Gregory Campbell

This Government is committed to transforming the lives of working women, and that includes going further and faster to close the gender pay gap.

The landmark Employment Rights Bill includes measures to change our workplaces to better support women, including improving access to flexible working; strengthening protections for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave; and giving employees basic rights from their first day in a new job.

The Bill also includes a requirement for large employers to publish action plans outlining the steps they are taking to tackle the gender pay gap in their own organisations.

We are always looking at ways to reduce barriers to trade - within our clear red lines - because having a smooth trading relationship with European partners is essential to driving growth at home.

This is one of those options we are open to looking at to reduce barriers, and it’s right and responsible that we are looking at it to determine what is in the national interest of the whole of the UK. But we do not currently have any plans to join the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention.

The National Security & Investment Act 2021: Annual Report 2023-2024- published in September shows that the National Security and Investment system is continuing to operate well to protect sensitive sectors whilst continuing to support investment.

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NSI Act.

• The previous government published a Call for Evidence in November 2023 and a response in April 2024. The Call for Evidence sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the scope of the regime, the notification process and government guidance and comms. The Government is currently considering its next steps, drawing on responses received.

• The Government will also review and produce a report on the Notifiable Acquisition Regulations 2021, which set out the areas of the economy in scope of the National Security and Investment Act’s mandatory notification requirements, as required by section 4 of the Notifiable Acquisitions Regulations.

• The Government will complete a Post-Implementation Review, as committed to in the NSI Act Impact Assessment, evaluating the effectiveness of the NSI Act. This is expected to be published in 2026.

The letter from Mr Campbell has been responded to. A letter was sent in reply to him on 10 October.

The Government recognises the invaluable contribution of emergency service workers to the people of the United Kingdom, and that the nature of that role means those workers will often find themselves in situations that may present a danger to their personal safety.

The Elizabeth Emblem is awarded to the next-of-kin of public servants who have died as a result of their public service. Full details on how to apply for this award, and detailed eligibility criteria, are available on GOV.UK.

While there are no current plans to review the criteria for the Emblem along the lines suggested, the Government is happy to consider the case for any new medal or award, subject to comprehensive assessment across relevant departments.

UKEF offers its full range of products and services to exporters across the UK, including Northern Ireland. Full details of the UKEF’s product and support offering can be found online at: www.ukexportfinance.gov.uk/products-and-services/.

UKEF also has a network of Export Finance Managers across the UK who are valuable points of contact for local businesses and can provide information on the range of support available. Contact details for the EFMs can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-an-export-finance-manager.

The UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to support jobs and create opportunities for business growth in every part of the UK. An impact assessment was published regarding the UK's accession to CPTPP and the potential long-run economic impact of the agreement. The analysis detailed the prospective impacts on all the UK’s regions and nations and demonstrated that UK GDP could increase by £2.0 billion every year in the long run.

The Department for Business and Trade works closely with businesses in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, aerospace, and automotive sectors, and will continue to.

Each Government department engages with relevant sectors where appropriate.

The department will publish a comprehensive impact assessment on the impacts of the 2025 National Minimum Wage uprating in line with the requirements of the Better Regulation Framework shortly. However, this will not provide an estimate of the number of National Living Wage earners who will become income taxpayers from April 2025.

The Department produces National Minimum Wage Impact Assessments in line with the requirements of the Better Regulation Framework. Previous Impact Assessments are available via Legislation.gov.uk.

The Impact Assessment that will be published alongside the legislation for the 2025 rates will not provide an estimate of the number of National Living Wage earners who will become income tax payers from April 2025.

We are confident that we will attract sufficient supplies of Liquified Natural Gas between January and April 2025. In their 2024/25 Winter Outlook, National Gas, the Gas System Operator, noted that they expect the market to deliver LNG supplies to the UK when needed, evidenced in previous years, as prices shift to attract necessary cargoes. We have seen this occur over the first half of winter 2024/25 and expect this to continue over the second half.

The Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) concludes at the end of the current Spending Review Period in March 2025.

All future plans for nuclear innovation will be considered as part of multi-year Spending Review.

The Government remains committed to nuclear power as a key part of our clean power plans and research and development are a critical part of this commitment.

Clean Industry Bonuses are to be awarded through a competitive process, with an initial budget of £27m per gigawatt of offshore and floating offshore capacity that applies for the bonus in the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7. Given the competitive process, we cannot guarantee or predict who will win funding, though of course offshore wind developers may invest in firms in Northern Ireland as part of the scheme.

Energy policy in Northern Ireland is devolved. However, Ministers meet regularly with energy suppliers and we expect them to do everything they can to support their consumers, especially the most vulnerable.

The Smart Metering Implementation Programme collects data from energy suppliers on an annual basis pertaining to the costs and benefits of the smart meter rollout. This includes device and installation costs for smart metering equipment, as well as a range of metrics capturing the cost savings of smart meters compared to traditional meters. We do not provide average supplier costs due to commercial sensitivity.

The government recognises that semiconductors are a UK wide strength, with clusters spread across the country, including in Northern Ireland. It is critical that the Semiconductor Advisory Panel can speak to all geographies of the semiconductor community.

The Panel was recently renewed for another 18-month term and will meet quarterly. It will meet primarily in London but may hold meetings in regions and nations of the UK that have strengths in the sector where possible.

Innovate UK’s Small Business Research Initiative (now renamed to Contracts for Innovation) has published an evaluation demonstrating its impact, including:

• £788m awarded through SBRI competitions between 2008 and 2022
• Business applicants from NI made up approximately 3% of applicants
• The benefits to the businesses awarded the funding amount to 1.5 to 4 times the cost of public sector investment

The Semiconductor Advisory Panel is representative of the UK’s semiconductor industry, and the ecosystem that supports it. In selecting the panel, consideration was given to representation across UK specialisms in design, compound semiconductors and R&D, company size and geographic location.

We continue to speak with the full spectrum of the UK’s semiconductor industry, including regular engagement with companies and representatives from across the UK.

This government recognises the importance of access to cultural activities for children and young people. In summer, we will publish an ambitious new National Youth Strategy, co-produced with young people and the sector.

In 2025/26, DCMS Programmes will create thousands of opportunities for young people to access enriching activities, including in the culture sector. In addition, 79% of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations are delivering activity for children and young people

DCMS also supports the Department for Education’s expert-led, independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, launched in July last year, which seeks to deliver a broader curriculum so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, the arts and drama.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport remains committed to drawing upon the wealth of talent and experience across the whole of the United Kingdom when making appointments to the Boards of its Public Bodies. The Department is taking forward a number of new approaches to increase the awareness of Public Appointment opportunities and supporting candidates throughout the process.

All DCMS Public Appointments are advertised on the HM Government Public Appointments Website. We welcome applications from people across the country, including those based in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The BBC has a duty to reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions. We want it to reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK so that more people can see and hear themselves reflected as part of our national story.

Ofcom, the BBC’s independent regulator, is required to prepare and publish an Operating Framework for the BBC, which must contain provisions to secure the effective regulation of the activities of the BBC as set out by the Charter and Framework Agreement. It is for Ofcom to hold the BBC to account in meeting these obligations.

The Government welcomes Ofcom’s reports into the BBC’s performance in 2023/24, and notes its findings.

Ministers regularly meet with the BBC’s leadership, and as part of the next Charter Review, the Government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade and beyond and in doing so, how it best delivers for the whole country.

The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from the Government and decisions about its coverage of US Presidential elections are therefore a matter for the BBC.

The BBC has a duty to deliver impartial and accurate news coverage and content under its Royal Charter. The Charter also specifically sets out that the BBC must observe high standards of openness and seek to maximise transparency and accountability.

The existing Charter is due to expire on 31 December 2027. We are in the early stages of preparation for the upcoming Charter Review which we expect to launch in 2025. We will ensure we take all relevant views into account as part of the review.

The Secretary of State has had no discussions with Ofcom regarding Channel One Russia Worldwide or the imposition of statutory sanctions on GB News.

Ofcom is the UK’s regulator for broadcasting and by law carries out its duties independently of the Government. Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code contains rules to ensure that due impartiality must be preserved on matters of major political or industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy​. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to determine whether there has been a breach of their rules and whether to apply sanctions.

Although Channel One Russia Worldwide holds an Ofcom TLCS licence, it is not available on any regulated service in the UK.

The Department has made no recent assessment of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target of a 50% reduction of food waste by 2030.

Latest data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) showed that between 2007, the baseline used for reporting food waste progress, and 2021, UK per capita food waste fell by 26kg per person per year, representing an 18.3% reduction. To meet the Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target of a 50% reduction by 2030, a further 45kg per person reduction or 32% of the baseline will be required.

The National Road Traffic Projections were last published in December 2022. The Department regularly reviews evidence and data on the drivers of travel demand and will publish an update in due course.

As of 1 January, there are over 73,000 public charging devices installed throughout the UK. In the past year, nearly 20,000 charging devices were added, making it a record-breaking year. This progress was recognised in a report published by the National Audit Office on 13th December 2024 which outlined that chargepoint roll out in the UK is on track to meet forecast demand out to 2030.

The fast pace of rollout is set to continue, with the Government’s £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund alone delivering over 100,000 public chargepoints across England over the next few years.

Further measures to support young and novice drivers are being considered. More information will be set out in due course.

While it is our ambition through public ownership to deliver a more affordable railway, any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

Through legislation, we will set out the role GBR will have in fares, ticketing, and other operational aspects of the railway. Fares and ticketing will continue to be the responsibility of train operators until Great British Railways is established.

Maritime has a key role to play in supporting the Governments missions, from clean energy, to growth, and supporting public health through tackling air pollution. We will shortly set out our next steps for reducing shipping emissions in a forthcoming maritime decarbonisation plan, which will include a package of policy and regulatory measures.

We believe there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today. This government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, and with any reform, including the Health and Disability Green Paper we intend to publish in the Spring, we will consult with disabled people and representative organisations.

Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we have already started to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives, including through stakeholder roundtables and public visits, and look forward to progressing these initiatives over the coming months.

About the PIP service specifically: the Health Transformation Programme is modernising health and disability benefit services, to improve people’s experience of applying for PIP. The Programme will transform the entire PIP service, from finding out about benefits through to decisions, eligibility, and payments

The Programme communicates and engages frequently with disabled people and external stakeholders – including national charities and other organisations that support people with disabilities – about proposed changes. Their opinions and suggestions are taken on board as we test new iterations of the transformed service.