Chris Law

Prime Ministerial travel is published on gov.uk and includes both domestic and international visits. The Prime Minister’s first ever official visit as Prime Minister was to Scotland.

The Procurement Act 2023 allows contracting authorities the flexibility to include considerations such as locally and sustainably sourced building materials in contracts. Any criteria adopted must be relevant and proportionate to the contract.

We have consulted on procurement reforms to further boost domestic supply chains and create more opportunities for businesses, in particular SMEs, across the UK. We will be publishing the consultation outcome - and legislative proposals - soon.

The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister has sent a response to the Honourable Member.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th September is attached.

There are no plans to respond to the letter dated 28 April 2025.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including foreign government subsidies.

I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices as it will be for the TRA to decide whether evidentiary thresholds to initiate a trade remedies investigation are met.

The Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices and regularly engages with the natural stone sector.

We have no specific plans to introduce the specific kind of support he refers to.

We have already secured preferential access for Scotch whisky to the US market compared with other major economies and continue to have discussions on getting the best possible deal for all UK businesses and sectors.

The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel.

There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. UK citizens and businesses should be aware of the potential reputational implications of involvement in economic and financial activities in settlements, as well as possible abuses of the rights of individuals that such activity may entail. Those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice.

The Open General Import Licence is administered by the Department for Business and Trade. Officials from the Department for Business and Trade maintain regular engagement with HMRC officials to ensure the proper application of the Open General Import Licence regime. These discussions support ongoing efforts to uphold UK trade policy, legal obligations, and compliance with customs procedures.

The Government keeps the Open General Import Licence under review to ensure it aligns with UK trade and national security priorities, and our international obligations. Goods from illegal Israeli settlements are not eligible for preferential treatment under UK trade agreements. The Government’s overseas business risk guidance outlines the risks of economic activity in settlements and advises businesses to seek legal advice. The Government does not encourage or support such activity, and its guidance enables businesses to make informed decisions.

The department is currently developing policies that will help grow the market for low carbon industrial products, including green procurement and improved carbon accounting. The initial focus of these policies is steel, cement, and concrete products used in construction.

The department recently ran a technical consultation that included questions on whether other industrial sectors should be included in the scope of these policies in future. Although natural stone was not explicitly mentioned in the consultation, it would align with one of the options; to take a strategic approach to expand these policies to other sectors related to construction. The department is currently reviewing the responses to this consultation and will publish a summary and its own response in due course.

The government also recognises the role that whole life carbon assessments can play in helping developers to evaluate carbon emissions across all stages of a building or structure’s life. This approach can support decision makers to adopt materials which have a lower overall environmental impact. Whole life carbon assessments are embedded into green procurement approaches being taken by government departments, such as instituting carbon management plans.

The department would welcome engagement with any interested stakeholders from the natural stone sector.

The Deal agreed in 2021 did not include a target to support 40,000 direct and indirect supply chain jobs. This figure was an estimate of the total number of jobs which could be supported, if several commitments in the Deal are met.

Government and industry continue to make progress, working together to deliver on the commitments in this long-term Deal. Government is determined to support workers and the supply chain to build on the opportunities the transition presents, to create high quality, well-paying jobs in existing and future energy industries, with no community left behind.

The North Sea Transition Deal remains an important partnership between Government and industry, but job creation is based on many factors. Attributing direct or indirect job creation to the Deal alone is not possible and the Department does not track these figures.

The Government and industry continue to work together to deliver on the commitments in the North Sea Transition Deal. This includes actions to support workers and the supply chain to build on the opportunities the transition presents, to create high quality, well-paying jobs in existing and future energy industries, with no community left behind.

The Government does not currently have information on jobs created in platform electrification, CCUS and hydrogen between 2021-2024.

In 2024, the Government confirmed funding for 11 HAR1 projects, which are estimated to support around 760 direct jobs during construction and operation.

The £21.7 billion of funding for Track 1 announced last year is intended estimated to support up to 4,000 direct jobs and the industry as a whole will support up to 50,000 jobs as the sector develops into the 2030s

Delivering an ambitious outcome on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) is critical to ensure we can deliver towards the ambition of the Paris Agreement. The UK is committed to working together with all Parties to agree a new climate finance goal that supports the most vulnerable, encourages finance to increase from all sources and accelerates the necessary reforms of the global financial architecture. In line with this, the UK is actively engaging internationally at both Ministerial and Official levels with developed and developing countries to achieve an outcome which meets these critical objectives.

DSIT does not directly supervise the storage of data in specific UK data centres by specific companies.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales has produced guidance for charities on managing risks when working internationally, which can be found on its website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charities-how-to-manage-risks-when-working-internationally.

Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Charity Commission to discuss matters of mutual interest.

Charities in Scotland are registered with, and regulated by, the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is the registrar and regulator of charities in Northern Ireland.

Together with the Seasonal Worker Scheme Taskforce, Defra jointly funded an independent investigation into the feasibility of applying the ‘employer pays principle’ to the horticulture sector, to understand how financial risks faced by workers can be mitigated.

The Government has considered the findings of the report but has no plans to mandate implementation of the employer pays principle in the horticulture sector. Welfare protections are already in place through the licensing and inspection processes provided by the Home Office and its agencies: the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and UK Visas and Immigration.

The Home Office, in collaboration with Defra, is arranging a meeting on seasonal worker welfare issues hosted by the Minister for Farming, Daniel Zeichner, and the Minister for Migration, Seema Malhotra MP, later this month. Invitations have been sent to the Seasonal Worker Interest Group, and other interested parties, for this event, which will provide an opportunity to discuss these matters further.

Defra, Home Office, and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Ministers and their Officials regularly engage regarding a range of issues, including accommodation standards for seasonal workers.

The Government will work collaboratively on this issue, across the relevant departments, to improve the rights and protections for seasonal workers. We are exploring approaches at the national and local authority level and through engagement with the sector itself.

As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.

If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.

The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
• Cancellation figures by Maximus do not include cancellations made by the department.
• Cancellation figures only include cancellations from FAS operational service commencement date of 9 September 2024 when Maximus commenced the FAS contract.

As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.

If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.

The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
• Cancellation figures by Maximus do not include cancellations made by the department.
• Cancellation figures only include cancellations from FAS operational service commencement date of 9 September 2024 when Maximus commenced the FAS contract.

As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.

If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.

The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
• Cancellation figures by Maximus do not include cancellations made by the department.
• Cancellation figures only include cancellations from FAS operational service commencement date of 9 September 2024 when Maximus commenced the FAS contract.

The number of Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) for existing claimants undertaken in September 2025 was 3,100 and in October 2025 was 6,000.

As of 31 October 2025, approximately 100,000 existing claimants were awaiting WCAs. This total includes all existing claimants currently within the assessment suppliers’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Due to unforeseen high levels of WCAs required in late 2024, a backlog of reassessment cases built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We are working with suppliers to increase capacity for clearing this backlog, including by accelerating the recruitment of assessors. 6,000 of these referrals have already been progressed, and we expect the vast majority of the remainder to be cleared over the next six months.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.

The number of Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) for existing claimants undertaken in September 2025 was 3,100 and in October 2025 was 6,000.

As of 31 October 2025, approximately 100,000 existing claimants were awaiting WCAs. This total includes all existing claimants currently within the assessment suppliers’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Due to unforeseen high levels of WCAs required in late 2024, a backlog of reassessment cases built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We are working with suppliers to increase capacity for clearing this backlog, including by accelerating the recruitment of assessors. 6,000 of these referrals have already been progressed, and we expect the vast majority of the remainder to be cleared over the next six months.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.