Gavin Williamson

A response will be issued in due course.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 13th January is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 13th January is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 13th January is attached.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 13th January is attached.

The High Risk Vendor process is not one that the Department for Business and Trade is responsible for.

We welcome Fujitsu’s acknowledgement of their moral obligation to contribute to the cost of the Horizon scandal. Fujitsu have also announced they will voluntarily not bid for new contracts unless requested by Government. The contract with Fujitsu to supply the Post Office Limited’s IT system is time limited - we are working with the Post Office and Fujitsu to ensure the transition is as soon as practically possible.

In 2023, the UK and Algeria established a Trade Taskforce, a forum for the two countries to discuss how we can strengthen our trade and investment relationship on a regular basis, which may include formal trade agreements. The Taskforce had its inaugural meeting earlier this year, and there was a strong willingness to drive trade between the two countries. There are, presently, no plans for the UK to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with Algeria.

We do not currently have plans to require solar and battery projects to be covered by decommissioning bonds.

Solar farms are normally temporary structures and planning conditions can be used to ensure that the installations are removed when no longer in use and the land is restored to its previous use. Solar panels can be decommissioned relatively easily and cheaply. It is a legal requirement for any company that imports, manufactures or rebrands solar products to join a ‘Producer Compliance Scheme’, which then ensures their legal obligations are met, most significantly for the collection and recycling of old PV panels.

The Government is determined to eradicate forced labour in global supply chains, including in the manufacture of solar panels.

Legislation and guidance are already in place to help businesses take action against modern slavery. However, we are working across government to see where we can go further, keeping all potential policy options under review.

We are monitoring closely the industry-led supply chain assurance scheme, the Solar Stewardship Initiative. Further information on the actions needed to develop supply chains that are resilient and free from forced labour will be set out in the Solar Roadmap, to be published in Spring 2025.

All Ministerial travel is subject to an assessment of the value of the engagement against a number of factors, including the mode of travel.

Track 1 projects are expected to be funded through a mixture of levy and exchequer funding. We expect levy funded projects to become operational from late 2028. The exact split of levy and exchequer funding across Track 1 will be determined in due course and is subject to further negotiation, consultation, and statutory processes. DESNZ will consider potential impacts on energy bills as part of the statutory processes for drawing down on any other new or existing levies that may further support CCUS Track-1.

Track 1 projects are expected to be funded through a mixture of levy and exchequer funding. We expect levy funded projects to become operational from late 2028. The exact split of levy and exchequer funding across Track 1 will be determined in due course and is subject to further negotiation, consultation, and statutory processes. DESNZ will consider potential impacts on energy bills as part of the statutory processes for drawing down on any other new or existing levies that may further support CCUS Track-1.

During a review of the records held at The National Archives concerning the murder of Martha Giles, a record was found to contain the personal data of several individuals who are assumed to still be living. Consequently, in accordance with the 100-year principle that is set out in the Guide to Archiving Personal Data, the record in question will be kept closed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the assumed lifetime of the youngest individual identified (2055).

Higher education providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees under the fee cap.

In deciding whether or not to increase fees, providers will want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and help students achieve their ambitions. For continuing students, this will depend on providers’ individual contracts with students, and they will wish to make their own legal assessment of this.

The department plans to publish an assessment of impacts, including on equality, of the planned tuition fee and student finance changes shortly.

An estimate of costs associated with the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech Act) 2023 was provided in the Impact Assessment published with the Act.

The Act was paused to consider options for its future, including repeal, and no final decision has been made on this. One of the reasons for pausing the Act was to consider the burden on higher education providers before making a final decision, and the department is currently engaging with stakeholders on this. The department will undertake all required impact assessments before making a final decision.

An estimate of costs associated with the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech Act) 2023 was provided in the Impact Assessment published with the Act.

The Act was paused to consider options for its future, including repeal, and no final decision has been made on this. One of the reasons for pausing the Act was to consider the burden on higher education providers before making a final decision, and the department is currently engaging with stakeholders on this. The department will undertake all required impact assessments before making a final decision.

The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). The following factors were considered: reduction in payload per journey, increased waste, and increased vehicle mileage. Information received did not provide any compelling evidence for permitting a weight limit exemption specifically for VCMs on the grounds of mileage.

This is not a change to the policy on weights for VCMs but a decision to continue with the existing policy that a temporary exemption will come to an end in 2028.

There are currently 43 properties in the village of Hopton, Staffordshire owned by the Secretary of State for Transport; these properties were acquired on behalf of the Government by HS2 Ltd.

This government is carefully reviewing the position it has inherited on HS2 and wider rail infrastructure and will set out detailed plans in due course.

These will include our plans for HS2 Phase 2b safeguarding and a disposal programme for land and property acquired for HS2 that is no longer required.

Individual properties and claimants can have multiple active claims at any given time so data in the form requested is not available.

Individual properties and claimants can have multiple active claims at any given time so data in the form requested is not available.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.

The Spring Statement demonstrated that the Government has taken the decisions necessary to provide security, reform the state, and grow the economy. The Government remains committed to holding only one major fiscal event a year, to give families and businesses the certainty they need on tax and spending changes.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

All 42 integrated care boards offer at least one cycle of in vitro fertilisation.

All those appointed to Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office roles undergo pre-employment checks and National Security Vetting. All Ambassador and High Commissioner roles require Developed Vetting (DV) level National Security clearance. DV is the most detailed and comprehensive form of security clearance. The purpose of these personnel security controls is to ensure that a person's character and personal circumstances are such that they can be trusted to work in a position which may involve access to sensitive assets or sensitive sites. DV clearance is required before an Ambassador or High Commissioner take up their appointment and is regularly reviewed.

There is a robust and established process in place for the management of interests held by all Senior Civil Servants. This process is designed to identify and, where necessary, mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This process applies in the normal way to Lord Mandelson's appointment. It is improper to discuss the specifics of any individual case.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office monitors international interest in nuclear energy and engages with western partners to understand and discuss this context. We expect nuclear energy to be part of the future energy mix for some countries and support the work done to ensure its safe and secure development.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is keen to understand and support countries with their transition to low carbon energy and engages in regular conversations with many countries, including developing countries. Understanding if, when, where and how civil nuclear plays a role in that transition is an important part of this conversation.

All investment involving critical infrastructure is subject to thorough scrutiny and needs to satisfy our robust legal, regulatory, and national security requirements.

The UK takes its national security extremely seriously. The powers we have through the National Security and Investment Act further enhance our ability to intervene if required.

The UK, as a member of nuclear fuels alliance Sapporo 5, is resolved to realise a nuclear fuel supply free from Russian influence and potential political leverage by other countries, and to expand our existing fuel cycle capabilities further to ensure a resilient fuel supply chain of benefit to our international allies.

We continue to invest in domestic fuel cycle capabilities such as our £300 million investment in high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). We are committed to working with our international partners to reduce global dependence on Russian nuclear fuel, as outlined in the Sapporo Agreement (April 2023).

All of our contract opportunities are publicly available through Contracts Finder and/or Find-a-Tender Service and are available to any economic operator that is able to meet the requirements of the procurement in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or The Procurement Regulations 2024, as applicable.

The Trader Support Services contract was procured in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Existing service delivery is managed robustly by contract management teams in compliance with this legislation and to ensure that the requirements of UK traders are met under the Windsor Framework.

We follow government procurement rules. All of our contract opportunities are publicly available through Contracts Finder and/or Find-a-Tender Service and are available to any economic operator that is able to meet the requirements of the procurement in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or The Procurement Regulations 2024, as applicable. Under the applicable legislation, there are no legal grounds that prevent Fujitsu from expressing its interest in this procurement. It is not appropriate to comment on any potential outcomes of a live public procurement.

Due to the recent nature of the trip it is not currently possible to estimate the carbon footprint of this visit.

Further details for the trip will be published as part of the quarterly Ministers overseas travel at the following link.

HMT ministers' meetings, hospitality, gifts and overseas travel - GOV.UK

The final CO2e will be included within in the Sustainability Report section of HM Treasury 2024-25 Annual Report and Accounts.

The normal rules for employment-related benefits apply to employment-related gifts, as described in HMRC guidance at https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim20020

The Government currently has no plans to change the single person discount. Decisions on future local authority funding will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government is committed to keeping taxes on working people as low as possible.