of facilities funded through the Swimming Pool Support Fund is available on the Sport England website.

As I set out during the Westminster Hall debate on the Paris 2024 Olympics Team GB Legacy, which took place on 3 September, the Government is fully committed to multi-year funding for our elite sport system and enabling our athletes to excel on the world stage. This means supporting them financially to match and build on their success in Paris, helping them to deliver at LA 2028. We will set out further details at the Spending Review.

The Government also recognises that high-quality, inclusive facilities help ensure everyone has access to sport. We will continue to support grassroots sport including through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme that will invest £123 million across the UK this year.

We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England – which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and Government money. Sport England’s newly established Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.