Angus MacDonald

The Government funds the Citizens Advice Consumer Service in England and Wales, providing impartial advice on a range of consumer issues, including buying online. In Scotland, where consumer advice and advocacy are devolved, a similar service is provided by Advice Direct Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle. As of 1^st of January 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of over 73,334 publicly available charging devices (including 14,448 rapid charging devices).

The matter is devolved to the Scottish Government. In England, the Government is also delivering the £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund which supports local authorities to work with industry to significantly transform the availability of affordable public chargepoints across the country, including in rural and remote areas. At least 100,000 new public charging points are planned to be installed in England by local authorities under the fund.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) is required to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of communications network coverage for Great Britain beyond its currently provisioned minimum level of 99.25%. To enable the DCC to increase network coverage, the Department has recently consulted upon and indicated its intention to proceed with changes to the regulatory framework that will support implementation of the DCC’s Virtual Wide Area Network solution. The necessary funding for this, including in rural areas, is provided for by the energy industry, as is the case with other smart metering costs.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) does not collect data on the potential impact of levels of fuel poverty on levels of excess deaths.

The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS.

DESNZ has multiple targeted schemes delivering energy efficiency measures to low-income and fuel poor households and provides bill support to eligible low-income households through the Warm Home Discount.

Standing charges cover the costs energy suppliers take on to provide consumers with electricity, which vary by location. Ofgem’s recently published discussion paper sets out the options for how standing charges could be reduced, including by moving supplier operational costs off standing charges onto the unit rate, increasing the variety of tariffs available for consumer in the market, and in the longer term, reviewing how system costs are allocated.

My team and I are in regular contact with Ofgem to discuss a wide range of issues.

Energy suppliers are obligated under their licence conditions to install smart meters throughout Great Britain, including rural and island communities. The Department is working with energy suppliers to identify and share best practice in deploying meters in harder to reach areas, including the use of "roaming" teams of installers who are normally based elsewhere visiting communities at regular intervals.

On the energy transition more widely, Great British Energy will support local and combined authorities – as well as community energy groups – to roll out small and medium-scale renewable energy projects through the Local Power Plan.

As education is a devolved issue, the following response outlines the student finance system in England only.

Interest rates on student loans do not affect monthly repayments made by borrowers. Repayments are based on earnings above the applicable repayment threshold, not on amount borrowed or the rate of interest. As such, some borrowers will see their balance increasing at certain times despite making regular repayments to their student loan.

Student loans have very different terms and conditions to commercial loans. Unlike commercial unsecured personal loans, student loans are available to all eligible students regardless of their background or financial history. Student loans also carry significant protections for borrowers. For instance, monthly repayments are based only on earnings, and if a borrower’s income drops, so does the amount they repay. If income is below the relevant repayment threshold or a borrower is not earning, they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is written off after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower. The government is not aware of any commercial loans that offer such protections.

I have already had the pleasure of visiting airports upgrading airport security equipment and seeing the new security equipment in operation. I, and my department, continue to regularly engage with airports to ensure the implementation of the Next Generation Security Checkpoint remains on track. Where new equipment is installed, it will improve the passenger experience but most importantly improve the already high standards of security in the UK.

Trustees have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the scheme membership, and are required by law to provide members with information about how the scheme has been managed. This includes legal duties about transparency and disclosure of information. There are also clear legal requirements around a trustee or sponsoring employer’s ability to make changes to a pension scheme, including requirements that members must be properly consulted before a change is made if it will affect their benefit rights.

The Pensions Regulator has powers to investigate and take the necessary action if there is evidence these obligations are not being met.

The Pensions Regulator’s 2024 revised General Code of Practice sets out detailed requirements which all occupational pension schemes are expected to follow in order to maintain an effective system of governance.

Sir John Hayes MP (Conservative, South Holland and The Deepings) has secured a Westminster Hall general debate on the topic of ‘Compensation for women affected by changes to the State Pension age’ on Wednesday 15 January 2025.

No assessment has been made.

The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

Up-rating is based on levels of earnings growth and price inflation in the UK which has no direct relevance where the pensioner is resident overseas.

Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.

We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.

It is not possible to make direct, like for like comparisons between State Pension amounts received under the pre 2016 State Pension system and the new State Pension. Under both systems, the amount people are entitled to varies according to their National Insurance record. This is reflected in the average amounts that people receive.

Through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock, over 12 million pensioners will benefit, with many expected to see their State Pension increase by around a thousand pounds over the next five years.

We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.

The Government is committed to the Triple Lock, which means that in April 2025, the basic and new State pension will increase by the higher of the growth in average earnings, price increases or 2.5%.

Over 12 million pensioners will benefit through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock. Over the course of this parliament, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,700.

Health Services across the United Kingdom are devolved. In England, we are developing a 10-year plan to radically reform the National Health Service, and my Rt Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that there needs to be a national cancer plan, which will include brain cancer. We are currently in discussions about this plan and its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider health mission.

UK Government Ministers regularly engage with their counterparts in the Devolved Governments. No discussions have been had about a UK-wide national brain cancer strategy.

There are no current plans to implement a national strategy for neurological conditions. We have, however, announced that we are setting up a new United Kingdom-wide neuro forum, facilitating formal, biannual meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations in the UK.

The new forum will bring key stakeholders together to share learning across the UK, discuss important neurology services’ transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions that will add to both the existing programmes of work and wider health plans.

Whilst health is a devolved issue, we intend to work closely with our partners across the devolved administrations in providing support and sharing best practice, to reduce waiting lists and fix the National Health Service. Cutting waiting lists, including for gynaecology, is a key part of our Health Mission and a top priority for the Government. The Government is committed to putting patients first, which means making sure that they are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care, no matter where they are treated in the United Kingdom.

The Government is also committed to prioritising women’s health, as we build an NHS fit for the future, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. Department officials have met and continue to meet with counterparts across the four nations to share learning across a range of women’s health policy issues, including menstrual health. Together we aim to deliver faster, improved, and more equitable health outcomes for all patients across the UK, and to strengthen our collaboration in achieving these common goals.

This government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care, no matter where they are treated in the UK. Whilst health is a devolved issue, we intend to work closely with partners across the devolved governments in providing support and sharing best practice to reduce waiting lists and fix the NHS, including the configuration of appointment systems and policies relating to reducing Did Not Attends (DNAs).

Together we aim to deliver faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients across the UK, and strengthen our collaboration in achieving these common goals.

The Government has committed to tackling the childhood obesity crisis, which includes taking action on the promotion and advertising of less healthy products to children.

The Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drink products. The location promotions restrictions came into force in England in October 2022 and the volume price promotions are due to come into force in October 2025.

We have committed to implementing the advertising restrictions regulations set out in the Communications Act 2003 on less healthy food and drink products without further delay. The regulations introduce a 9pm watershed for the advertisement of less healthy food or drink products on television and a total restriction of paid-for advertising of these products online will come into force across the United Kingdom on 1 October 2025.

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) places a tax on manufacturers and importers of soft drinks with added sugar and with a total sugar content of 5 grams sugar per 100 millilitres or more. It has so far reduced the sugar content of drinks in scope of the Levy by 46% between 2015 and 2020, removing approximately 46,000 tonnes of sugar. The reductions have had equal benefit across all socio-economic groups. As well as translating to reductions in intakes in most age groups, these reductions have also been linked to the prevention of around 5000 cases of obesity in girls in the last year of primary school and reductions in children’s admissions to hospital for caries related tooth extractions.

As with all taxes, the Government keeps the SDIL under review. Decisions about the future development of taxes are made by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in line with the Government’s tax policy-making framework.