Catherine West

The Government published its draft Conversion Practices Bill on 25 June for pre-legislative scrutiny. We welcome cross-party engagement and scrutiny on all aspects of this draft legislation, including the healthcare provisions.

Our proposed Bill will criminalise abusive, harmful acts which are intended to change a person's identity. To be clear, a conversion practice would never be legitimate healthcare and healthcare providers will be within the scope of the offence if they fall below the standards reasonably expected of a person in their position.

The Government has always been clear that the proper process for the Equality Act 2010 draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations needs to be followed, which includes understanding the potential impact on duty bearers.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has undertaken an assessment of the costs on duty bearers. The Secretary of State took this assessment into account when making her decision on the Code. The cost impact assessment and equality impact assessment are available on GOV.UK.

HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals.

The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) is one of the largest in the UK, currently paying pensions to approximately 730,000 members every month. The scheme administrator processes an average of 6,000 retirements each month.

The Cabinet Office, as the Scheme Manager, holds the administrator (MyCSP) accountable for meeting contractual performance levels to ensure members are paid on time. Over the last 6 months, MyCSP achieved 100% of its key service level agreements for retirement processing. We continue to monitor performance closely and work to ensure that any errors are identified and addressed as quickly as possible.

The government has taken significant steps to improve both oversight and enforcement. A new administration contract has been awarded to Capita, which goes live on 1st December 2025. This new contract includes significantly tighter and more rigorous contractual performance indicators, enhanced service levels, reduced processing times, and a new financial penalty scale to ensure accountability and improve the member experience.

DBT is working with DSIT and the AI Economics Institute to monitor impacts on jobs and skills. This will ensure we can respond quickly, alongside investment in training and lifelong learning, to help people adapt and prepare for future jobs.

The UK has a range of measures in place to promote ethical business practices across global supply chains. In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review of the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on addressing human rights abuses, labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. The review is objective and evidence‑based, examining both existing policies and potential alternative approaches. We shall update the House when the review is complete.

The UK has a range of measures in place to promote ethical business practices across global supply chains. In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review of the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on addressing human rights abuses, labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. The review is objective and evidence‑based, examining both existing policies and potential alternative approaches. We shall update the House when the review is complete.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.

All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their workforce receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled. However, Royal Mail is an independent business, and the government has no role in its operational decisions.

Ofcom has a primary duty to secure the provision of a universal postal service, having regard to its financial sustainability and efficiency. On 10 July this year, Ofcom announced changes to the universal postal service obligation intended to have a significant positive impact on the financial sustainability of the universal service and support its continued provision.

All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled. The government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights. The government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.

The Secretary of State is responsible for determining whether to agree to the grant of consent for development of the project under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations for offshore oil and gas and will make a decision in due course.

Evidence gathered from the Government funded Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project showed that heat pumps will work well in the vast majority of homes. Moreover, modern heat pumps can increasingly be used in homes previously considered unsuitable for electrification.

The Heat Pump Ready Innovation Programme previously funded a variety of projects, including those seeking to improve the ease of heat pump deployment in homes that are ‘complex to decarbonise’.

The department has also commissioned research to collect data on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes, including the use of alternative low carbon heating solutions where they are required, and we expect to receive results from that research in early 2026.

On 29 October, we published the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan. This sets out how the UK will continue to reduce emissions in a way that lowers bills and secures good jobs, in line with the landmark 2008 Climate Change Act. This framework has been supported by Britain’s leading businesses, trade unions, and civil society organisations because it creates a stable environment for investment in clean energy.

Ofgem, as the independent regulator, is responsible for ensuring good consumer outcomes, including accurate billing by energy companies. The government committed in its manifesto to strengthen the regulator to require higher standards of performance and ensure there is automatic customer compensation for failures.

On 10 November Ofgem published plans to overhaul customer service standards, including a review of its Guaranteed Standards of Performance. These set minimum standards of performance that all suppliers must meet for specific services. If they fail to do so, they must pay £40 automatic compensation to affected consumers. In addition, the Government is consulting on reforms to the role and powers of the Energy Ombudsman to ensure that consumers have fairer, faster access to redress when things go wrong. This includes removing the barriers which prevent consumers from accessing the Ombudsman’s services, such as low levels of awareness and long waiting times.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has committed to £58.5 billion investment in R&D over the next 4 years. This includes at least £5 billion to support research talent, including early career researchers, as well as £14 billion allocated to applicant-led, curiosity-driven research in UKRI that underpins long-term scientific capability and economic growth.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is currently working with the sector to model different spending scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics (PPAN). No final spending decisions relating to STFC’s PPAN portfolio have been made. The impacts of different modelled scenarios will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.

More generally, DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its allocation decisions are informed by meaningful consultation with the scientific research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability and international standing.

On 20 January, the government announced a short, swift consultation on further measures to keep children safe online, building on the Online Safety Act. While there is consensus that more action is needed, there is not yet consensus on what form that action should take.

The consultation will be accompanied by a national conversation, putting children and parents at the heart of this issue. It will seek views on a range of measures, including what the right minimum age for children to access social media is, as well as explore a ban for children under a certain age. We will also look closely at Australia and their ban on social media for under 16s.

The government is clear that it will act quickly and robustly to deal with concerns that are being raised.

In January, the DCMS Secretary of State announced a historic £1.5 billion funding package for culture, to save more than 1000 arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England from closure. £160 million of this funding is earmarked for local museums. Many museums face financial challenges, and we take their concerns seriously: this year alone (2025/26), we have delivered £20 million through the new Museum Renewal Fund, supporting 75 museum organisations across England to keep sites open, and allocated £25.5 million towards essential infrastructure projects via the Museum Estate and Development Fund. This investment doubles the £44 million that Arts Council England invests annually in museums through their core funding programmes, including core funding for over 200 National Portfolio museum sites.

In the coming weeks, DCMS and ACE will set out how museums can apply for new funding programmes available from next financial year. As the National Development Agency for museums, ACE also provides critical support for smaller museum sites via the Museum Development Network. Museums also benefit from further support, via the VAT Refund Scheme and Exhibitions Tax Relief. DCMS-sponsored national museums receive annual funding to support their operations and for critical infrastructure works.

The Leveson Inquiry led to changes in the regulatory system of the press, which included the creation of the Press Recognition Panel, by Royal Charter and two new press regulators, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and the Independent Monitor of the Press (Impress). This is a self-regulatory system, which was established to be independent from Government and protect press freedom. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility. Publishers must operate within the bounds of the law and set and uphold high professional and ethical standards.

The news landscape has changed substantially over the past decade, and looking ahead, we want to maintain press freedom, whilst being clear the public must be protected from the harm caused by clear instances of intrusion and harassment. The Government is carefully considering next steps to determine the best route forward to ensure public trust and accountability in our evolving news media.

Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of press-related issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has previously met with families who have experienced press intrusion. She remains committed to considering the issues they have raised.

This government believes that music is an essential part of the well-rounded and enriching education every child deserves.

Music is a national curriculum subject from key stages 1 to 3, and all state-funded schools, including academies, will have a duty to teach the revised music programme of study from September 2028.

We continue to invest £76 million annually through the revenue grant funding for the Music Hubs network to improve equity of access to music education in schools, including for the 2026/27 academic year. We also continue to invest £25 million capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology.

We will establish the new National Centre for Music and Arts Education later this year to support teacher development, investing up to £13 million over three years. We will set out future funding for the Music Hub network, including to support delivery of the new national curriculum for music in all state-funded schools from September 2028.

The government’s position is that schools should remain open wherever it is safe, allowing as many pupils as possible to attend rather than applying a fixed maximum temperature for closure.

Responsible bodies must make decisions based on the suitability of their buildings and mitigations, ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils and staff. Under workplace regulations, temperatures must be reasonable, and leaders should regularly assess risks and take appropriate action during heat.

Hot weather can usually be managed through practical measures such as ventilation, hydration, timetable adjustments and modified activities.

Attendance is vital for learning, wellbeing and safeguarding, and absence can disproportionately affect disadvantaged pupils and families.

Closure decisions should therefore be made locally by school and trust leaders, with closure only in exceptional circumstances where safety cannot be maintained.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Hornsey and Friern Barnet to the answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 13129.

The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper sets out the unique and vital role local authorities play in delivery of high-quality education and opportunities for all children in their communities, including through working collaboratively with local partners to deliver responsibilities such as place planning, inclusion and safeguarding. As more schools join high-quality trusts, local authority-maintained schools will continue to play a central role in driving high and rising standards and in establishing trusts where appropriate.

The White Paper set out a move towards all schools being in a strong, high-quality trusts and sets out a new route for local authorities to establish trusts, utilising their unique capacity to build local partnerships across their communities in the best interests of all children. The department is working closely with local authorities which have expressed an interest in this proposal and will be setting out next steps shortly.

The government’s ambition is for every child and young person to receive a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative education, and that the whole curriculum reflects our modern society and diverse communities.

The science curriculum provides a broad and flexible framework that allows schools to choose how they teach topics across the key stages, and this can include the study of female scientists. We are in the process of refreshing the national curriculum, including the sciences. We will consult on the curriculum from early summer, and we will fully implement the new full national curriculum for teaching from September 2028.

Exam boards are responsible for developing qualification specifications that meet the subject content requirements set by the department and are accredited by Ofqual. While the department is responsible for decisions that relate to the scope of the subject content to be taught and assessed, exam boards are responsible for their own specifications.

The Government’s initial analysis of Extended Producer Responsibility for wastewater concluded that whilst a regime could be an effective means of raising revenue, there remained data gaps around pollutants of concern (including points of origin and pathways into the environment) that would require further investigation to develop. The Government is focused on taking immediate action to tackle the causes of pollution head on. For example, in November 2025, the Government legislated to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England. Furthermore, over the next five years over £10bn is being spent on storm overflows investment in England, improving over 2,500 storm overflows to reduce spills. Nearly £5bn is also being invested in upgrades at wastewater treatment works to remove phosphorus.

As recommended by the Independent Water Commission, the Government is considering reforms to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994 which would allow wastewater treatment standards to be strengthened. Reforms, coupled with shifting the focus towards ‘pre-pipe’ solutions, such as rainwater management and tackling sewer misuse, will help drive the improvements we want to see in wastewater management and consequently, in environmental protection.

The Government is considering a range of reforms, to fix our broken water system. Delivering better outcomes and a more sustainable approach to drainage and wastewater management is a key consideration.

Extended Producer Responsibility can be an effective means of raising the funds to tackle pollution, and the government has undertaken initial investigation of Extended Producer Responsibility for wastewater.

Whilst Extended Producer Responsibility could be an effective means of raising revenue, we want to better address the root causes of pollution head on. Shifting the focus towards ‘pre-pipe’ solutions, such as rainwater management and tackling sewer misuse. For example, in November 2025, the government legislated to ban the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England.

Additionally, over the next five years, over £10bn is being spent on storm overflows investment in England, improving over 2,500 storm overflows to reduce spills. In addition, nearly £5bn is being invested in upgrades at wastewater treatment works to remove phosphorus.

Defra funds the groundbreaking UK Food and Drink Pact, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste in supply chains. The Pact has developed the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, which helps businesses to identify and measure their surplus and waste and take steps to reduce it. Through the Pact, we have regular engagement with food businesses, including supermarkets, to better understand and overcome the barriers to tackling food waste.

Defra also supports retailers and food businesses to play a key role in making sure their products help consumers to waste less food at home. This includes through appropriate storage advice, packaging design, and how food is labelled.

The Government recognises the vital role that bus drivers play in supporting local communities and understands the importance of driver welfare, not only for the health and wellbeing of drivers themselves, but also for the safety of passengers and other road users.

The majority of bus services in England outside London are operated on a commercial basis by private companies, and operators are expected to ensure their employees have access to healthy and safe working conditions.

In addition, the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) Regulations 1981 sets out the requirements for public service vehicles, including buses, in relation to the equipment on board and vehicle specification. These regulations make clear that ‘adequate ventilation shall be provided for passengers and the driver without the necessity for opening any main window or windscreen’. Bus operators are required to ensure their fleet complies with these regulations.

Car sharing, as one area of shared mobility, is an important option available to local authorities to help people travel, cut congestion and reduce emissions alongside public transport. The Minister for Local Transport met with the shared mobility industry in November to discuss its challenges and opportunities and how Government can continue to support the sector, ensuring that the right measures are in place to support car clubs across the UK. The Department is actively considering what more can be done, including to support local authorities, and is using feedback from the ministerial meeting to inform next steps.

The Government is committed to ensuring that public transport workers feel safe and are safe at work. There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. The Department for Transport is working with industry and the British Transport Police on the railway to ensure it remains a safe environment for rail staff and passengers.

Through the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, we propose to mandate training for staff working in the bus industry, including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public, on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport. We intend to make clear that training will require a person to take steps to prevent crime or anti-social behaviour only where it is safe to do so.

The law is also clear that everyone should be protected from assault and harassment. In addition, there is a statutory aggravating factor for assaults against any public facing worker, including transport workers, which is provided by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

It is essential that staff continue to report any instances of abuse or violence to the police so it can be investigated and offenders brought to justice.

Although no assessment has been made regarding the impact of these changes on food bank use specifically, the reversal of the two child limit in Universal Credit demonstrates this Government’s relentless commitment to tackling child poverty by investing in the future of our children.

This measure is the most cost effective and quickest way of reducing child poverty over this Parliament and, by itself, will lift 450,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this Parliament. It is not right that children were punished for choices that were not their own and we are determined to lift children out of poverty regardless of the size of their family.

Our commitment to tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s plan for national renewal - delivering more security, more opportunity, and more respect for every family and every community across the UK.

We are committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. We have already taken many decisive steps to achieve this on top of removing the two child limit. This includes the expansion of free school meals and tripling our investment in breakfast clubs. We have also confirmed over £600 million for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for the next three financial years.

In addition, on 1 April 2026, we introduced a new Crisis and Resilience Fund in England. This fund aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out on 11 November 2025, we are retaking the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on state pension age. In retaking the decision, we are reviewing the 2007 report entitled Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts, Research Report No 447, alongside evidence previously considered. That work is underway but has not yet concluded.

We will update the House on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.

We continue to keep the Funeral Expenses Payment scheme under review to ensure it remains effective and sustainable within current budgetary constraints.

Entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Individuals can be affected in different ways by the same condition and so the outcome of a PIP claim depends very much on individual circumstances.

Award reviews are an important feature of PIP to ensure people receive the correct level of benefit, both for those whose needs will increase and those whose needs may decrease.

Award durations are based on an individual’s circumstances and advice received from the independent health professional who carries out the assessment. Awards can vary from nine months to an on-going award, with a light touch review at the ten-year point for those with needs which are unlikely to change.

No such assessment has been made.

An Impact Assessment was published alongside the Pathways to Work Green Paper, which can be found here.