Darren Paffey

Equality and opportunity are at the heart of the government’s programme of national renewal. That’s why we’re investing £1.5bn over the next three years through the Best Start in Life strategy to improve family services and early years education, creating a fairer Britain where every child has the opportunity to succeed.

Free school meals, more nurseries, bringing back Sure Start for the 21st century with Best Start Family Hubs. That’s the difference a Labour government makes.

The Government is not planning such an assessment; however, we are committed to our ambitious agenda to deliver our Plan for Change by ensuring employment rights are fit for a modern economy, empowering working people and contributing to economic growth and will continue to keep wider enforcement of employment rights under review.

In the absence of any formal insolvency proceedings, the Redundancy Payment Service, which is part of the Insolvency Service, can pay redundancy pay awarded by the Employment Tribunal to a former employee.

It is unable to consider payment of any other elements that may have been awarded, such as arrears of wages, holiday pay, compensatory notice pay or compensation for unfair dismissal.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. However operational issues such as error charges and complaints procedures are a matter for Royal Mail as an independent business, with the delivery of the universal service obligation overseen by Ofcom as the independent regulator.

Following its 2022 review of the regulatory framework for post, Ofcom issued new guidance which took effect from 1 April 2023 on improving complaints handling processes to ensure postal operators’ compliance with their existing regulatory obligations. Ofcom has committed to ongoing monitoring of the new provisions. Further information on Ofcom’s findings in its review are available on Ofcom’s website: www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-1/postal-regulation-review.

In line with the Government’s commitment to unleash a rooftop revolution, households and businesses are permitted to connect small-scale generation (3.68kW or less) to the grid without prior approval from their Distribution Network Operator (DNO). They must notify the DNO of the installation within 28 days of commissioning.

In its consultation on the end-to-end review of connections [1], Ofgem has proposed requiring all DNOs to review the 3.68kW threshold.

In the recent Solar Roadmap, the Government also committed to conducting a safety study to unlock opportunities of ‘plug-in solar’, where small solar systems are plugged directly into household power sockets.

1. Connections end-to-end review of the regulatory framework | Ofgem

The unexpected inflation shock of 2022-23 increased equity value for network companies due to fixed-rate debt financing. Following a public consultation, Ofgem took action to adjust how it regulates network company investment, deliverables and returns, so this cannot happen again going forward.

Ofgem considered reclaiming previous excess profits but decided against this to avoid raising the cost of capital and costs for consumers. Ofgem has made clear that it expects network companies to use any inflation benefit to accelerate network upgrades and find additional ways to support consumers struggling with bills.

This Government recognises that batteries have a key role to play in decarbonising the power sector by 2030 by balancing the electricity system and facilitating the integration of renewable power.

The Government does not intend to commission an assessment of storage in this specific area. To ensure that we develop the right strategic mix of energy infrastructure in the appropriate locations, the government has commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to develop a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) to support a more actively planned approach to energy infrastructure across Great Britain.

DSIT and UKRI remain committed to international scientific collaboration, and UKRI’s record £38.6 billion settlement over the Spending Review will support areas including talent, scientific capability and international collaboration, including £14 billion in curiosity-driven research that underpins long-term economic growth.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) within UKRI is currently consulting with the scientific community about spending priorities within their settlement ahead of determining final allocations. No final spending decisions have been made.

Due to a rising cost base, choices are required to put the council on a financially sustainable footing. As part of this consultation, STFC is working with the sector to model scenarios for its portfolio in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics. The impacts of these different spending scenarios will be considered alongside feedback from the sector when taking final decisions.

UKRI’s CEO Sir Ian Chapman has confirmed that STFC’s core budget will hold relatively flat from £835 million to £842 million over the Spending Review period. Applicant-led research in STFC will increase from £83 million in 2026/27 to £90 million by 2029/30. As legacy commitments/awards come to their conclusion, headroom will also open up for UKRI-funded research and innovation under its government and societal priorities allocation which is open for competition.

Separately, informed by independent expert advice from UKRI’s Infrastructure Advisory Committee in late December, UKRI decided to stop several Infrastructure Fund projects, including some international projects in particle physics. These decisions have enabled UKRI to continue investing in other essential projects that seek to strengthen scientific capability and attract private investment.

DSIT has been in active dialogue with UKRI to ensure that any implications from funding decisions are fully understood and that they reflect both the UK’s strategic research priorities and its global commitments. DSIT has asked UKRI to ensure that its final allocations are informed by meaningful consultation with the research community and a robust assessment of potential consequences for the UK’s scientific capability and international standing.

We are committed to the introduction of the new national short-term lets registration service as soon as possible. The service entered user testing at the end of October 2025 to ensure it is robust, easy to use and meets the needs of the scheme, ahead of its public launch in 2026.

Consumers who book short-term let accommodation through online platforms are currently protected through the consumer provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024.

The DMCCA prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions and omissions, that are likely to impact the average consumer’s transactional decisions. Traders who engage in commercial practices that are misleading omissions, or misleading actions may be committing a criminal offence. The DMCC Act 2024 also clarifies that online marketplaces must exercise professional diligence in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms.

The Government is also delivering a national mandatory registration scheme for short-term lets. This will help to raise standards of accommodation in the Visitor Economy in the UK, building consumer confidence and supporting fair competition. DCMS has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including booking platforms and consumers, to ensure a light-touch scheme that is fair, effective and robust.

To ensure the student finance system remains sustainable, students who already hold a qualification at an equivalent or higher-level qualification (ELQ) to that of their current course are not normally eligible for tuition fee or maintenance loans. An exception has been made to these rules to encourage access to certain professions, including veterinary medicine. Students undertaking a full-time second degree in veterinary medicine starting before 1 January 2027 will qualify for maintenance support for the duration of their course.

This position will change under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, which will replace higher education student finance loans from 1 January 2027. An additional loan entitlement will be made available for a limited number of priority subjects, such as medicine. These are courses required to address priority skills needs and that align with the government’s Industrial Strategy.

Departmental officials had discussions with their Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs counterparts in drawing up the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. The department has made water safety and the Water Safety Code part of statutory health education, taught as part of RSHE. It is included within the new topic of ‘personal safety’. The new curriculum comes into force from September 2026. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

Swimming and water safety are also compulsory elements of the primary physical education curriculum at key stages 1 and 2.

Our new Youth Guarantee will provide tailored support to young people aged 18 to 21 to help them access high-quality education, training and employment opportunities. £45 million has been allocated to test the Youth Guarantee in eight locations.

The extensive Multiply programme evaluation is ongoing and will conclude in winter 2025.

The final evaluation report will provide valuable lessons to take into future policy development and delivery of the adult skills fund (ASF) and Tailored Learning.

The government remains committed to ensuring opportunity for all as one of its key missions. This includes building a skills system for opportunity and growth, and delivering a stronger skills offer.

The department continues to support participation in mathematics provision through the essential skills entitlements which fully fund adults who do not have essential numeracy skills up to and including level 2. This allows learners to undertake a range of courses fully funded through the ASF, including GCSEs, Functional Skills and other relevant qualifications from entry level to level 2.

Tailored Learning also offers the flexibility within the ASF for non-qualification based provision that is similar to Multiply, including outreach and engagement. Tailored Learning is available to all grant funded providers. The ASF supports adults to improve their numeracy skills, including adults with learning difficulties.

​​The within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high quality teaching. We want to ensure all teachers have access to and stay up-to-date with best practice in continuing professional development at every stage of their career, giving them the expertise and support needed to deliver high quality teaching.

Through the revised initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF), new teachers now benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across initial teacher training (ITT) and into their induction. The department has also launched a new and updated suite of national professional qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high quality teaching practice to those leading multiple schools across trusts.

For the 2025 teacher trainee recruitment cycle, the department awarded the Institute of Physics (IOP) a grant agreement worth around £200,000 as part of the two-year ITT Scholarship Programme. This enables the IOP to offer 175 scholarships to talented individuals with a passion for physics and the potential to become inspirational teachers. Between 2022 and 2024, the IOP has recruited 256 scholars who received a bursary uplift, currently £2,000, on top of the standard £29,000 ITT bursary for physics.

The department also supports physics recruitment through ‘Engineers teach physics’, an established national ITT course. The department continues to work closely with sector experts, representative bodies and academic institutions, such as the IOP, Engineering UK, the University of Birmingham and the Gatsby Foundation, to ensure that this course reflects best practice and includes the most up-to-date industry knowledge.

The subject knowledge for physics teaching programme supports non-specialist teachers of physics to enhance their subject knowledge and confidence through a series of blended learning courses covering the key stage 3 and key stage 4 physics curriculum.

This government has inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, especially in physics, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. We are committed to resetting the relationship with the sector and restoring teaching’s status as a valued and respected profession, one that new graduates want to join and existing staff wish to remain in and thrive.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the Government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.

Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. We will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.

The adequacy of the Environmental Permit at Portswood Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) in Southampton has been assessed through various modelling investigations and regulatory reviews. These have resulted in several improvements at Portswood including the most recent permit variation issued on 28 June 2023, when a modern consolidated Environmental Permit was issued which included statutory driver improvements to be delivered by 2025. The Environment Agency (EA) is currently assessing an application by Southern Water, who operate the site, to vary operations to help further improve odour control at the site. As with all bespoke permit applications for water discharge the EA consults with the public and relevant organisations,

Additionally, the EA’s comprehensive assessments to monitor and manage nutrient levels in the region help ensure the Environmental Permit for the Portswood WwTW remains adequate and compliant with environmental standards, while future improvements planned for the 2025-30 period will further enhance its environmental performance through meeting nitrogen neutrality requirements

The Government is committed to taking action to give regulators the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies who fail to meet their obligations. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers to the regulators in a decade. The Bill will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.

On 23 October 2024 the UK and Welsh governments launched an independent commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, to recommend reforms to reset the water sector regulatory system. The Commission will publish a report in Q2 2025, with recommendations for actionable solutions to the sector’s problems.

We have made no such assessment. However, the responsibility for lifeguards on beaches is usually a matter for local authorities or private beach owners.

The Secretary of State recently met with water company bosses, including Southern Water, to make clear that water firms will be held accountable for their performance for customers and the environment. During the meeting, water bosses signed up to the Government’s initial package of reforms to cut sewage dumping and attract investment to upgrade infrastructure.

The Government also announced a new Water (Special Measures) Bill, which will turn around the performance of water companies, in the King’s Speech. The Bill will strengthen regulation, give the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met and increase accountability for water executives. These are the first critical steps in enabling a long-term and transformative reset of the entire water sector.

I would also refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by the Secretary of State on 18 July: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to ensuring there are sufficient vocational driving tests to meet demand from the HGV and PSV training sector across the country, including in major port cities. In 2024/25, the national average waiting time for a vocational practical test was 4.9 weeks.

Whilst DVSA is continuing to deploy examiner resource to vocational testing, it needs to ensure this is done in a way which balances all of the demands on DVSA’s examiner resource.

DVSA business account managers are working closely with training providers to understand when and where large goods vehicle tests are required and if there is likely to be any peaks in demand.

There are several vocational test sites that serve customers in Southampton, and currently there are not any known delays in test availability for these sites. The vocational testing waiting time in the DVSA regional zone in which Southampton is situated, is currently 2.6 weeks. The national average, as of 9 February, is 3.9 weeks.

On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to improve road design, protect vulnerable road users, and review motoring offences. All of this will be supported and monitored by a new Road Safety Board chaired by the Minister for Local Transport.

The large majority of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s services are available digitally.

To reduce the use of postal communications, the DVLA has introduced digital reminders alongside existing options for both vehicle excise duty and driver licensing through its Driver and Vehicle Account. The DVLA has future plans to provide further secure communications through the account. These will be introduced following customer insight testing to ensure that they meet customer needs and are fully effective.

The Government is committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows.

We understand the importance of providing a clear legislative timeline and my Department is working with colleagues across government to secure this.

Government recognises the valuable role that mass transit networks can play as part of a truly integrated transport system, in the right circumstances, in our cities.

It is for Local Transport Authorities to bring forward mass transit plans, as they are best placed to identify possible opportunities and the potential benefits of such schemes.

The Department encourages authorities to take a mode neutral approach to mass transit schemes, and to develop proportionate solutions to local transport issues. it is important that local authorities consider affordability and projected demand alongside other cheaper fixed route options, such as bus rapid transit.

The Government is providing Southampton City Council with £15.56 million of capital funding from 2025/26 to 2029/30, and £890,000 of resource funding from 2026/27 to 2028/29 from the Local Transport Grant (LTG), which could be used to further develop their mass transit plans.

Employers are responsible for providing a mechanism for employees to raise concerns about an occupational health provider through their own industrial relations arrangements. Concerns about the quality and conduct of occupational health practitioners should be taken to the relevant professional body, such as the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Delays to coroner proceedings do not change eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment. DWP encourages those who are eligible for Bereavement Support Payment to make a claim even if they do not yet have a death certificate. DWP will work with the customer to establish what alternative evidence they can provide, such as an interim death certificate.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper consulted on how DWP could improve safeguarding processes. Domestic violence, along with all other safeguarding needs, is included in this. The department has set up a multidisciplinary team with an expert safeguarding advisor and is in the processes of completing a full review. We have engaged with experts and stakeholders through a consultation and round tables and will update the house in due course.

DWP is fully committed to the prevention of abuse and ensuring that victims/survivors get the support they need when they need it. DWP Jobcentres are a safe space with Domestic Abuse trained Work Coaches who provide support to victims/survivors of domestic abuse, for example assisting with new Universal Credit claims, work-related easements, special provisions for temporary accommodation, same day advances, and signposting to expert third-party services.

All DWP policies related to domestic abuse are relevant to any victim/survivor, irrespective of sex, gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality, or background.

We have committed to significant fraud, error and debt measures at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025, which the OBR estimated will deliver an additional £9.6bn savings over the next five years. The Autumn Budget 2024 package was the biggest ever announced to reduce welfare fraud, error, and debt. Building on our existing interventions (including investment in additional staff and preventative measures), we have brought forward new legislation this session through the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (“PAFER Bill”). This Bill includes powers that will help DWP to identify incorrect payments and prevent the build-up of overpayments and debt accruing.

Fraud and error overpayments accounted for £9.5bn (3.3%) in 2024/25 compared to £9.7bn (3.6%) in 2023/24.

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that vulnerable adults and those with temporary accommodation are adequately supported in securing and managing their benefit. We offer a variety of support for these customers, much of which is tailored to customer’s individual needs.

As part of the process of claiming Universal Credit, we ask the claimant to provide details of the type of accommodation they currently live in, and will either:

• Pay housing costs through their UC award if they rent from either a private landlord or a social rented sector landlord
• Signpost the claimant to claim Housing Benefit if they live in Temporary or Supported Accommodation
• Offer Support for Mortgage Interest if the claimant is a homeowner and has a mortgage
• Pay no housing costs if the claimant is not eligible to have them paid

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In addition to above, we offer a holistic case management approach where our agents are expected to offer advice and support on a case-by-case basis. We continue to review and iterate our services to optimise the claimant experience.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future and it recognises the need for early intervention and support.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access to neurodevelopmental assessments.

Through the medium-term planning framework, published 24 October, NHS England has set clear expectations for local ICBs and trusts to improve access, experience, and outcomes for autism and ADHD services over the next three years, focusing on improving quality and productivity.

Patients’ right to choose is set out in legislation. Patients being referred to a mental health professional, including for neurodevelopmental assessments, have the right to be treated by any clinically appropriate provider who holds a contract for the provision of NHS services.

ICBs are responsible for ensuring that their processes comply with the legal right to choose. This includes any qualifying contract requirements and clinical appropriateness or eligibility criteria. ICBs also have a duty to publicise and promote choice and can provide local referral guidance to support referrers and ensure that referrals into any NHS funded service are appropriate.

There has been no change to the existing legal right patients have to choose the provider and team who will provide their elective care in certain cases. These rights extend to any provider in England who holds a contract with an ICB, or NHS England, for the service/s the patient requires, as per the NHS Choice Framework. This includes independent sector providers who deliver NHS funded care. Neurodivergent services are already in scope of this legislation.

The Government is clear that the professions protected in law must be the right ones and that the level of regulatory oversight must be proportionate to the risks to the public.

There are no current plans to extend statutory regulation by the Health and Care Professions Council to clinical technologists or sonographers.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.

NICE has selected tofersen for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by SOD1 gene mutations as a topic for guidance development through its Highly Specialised Technology (HST) programme. The HST programme appraises medicines for the treatment of very rare, and often very severe diseases and evaluates whether they can be considered a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. NICE is working with the company to confirm timelines for this evaluation. If NICE is able to recommend tofersen in draft guidance, NHS England is committed to exploring an interim funding agreement with Biogen to use the Innovative Medicines Fund to expedite NHS commissioning of the treatment as soon as a positive recommendation is made by NICE.

No assessment has been made of the extent of regional inequities in the provision of early access programmes for innovative treatments and people living with SOD1 motor neurone disease. Participation in company-led early access schemes is decided at an individual NHS trust level, and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both the patients taking part in it, and to the NHS, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP. NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks. ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, commissioned an evidence review modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. This included different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men, men with the BRCA gene mutation, and/or men with a family history of cancer.

The modelling and evidence review reports are now complete, and the UK NSC plans to open a three-month public consultation towards the end of the year. After this, the UK NSC will make a recommendation on screening for prostate cancer. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.

The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of serious illness, resulting in hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19.

The JCVI has advised that population immunity to COVID-19 has been increasing due to a combination of naturally acquired immunity following recovery from infection and vaccine-derived immunity. COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people, though it can still be unpleasant, with rates of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 having reduced significantly since COVID-19 first emerged.

The focus of the JCVI advised programme has therefore moved towards targeted vaccination of the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality. These are the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed. The Government has accepted the JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and in line with the advice, a COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups:

- adults aged 75 years old and over;

- residents in care homes for older adults; and

- individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.

As for all vaccines, the JCVI keeps the evidence under regular review.