Anna Gelderd

We aim to publish a Green Paper later this year which will set out several proposals for discussion on the future direction of the Post Office. As part of this work, Government will be carefully considering what customers, communities and postmasters would like to see from a modern Post Office network.

In addition to its critical minerals supply finance facility, which guarantees a commercial loan to an overseas project which has an offtake agreement in place with a UK exporter, UK Export Finance (UKEF) can support UK-based critical minerals producers in a variety of ways. These include through its Export Development Guarantee and General Export Facility if the company is an exporter, and also in certain circumstances where the producer in question supplies UK exporters.

Through these two products, UKEF can provide guarantees to commercial loans for working capital, which can be used to pay suppliers or staffing costs, invest in research and development or support bids for higher value contracts.

The Department for Business and Trade recognises the challenges that junior mining companies face when fundraising for mineral exploration projects. A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, industrial strategy ambitions, and clean energy transition. As we work through our industrial and critical mineral strategies, we will further explore funding mechanisms which will encourage UK companies to play a role in securing our supplies and capitalise on economic opportunities, as the demand for resilient and responsible sources of critical minerals grows. UK junior mining companies have already benefitted from HMG funding including grants available through the Automotive Transformation Fund.

A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, industrial strategy, and clean energy transition. We recognise the importance of recycling critical minerals and as we work with DEFRA to develop the Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action and evaluate what interventions may be needed.

The South West of England is home to significant deposits of tin, tungsten and lithium, and the new Critical Minerals Strategy, which will be published this year, will set out how we will enhance the UK’s domestic capabilities, including mining, processing and recycling. The National Wealth Fund’s recent investment of £28.6m into the South Crofty tin mine will support our endeavour to onshore more of the value chain for critical minerals.

The Government provides an annual £50m Network Subsidy funding to support the delivery of a minimum number of branches, including Liskeard and other rural & urban communities and to provide a geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria. The access criteria ensure that however the network changes, Post Office delivers essential services, including banking and cash services, across the UK via its network of 11,500 branches.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all. We have committed to work closely with banks to roll out at least 350 banking hubs, which will provide individuals and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services.

The Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature.

Through the cross-government Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme (MSPri), the Department is engaging across government and with marine users to improve its understanding of future demands and identify opportunities for greater co-location.

The Department is working with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for marine sectors, to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed as we develop future offshore wind.

The recent visit by the Secretary of State gave the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to the UK with senior levels of the Chinese government, including areas such as forests, NDCs and multilateral negotiations.

The UK and China have agreed to hold a UK-China Climate Dialogue and a UK-China Environment Dialogue later this year to accelerate action to tackle the global climate and biodiversity crises. The details of the Dialogues will be confirmed in due course. The UK remains committed to working with all international partners to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation.

As the world’s largest rainforest country, Brazil is an important partner to the UK on driving action to tackle deforestation. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero engages regularly with Brazilian counterparts. He was fortunate enough to visit the Brazilian Amazon last summer, to see how the UK has worked in partnership with Brazil to support local communities in combating climate change and securing sustainable livelihoods. Securing a sustainable future for rainforests will help to protect British citizens from climate change and to maintain secure supply chains for food and other essentials.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently, including those who are not on the gas grid. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. In February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation has now closed and the Department is evaluating the responses.

I have been clear with suppliers that they should do all they can to support their customers who are struggling with their bills. I recommend that any consumers who are struggling with their bills should contact their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice to see what support they may be able to receive.

The UK and China have agreed to hold a UK-China Climate Dialogue and a UK-China Environment Dialogue later this year to accelerate action to tackle the global climate and biodiversity crises. The details of the Dialogues will be confirmed in due course. The UK remains committed to working with all international partners to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation.

The Government is committed to the development of non-animal alternatives. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has a diverse portfolio of investments that support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ on a chip and computer modelling. They invest £10m annually to the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). UKRI also supports ‘human-specific’ research, for example a £15m call on Novel human in vitro models of disease with NC3Rs and Wellcome.

The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services, regardless of their size, must prevent all users from encountering illegal suicide content, and children from harmful suicide content. On 9 April, Ofcom launched an investigation into whether the provider of a pro-suicide forum failed to comply with its duties under the Act. This first enforcement action taken by Ofcom demonstrates that harmful suicide forums are a high priority for enforcement.

Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services, regardless of their size, must prevent all users from encountering illegal suicide content, and children from harmful suicide content. On 9 April, Ofcom launched an investigation into whether the provider of a pro-suicide forum failed to comply with its duties under the Act. This first enforcement action taken by Ofcom demonstrates that harmful suicide forums are a high priority for enforcement.

The department wants to ensure that every child and young person can achieve and thrive in education, work and life, regardless of their gender or background. Work to tackle the impacts of disadvantage is embedded throughout the Opportunity Mission. Ensuring all children, including boys, experience the best start in life is the foundation of the Mission, recognising that children’s earliest years are crucial to their health, development and future life chances.

High standards across education are the key to unlocking stronger outcomes and a better future for all children and young people. The department will drive high and rising standards in every school, delivered though excellent teaching, a high-quality curriculum and a school system which removes the barriers to learning that hold too many children back.

We are determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all our young people. One in eight 16 to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training and as the Lost Boys report highlights, the majority of these are young men. This number is too high, and we are taking the action needed to tackle it by investing in skills training and opening up access to apprenticeships.

This government’s focus on ‘Getting Britain Working’ is critical to growing the economy and aims to support young people through the new Youth Guarantee. This will ensure all young people aged 18-21 will have access to education, training or help to find a job or an apprenticeship.

Areas right across the UK are benefitting from the transition to low carbon energy. The government’s investments in the skills system are promoting education and training that creates meaningful opportunities for all, including in areas such as renewable energy for South East Cornwall.

The department funds a range of programmes that develop green skills, including:

• T Levels in construction, engineering and land management, which can lead to careers as a civil engineering technician or countryside officer, for example.

• Over 200 occupational standards that include green skills, such as civil engineer, low carbon heating technician and professional forester.

Moreover, green energy will be eligible for the first round of shortened apprenticeships that we recently announced as part of our skills reforms.

The recently created Skills England is working with partners to map out and address skills needs linked to clean energy.

Addressing local renewable energy and green skills needs are a priority set out in Local Skills Improvement Plans, including the plan covering South East Cornwall. With support from the department, local colleges are actively addressing green skills needs through various initiatives and programmes in key areas such as green construction, heat pump technologies and electric vehicles.

All education and training providers, as with other related service providers, have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities, so they are not disadvantaged compared to non-disabled students. This includes people with a learning difficulty. This duty is set out under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, which is available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20.

Local authorities are also responsible for commissioning education for young people who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan and have high needs. Cornwall Council’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) offer is developed in partnership with parents, carers and stakeholders, which includes the two colleges in Cornwall. The Together for Family’s SEND strategy sets out Cornwall Council’s considerations for post-16 young people. Schools and colleges in Cornwall help young people prepare for adulthood and there are specific programmes of education to support young people in moving on to further education, independent living, training and/or employment.

The council provides further support for young people at risk of becoming not in employment, education or training (NEET) through the Cornwall Opportunities Initiative and the Youth Engagement Project for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, aimed at disadvantaged young people, which has received £2 million from the UK government through the Shared Prosperity Fund. The latter programme works with young people aged 16 to 24, with a specific focus on 16 to 18 year-olds who are NEET or are at risk of NEET, have special educational needs, or are in other vulnerable groupings.

The government recognises the vital role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. The government’s manifesto committed to working with local government to support children in care, including through kinship arrangements. The department is considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system to deliver better outcomes for children and families, including how best to support kinship children and families.

This government is extending the delivery of over 140 peer support groups across England, which are available for all kinship carers to access, where they can come together to share stories, exchange advice and support each other. The department is also delivering a package of training and support that all kinship carers across England can access.

The government recognises the challenge that many kinship carers face in continuing to work, alongside the pressures of taking in and raising a child. We are also prioritising implementing kinship leave within the department in the next financial year, subject to pay negotiations.

From September 2024, the role of virtual school heads has been expanded to include championing the education, attendance and attainment of children in kinship care, ensuring that more children in kinship care receive the help they need to thrive at school.

The £45 million Families First for Children pathfinder and Family Network Pilot aim to make greater use of family networks by involving them in decision-making at an earlier stage and providing practical and financial support via family network support packages to help keep children safe at home.

I recently visited the fishing industry in Plymouth and was made aware of reports of an unusual abundance of octopus in the Southwest including Cornwall.

Defra understands this ‘octopus bloom’ is impacting shellfish potting fisheries and causing concern to the fishing industry in the Southwest.

Government scientists, the Marine Management Organisation and local Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities have met with Defra on the 20^th of May to discuss this phenomenon, the evidence, the impacts on the crab and lobster stocks as well as possible actions.

Further to the written statement I made on 29^th January 2025, this Government has committed to deliver an Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package, which supports the Clean Power 2030 Mission. This will support the accelerated deployment of offshore wind developments while protecting our marine habitats and ecosystems. This includes establishing a Marine Recovery Fund to deliver strategic environmental compensation for unavoidable impacts to Marine Protected Areas.

More broadly the Department is leading the cross Government marine spatial prioritisation programme. This is looking at how to take a more strategic approach to managing the increased demands on the marine space, including from future offshore wind, alongside nature’s recovery in English waters. This Government will ensure that the fishing industry is supported to adapt to the increased spatial pressures.

The Environment Agency has been allocated £1.8 million from Defra in 2025/26 to deliver its statutory duties under UK REACH.

The 10 Point Plan (10PP) for Financing Biodiversity was launched in December 2022 by the former government and preceded agreement of the comprehensive Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

This government is committed to delivering on all the KMGBF targets, including those related to the mobilisation of finance for biodiversity. Most recently at the 16^th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD CoP16) we published the Biodiversity Trends Dashboard to help track progress towards meeting nature finance targets. We expect to update this prior to UNFCCC COP30. We also secured the new Cali Fund which will help ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic information derived from nature - directly supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The UK government also co-sponsored the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB), alongside France, helping to deliver a Framework for High Integrity Biodiversity Credit Markets.

Our seventh UK national report under the CBD will provide an update on our progress in delivering the KMGBF targets. This is due by February 2026.

The UK strongly supports global efforts to protect forests, including advocating for the international commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while supporting livelihoods and economic development.

We will set out our approach to addressing deforestation in the UK’s supply chains in due course.

The Transport Charges &c. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1954 sets out that when considering applications for changes to tolls, the Minister must “have regard to the financial position and future prospects of the undertaking and shall not make any revision of charges which in his opinion would be likely to result in the undertaking receiving an annual revenue either substantially less or substantially more than adequate to meet such expenditure on the working, management and maintenance of the undertaking and such other costs, charges and expenses of the undertaking as are properly chargeable to revenue, including reasonable contributions to any reserve, contingency or other fund.”

In respect of the current application for changes to the tolls at the Tamar crossings, local businesses will have been able to make their views known during the consultation process and during the public inquiry.

This Government acknowledges that the Tamar Crossings are an important local issue. Toll management is a matter for local determination through the Tamar Joint Committee and we recognise the benefits of the recently formed Tamar 2050 Programme Stakeholder Panel which will help oversee key decisions.

It is, of course, essential that emergency vehicles are able to travel swiftly to deal with urgent incidents. The Joint Committee maintains a very close working relationship with the emergency services. Although it is not possible to offer a dedicated emergency route on the bridge, this close level of engagement helps to ensure that emergency vehicles can cross as quickly as possible.

Ferry crews are given clear guidance when managing access for emergency vehicles and their subsequent departure.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle. As of March 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 75,305 publicly available charging devices, up 32% on this time last year.

Cornwall Council have been allocated over £6m capital and resource funding through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI) Fund to increase local public chargepoints across the area. The LEVI Fund will support the installation of at least 100,000 local chargepoints across England.

We are aware that disabled EV drivers face specific barriers when using public chargepoints. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles co-sponsored the accessability standard, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) 1899, along with national disability charity Motability. The Government has been actively encouraging relevant parties to adopt its specifications, building on improvements already being made in the sector. The Government is supporting the 24-month review of the PAS, which is being led by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and concludes early in 2025.

I recognise the vital role played by carers and family members in supporting individuals with MS. Through the Green Paper we are consulting on the support needed for those who may lose any entitlements because of proposed changes to PIP daily living and what this support could look like. We will also work closely with the DHSC and others on how the health and eligible care needs of those who would lose entitlement to PIP could be met outside the benefits system.

In the Green Paper, we committed to a review of the PIP assessment which I will be leading. Through the review, we want to make sure that the PIP assessment is fit for the future. This includes considering the PIP assessment criteria – including descriptors - and how the PIP assessment can play a role in unlocking wider support to enable better health, good work, higher living standards and greater independence.

We outlined our commitment to improving the PIP assessment in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. We will take action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes recording health assessments as standard to build greater trust in the system. The aim is to create greater transparency, using recordings as a learning opportunity to consider potential improvements to the quality of the assessment process.

I will work closely with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and others, to ensure that the voices of those who go through the PIP assessment, those who support them, and those with expertise in the system are embedded in the review.

The scope and timing of the review will be developed in close collaboration with stakeholders. I have now begun the first phase of this work, inviting stakeholders with a range of experience and expertise to roundtables to consider the scope and timing. I will then publish the Terms of Reference for the review in due course.

I recognise the vital role played by carers and family members in supporting individuals with MS. Through the Green Paper we are consulting on the support needed for those who may lose any entitlements because of proposed changes to PIP daily living and what this support could look like. We will also work closely with the DHSC and others on how the health and eligible care needs of those who would lose entitlement to PIP could be met outside the benefits system.

In the Green Paper, we committed to a review of the PIP assessment which I will be leading. Through the review, we want to make sure that the PIP assessment is fit for the future. This includes considering the PIP assessment criteria – including descriptors - and how the PIP assessment can play a role in unlocking wider support to enable better health, good work, higher living standards and greater independence.

We outlined our commitment to improving the PIP assessment in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. We will take action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes recording health assessments as standard to build greater trust in the system. The aim is to create greater transparency, using recordings as a learning opportunity to consider potential improvements to the quality of the assessment process.

I will work closely with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and others, to ensure that the voices of those who go through the PIP assessment, those who support them, and those with expertise in the system are embedded in the review.

The scope and timing of the review will be developed in close collaboration with stakeholders. I have now begun the first phase of this work, inviting stakeholders with a range of experience and expertise to roundtables to consider the scope and timing. I will then publish the Terms of Reference for the review in due course.

No assessment has been made.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These impacts are uncertain at an overall England and Wales level, and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at such a granular level as individual primary medical conditions.

Changes to PIP eligibility aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years.

We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis, but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.

We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

The reforms to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility criteria will be brought forward via Primary Legislation, so that Parliament can fully consider, debate and vote on these changes.

We have and will continue to consider the potential impacts of our reforms, including through engagement with other departments. That is why, for those who are affected by the new PIP eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group. We will also work closely with the DHSC and others on how the health and eligible care needs of those who would lose entitlement to PIP could be met outside the benefits system.

We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead. We will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

The Government has set a long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate, building on our plan for growth. The Get Britain Working White Paper sets out the fundamental reforms needed to realise our ambitions, including the vision to reform Jobcentres - to a new Jobs and Careers Service to meet the needs of local labour markets, people and employers.

Across Great Britain, the new service will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. Central to the new service will be our use of technology, enabling us to reinvest time in supporting people more effectively.

We are starting a test and learn approach to develop the new service. We are currently running two large-scale tests testing reducing the frequency of engagement with customers and the mode of mandatory engagement for Universal Credit claimants that are looking for work or are in lower paid jobs. These will help us to better understand what will work best for the individual.  

Residents of Southeast Cornwall are served by Liskeard, Launceston and Devonport Job Centres who are responsible for ensuring residents of Southeast Cornwall can access the Jobcentre offer and a wide range of programmes with partner organisations.

This includes the Work Well Pilot, delivering a range of tailored work and health support, the YEP! Programme (SPF), the People Hub working with people who are unemployed or under employed with a range of training and pre-employability help and the Restart Programme.

Area specific needs are met by a range of Jobcentre and partner bespoke offers, which includes Disability Employer Advisor outreach in GP surgeries, working with refugees in Torpoint and Saltash, and the IPS programme delivering support to those with addiction and Mental Health issues.

Recent Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) have assisted residents of Southeast Cornwall into security, retail and care work.