Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support disabled people with the cost of living.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In England, the Household Support Fund (HSF) is a scheme providing discretionary support towards the cost of essentials, such as food and energy to those most in need, including disabled people. The current HSF is running from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. Funding of £742 million will be provided to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

This winter, we are continuing to deliver the £150 Warm Home Discount to eligible low-income households and we expect it again to support well over three million households.

The extra costs disability benefits are a contribution to meeting the extra costs that arise from a disability or long-term health condition. The benefits can be used by the recipient according to their own needs and priorities. These benefits were not subject to the benefits freeze, were most recently uprated by 6.7 per cent from 8 April 2024 and, subject to Parliamentary approval, are due to be uprated by 1.7% from April this year. They are also tax-free and worth up to £184.30 a week, or over £9,580 a year.

The extra costs disability benefits can be paid in addition to other financial support that those with a health condition or disability may be eligible for, such as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit and can attract additional support such as premiums and additional amounts paid within the income-related benefits, access to Carer’s Allowance, the Motability scheme and the Blue Badge scheme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Personal Independence Payment application process.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Customers are currently able to register for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by telephone or in writing. Those who are eligible are then required to complete a health information questionnaire which is used to support the health assessment, undertaken by our contracted Health Professionals.

The health information form (PIP2) is generally completed and returned by post, but a proportion of customers are able to submit their information online.

We understand that the PIP application process can be challenging for some, in part due to the quantity of information that customers need to provide, but the process has been developed and improved over a number of years to be as straightforward and inclusive as possible.

For those who may find it difficult to complete the form we signpost to organisations that can help, and we can also provide more time for customers to complete and return their form if this is requested.

DWP offer bespoke services for those who find it difficult to navigate the process, for example those who are vision or hearing impaired.

To prepare customers for what they can expect when they claim PIP we also introduced a series of videos on YouTube (links below). These videos help to explain the different parts of the process including the application and the assessment.

PIP video 1 - An overview. PIP video 1 - An overview

PIP video 2 - How you can claim PIP PIP video 2 - How you can claim PIP

PIP video 3 - What you can expect at a PIP assessment PIP video 3 - What you can expect at a PIP assessment

Over the longer-term, the Health Transformation Programme is modernising the entire PIP service to improve customer experience and efficiency, building trust in our services and decisions. This year, we are expanding the availability of the digital health information gather, so that this option is available to everyone who calls to begin their claim. Once fully developed, the new service will include an option to apply and track the application wholly online.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of removing the two-child benefit cap.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce is exploring how we can harness all available levers to reduce child poverty, including social security reforms, before publishing a strategy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the bus fare cap on vulnerable people.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 1 January, the government introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London until 31 December 2025. The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the £3 cap, which replaced the £2 cap, and will ensure millions of people, including vulnerable people, can continue to access affordable bus fares and better opportunities all over the country.

If the government had not taken action, the bus fare cap would have ended and fares would have jumped back up to their previous levels on 1 January which could have meant fares soaring above £10 on the most expensive routes.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve local government support for arts and culture.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Local authorities play a vital role in supporting the arts and cultural institutions, but they operate independently of central government. Ministers have no remit to intervene in the day to day affairs and decisions of local authorities, except where specific provision has been made in legislation.

The government is already taking action via the provisional 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement to begin addressing the significant challenges facing local government. Over £4 billion in additional funding for local government services was announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, including £1.3 billion which will go through the Settlement.

The government has also provided funding to local authorities to strengthen their arts, cultural, heritage, and visitor economy provision through programmes such as the Cultural Development Fund, the Museum and Estate Development Fund, and High Streets Heritage Action Zones.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that new housing developments have adequate access to primary health services.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.

The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through Land and Infrastructure funding programmes, such as the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced on 12 December will support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure, including health infrastructure.

The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with the police to help tackle burglaries.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

We recognise the profound impact burglary can have on individuals and the wider community. For too long a culture has been allowed to develop whereby victims of burglary believe if they report what has happened, no one will come and nothing will be done. We will tackle this perception through our Safer Streets Mission and our commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing and restore confidence in policing.

This is why we have been clear that, when someone calls the police, they should come; and when a person reports a crime it should be properly investigated no matter who they are, or where they live.

We welcome the police's commitment across England and Wales to attending the scene of every home burglary, and the specific College of Policing good practice guidance on conducting residential burglary investigations; setting the standard for the entire investigation, not just initial attendance, including victim care. More information is available at: https://www.college.police.uk/guidance/residential-burglary.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to support survivors of (a) domestic abuse and (b) violence against women through the criminal justice system.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

This Government is working towards the ambition of halving violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, in the next decade.

We are committed to supporting victims of these abhorrent crimes. We have protected VAWG spending by maintaining 2024/25 ringfenced funding levels for sexual violence and domestic abuse support this year, as well as the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund and funding for Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocates.

In November, we launched Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in selected areas. These orders will improve protection for victims of domestic abuse, including non-physical abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour.

Further, we will increase the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner to improve accountability when victims’ needs are not met, and the Victims and Prisoners Act will improve awareness of, and compliance with, the Victims’ Code which supports victims of crime to understand what they can expect from the justice system. It will also require local commissioners to collaborate when commissioning support for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support the mental health and well-being of school students.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.

That is why the department has committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. We will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) continue to roll out in schools and colleges across the country. As of April 2024, MHSTs covered 44% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England. MHSTs are expected to cover at least 50% of pupils by the end of March 2025.

The department has also provided a resource hub for mental health leads signposting practical resources and tools to embed effective whole-school approaches. To further help schools identify and embed the most effective targeted support options for their setting, we also launched a targeted mental wellbeing toolkit. This practical guide and tool covers a range of evidence-based interventions.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Early Release Scheme.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

After inheriting a prison system in crisis, SDS40 was a necessary measure we were forced to take to avoid the collapse of the Criminal Justice System. Our initial operational insights suggested there was not a significant change to the use and application of recall since the implementation of the SDS change, however we will continue to monitor this. In designing the measure, we took every possible step to mitigate risk including an 8-week implementation period, clear offence exclusions, and a huge amount of collaboration with partners across the Criminal Justice System.

Following the first tranche of SDS40 releases that took place on 10 September, the Ministry of Justice and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service consulted our frontline and cross government partners on how things went. This consultation informed our preparation for the Tranche 2 releases on 22 October.

As the Lord Chancellor has previously announced, the change will be reviewed after 18 months.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Criminal Courts

We remain committed to bearing down on the outstanding caseload and delivering swifter justice for victims, but the challenge we face to do so is significant.

The Government has taken action to reduce the rate of caseload growth, through extending magistrates’ court sentencing powers to 12 months and funding 108,500 days at the Crown Court this financial year (FY24/25), the highest level since FY15/16.  To tackle the outstanding caseload in the longer term it is clear that we must go further and do things differently. The Lord Chancellor has commissioned an independent review of the criminal courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of longer-term reform, as well as reviewing the efficiency and timeliness of court processes, through charge to case completion.

Family Courts

Delays in the court process can have a significant impact on children and families - we are committed to improving timeliness and reducing the outstanding caseload.

The Family Justice Board agreed system-wide targets for reducing delay in 2024/25. These are focused on closing the longest running cases and increasing the proportion of public law cases concluded within the statutory 26-week timeframe.  Areas delivering the Pathfinder model for private law are making significant progress in addressing delays, with some of the lowest case durations nationally. To address the particular challenges in London, we are investing up to £1 million this financial year to tackle the outstanding private law caseload through providing additional capacity.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support businesses in rural areas.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. As with all places, fulfilling the needs of people and businesses in rural areas is at the heart of our policymaking.

The Government has recently announced our intention to launch a Business Growth Service (BGS), a national service with local delivery at its heart. Over time, it will bring a range of existing core services under the BGS banner, working hand in glove with local and devolved governments and the Growth Hubs network.

All businesses can access their Local Growth Hubs, which provide advice and support throughout the business journey, shaping their offer around the unique needs, whether town or country.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill on small high-street businesses.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Bill provides the Treasury with powers to make provision for two new lower multipliers for qualifying retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from 2026/27. The intention of these provisions in the Bill is to rebalance the playing field for high street businesses.

Policies and legislation concerning tax and tax administration fall outside the meaning of regulatory provisions and, therefore, are not required to be accompanied by an Impact Assessment. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025, the Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for further education.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is committed to driving economic growth and supporting opportunity for all. To help achieve these missions we announced £300 million in the 2025/26 financial year for further education (FE) at the Budget. We also announced £300 million of new capital funding for 2025/26 to support FE colleges to maintain, improve and ensure suitability of their estate.

FE funding, including its adequacy, will be considered as part of the multi-year spending review which will take place later this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of free trade agreements on farmers.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Our approach to trade deals will always consider the impacts and opportunities for those working within the agricultural sector, along with those employed within other sectors of the economy and our Growth Mission.

The independent Trade and Agriculture Commission scrutinises new FTAs and assesses whether they are consistent with the maintenance of UK levels of statutory protections in relation to animal and plant life or health, animal welfare, and the environment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support businesses to invest in skills and training.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Employers have a crucial role to play in the skills system, and the department wants all employers to invest in their workforce.

The department’s post-16 education and skills strategy will set out how we will drive up employer investment in the skills needed by their workforce. We want to start a national conversation on the role that employers, government and learners have to play in funding education and training, as part of an approach that clarifies expectations of what the right mix of funding is for the skills system. We will work with employers and others as we develop the strategy.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of rural crime.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

This Government is committed to working with the police and other partners to address the blight of rural crime to ensure the safety of those in all communities.

We are introducing tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthening neighbourhood policing, and introducing robust laws to prevent farm theft and fly-tippers.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors work closely with local police officers and officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit to tackle all types of rural crime.

The CPS provides legal guidance on Wildlife, Rural and Heritage Crime, which is available to all its prosecutors, to assist them in dealing with these cases. They also provide specialist training to ensure that its prosecutors have the expert knowledge needed to prosecute these crimes.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people who commit hate crime.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Hate crime is truly abhorrent and can have a devastating impact on victims and their communities.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes such offending very seriously.

The CPS works closely with the police to build robust cases and secure prosecutions for these offences.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve water quality in rivers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Cleaning up England’s rivers, lakes and seas is a priority for the Government. The Government has taken immediate and substantial action to address the performance of water companies who are not delivering for the environment or their customers.

For example, we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill. This includes giving Ofwat the power to ban bonuses for executives when companies fail to meet standards on environmental performance, financial resilience, customer outcomes or criminal liability, and enabling severe and automatic fines for wrongdoing. The Bill will also introduce new, statutory reporting requirements for emergency overflows and pollution incidents.

In addition, for Price Review 2024, which runs from 2025 – 2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment: £104 billion over the next five years. This gives the sector the opportunity for transformation, delivering better outcomes for customers and the environment

In October 2024, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, also launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system. This is a wide-ranging review to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on backlogs of court cases.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

I welcome the strong action already taken by the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor to bring down the outstanding caseload that this Government inherited, and measures introduced to help ensure victims have swift access to justice.

These actions include extending magistrates’ court sentencing powers to 12 months and funding additional Crown Court sitting days, taking them to the highest levels since financial year 2015/16 .

In the longer term,  the Lord Chancellor has commissioned an independent review of the criminal courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of wider reforms, as well as assessing the efficiency and timeliness of court processes.

These important issues have been discussed as part of our cross-government approach through the Safer Streets Mission Board.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support community energy projects.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recognises the role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change, Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan will also partner with and provide funding and support to community groups, Local Authorities and Mayoral Combined Authorities to develop renewable energy projects and up to 8 GW of cleaner power.

This will build on our existing support for the community energy sector; this includes the £10 million Community Energy Fund, which enables communities across England to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support farmers impacted by flooding.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra’s Environmental Land Management schemes provide payments for managing land and water in a way that reduces flood risk. The Sustainable Farming Incentive provides payments for several actions to improve soil health, including herbal leys and multi-species cover crops. Healthy soils have improved resilience to extreme weather and will recover faster from flood events. Sustainable Farming Incentive actions can also be used to slow down the flow of water within catchments, helping to mitigate wider catchment flood risk. We have also recently announced a significant expansion of the flood and drought resilience offer within Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier with new actions to store water, which can be used to protect agricultural land from flooding.

Tree planting along rivers can help slow water flow and temporarily store water as part of natural flood management. The England Woodland Creation Offer provides financial support for tree planting and incentivises woodland creation that reduces flood risk through supplementary payments.

In addition, the floods investment programme delivers a range of schemes, including natural flood management. The Government inherited an outdated funding formula for allocating money to proposed flood defences. Established in 2011, the existing formula slows down the delivery of new flood schemes through a complex application process, and neglects more innovative approaches to flood management such as natural flood management. A consultation will be launched in the coming months which will include a review of the existing formula.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help farmers prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Following confirmation of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Germany on the 10 January 2025, the Government took decisive action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU.

The UK has contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. This includes a comprehensive veterinary surveillance system to detect new and emerging disease threats. All exotic disease control and prevention measures are kept under regular review as part of the Government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of exotic disease.

Livestock keepers are reminded of the importance of maintaining strict on-farm biosecurity and reporting of all suspicions of notifiable disease promptly.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the eligibility for Winter Fuel Payment on living standards for pensioners.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Winter Fuel Payments continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.

The Government also offers an array of support with energy costs for low-income groups in the winter months. This includes direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount, and (in England & Wales) Cold Weather Payments.

The Warm Home Discount scheme provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their winter energy bill. This winter, we expect over one million pensioners to benefit under the scheme.

The Government and energy industry have also worked together to deliver a £500 million Winter Support Commitment for customers, which will help customers most in need by providing credit on bills, enhanced debt write-off schemes, and increased funding for charity partners to target hard to reach customers.

Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what further support may be available to them, as they may be able to receive support from Council Tax Reduction, or through energy support programmes (such as the Homes Upgrade Grant and Energy Company Obligation) – or through the Household Support Fund (a scheme providing discretionary support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water).

This support is all underpinned by this Government’s commitment to the Triple Lock which will see a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension and the new State Pension in April 2025. According to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to tackle fuel poverty in winter 2024-25.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

There are multiple targeted schemes in place to deliver energy efficiency measures to low income and fuel poor households. The Warm Home Discount provides £150 off bills to over 3 million low-income households.

The Government has kickstarted delivery of the Warm Homes Plan, including an initial £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes over the next 3 years. We are also reviewing the 2021 fuel poverty strategy.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support flood preparedness projects.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are investing a record £2.65 billion over two years in building, maintaining and repairing our flood and coastal defences, protecting 66,500 properties and funding around 1,000 projects. This includes £108 million we are shifting towards maintenance to shore up creaking defences.

Farmers and rural communities across the country will see their resilience to flooding improved thanks to the £50 million funding for Internal Drainage Boards. In addition, £57 million has been paid out to support 12,700 farm businesses through the Farming Recovery Fund.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help SMEs adopt digital technology.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

To support more small businesses' digitisation efforts, we announced at Budget 2024 that we would extend the work of the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce. The Taskforce is made up of industry experts and focuses on addressing the challenge of how to support SMEs to adopt and implement productivity-enhancing technologies, such as customer relationship management, accountancy, and resource planning software. We intend to publish a summary of the Taskforce's draft recommendations shortly and their full report will be published later this year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department taking to promote the sustainable development of AI capacity.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will achieve our AI ambitions by laying the foundations for growth, driving adoption and building UK capabilities. We recognise that data centres face sustainability challenges, from energy demands to water use.

Through the AI Energy Council, we will be exploring bold, clean energy solutions from next-generation renewables to small modular reactors to ensure our AI ambitions align with the UK’s net zero goals. This builds on DSIT’s contribution to make Britain a clean energy superpower by investing in relevant research on clean energy and climate change.

Additionally, we recently signed agreements on sustainability at the French AI Action Summit and joined the Coalition for Sustainable AI.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that workforce skills adapt to the role of AI in the economy.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Lifelong learning and adaptability are key to ensuring everyone can prosper in an increasingly technology-driven world. The AI Opportunities Action Plan outlines the steps the UK will take to build a strong, diverse talent pipeline, realising AI benefits across the economy.

Working with DSIT and the Industrial Strategy Council, Skills England will bring together businesses, training partners, and unions with national and local government to assess the country’s skills need – including AI and digital skills – and map pathways to fill them.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that smaller platforms are adequately regulated to protect children from online harms.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Government’s priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023 so that children can benefit from its wide-reaching protections. The Act’s illegal content duties and, where relevant, child safety duties, will apply to services of all sizes.

All companies in scope of the Act, regardless of their size, will have duties to prevent users from encountering illegal content and activity. Additionally, all services which are likely to be accessed by children are required to protect children from harmful content. This includes content such as pornography, or content that promote, encourages or provides instructions for self-harm, eating disorders or suicide.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase railway capacity.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The department requires its operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand. These should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer. Timetables are kept under review and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand.

Individual infrastructure enhancement schemes that may increase capacity will be assessed on their alignment with Government Missions and Transport Priorities, the strength of their business case, and their affordability.

Great British Railways will provide the opportunity to take joined up, whole system decisions that make the best use of the network for passengers and taxpayers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support community pharmacies.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, as an easily accessible front door to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.

The Government is committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists. To support these private contractors, NHS England is providing fully funded national training opportunities to help them deliver quality NHS services.

We have now recommenced our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding funding arrangements for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to improve access to mental health services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.

Nationally, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.

Safety regulations for large-scale battery storage facilities

Wheelchair services provided by AJM Healthcare

National Apprenticeships Week 2025

US proposals for Gaza

Women's health hubs

Maternity care in the UK

Independent parking regulator

Publication of fuel court prices

Sale of caged hens’ eggs

Interstitial Lung Disease

Housing

International Human Rights Day

World Cancer Day and Leukaemia UK’s Take Action, Save Lives report

Wassailing in Somerset

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Simon Hoare (Chair); Richard Baker; Markus Campbell- Savours; Charlotte Cane

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Simon Hoare (Chair); Richard Baker; Markus Campbell- Savours; Charlotte Cane

Found: 11 February 2025 Withdrawn after debate_NC3 Marie Goldman Pippa Heylings Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane

Found: 6 February 2025 Withdrawn after debate_NC3 Marie Goldman Pippa Heylings Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane

Found: _NC3 Marie Goldman Pippa Heylings Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane Tom Gordon Mike Martin Liz

Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Thursday 6 February 2025 6 _NC3 Marie Goldman Pippa Heylings Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane

Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Wednesday 5 February 2025 6 _NC3 Marie Goldman Pippa Heylings Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane

Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Tuesday 4 February 2025 _NC3 Marie Goldman Pippa Heylings Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane

Found: _NC3 Marie Goldman Pippa Heylings Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane Tom Gordon Mike Martin Liz

Found: _NC3 Marie Goldman Pippa Heylings Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane Tom Gordon Mike Martin Liz

Submit Evidence (by 14 Apr 2025)

Over the course of this Parliament, we will have an ongoing focus on the Civil Service that the UK needs and how we get it. We will be pursuing this through a series of targeted inquiries. The first of these of these inquiries is into Mission Government. The Government has announced a series of five “missions” on which policy will be focussed. This focus on missions will, it claims, enable government to operate in a less siloed and more long-term manner.