Amanda Martin

The Secretary of State continues to follow the process stated in his letter of 12 July 2024 to AQUIND Limited and the Ministry of Defence regarding considering the MOD’s representations. The 12 July 2024 letter and further updates can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website for the AQUIND Interconnector planning application. There is no statutory deadline for determining this application.

Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.

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.

The government is committed to spreading opportunities and economic growth supported by a strong skills system.

This government has an extremely challenging fiscal inheritance. There are tough choices that need to be taken on how funding should be prioritised in order to generate opportunities for young people that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers, and the department will therefore be asking more employers to step forward and fund a significant number of level 7 apprenticeships themselves outside of the levy-funded growth and skills offer.

The department has received a wide range of representations on level 7 apprenticeships which it is currently considering. These have been received directly and via Skills England, which has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders on this matter and has shared its findings with the department.

The department recognises the importance of providing clarity as soon as possible on future funding for level 7 apprenticeships and will communicate next steps in due course.

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.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in building, maintaining and repairing flood defences, better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Around 1,000 projects will receive funding in 24/25 and 25/26.

An additional £50 million has been allocated to internal drainage boards for flood resilience in rural areas, while £60 million has been distributed to farmers affected by severe weather.

From the investment programme, £108 million is being redirected for the maintenance and repair of flood assets, including £36 million for repairs following recent storms.

The Government inherited an outdated funding formula for allocating money to proposed flood defences. The existing formula slows down the delivery of new flood schemes through a complex application process, and also neglects more innovative approaches to flood management such as nature-based approaches and sustainable drainage

A consultation will be launched in the coming months which will include a review of the existing formula to ensure that the challenges facing businesses and communities are adequately taken into account when delivering flood protection.

Additionally, in September 2024, the Government established the Floods Resilience Taskforce to improve preparedness and coordination across national, regional, and local levels.

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.

As part of our nationwide Pension Credit campaign, the Department has engaged with all councils in Great Britain, including Portsmouth City Council, via the regular LA Welfare Direct bulletins.

The LA Welfare Direct 8/2024 bulletin in August featured a ‘call to action’, asking local authorities to help promote Pension Credit during the Pension Credit Week of Action and offering them the opportunity to request our promotional materials. The latest LA Welfare Direct 12/2024 bulletin also included a reminder about the 21 December Pension Credit backdating deadline to qualify for either a Winter Fuel Payment or Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.

In response to our call to action over 160 councils across Great Britain have supported our Pension Credit campaign either on social media, or by distributing the promotional material we have provided. We know that Portsmouth City Council are one of the councils that has promoted Pension Credit on social media using our campaign messages.

The local DWP strategic relationship team have also shared the campaign promotional material directly with Portsmouth City Council and attended a recent Tackling Poverty Partnership event to help raise awareness of our campaign.

Border Force records show that crossing attempts were assessed as being ‘likely’ or ‘highly likely’ on 117 occasions between 5 July 2024 to 5 March 2025, and on 61 occasions between 5 July 2023 to 5 March 2024.

The information requested is set out in the table below:

The Project Selborne contract began on 1 April 2021 and is implementing a transformation in the way that the Royal Navy delivers its training, unlocking more opportunities for them to fulfil their potential and get better trained people to the frontline, quicker.

We keep the program made by Project Selbourne under review.

The Project Selborne contract began on 1 April 2021 and is implementing a transformation in the way that the Royal Navy delivers its training, unlocking more opportunities for them to fulfil their potential and get better trained people to the frontline, quicker.

We keep the program made by Project Selbourne under review.

High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) can be used by any local authority in England to auction the lease of persistently vacant commercial properties. 11 local authorities are Early Adopters of High Street Rental Auctions. These will be amongst the first to deliver and champion these powers, working closely with the department and helping to shape future guidance. Portsmouth City Council did not apply to become an Early Adopter but is still able to use these powers. A fund of over £1 million is available to all English local authorities to support the delivery of HSRAs.

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.