Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who is the Minister responsible for the implementation of the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Baroness Hayman of Ullock was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with responsibility for animal welfare for England.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his department has made any impact assessment on the relationship between intermittent funding cycles and the quality of retrofit delivery outcomes.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government understands the value of providing long-term certainty wherever possible to support the supply chain, local authorities, and social housing providers to invest, train, and plan accordingly.

That’s why, as part of the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, low-income grant funding will continue to be delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) as planned, honouring existing funding agreements.

We have also increased delivery windows, with the WH:LG and WH:SHF running for three years or more (2025-2028), representing the longest delivery window for these types of schemes to date, moving away from short, stop start funding cycles that previously constrained delivery.

We will say more about the evolution of low-income schemes in Spring 2026.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what guidance his Department has issued on SME participation, risk allocation and quality assurance within procurement frameworks for the Warm Homes Plan.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

DESNZ officials are currently working on detailed delivery arrangements for the Warm Homes Plan. This includes scheme design and how the implementing entities will be identified and managed for overseeing schemes, commissioning works and delivering installation activity. Identification of implementing entities and establishment of any frameworks by public authorities will be in accordance with the Procurement Act.

This includes the Government’s duty to have regard to the obstacles SMEs face when participating in procurement and to consider how these barriers can be removed or reduced. This will duly be considered during any future regulated commissioning activity.

We have established a new Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce to facilitate the transition, creation and growth of a diverse, skilled and resilient workforce for existing workers and new entrants. Through the Taskforce, we are working with trade unions and the energy and construction industry to improve job quality so that the Warm Homes Plan sectors offer good jobs which are attractive to enter and stay in, and workers benefit from fair work conditions such as good wages and job stability, as well as progress in varied and sustained careers. I also chaired a task and finish group which discussed how to unblock barriers to SMEs and local supply chains accessing additional work under the Warm Homes Plan.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding transitional funding proposals to support workforce continuity between ECO and the Warm Homes Plan.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We recognise closing ECO presents immediate challenges for the supply chain. In the Warm Homes Plan, we committed to supporting the workforce to access opportunities through £15 billion of funding and through regulations in the rented sector and for future homes, benefitting millions of households.

The government has established the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce with trade unions and industry to facilitate transition to clean energy sectors. The Taskforce will consider how to build workforce resilience to meet evolving demand, including assessing the knock-on effects of ECO4 closure. I also chaired a task and finish group which discussed how to unblock barriers to SMEs and local supply chains accessing additional work under the Warm Homes Plan.

Sight loss charity funding

Found: Debbie Abrahams (Chair); Rushanara Ali; David Baines; Lee Barron; Johanna Baxter; Mr Peter Bedford; Amanda Hack

Found: Q11 Amanda Hack: Thank you so much for coming to speak to us today, Liz.