Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the EU on the 90/180-day rule for UK nationals visiting the Schengen area; and whether it plans to seek changes to that rule.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals.
The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the likelihood of children and young people migrating to alternative online services if age verification is introduced unevenly across service types, and what assessment she has made of the potential for app store or operating system level age assurance to mitigate such displacement.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom will publish a report on the effectiveness of age assurance in terms of compliance with the duties under the Online Safety Act by July 2026, and a separate report on the role of app stores in protecting children by January 2027. We are also seeking views on a range of measures, including how age assurance can support effective implementation, as part of the government’s consultation to ensure children’s experiences online are safe and enriching.
We will not hesitate to take further action to protect children online whenever the evidence suggests we need to do so.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what data his Department holds on the frequency and duration of estimated billing for small business energy customers.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Billing issues, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator. Ofgem’s licence conditions require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to customers where these have been provided by a customer or obtained by the supplier.
We are rolling out smart meters to smaller businesses, and our latest data shows that almost two thirds of meters in non-domestic premises are smart or advanced meters. Smart meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording energy use in every half-hour period, allowing bills based on actual rather than estimated usage.
Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of inaccurate or prolonged estimated energy billing on small and microbusinesses.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Billing issues, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator. Ofgem’s licence conditions require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to customers where these have been provided by a customer or obtained by the supplier.
We are rolling out smart meters to smaller businesses, and our latest data shows that almost two thirds of meters in non-domestic premises are smart or advanced meters. Smart meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording energy use in every half-hour period, allowing bills based on actual rather than estimated usage.
Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance is issued to Returning Officers on the latest date by which postal ballot packs for overseas electors must be dispatched; and what monitoring is undertaken to ensure compliance.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Electoral Commission provides guidance to Returning Officers including on the issuing of postal votes to overseas addresses.
The Electoral Commission is also responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of Returning Officers.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to help ensure that official child right’s impact assessments are undertaken to inform the evaluation of different policy options during the consultation, Driving action to improve children’s relationship with mobile phones and social media.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We will assess a range of impacts when deciding how we will act on social media, including children’s rights and their wellbeing. To inform those assessments, we will consult children and young people directly through the national conversation and consultation, because their views and voices must be heard.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the monthly visits required under regulation 26(2)(c) of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 are carried out by individuals who are independent of the care provider.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Care Homes Regulations 2001/3965 were revoked by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Commencement No.16, Transitory and Transitional Provisions) Order 2010/807 on 1 October 2010. Regulation 26(2)(c) of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 is no longer in force, and the requirements of this provision have not been replicated in the subsequent regulations, the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, the CQC monitors, inspects, and regulates adult social care services, including care homes, to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. Inspection reports on individual providers are made publicly available.
Where concerns on quality or safety are identified, the CQC uses its regulatory and enforcement powers available and will take action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
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 potential merits of introducing a statutory duty of care for children’s safety on Gen AI companies to ensure they are held accountable for the safety of children.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In the UK, AI systems are regulated at the point of use under existing frameworks such as data protection law, competition law, equality law, and other forms of sectoral and cross-sectoral regulation.
Generative AI services that allow users to share content with one another, search live website to provide search results, or publish pornographic content are regulated under the Online Safety Act. These services must protect users from illegal content and children from harmful and age-inappropriate content. The Technology Secretary has confirmed that the government is considering how the Online Safety Act applies to AI chatbots and whether more is needed to protect users.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of of surveys by More in Common for the Campaign to End Gambling Advertising showing 70% support tougher curbs on gambling advertising and 27% saying gambling companies should not promote themselves at all; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 9pm watershed and other gambling advertising restrictions in protecting children and vulnerable people on television, social media, and digital platforms, in this context; and whether she plans to introduce statutory watershed protections or other measures to reduce exposure and harm.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We note that More in Common’s recent report “Ending a Losing Streak” provides an overview of the British public’s views regarding gambling advertising, particularly for children and young people. We also note that statistics from the 2025 Young People and Gambling survey demonstrates that the overall proportion of young people who recalled having seen gambling adverts or promotion weekly was consistent with 2024. We consider evidence from a wide range of sources, including the statistics in both reports, when considering the impact of gambling advertising on children and young people.
We are not considering the introduction of a statutory watershed at this time. However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue and keep all areas of gambling policy under review. We will redouble our efforts to work cross-government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and vulnerable people.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that switchovers of legacy technology, such as digital terrestrial television, support uptake and inclusion amongst digitally excluded citizens.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Digital inclusion is a priority for this Government. It is foundational to delivering on our five Missions and essential to unlocking economic growth.
The Department is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution and we are committed to maintaining access for all, regardless of how audiences receive their television. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is protected until at least 2034, safeguarding access for millions of households.
The project is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to ensure that any opportunities to support digital inclusion is at the heart of policy development.