Euan Stainbank

The Government is committed to creating good clean energy jobs through the multitude of investments being made to support our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower such as Great British Energy, the British Jobs Bonus, and boosting support for our renewables auction, making it the largest round ever. We have also set up the Office for Clean Energy Jobs which will support developing the skilled workforce in core energy and net zero sectors, critical to meeting our mission.

On 8 October 2024, the Department announced plans to create a new UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. This panel will bring together industry experts and local leaders to explore ways to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. The Department continues to work with officials across Government to engage with British bus manufacturing stakeholders and more details on this will be set out in due course.

UK-based bus manufacturers have benefited the most from the Department’s funding programmes, such as Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA). It is estimated that 60% of ZEBRA-supported buses will be procured from UK-based manufacturers, supporting economic growth and jobs across the zero-carbon transport industry. We want to see domestic manufacturers build on this foundation and stimulate innovation and skills development to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing.

This government, along with the Scottish Government, has put in place support to help workers to find new, skilled jobs, signed the £100m Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, and funded Project Willow to find a viable long-term future for the site. This work includes consideration of potential production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel on the site amongst other options.

Pension Credit was introduced specifically to help address pensioner poverty. It provides a vital safety net for low-income pensioners by guaranteeing a minimum level of income. For a single pensioner this Standard Minimum Guarantee (SMG) is currently set at £218.15 per week; for pensioner couples it is £332.95. The Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. Subject to Parliamentary approval, in April 2025 the SMG will increase by 4.1% and mean that the SMG for a single pensioner will be £227.10 per week and for a pensioner couple it will be £346.60 - an increase in both cash and real terms.

Receipt of Pension Credit also opens the door to a whole range of other financial support, including help with rent, council tax, fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. That’s why the Government is taking significant steps to raise awareness and maximise the take-up of Pension Credit.

Our campaign to promote Pension Credit has been running since September and is aimed at all eligible pensioners, including of course, women born in the 1950s. It has been running on TV, radio, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, on YouTube, on advertising screens, including on GP and Post Office screens as well as in the press. The latest phase of the campaign ran from 8 November and was aimed at friends and family - especially adult children of eligible pensioners - asking them to tell people they know about Pension Credit, encourage them to check their eligibility, as well as help them make a claim.

In November we also wrote to around 120,000 pensioners who were in receipt of Housing Benefit but not Pension Credit. We invited these pensioners to claim Pension Credit in time to make a successful backdated Pension Credit claim and qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment.

In order to promote Pension Credit through as many channels as possible, we have also engaged with key stakeholders and partners, including other government departments, local councils, housing associations, community groups, local libraries and service providers as well as charities and third sector organisations.

Over the coming weeks, as part of the annual State Pension uprating exercise, around 11 million pensioners will receive a leaflet promoting Pension Credit along with their State Pension uprating letter.

The Elections Act 2022 requires Returning Officers to consider and provide support for electors with all forms of disability, including varying degrees of sight loss. The Tactile Voting Device, introduced in 2001, has proven effective for some voters with sight loss but we are aware that other options, such as magnifiers, digital reading applications and lighting aids, are also used to support individual elector’s preferences.

For local elections, costs incurred by Returning Officers to support voters with sight loss are typically met by local authorities, with new burdens funding made available where new burdens are imposed by legislation.

For UK Parliamentary and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections, costs are met by the Consolidated Fund and Returning Officers can claim reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in delivering these polls, including expenditure incurred in the provision of accessible voting equipment. For equipment that will be used at both local and UK Parliamentary/PCC elections, costs can be shared between the funding sources.