Claire Coutinho

We will publish a response to the call for input on single-sex spaces guidance, including the number of valid responses, in due course.

Positive discrimination is treatment which favours someone solely because he or she has a particular protected characteristic such as their sex or race. Positive discrimination is generally unlawful under the Equality Act 2010 and therefore guidance has not been issued.

We do not intend to issue new licences to explore new fields and will share more details on our plans in due course. We do not speculate on possible future legal costs.

The Government's mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower is a sustainable, long-term plan to protect billpayers for good. That’s because in an unstable world, the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy.

The exact impact and timetable of Great British Energy’s interventions will be determined by detailed development and design of the organisation’s functions which will follow in the coming months.

Yes. Great British Energy will own, manage, and operate clean energy projects across the country; which could include energy infrastructure. As set out in the Founding Statement, Great British Energy will have five key functions. This means the exact role of Great British Energy will vary from project to project, providing important flexibility to ensure Great British Energy works collaboratively with private companies, local authorities, and communities already operating in the energy space. To meet immediate needs, Great British Energy will initially focus on project development and investment.

Yes. Great British Energy will invest in and own clean power generation assets, which will produce clean, cheap and homegrown energy and make Britain energy secure. Great British Energy will not be simply an investment vehicle; it is a publicly-owned energy company that will take stakes in the projects it owns, manages and operates.

Great British Energy will invest in, own and operate energy projects which will produce clean, cheap and homegrown energy and make Britain energy secure.

The exact impact and timeline of Great British Energy’s interventions will be determined by detailed development and design of the organisation’s functions.

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.

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.

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).

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.