Daisy Cooper

Both the UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their arrangements for Third Country Nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the Schengen Borders Code allows for Third Country Nationals to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling to the EU.  The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

The UK government partnered with the newspaper industry to launch the “All in, all Together” Covid-19 advertising campaign. The purpose of the partnership was to amplify public information on critical coronavirus messaging to ensure it reached all communities while also delivering demonstrable value for money. The partnership comprised over 600 titles, to ensure messaging is reaching communities throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and includes over 25 multicultural titles. We only hold information about the press partnership as a whole; it is not broken down by publisher, campaign or newspaper.

Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on public information campaigns, on a rolling monthly basis on gov.uk.

The UK government partnered with the newspaper industry to launch the “All in, all Together” Covid-19 advertising campaign. The purpose of the partnership was to amplify public information on critical coronavirus messaging to ensure it reached all communities while also delivering demonstrable value for money. The partnership comprised over 600 titles, to ensure messaging is reaching communities throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and includes over 25 multicultural titles. We only hold information about the press partnership as a whole; it is not broken down by publisher, campaign or newspaper.

Cabinet Office publishes expenditure, including on public information campaigns, on a rolling monthly basis on gov.uk.

The list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries as of September 2024 is published on gov.uk and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-parliamentary-private-secretaries-pps-september-2024

The Government takes reports of complaints very seriously. Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.

Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Ofgem did not find any evidence to suggest that Drax had been issued with subsidies incorrectly. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.

To encourage innovation and competition, the Smart Export Guarantee is a market-led mechanism in which energy suppliers, rather than the government, set both the tariff levels and structure. The scheme’s success should therefore be gauged by the diversity and creativity of the offerings. To date there is a good range of offers for both residential and commercial exporters which is evident in Ofgem’s latest SEG annual report (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/smart-export-guarantee-seg/smart-export-guarantee-seg-contacts-guidance-and-resources). This demonstrates the scheme’s growth in terms of tariff variety, innovation, and prices. We will continue to keep this under review.

No decision has been taken on whether transitional support arrangements should be introduced for biomass generators when their current arrangements end. The Government will consider a range of factors, including a robust assessment of potential value for money for consumers, to inform its decision. This will be subject to appropriate Parliamentary engagement.

Both rooftop solar and batteries are important for getting to net zero. Households and businesses with solar panels can benefit through significantly reduced electricity bills. They can also export the excess energy they generate to the grid via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). This is a market led mechanism where electricity supply companies set their own export tariffs. As the SEG is market led, those with solar panels can shop around for the best prices.

National guidelines for concussion in grassroots sport were developed by international experts on concussion and acquired brain injury to better identify, manage and prevent the issue. We continue to encourage National Governing Bodies to adapt the guidance to their own sport where appropriate.

The concussion guidelines’ impact is in the process of being evaluated by the Department for Health and Social Care, with DCMS involvement, and the evaluation is expected to be published in 2025.

The Government will continue to discuss athlete safety with relevant stakeholders and the sports sector in the coming months to ensure that everyone can take part in sport as safely as possible.

Public notices are important for ensuring that the public is kept informed of decisions made by their council which may affect their quality of life, local services or amenities, or their property. The independent 2019 Cairncross Review into sustainable journalism found that public notices are also an important source of revenue for local newspapers. However, the Government is aware of feedback from some sectors about the audience reach of these notices and the desire for greater digitalisation. In this context, the sector’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, intended to take advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and provide a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We are monitoring the progress of the Portal, and the effect that it has on the audience reach of public notices.

The Government will respond to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on Grassroots music venues as soon as we can in the autumn, including its recommendation on a fan-led review of live and electronic music. As part of our commitment to putting fans at the heart of our policy on music, we will launch a consultation on the secondary ticket market in the autumn alongside a call for evidence on dynamic pricing.

Engaging in sports and physical activities, both within and outside the school environment, is crucial for a child’s wellbeing and personal development. There are various resources already available to assist schools and sports clubs in assessing and mitigating any risks associated with these activities.

The department’s guidance, ‘Health and safety: responsibilities and duties for schools’, supports schools in evaluating the risks associated with their activities. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-advice-for-schools/responsibilities-and-duties-for-schools. It signposts to the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on promoting a balanced approach to children’s play and leisure.

Additionally, health and safety advice is available from the Association of Physical Education and the National Governing Bodies of individual sports, who are responsible for the regulation of their sports, and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) continues to encourage National Governing Bodies to adapt the concussion guidance to their own sport where appropriate.

Furthermore, on 24 November 2024, DCMS updated the 'Concussion Guidelines for Non-Elite (Grassroots) Sport’. These UK-wide guidelines aim to help players, coaches, parents, teachers, school staff, National Governing Bodies, and sports administrators effectively identify and manage brain injuries.

The department and DCMS have been collaboratively disseminating the guidance to schools through various channels such a sector email and a school stakeholder bulletin.

This guidance can be accessed here: uk-concussion-guidelines-for-grassroots-non-elite-sport---november-2024-update-061124084139.pdf.

Engaging in sports and physical activities, both within and outside the school environment, is crucial for a child’s wellbeing and personal development. There are various resources already available to assist schools and sports clubs in assessing and mitigating any risks associated with these activities.

The department’s guidance, ‘Health and safety: responsibilities and duties for schools’, supports schools in evaluating the risks associated with their activities. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-advice-for-schools/responsibilities-and-duties-for-schools. It signposts to the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on promoting a balanced approach to children’s play and leisure.

Additionally, health and safety advice is available from the Association of Physical Education and the National Governing Bodies of individual sports, who are responsible for the regulation of their sports, and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) continues to encourage National Governing Bodies to adapt the concussion guidance to their own sport where appropriate.

Furthermore, on 24 November 2024, DCMS updated the 'Concussion Guidelines for Non-Elite (Grassroots) Sport’. These UK-wide guidelines aim to help players, coaches, parents, teachers, school staff, National Governing Bodies, and sports administrators effectively identify and manage brain injuries.

The department and DCMS have been collaboratively disseminating the guidance to schools through various channels such a sector email and a school stakeholder bulletin.

This guidance can be accessed here: uk-concussion-guidelines-for-grassroots-non-elite-sport---november-2024-update-061124084139.pdf.

This government is committed to spreading opportunities and economic growth supported by a strong skills system.

This government has an extremely challenging fiscal inheritance. There are tough choices that need to be taken on how funding should be prioritised in order to generate opportunities for young people that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers. The department will therefore be asking more employers to step forward and fund a significant number of level 7 apprenticeships themselves outside of the levy-funded growth and skills offer.

The department is taking advice from Skills England, who engaged with employers on funding for level 7 apprenticeships over the autumn, and the department expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships shortly.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has had no recent representations from Hertfordshire County Council on levels of demand for in-year state school places. The department has offered a routine meeting with the local authority to discuss in-year admissions, which we expect to take place in the New Year.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected local arrangements for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in Hertfordshire in July 2023 and found widespread and/or systemic failings. Area SEND inspection reports are published on Ofsted’s website and the department publishes formal intervention decisions on GOV.UK. Local area partnerships are expected to publish their SEND strategic plan and their local offer, including on the local authority website. However, internal working documents such as post-stocktake reports are not routinely published. This is to allow the necessary space for frank and open discussions that maximise the opportunity for the local area to improve. For example, stocktake reports can include personal reports from children and families about their experiences of the SEND system, which are shared in confidence.

The department continues to provide support and challenge to the Hertfordshire local area partnership by monitoring progress against its priority action plan and improvement plan, and by providing advice and guidance via a SEND expert advisor.

A full regulatory impact assessment, including consideration of costs and benefits, would be prepared as part of any implementation of Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

No such assessment is available at this stage.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. The Government continues to work closely with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to understand the steps that can be taken to ensure people with allergies have access to clear and accurate information.

There are a large number of potential food ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction to sensitised people. The current 14 regulated allergens are recognised as being the most common and potent allergens of public health concern across Europe.

The FSA is aware that pea protein allergy is an emerging area of concern and there are reports of adverse reactions to peas in the scientific literature. However, evidence on this is currently limited. The FSA is currently working with the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and other stakeholders on gathering information on hidden and emerging food allergens which will help in assessing the need for further research and work in this area. The FSA continues to monitor the situation closely but has no current plans to amend the 14 allergens list.

The FSA continues to work to make it easier for people with food hypersensitivities (allergies, intolerances, and coeliac disease) to have access to clear and accurate information which is a fundamental part of their work. Its research can be found  here.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. The Government continues to work closely with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to understand the steps that can be taken to ensure people with allergies have access to clear and accurate information.

There are a large number of potential food ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction to sensitised people. The current 14 regulated allergens are recognised as being the most common and potent allergens of public health concern across Europe.

The FSA is aware that pea protein allergy is an emerging area of concern and there are reports of adverse reactions to peas in the scientific literature. However, evidence on this is currently limited. The FSA is currently working with the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and other stakeholders on gathering information on hidden and emerging food allergens which will help in assessing the need for further research and work in this area. The FSA continues to monitor the situation closely but has no current plans to amend the 14 allergens list.

The FSA continues to work to make it easier for people with food hypersensitivities (allergies, intolerances, and coeliac disease) to have access to clear and accurate information which is a fundamental part of their work. Its research can be found  here.

The Government is working together with the devolved governments to understand the issue, with a view to legislate to ban wet wipes containing plastic across the UK.

Correspondence MC2024/01885 is undergoing clearance processes and will be issued shortly. MC2024/01885 was one of a very large number of correspondences on this topic received by the department which contributed to delays in responses. Following dissolution of Parliament on 30 May, this case was closed and has been reopened following the election.

The Department for Transport conducted roadside trials of noise camera technology between October 2022 and February 2023. Reports of these trials, including detailed assessment of the technology’s performance and potential merits, were published on 17 March 2024. Overall, the trials demonstrated that noise cameras currently have the potential to be used for enforcement, but only when accompanied by human review of the recorded evidence, which is likely to lower the cost effectiveness of deploying the technology in many circumstances.

It is ultimately for local authorities and the police to consider what the most appropriate enforcement routes may be for addressing issues with excessive vehicle noise within their area. The use of noise camera technology has already been taken forward by some local authorities.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests.

In January 2023, DVSA changed its booking service terms and conditions to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. Since then, the DVSA has issued 313 warnings, 766 suspensions, and closed 705 business accounts for misuse of its booking service.

DVSA operates an online booking service (OBS) for Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) and trainers so that they can book and manage driving and riding tests for their pupils. DVSA has made changes to the OBS by stopping automatic online registrations to use the service, ensuring each company that registers employs an ADI and removing access for any companies not linked to driving instructors.

Affordability of rail travel is one of our key objectives. However, any concessions made to rail fares policy must balance benefits for certain groups against the impacts on taxpayers. Season tickets already provide a discount compared to single, return and day tickets.

The government is determined to deliver better bus services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions. It has set out a plan to achieve this, based on giving local leaders the tools they need to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities they serve.

As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this session. This will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, ensuring networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. The Bill will increase powers available to local leaders to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, high-quality partnerships with private operators or local authority ownership.

The Department for Transport is engaging with all local transport authorities as part of this process, and we will continue to engage with them over the coming months as we deliver on our reforms.

Decarbonising transport is central to delivery of the UK’s cross-economy climate targets and directly supports the Prime Minister’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and accelerate our journey to net zero.

Delivering greener transport is one of five priorities the Secretary of State for Transport has set out for the Department for Transport.

The Government will respond to points raised in the Climate Change Committee’s annual report to Parliament, published on 18 July 2024, in the autumn.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

The department sent letters between 7th October and 4th November 2024 to pensioners who, under previous rules, would have received a Winter Fuel Payment this year. The letters informed customers of the change in eligibility for receiving the payment and urged them to check their potential entitlement to Pension Credit which would provide them with a range of additional benefits, including the Winter Fuel Payment.

Annual statistics on the number of Winter Fuel Payments made to individuals and households are publicly available via GOV.UK. The latest statistics cover winter 2023 to 2024.

The winter 2023 to 2024 Winter Fuel Payment expenditure for residents in eligible European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland was £17.6 million.

Source: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 -GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including those living with prostate cancer. The Plan will aim to speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world. Updates will be provided in due course.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not recommend screening for prostate cancer, because the current best test is inaccurate, offering insufficient benefits in relation to harms caused by misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis, such as invasive investigative procedures and unnecessary treatment. The UK NSC is now undertaking an evidence review into prostate cancer screening which is due to be completed this year.

The Department is also investing £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK led Transform screening trial, which seeks to find better ways to detect prostate cancer. This trial will compare the most promising tests that look for prostate cancer in men that do not have symptoms and aims to address disparities in detection rates across different groups.

The public and staff must be at the centre of developing the Plan to make the National Health Service fit for the future, so it makes a positive impact on their day-to-day lives. That is why we are running a series of in-depth deliberative events and have launched an open platform to hear from members of the public and those who work in health and care.

The events are being delivered within the Department's budget as part of its responsibility to promote the health and wellbeing of everyone in England. We are determined to do this in a way that gives everyone the chance to get involved while also ensuring value for money. At this point in time, we are not able to provide accurate costs for the whole engagement exercise, because it is still ongoing.

The Government has been considering its priorities for professional regulation and will be setting these out shortly.