Esther McVey

No staff network events took place in my Department in May 2025.

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are aware of the following events that these networks organised in May 2025.

LGBT+ Network

• CO LGBT Network - Meeting, 13 May 11:30-11:55am

• CO LGBT+ Network - Meeting, 20 May 3:30-4pm

• CO LGBT+ Network - Meeting, 28 May 3-3:30pm

Carers Network

• CO Carers Network - Virtual Coffee Session, 20 May 12-1pm

Menopause Network

• Menopause - Support Group, 20 May 11-12pm

• Menopause - Support Group, 27 May 11-12pm

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 20 June (PQ UIN 59003).

Across government, we will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

In the Department for Business and Trade, staff networks bring colleagues together to share experiences, are employee led and operate in line with the Civil Service Code. Staff network events help engage and connect colleagues across the Department.

One staff network event was held in this period to commemorate VE Day.

It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.

The Equality & Human Rights Commission, as Britain’s Equalities watchdog, has launched a public consultation on its code of practice which will close on 30^th June. Ministers will consider the updated guidance once they have submitted it.

The Department is awaiting updated guidance before making any updates to its own policies.

The Department of Business and Trade has awarded and published 167 contracts over £10,000 ex VAT since 5 July 2024; 44 of which were to UK based SMEs, and 22 to companies based abroad.

DESNZ values our Staff Networks, who support colleagues in line with our ‘Inclusive’ Value. The following two Staff Network events took place in May 2025: ‘A listening circle for Trans* colleagues and allies’ and ‘Managing Pain and Fatigue at Work and Beyond’.

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

Given the significant uncertainty around the possible risks and impacts of deployment on the climate and environment, the Government is not deploying SRM and has no plans to do so.

This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Switching to homegrown clean energy, including renewables and other clean technologies, offers security that fossil fuels simply cannot provide. The Government recognises the challenges in moving away from fossil fuels but the only way to ensure energy security is through homegrown clean power. The Government has empowered the independent National Energy System Operator with the responsibility to carry out resilience functions across the electricity and gas systems and it will continue to work with stakeholders to improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure.

Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are not aware of any events that these networks organised in May 2025.

There were two centrally co-ordinated staff network events in May 2025: the monthly meeting of the Department’s Staff Network Chairs, which was for network chairs only and lasted for one hour, and an online session with Staff Network Chairs to mark National Staff Network Day which was available to all staff to attend and also lasted for one hour.

The Information Commissioner’s Office is independent of Government and reviewed a range of locations in deciding on its future office needs, including remaining within Wilmslow, to determine how it could best align with its strategic objectives. In particular it considered issues such as access to the necessary skills, the age and diversity of its existing workforce, and proximity to existing colleagues and transport hubs. Manchester city centre was evaluated as the top scoring location and Wilmslow was ranked second. On completion of the commercial analysis, the Circle Square Manchester option was lowest in cost on a lifecycle basis across the 10 years. This option also had better sustainability ratings than remaining in Wilmslow.

The Commissioner will retain 76 desks in Wilmslow until at least 2030 with a minimum daily footfall of 250 in Manchester. This is based on the majority of the ICO’s staff working from home more than one day a week as part of the organisation’s blended working arrangements.

The Information Commissioner’s Office is independent of Government and reviewed a range of locations in deciding on its future office needs, including remaining within Wilmslow, to determine how it could best align with its strategic objectives. In particular it considered issues such as access to the necessary skills, the age and diversity of its existing workforce, and proximity to existing colleagues and transport hubs. Manchester city centre was evaluated as the top scoring location and Wilmslow was ranked second. On completion of the commercial analysis, the Circle Square Manchester option was lowest in cost on a lifecycle basis across the 10 years. This option also had better sustainability ratings than remaining in Wilmslow.

The Commissioner will retain 76 desks in Wilmslow until at least 2030 with a minimum daily footfall of 250 in Manchester. This is based on the majority of the ICO’s staff working from home more than one day a week as part of the organisation’s blended working arrangements.

The Information Commissioner’s Office is independent of Government and reviewed a range of locations in deciding on its future office needs, including remaining within Wilmslow, to determine how it could best align with its strategic objectives. In particular it considered issues such as access to the necessary skills, the age and diversity of its existing workforce, and proximity to existing colleagues and transport hubs. Manchester city centre was evaluated as the top scoring location and Wilmslow was ranked second. On completion of the commercial analysis, the Circle Square Manchester option was lowest in cost on a lifecycle basis across the 10 years. This option also had better sustainability ratings than remaining in Wilmslow.

The Commissioner will retain 76 desks in Wilmslow until at least 2030 with a minimum daily footfall of 250 in Manchester. This is based on the majority of the ICO’s staff working from home more than one day a week as part of the organisation’s blended working arrangements.

The Information Commissioner’s Office is independent of Government and reviewed a range of locations in deciding on its future office needs, including remaining within Wilmslow, to determine how it could best align with its strategic objectives. In particular it considered issues such as access to the necessary skills, the age and diversity of its existing workforce, and proximity to existing colleagues and transport hubs. Manchester city centre was evaluated as the top scoring location and Wilmslow was ranked second. On completion of the commercial analysis, the Circle Square Manchester option was lowest in cost on a lifecycle basis across the 10 years. This option also had better sustainability ratings than remaining in Wilmslow.

The Commissioner will retain 76 desks in Wilmslow until at least 2030 with a minimum daily footfall of 250 in Manchester. This is based on the majority of the ICO’s staff working from home more than one day a week as part of the organisation’s blended working arrangements.

Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are aware of the following events that these networks organised in May 2025.

7 events were held in May:

1. For Mental Health Awareness Week, 5 events took place:

• Women’s Mental Health Talk, Monday, May 12.

• Men’s Mental Health Talk, Monday, May 12,

• Keeping Healthy at Work, Wednesday, May 14

• LGBT+ Awareness Talk, Thursday, May 15

• Mental Health Awareness Week Panel, Thursday, May 15

2. For World Culture Day, optional drop-in “bring your own lunches” were hosted in Manchester, Darlington and London on Wednesday, May 21.

3. The Faith and Belief Network, held a “Faith, Fasting and Food” lunchtime discussion on Thursday, May 22

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

The department will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

There were nine staff network events run in the Department for Transport in May 2025. Four events took place within Department for Transport Core (DfTc) These were:

• The key to unlocking potential in neurodivergent colleagues
• Neurodiversity network social – book club
• GEN Network presents – Confidence and imposter syndrome
• A keeping in touch event run by the GEN Network

Two took place in Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA). These were:

• Mental health staff networking ‘cwtch’ session
• Unity supporting ethnic minorities (online content only)

Three events took place at Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). These were:

• We are DVSA
• Menopause and Menstruation Café
• LGBT+ Leaders of Networks

We have been unable to obtain information from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in the time allowed. There were no staff network events held by our other agencies.

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

720 residential properties in total have been acquired on the former HS2 Phase 2b route. Of these, 59 are in the Tatton constituency, of which 19 have been vacant for more than six months.

The data in the Pfizer report does not support the assertion that vaccination causes a clinically significant increase in the risk of any conditions that could prevent a safety-critical worker from undertaking their work.

Pilots continue to undergo regular medical examination with cardiovascular examination and with periodic resting electrocardiograms (ECGs). Any anomalies recorded on an ECG are reviewed by a cardiologist and further investigations undertaken if appropriate. In this way, any cardiac conditions, are screened for among those applying to hold a pilot medical certificate, including those that might arise in relation to COVID infection and management.

The information you have requested is not held centrally, as staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. This would include site-specific networks. Gathering this data would incur disproportionate costs.

While some networks are organised centrally, there is no requirement for network groups across the organisation to be formally recorded or registered. Networks can be based on location, team structure and development as well as areas of diversity, health and inclusion. Some centrally organised networks may hold information but this does not provide a full picture of all network events during May 2025.

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements and aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

For self-employed paying parents, the gross income used in a maintenance calculation is provided by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes. HMRC can charge penalties for inaccurate reporting where it results in tax being unpaid.

Cases involving complex income can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions to check the accuracy of information the CMS is given. The FIU uses its extensive investigative powers to ensure that families receive child maintenance appropriately and in accordance with the paying parent’s whole income.

If necessary, criminal charges relating to information offences linked to the calculation, will be brought against those who persistently and deliberately evade their responsibility to provide financially for their children.

The department is conducting a programme of work to review the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and reflects today’s social trends. The review is wide-ranging and includes consideration of a range of issues including bringing the treatment of unearned income and assets within the calculation automatically. Proposed changes which emerge from the review will be subject to consultation.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report on the AEAT Pension case in June 2023, which made several recommendations for the government. This work was halted due to the general election and the new government will now consider it.

Where a paying parent fails to pay on time or in full, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aims to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance. If this is unsuccessful and the paying parent is employed, the CMS will use a Deductions from Earnings Order (DEO) to take payment directly from their wages.

The CMS also has a range of strong enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children.

The Department plans to enhance effectiveness in collecting arrears payments by delivering changes via regulations to streamline the enforcement process. This will remove the requirement to obtain a court issued liability order, and instead allow the Secretary of State to issue an administrative liability order. Introducing this simpler administrative process will enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will seek the advice of the independent Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) on the final recommendations of the Antidepressant Risk Minimisation Expert Working Group, following the next meeting in July 2025.

If the CHM advises the MHRA to request changes to the antidepressant product information, the MHRA will write to all of the pharmaceutical companies affected in accordance with standard timelines and procedures for requesting variations to product information.

A public assessment report will be published following the advice of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after the next meeting of the Antidepressant Risk Minimisation Expert Working Group (EWG) in July 2025. The public assessment report will contain the minutes of all EWG meetings and the outcome of the CHM’s advice. It is anticipated that the public assessment report will be published by the MHRA in Autumn 2025.