Claire Coutinho

The Government has written to the EHRC to confirm that we will share all the submissions which met the criteria of the previous Government’s call for input on single-sex spaces guidance.

The Government has written to the EHRC to confirm that we will share all the submissions with them which met the criteria of the previous Government’s call for input on single-sex spaces guidance in due course.

The Government has written to the EHRC to confirm that we will share all the submissions with them which met the criteria of the previous Government’s call for input on single-sex spaces guidance in due course.

The submissions to the previous Government’s call for input on single-sex spaces guidance which seem to have misinterpreted the Equality Act 2010 have been sent to the EHRC, as the relevant independent regulator, for further review.

The call for input on single-sex spaces guidance asked specifically for examples of policy or guidance ‘which states that people have a legal right to access single-sex spaces and services according to their self-identified gender’.

A total of 3,272 responses (excluding spam or ‘bot’ submissions) were received. Manual review of these responses found that many did not meet the criteria outlined on the call for input gov.uk page under ‘How to respond’. Some responses contained text which was irrelevant to the request (2,160). Some responses did not contain an attachment or a link to a policy or guidance (255). Some responses provided examples that were outside the criteria (196). Some responses met the criteria but provided examples of policies or guidance duplicated by other responses (257). The final sample comprised 404 responses which met the criteria.

DSIT and DESNZ officials are currently agreeing the membership and Terms of Reference of the AI Energy Council and as part of this they are also discussing how to engage with the National Energy System Operator and Distribution Network Operators.

DSIT and DESNZ officials are currently agreeing the membership and Terms of Reference of the AI Energy Council and as part of this they are also discussing how to engage with the renewables, nuclear, and oil and gas industry.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has established the AI for Decarbonisation Virtual Centre of Excellence (ADViCE) to support the development and adoption of AI technologies for decarbonisation.[1] ADViCE has identified seven focus areas where the use of AI can contribute directly to the Clean Power Action Plan, including enabling net zero infrastructure, optimising new connections and maximising flexibility in energy networks.

[1] https://www.turing.ac.uk/research/research-projects/advice

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has contracted European Economic Research Limited to analyse the future net energy demand of AI and the National Electricity System Operator (NESO) is investigating the future power consumption of data centres. These assessments will help the Department evaluate the potential impact of AI-driven technologies on electricity demand trends.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has contracted European Economic Research Limited to analyse the future net energy demand of AI and the National Electricity System Operator (NESO) is investigating the future power consumption of data centres. These assessments will help the Department evaluate the potential impact of AI-driven technologies on energy consumption patterns and their contribution to carbon emissions trend.

The requested information is not known while this claim is in process and it is not appropriate to comment on live legal proceedings.

The UK welcomes international partnerships and students, including from China, who make a very positive impact on the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole. However, the government will always protect its national security interests, human rights and values.

There are a set of measures that protect against undue foreign interference in our universities. These range from the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, which vets students and researchers seeking to study in sensitive areas, to the provisions of the Education Act 1986, which require HE providers to uphold freedom of speech within the law for staff, students and visiting speakers. In England, all registered providers must also uphold applicable public interest governance principles to meet the regulatory requirements of the Office for Students, including principles on academic freedom and accountability, such as operating openly and with integrity.

To support the HE sector to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing the risks, the government offers practical advice through the National Protective Security Authority, the National Cyber Security Centre and the Research Collaboration and Advice Team. The department works alongside these partners and engages directly with the sector to increase their understanding of the risks and their ability to respond to them.

This government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. The department will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. We are contributing towards the government’s audit of the UK’s relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor, to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.

My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills Baroness Smith confirmed to the House of Lords on 10 October 2024 that she will meet with the Jewish academics who wrote to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education on 11 August. That meeting has now been arranged by her office.

Departmental officials and Minister Smith have met with over 40 individuals to discuss the future of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, including academics with concerns about constraints on freedom of speech and academic freedom, as well as representatives from minority groups. These meetings will inform decision making on the future of the Act.

Projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicate that the number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of these changes is likely to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector, with any displacement expected to take place over several years. This research can be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending.

The department works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them and works to provide appropriate support for pupils with special educational needs.

Where pupils’ places in private schools are being funded by local authorities because their needs can only be met in private school, for example in England, where attendance at a named private school is required by a child’s education, health and care plan, local authorities will be able to reclaim the VAT.

The government will publish a Tax Information and Impact Note setting out the impacts of the VAT changes alongside the Finance Bill.

Departmental officials and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders on the future of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023. This includes representatives of higher education providers and academics, including from the Committee for Academic Freedom, Academics for Academic Freedom and the London Universities’ Council for Academic Freedom, who jointly set up the open letter.

This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement.

Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control.

The relevant latest statistics can be found at: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (Winter Fuel Payment statistics, Great Britain, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland: winter 2022 to 2023).

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care met with five nurses from the Darlington Nursing Union last month, to hear about their concerns regarding single-sex spaces for staff in National Health Service hospitals

Since the meeting the nurses have shared correspondence setting out suggested policy on single-sex spaces for staff in the NHS. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will reply at the earliest opportunity. The Government is clear that everybody deserves to feel safe and to be treated with respect at work.

In July, the Government announced its intention to remove the Energy Profits Levy’s (EPL) 29% main investment allowance. Further details of final policy and impacts will be announced at Budget.

A key outcome of the government’s clean energy mission will be greater energy security and independence. The government will achieve a phased and responsible transition by taking a proportionate approach that ensures the oil and gas sector continues to play a role whilst contributing more towards our clean energy transition.