Danny Beales

Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their specific circumstances.

To inform any future decisions I intend to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities shortly after the fireworks season to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks.

Net zero will bring significant opportunities to people across the UK such as greater energy security, economic opportunities and good jobs. The Government is committed to bringing people with it on the transition to net zero, empowering them to take action and demonstrating the benefits of the transition. We have also committed to the Warm Homes Plan which will transform homes, making them cheaper and cleaner to run, full details of this will be set out next Spring.

Net zero will bring significant opportunities to people across the UK such as greater energy security, economic opportunities and good jobs. The Government is committed to bringing people with it on the transition to net zero, empowering them to take action and demonstrating the benefits of the transition. We have also committed to the Warm Homes Plan which will transform homes, making them cheaper and cleaner to run, full details of this will be set out next Spring.

The Government is in close contact with counterparts in the United States on the incidents of influenza of avian origin in cattle in the USA. We know that the strain of virus (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strain B3.13) involved has not been detected in the UK from our bulk milk testing and wider surveillance.

Defra is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Cabinet Office and with international partners to consider the potential routes of incursion, evidence of animal-to-animal spread and risks of animal-to-human spillover and to reviewed our well-tested surveillance and preparedness activities to detect and respond to any infection of cattle from influenza of avian origin in the future.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has assessed the risk to livestock in Great Britain from this outbreak of Influenza A (H5N1) of avian origin in livestock in the USA, as very low (event is very rare but cannot be excluded) (Avian influenza in cattle in USA (publishing.service.gov.uk). The FSA have assessed the risk to UK consumers from HPAI strain B3.13 in imported milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products originating from US dairy cattle as very low with medium uncertainty (Rapid Risk Assessment: Risk to UK consumers from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 B3.13 in US dairy products | Food Standards Agency). The Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group (HAIRS) consider that the HPAI B3.13 strain presents at most a very low risk with regard to spread from animals-to-humans in the UK HAIRS risk statement: Avian influenza A(H5N1) in livestock - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Defra has funded a research consortium at led by The Pirbright Institute and Imperial College to understand this unusual situation. In addition, we have published an Influenza A (H5N1) infection in mammals: suspect case definition and diagnostic testing criteria’ on gov.uk to support veterinary professionals and others in knowing when to report suspicion.

The Government is urgently exploring options to crack down on the spiralling cost of motor insurance and continues to engage with representatives of the motor insurance industry to understand the causes of increased premiums and identify potential solutions. We will announce the next steps in due course.

The Government is urgently exploring options to crack down on the spiralling cost of motor insurance and continues to engage with representatives of the motor insurance industry to understand the causes of increased premiums and identify potential solutions. We will announce the next steps in due course.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.

The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

We, alongside key partners NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face, and we will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including funding, in the coming months.

NHS England have piloted sight testing and the dispensing of glasses in special schools since 2021. Between April 2021 and August 2024 a total of 23,832 sight tests were provided.

There were a total of 9,909 pairs of glasses issued between April 2021 and August 2024 as part of the service. Between April 2021 and March 2024, 859 sight tests were recorded with another sight problem identified, 14,048 sight tests were recorded where there was either no previous history or previous history was unknown and 6,083 sight tests were recorded where there was a history of hospital-based eye care.

The legislation that will underpin the roll out of this service across the country was laid on 28 November 2024.

Improving sexual health services is a priority for the Government and it is important that we capture the views of stakeholders as we develop our 10-Year Health Plan. To support this, we have launched a national engagement exercise. This will be the biggest conversation in the National Health Service’s history. We want to hear from a wide range of individuals and organisations, including many sexual health stakeholders. Organisations are encouraged to log onto the online portal and submit a response by 2 December 2024. The online portal is available at the following link:

https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/

We have also published a Workshop in a Box that will support organisations to conduct their own local engagement activities. This is available from the community engagement tab on the abovementioned website from Monday 18 November 2024, with a request that partner organisations collate and upload their insights to the website by 14 February 2025.

Improving sexual health services is a priority for the Government and it is important that we capture the views of stakeholders as we develop our 10-Year Health Plan. To support this, we have launched a national engagement exercise. This will be the biggest conversation in the National Health Service’s history. We want to hear from a wide range of individuals and organisations, including many sexual health stakeholders. Organisations are encouraged to log onto the online portal and submit a response by 2 December 2024. The online portal is available at the following link:

https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/

We have also published a Workshop in a Box that will support organisations to conduct their own local engagement activities. This is available from the community engagement tab on the abovementioned website from Monday 18 November 2024, with a request that partner organisations collate and upload their insights to the website by 14 February 2025.

Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need, including children awaiting hospital-based eyecare. The Government will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) within our first term, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. Outpatient services make up most of elective activity, so transforming outpatient services is a key part of our approach to cutting paediatric waiting times.

In 2023/24, the national mean average unit cost of an outpatient paediatric ophthalmology attendance without a procedure was £140, and the mean average national unit cost of a paediatric ophthalmology outpatient procedure was £248. In 2023/24, the median average waiting time for a first outpatient attendance for paediatric ophthalmology was 58 days, and the mean average waiting time was 97 days.

The UK Government's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution.  To date, we have sanctioned eight individuals responsible for inciting and perpetrating human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  We have also designated two groups known to have supported, incited and promoted violence against these communities.  We do not comment on future sanctions.

The UK is working with partners to support a path to long-term peace and stability, with a two-state solution: a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. This government has prioritised working to end this conflict and secure the safe release of hostages, in co-ordination with international partners, since day one. We will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire deal as the first step towards long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and the wider region. The Foreign Secretary has raised the issue of securing long-term peace in all his meetings with counterparts across the region, in addition to the US, Germany and France. The UK will play our full diplomatic role in ending this conflict and creating a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

Councils’ Housing Revenue Accounts are a significant part of local authority and public sector finances, and it would not be right to exclude this activity from our fiscal rules.

This Government recognises the importance of tackling wildlife crime, which is why, along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Home Office directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit to help tackle these crimes.

The National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) provides intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to the police and other law enforcement agenciesacross the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime. This includes supporting cases referred by Border Force to the National Crime Agency or to individual forces. The NWCU is also the UK policing focal point for EUROPOL and INTERPOL wildlife crime activity. The NWCU uses this information to produce strategic and tactical assessments of wildlife crime across the UK.

Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.

The government is committed to ensuring that, where appropriate, barriers preventing vulnerable groups in need from accessing social housing are removed.

We are working with stakeholders to explore the detail of the proposed exemptions from local connection requirements further and consider what more needs to be done to support vulnerable cohorts, including victims of modern slavery.

There are alternative routes for vulnerable cohorts to access social housing. Guidance asks local authorities to make exemptions for applications with special circumstances, such as those who need to move for medical reasons or who are at risk of harm and to escape violence.

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent courts. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, including discharges, fines, community sentences, suspended sentences and custodial sentences.

The law is clear that where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty, or providing a service to the public this is to be considered by courts as an aggravating factor, increasing the seriousness of the offending. This applies to assaults committed against a wide range of workers. The statutory aggravating factor came into force on 28 June 2022.

Going forward, we will undertake a review of sentencing, to make sure that our framework is consistent, coherent, and cuts crime. We will use this review to develop a new long-term vision for sentencing which makes sense to victims and the wider public. The Lord Chancellor will announce more details of this review in due course.