Amanda Martin

I have been meeting regularly with energy suppliers to outline my expectations of the standard of service that they should provide, including supporting vulnerable consumers.

In August, I met with 13 suppliers – including the six largest suppliers – and encouraged them to build on the Voluntary Debt Commitment from last year and go further in supporting vulnerable customers this winter.

The Government has no plans to introduce a social energy tariff this winter. It expects energy suppliers to do everything they can to support customers who are struggling with bills, especially vulnerable customers.

This government will champion the ambitions of all children and ensure that background is not a barrier to success. In the department’s Children’s Wellbeing Bill, we will set out our plans to raise standards for all children in social care and will ensure that they are supported to thrive.

The Water (Special Measures) Bill delivers on the Government’s commitment to bring criminal charges against persistent lawbreakers.

Through the Bill, the maximum penalty for obstruction of investigations by the regulators will be strengthened to include imprisonment for up to two years in all cases, and it will be possible for cases to be heard either in the Crown Court or the Magistrates Court. In addition, the Bill will provide for potential imprisonment where the obstruction is attributable to the consent, connivance or neglect of a senior officer of the company.

The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG), bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.

The Government is working at pace to deliver these new initiatives. The Government’s spending plans will be set out at the next Spending Review.

The Government has committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. We will bring forward details of future investment at the Spending Review.

Minister Ali set out on 10 September that the Government will publish shortly additional research on the supply and demand for supported housing. We will set out our plans for supported housing in due course.