Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Security Industry Authority’s (SIA) (a) licensing and (b) training requirements in ensuring that private security staff are appropriately (i) qualified and (ii) competent to manage safety and security risks; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that SIA-approved training providers are effectively monitored to (A) prevent malpractice and (B) uphold training standards.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The private security industry plays a crucial role in keeping the public safe and it is critical that there is a high standard of regulatory oversight of the industry. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) provides such oversight by operating the regulatory regime set up by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA).
This includes setting minimum standards for, and ensuring individuals seeking to work in designated roles have completed, mandatory training, as well as running criminal record and other checks. This aims to ensure that SIA licence holders are ‘fit and proper’ individuals who have the relevant skills and knowledge needed to perform their role. The SIA is currently conducting a 5 year review of training standards to ensure skills keep pace with emerging threats, and will be working closely with experts and the industry on this.
Training providers and qualification awarding bodies are regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and its partner organisations in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The SIA is working closely with these partners to share intelligence, conduct more inspections and improve systems in order to uphold the integrity of qualifications.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the number of people who have been unable to verify their identity using the Gov.uk One Login service due to mismatches with third-party data; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that legitimate (a) company directors and (b) Persons of Significant Control are not required to pay private verification providers when Government systems fail to recognise them.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
GOV.UK One Login applies high standards for identity verification to prevent fraud and ensure the security of users and government services. GOV.UK One Login must ensure users meet these high standards before accessing a government service to fulfil its role.
Services onboarded to GOV.UK One Login are required to provide an alternative route for users unable or unwilling to verify their identity through the service. The alternative route is determined by the individual service. The Companies House alternative route is via Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPS). Companies House do not regulate ACSPs and fees are set at the discretion of individual ACSPs.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Ofcom’s financial penalties in improving Royal Mail’s ability to meet its performance targets; and if he will take steps to ensure that future fines are reinvested to increase (a) staffing levels and (b) service quality within Royal Mail rather than being paid into the Consolidated Fund.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofcom’s financial penalties are regulatory decisions in which the government does not have a role. The government expects Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service.
Financial penalties are designed to incentivise compliance and deter future breaches, rather than to fund specific operational improvements. As with other regulatory fines, any sums collected are paid into the Consolidated fund in accordance with standard Treasury practice, unless explicit statutory provision or a Treasury-approved agreement allows otherwise.
It is for Royal Mail, as an independent company to determine its staffing levels and improve its performance to ensure it meets its Universal Service Obligation. It is clear that Royal Mail’s improvements have not been good enough. As such, Ofcom has told Royal Mail it must publish and deliver a credible improvement plan.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to ratify the International Maritime Organisation 2012 Cape Town Agreement on the safety of fishing vessels.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We have been working to ensure that the UK is in a position to accede to the Cape Town Agreement and I can confirm that, subject to Parliamentary Scrutiny, we will instruct the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to conclude accession by Spring 2026.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to implement the Future Homes Standard.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government understands the urgency of introducing new energy efficiency standards so as many homes as possible are highly efficient and use low-carbon heating.
We are committed to implementing the Future Homes Standard in the coming months, and are taking the time to set the technical requirements at a level which is ambitious and keeps us on track to achieve our net zero ambitions, while also being achievable across all sites.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help support the (a) development and (b) adoption of vehicle to grid technology.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to supporting the rapid development and adoption of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology as it has the potential to reduce the cost of electric vehicle (EV) ownership while supporting the decarbonisation of our energy system.
Whilst the technology is still nascent, it is quickly commercialising. The Government is currently providing industry with over £10m innovation funding support through its V2X Innovation Programme (2022-2025). This is in addition to the funding support of over £28m previously provided through its Vehicle-to-Grid innovation programme (2018-2022).
The Government and Ofgem outlined collective ambitions and further actions relating to Vehicle-to-Grid technology in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap published in July 2025. These include removing financial barriers, such as the double charging of levies on re-exported electricity, as well as improving grid connection processes and enabling technical interoperability for V2X.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the scope of his Department’s review of Responsible Business Conduct will include (a) environmental harms in UK company supply chains in their own right, (b) environmental and human rights harms in the UK and (c) input from impacted communities.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The responsible business conduct review is a neutral, objective appraisal of policy. It will consider the effectiveness of the UK’s current regime and alternative measures to support responsible business practices across UK and global supply chains, including human rights and environmental considerations.
As part of the review the UK Government is harnessing the insights and expertise of businesses, investors, trade unions, academia, civil society and our international trading partners. The Office for Responsible Business Conduct will continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including those with lived experience.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department will publish the (a) terms of reference and (b) timeline of the review of responsible business conduct; and whether there will be a public consultation on the review.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains.
The Government is progressing the review at pace while ensuring that we harness the insight of a range of stakeholders, including businesses, investors, trade unions, academia, civil society, affected communities, and our international trading partners. We will continue to provide regular updates as we progress the review.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to reform processes for the (a) monitoring and (b) management of (i) ponds, (ii) headwater streams and (iii) other small waters.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has in recent years expanded monitoring of headwater streams through its new Small Streams Network, and an increased number of smaller lakes with the Lake Surveillance Network, part of the Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment Programme. The evidence from this new monitoring will be subject to ongoing data analysis.
The EA also undertake occasional operational and investigative monitoring in very small streams in response to pollution, or where they are of particular importance locally.
Additionally, the Government will respond to the recommendations published in the final report of the Independent Water Commission through a White Paper and a new water reform bill, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and restore trust and accountability. Together with the building blocks the Government has already put in place, this will mark the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 2025 to Question 50550 on Personal Independence Payment: Appeals, what steps he is taking to reduce the median clearance time for mandatory reconsiderations.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We intend to reduce the median clearance time by increasing decision making resource for Mandatory Reconsiderations, including by recruiting new decision makers