Clive Lewis

As of 21 February 2025, IBCA has invited 204 people to start their compensation claim. IBCA claims managers are taking them through the process and 38 offers of compensation have been made, with a total value of £48.2 million. This information is not available for specific constituencies.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is an operationally independent body. IBCA are working with external companies to help them develop their service and reach those who are eligible. For example, external companies will be used to support IBCA in building a digital service, storing data, offering legal and financial support to those claiming.

They will also be used to plan future communication work to reach all potential claimants, and especially those who are not already registered with a support service. All of these are requirements for IBCA to deliver compensation as swiftly and compassionately as possible.

Commercial contracts are necessary to progress this work and all contracts are awarded through fair and open competition using a tendering process. The budget for IBCA’s communications activity is separate from the funding for compensation itself.

As sponsor Minister, I am committed to working with IBCA to monitor its performance and ensure compensation is delivered to everyone who is eligible as quickly as possible.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority opened the compensation scheme to a small number of people in October 2024 as part of the initial development and testing of the compensation payment service. This will increase to around 250 people by March of this year, increasing to larger numbers after that. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority is responsible for the operational delivery of the scheme, including the management of the application process.

Between 17 October and 31 December 2024, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority invited 45 people to make a claim for compensation, comprising the initial group of 20 invitees and a further group of 25 at the end of December. The Authority made the first compensation offers to 10 people with a total value of more than £13 million, and so far 4 of those offers have been paid out.

Between 17 October and 31 December 2024, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority invited 45 people to make a claim for compensation, comprising the initial group of 20 invitees and a further group of 25 at the end of December. The Authority made the first compensation offers to 10 people with a total value of more than £13 million, and so far 4 of those offers have been paid out.

The Government will shortly publish a consultation covering the endorsement of International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards. It will seek views on UK versions of the ISSB Standards, which will be known as UK Sustainability Reporting Standards. The Government will take endorsement decisions later this year, following the consultation.

The Government is clear that anyone entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. Robust enforcement action is taken against employers who do not pay their staff correctly.

HMRC enforces the minimum wage on behalf of DBT, and they investigate where they believe an employer is not paying the minimum wage. This includes considering all complaints from workers, conducting proactive enforcement activities in sectors considered high risk, and delivering educational activity to support employer compliance.

The Government does not provide any specific tax incentives for data centres. The site chosen by Blackstone for its data centre investment in Blyth, Northumberland, is in an Investment Zone tax site within the North East Investment Zone designed to support new investment in Advanced Manufacturing and Green Industries. Guidance on eligibility for tax reliefs in Investment Zone sites is available on gov.uk. His Majesty's Revenue and Customs administers National Insurance, Stamp Duty Land Tax, Enhanced Structures and Buildings Allowance, and Enhanced Capital Allowance relief, and the relevant billing authority administers relief on business rates.

Construction on Blackstone’s chosen site for its £10bn data centre investment in Blyth will be subject to securing appropriate planning permission. As part of the planning process, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) are carried out by applicants where a development is considered to have significant impacts on the environment. Whether a full EIA is required is a decision for the Local Planning Authority in the first instance.

Construction on Blackstone's chosen site for its £10bn data centre investment in Blyth will be subject to securing appropriate planning permission. As part of the planning process, applicants may be required to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) which may include an assessment of any issues around water scarcity and pollution, if it is considered that these could be impacted by the development. Whether a full EIA is required is a decision for the Local Planning Authority in the first instance.

The Department is considering a range of reforms to unlock renewable investment and pass through the benefits of cheaper renewables to consumers. This includes potential changes to support local and community energy.

The Secretary of State previously commissioned Ofgem to explore policy and regulatory barriers to local supply, including route to market challenges. We are also learning from the responses to the Call for Evidence on barriers to community energy [1], which referenced local supply issues.

The Department continues to work with Ofgem and key stakeholders to enhance our community energy offer. We will set out further detail in due course.

[1] ^{https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/barriers-to-community-energy-projects}

CCUS will be vital to this government’s commitment to create good jobs in Britain’s industrial heartlands, ensuring a just transition for the industries based in the North Sea, and accelerating towards Net Zero.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the UK’s independent advisor on climate change, has said that CCUS is a ‘necessity, not an option’ for the transition to net zero. The International Energy Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change both conclude that carbon capture can play a key role in decarbonisation.

The Government engages with a range of stakeholders during the policy development process.

CCUS will be vital to this government’s commitment to create good jobs in Britain’s industrial heartlands, ensuring a just transition for the industries based in the North Sea, and accelerating towards Net Zero.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the UK’s independent advisor on climate change, has said that CCUS is a ‘necessity, not an option’ for the transition to net zero. The International Energy Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change both conclude that carbon capture can play a key role in decarbonisation.

The Government engages with a range of stakeholders during the policy development process.

(a) Emissions from data centres that occur in the UK - either directly at their locations or at power stations from their electricity use - are included in our published UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions totals, but cannot be attributed to specific data centres.

Data centres that are part of a quoted company, large unquoted company or large limited liability partnership are required to report on their emissions in their annual reports to comply with Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) policy.

(b) Water usage and its monitoring is overseen by the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.

We’re committed to securing the economic benefits for the UK from pioneering CCUS deployment. It is expected to add around £5 billion per year to the UK economy by 2050 and the backing of these first 2 CCUS sites sends a clear signal to investors that the UK is open for business. These new carbon capture and CCUS enabled hydrogen projects will create 4,000 new jobs and help sustain important British industries. Industry have also pledged to source 50 per cent of the supply chain from domestic companies.

The Government does not routinely track individual plans for data centre developments. Water companies have no obligation to approve water for non-domestic uses, such as for data centres. Data centres may therefore be refused or restricted a supply connection if there are not sufficient water resources available. We encourage data centre developers to consider use of non-potable water, to embed water efficiency or water reuse in their design, and contact their proposed water and wastewater supplier early in the planning process to understand and plan for any potential water restrictions.

The government is committed to delivering 2030 nationwide gigabit connectivity coverage, with 86% of premises now able to access a gigabit-capable connection thanks to a pro-competition regulatory environment. As a result, there is now a thriving market of over 100 providers, including Openreach, investing over £40bn rolling out gigabit broadband all over the UK.

As part of Project Gigabit, we have announced six contracts with Openreach across the UK to provide access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection to premises that would not be connected through the commercial market.

We continue to make good progress on the delivery of Project Gigabit. According to the independent website ThinkBroadband.com, over 86% of UK premises can now access a gigabit-capable broadband connection.

At the beginning of this year, we signed four additional Project Gigabit contracts with Openreach and last month, we announced the first Project Gigabit contract in Scotland. In total, more than £2 billion of contracts have now been signed to bring fast, reliable broadband to hard-to-reach premises across the UK.

My department talks to HM Treasury about a range of matters all the time, including support for the Creative Industries and music sector

At the recent Budget, the government took a number of difficult decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the foundations on public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability.

Ministers have met with representatives from the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to discuss this issue and the department is aware of their concerns about the impacts of the increase to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

The government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that more than half of businesses (including charities) with NICs liabilities will either gain or see no change next year.

We are also expanding eligibility of the Employment Allowance by removing the £100,000 eligibility threshold, to simplify and reform employer NICs so that all eligible employers now benefit. Businesses and charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under 21s and under 25 apprentices, where eligible.

The Government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes, which give a clear explanation of the policy objective and an assessment of the impacts. The TIIN for the employer NICs changes was published on 13 November 2024.

Within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving. More than £6 billion in charitable reliefs was provided to charities, Community Amateur Sports Clubs and their donors in 2023 to 2024. The biggest individual reliefs provided are Gift Aid at £1.6 billion and business rates relief at nearly £2.4 billion.

Departments are responsible for carrying out assessments on their policy or legislation area. The Department for Education does not collect information centrally on the number or quality of assessments carried out and the extent to which children’s views and experiences have been taken into account in those assessments. This is the responsibility of individual departments and their policy teams to oversee.

Child’s Rights Impact Assessments are encouraged to be used across government to ensure new or significant changes to policy or legislation do not adversely affect children’s rights and wellbeing.

The department co-produced, with civil society experts, a Child’s Rights Impact Assessment template with guidance that has been shared with other departments. Within the template, the guidance prompts the departments to detail what steps have been taken to directly or indirectly gather the views of children and young people.

We value the voices and lived experiences of children and young people and recognise the importance of listening to how decisions made in government impact them.

High quality teaching is the within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcomes. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

The department is committed to supporting schools in driving high standards for every child and addressing workload challenges. Our productivity initiatives include the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other evidence-based technology to reduce the time teachers spend marking, planning and form filling so that their drive, energy and passion is fully focused on delivering change for children.

AI, when made safe and reliable, represents an exciting opportunity to give our schools leaders and teachers a helping hand with classroom life. The department wants our teachers and support staff to not only stay in our classrooms, but to thrive in them.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

The department will always consider the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

The department will always consider the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.

At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.

Of this £2.3 billion increase, almost £1 billion is being allocated to high needs budgets. The outstanding £1.3 billion will cover the remaining mainstream costs of the 2024 teachers’ pay award in the 2025/26 financial year, as well as an increase to the mainstream schools national funding formula, and any increases to other elements of core funding.

On 10 December 2024, the department published our written evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) to inform their recommendations for teachers’ pay in the 2025/26 academic year, which proposed a pay award of 2.8% for teachers. We expect that schools will also take into consideration the cost of support staff pay in the 2025/26 financial year. Schools will be expected to fund the 2025 teacher pay award from the additional investment provided at the Budget, alongside their existing funds. Most schools will need to supplement the new funding they receive with efficiencies in their budgets. The balance between new funding and efficiencies will vary at individual school level depending on their circumstances. It will continue to be for individual schools to decide how they spend their budgets, including on the balance between spending on teachers, support staff, including teaching assistants, and non-pay expenditure.

To support schools towards identifying efficiencies, the department is developing a suite of new productivity initiatives in partnership with the sector. This will complement the free support already available to schools, including new support to make budgets go further across technology, procurement, banking services and energy contracts. For example, we have already seen from our pilot that the 400 schools who have participated in the department’s ‘Energy for Schools’ offer will save 36% on average compared to their previous energy contracts.