Andrew Gwynne

On 24^th of April 2025, the HyNet Carbon Capture and Storage transport and storage network (Liverpool Bay CCS) which spans Northwest England and Wales, announced financial close, with a substantial pipeline of projects lining up to join the network. Along with the East Coast Cluster, these networks of green industry, backed by £21.7 billion in funding, will deliver thousands of jobs, billions of investment, and enable clean homegrown energy for years to come. Equally in 2024, the Stakehill Industrial Estate was granted £612,376 in support under the Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plan (LIDP) scheme, to develop a decarbonisation plan that includes the adoption of green technologies, energy efficiency upgrades and infrastructure solutions.

The North West has unique industrial and scientific strengths that the government is committed to continue to grow as part of our ambition to drive the development of high-potential science and technology clusters across the UK.

Between the financial years 2021/22 and 2023/24 UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) annual investment in the North West rose from £671 million to £903 million. UKRI’s investments have supported key industrial research projects in the region including the Medicine Discovery Catapult, pioneering the next generation of complex medicines through the development of cutting-edge technologies and assay.

The government is committed to protecting record levels of R&D investment, having allocated £20.4 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. This substantial funding underpins a broad spectrum of scientific research and innovation, supporting areas such as energy, life sciences, and advanced materials.

In April 2025, DSIT confirmed UKRI’s allocation for 2025-26 of £8.8bn, this will support investments in the North West across these important scientific fields including the Henry Royce Institute – the UK National Institute for advanced materials research and innovation. The hub for the institute is at The University of Manchester, with University of Liverpool also a partner.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology coordinates media literacy activity across government, aiming to embed media literacy in cross-cutting strategies.

Government is adopting a holistic approach to digital inclusion, integrating related policy on digital skills and media literacy. The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps towards delivering digital inclusion for everyone in the UK, including supporting community initiatives to boost digital skills and media literacy.

Under updated media literacy duties, Ofcom is also developing a ‘place-based’ model to embed media literacy into community digital strategies, working with the Good Things Foundation to support Digital Inclusion Hubs with media literacy.

Under the Online Safety Act, companies must remove illegal health mis- and disinformation content if they become aware of it on their services. This includes content amounting to the False Communications offence, capturing communications where the sender knows information to be false but sends it intending to cause significant harm: such as encouraging drinking bleach to cure flu. If a service is likely to be accessed by children, it will have to protect them from encountering harmful health mis- and disinformation.

The Act will also require large platforms to remove health misinformation if it’s prohibited in their terms of service.

The government is determined to ensure that children who have lost their parents live in a loving and stable home, with the opportunities they deserve.

Many orphaned children will be raised by a friend or family member through kinship care. Where this is in the child’s best interest, the local authority can secure a long term home for the child through a number of arrangements, or this can be done privately. Kinship carers often take on this role when they were least expecting to raise a family. This is why the government has announced £40 million to trial a new kinship allowance. Furthermore, the virtual school head role was expanded in September 2024 to include championing the education, attendance and attainment of children in kinship care.

Where orphaned children are unable to live with wider family networks, they may enter the care system. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a stable, loving home for all children in care. For most children, foster care is likely to be the most suitable option, as they can be supported in a family-centred environment. Our national minimum standards clarify that children in foster care deserve to be treated as any good parent would treat their own children.

The department is working across government to improve awareness and access to support for kinship carers. Through the Children’s Wellbeing and School’s Bill, we are enshrining the first definition of kinship care in law and mandating local authorities to publish their kinship local offer, increasing their accountability for ensuring kinship families are getting the information they need.

As set out in statutory guidance in October 2024, local authorities must publish the support and services local authorities should provide to kinship families in a clear, accessible way. The publication should also provide information about charities dedicated to kinship care that practitioners in children’s services, educational institutes and health services can signpost kinship carers to.

The department funds the charity Kinship to deliver over 140 peer support groups and a training package that all kinship carers across England can access. As part of their role, Kinship works with multi-agency partners to ensure that kinship carers are aware of and can access the support they need through these contracts.

Finally, the Children’s Social Care National Framework applies to those who work in and with local authority children’s social care and sets a clear expectation that ‘leaders will know and signpost to the support kinship cares and children in kinship care are eligible for’. Educational institutions and health services therefore share this duty.

All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter where they are from. However, the department knows pupil attainment varies considerably across the country. This is not acceptable, which is why the Opportunity Mission will break down barriers and the unfair link between background and success so all children can achieve and thrive.

High and rising standards are at the heart of this mission and the key to unlocking stronger outcomes and a better future for all children and young people, no matter where they live.

To deliver these improvements and reduce disparities, we have introduced new regional improvement for standards and excellence teams and launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review that is looking closely at the key challenges to attainment. We are also committed to recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers across the country.

We will support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background, where they live or their personal circumstances.

All higher education (HE) providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan approved by the Office for Students. These need to set out how HE providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups and the support that they will provide to do this. While there are many examples of interventions that show a real commitment to widening successful participation, we want the sector to go further and be even more ambitious.

​​​​All children and young people should have the opportunity to succeed. That is why, through our work to deliver the Opportunity Mission, this government will work in partnership with those inside and outside of government to break the unfair link between background and success.

High and rising standards across education are at the heart of this mission. As one of the department’s first steps for change, we are committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 expert teachers. We have also introduced new regional improvement for standards and excellence teams and launched an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review that is looking at the key challenges to attainment.

The government is also developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills, to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy across all areas of the country.

We have established Skills England to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade. It will ensure that the skills system is clear and navigable for both young people and adults, strengthening careers pathways into jobs across the economy.

The department’s recently published policy paper specified that families should receive support immediately when the child is placed, delivering on our mission to provide children with the best start in life. Regular discussions are held with other departmental ministers on these issues.

The department recently announced £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services and help regional adoption agencies to put in place support to respond more effectively to adoptive families in crisis.

The department is also ensuring that children in kinship care get the right support. This includes promoting their educational and mental health needs and supporting their carers. We are also delivering over 140 kinship peer support groups and a package of training and support for kinship carers.

The £50 million adoption and special guardianship support fund will continue to enable families to access a significant package of therapeutic support. Local areas may supplement with their own funding as needed.

Statutory guidance states that all local authorities must publish information about services for children in kinship care and how they will meet their needs. It states that children should receive the support they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. All local authorities should be clear what support services they provide.

The Government is actively considering improvements between Liverpool and Manchester, starting with options to lengthen trains in the near term, modernise the route via Warrington and the potential provision of new trains as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

As announced in the Autumn 2024 budget, we are maintaining momentum on Northern Powerhouse Rail by progressing planning and design works to support future delivery. We intend to set out more details in due course.

The Government is actively considering improvements between Liverpool and Manchester, starting with options to lengthen trains in the near term, modernise the route via Warrington and the potential provision of new trains as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

As announced in the Autumn 2024 budget, we are maintaining momentum on Northern Powerhouse Rail by progressing planning and design works to support future delivery. We intend to set out more details in due course.

The Department has made no assessment of the potential impact of the capacity and adequacy of infrastructure supporting Manchester Airport, the Port of Liverpool, and the rail connections between them on the negotiation of recent trade deals.

The Department welcomes recent investment into Manchester Airport’s terminals and the Port of Liverpool. We would welcome further infrastructure that supports connectivity between the two sites, in as far as any scheme is delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations.

The Department has no plans currently to make an assessment of the potential impact of improving infrastructure surrounding Manchester Airport and the Port of Liverpool on levels of trade through recent international trade deals and foreign direct investment in those areas.

The Department for Transport welcomes recent investment into Manchester Airport’s terminals and the Port of Liverpool.

The Government recommends that masterplans and surface access strategies are updated every five years, and we work closely with all airports, including Manchester Airport, as they develop and update their plans.

It is the responsibility of airports to work closely with local stakeholders to develop masterplans and surface access strategies to improve airport access, noting that improvements to airport surface access are generally funded by the airport themselves.

The Get Britain Working White Paper set out the biggest reforms to employment support for a generation to support our ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate and reduce regional disparities. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will shift from being a department for employment support and welfare to being a department for work. This means introducing reforms to achieve a new, locally led system of work and health support being available for those who are unemployed and economically inactive, no matter where they live.

To support this, we have asked every area in England to develop a local Get Britain Working plan. These plans will help to join up new support and enable local areas to develop a system wide approach to tackling their needs in partnership with key local stakeholders including Integrated Care Boards and Jobcentre Plus.

At a national level our policies will be assessed against our Get Britain Working outcomes which includes local variation in employment rates. DWP will provide an annual update outlining recent trends in these metrics, with the first update coming later this year.

The Government does not hold the data requested. It is a legal and ethical principle that valid consent must be obtained before starting personal care, treatment, or investigations. This reflects the rights of individuals to decide what happens to their own bodies, as consent is a fundamental principle of good healthcare and professional practice. For infants and young children not competent to give or withhold consent, consent can be given by a person with parental responsibility. By law, healthcare professionals only need one person with parental responsibility to give consent for them to provide treatment. We do, however, recognise that too many babies, children, and young people are not receiving the support and care they deserve. We know that waiting times for services are far too long and we are determined to change that. The Government is committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever, including children in care. The Government is adopting a mission-based approach and will deliver this ambition through the Health and Opportunity Missions, and through the 10-Year Plan for the National Health Service.

The core and specialist training for children living with kinship carers is the same as for all children in care. The Government does not have plans to implement specialised training at present.

The Government recognises the important role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. We are determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers have a crucial role to play. The Government knows that many children who receive care from relatives and friends need extra support in the health system. Kinship carers often take on this role at a time when they were least expecting to raise a family, and we recognise the challenges they face.

We are committed to improving care and support for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We recognise how devastating the symptoms can be, and the significant impact they can have on patients and their families.

As such, the ME/CFS final delivery plan focuses on ME/CFS only, and will not cover advice or the provision of services for related conditions, although some of the content may be applicable or relevant to other conditions that cause fatigue.

Life expectancy differs dramatically between and within communities, and people living in the most deprived areas are more likely to die earlier and spend more years in ill health than those living in the least deprived areas.

Tackling health inequalities is central to our Health Mission, which is why the Government has committed to halving the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest regions. We are taking a cross-Government mission-led approach to tackle the root causes of health inequalities, addressing the adverse social determinants of health which contribute to poorer outcomes.

Addressing healthcare inequity is a core focus of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, to ensure the National Health Service is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it. We have established 11 working groups to take forward policy development that will feed into the plan. This includes working groups focused on how care should be designed and delivered to improve healthcare equity, alongside ensuring that access to healthcare services is effective and responsive.

Life expectancy differs dramatically between and within communities, and people living in the most deprived areas are more likely to die earlier and spend more years in ill health than those living in the least deprived areas.

Tackling health inequalities is central to our Health Mission, which is why the Government has committed to halving the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest regions. We are taking a cross-Government mission-led approach to tackle the root causes of health inequalities, addressing the adverse social determinants of health which contribute to poorer outcomes.

Addressing healthcare inequity is a core focus of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, to ensure the National Health Service is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it. We have established 11 working groups to take forward policy development that will feed into the plan. This includes working groups focused on how care should be designed and delivered to improve healthcare equity, alongside ensuring that access to healthcare services is effective and responsive.

The UK Government is taking all the steps we can to ensure that recent developments do not lead to uncontrolled escalation. We encourage all to commit to effective channels of engagement to safeguard stability in the region.  Alongside international partners, the UK will continue to engage in dialogue in pursuit of long-term regional stability. The Foreign Secretary has spoken to his Indian and Pakistani counterparts to encourage all parties to take a measured approach. He has also spoken with US Secretary Rubio, French Foreign Minister Barrot and Gulf Partners to discuss the situation.

We continue to monitor the situation between India and Pakistan. The safety of British nationals is our top priority, and our staff stand ready to provide support British nationals overseas 24/7. We are keeping our travel advice under constant review. We have already issued factual updates about military action, and associated airspace closures. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice for the country they are in.

We call on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April. On 23 April, we issued a statement, together with France and Germany, calling for Israel to immediately re-start a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressed our outrage at recent strikes on humanitarian personnel, infrastructure, premises and healthcare facilities. We continue to make representations to the Government of Israel to ensure aid workers are protected and able to carry out their lifesaving work, to urgently restore deconfliction systems, and to call for full and transparent investigations and accountability for attacks on humanitarian workers.

The UK Government is taking all the steps we can to ensure that recent developments do not lead to uncontrolled escalation. We encourage India and Pakistan to commit to effective channels of engagement to safeguard stability in the region.   Alongside international partners, the UK will continue to engage in dialogue in pursuit of long-term regional stability. The Foreign Secretary is in regular dialogue with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts to encourage all parties to take a measured approach.  He is also in contact with US Secretary Rubio, French Foreign Minister Barrot and Gulf Partners to discuss the situation.

HM Government is working closely with the governments of the Falkland Islands and other affected Overseas Territories to understand the impact of the US tariffs, including facilitating access to UK Department for Business and Trade expertise. I spoke with the Chair of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly shortly after the tariffs were announced where I offered our full support. We continue to work closely with the Governments of the Overseas Territories to support their economic development.