Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure local authorities have sufficient funds for youth services.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Local authorities hold the statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. Local Authorities fund youth services from their Local Government Settlement in line with local need, and this was increased to more than £69 billion in 2025/26 - a 6.8% increase in cash terms compared to 2024/25.
We will be launching the Local Youth Transformation pilot this year, which will support select local authorities to build back capability to improve local youth offers. We will share more information in due course.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to enhance press regulation.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press and the Government therefore does not intervene in or oversee the work of press regulators. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility, and newspapers must operate within the bounds of the law. This includes ensuring access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.
Having a press that is completely separate from the Government is important for press freedom and to ensure the public have access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. An independent self-regulatory regime is important to ensure the press adheres to clear and high standards and the Government currently has no plans to change the present system of press regulation.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, CP 1297, published on 18 March 2025, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who would lose entitlement to Personal Independence Payments by health (a) condition and (b) impairment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.
A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of press regulation.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press and the Government therefore does not intervene in or oversee the work of press regulators. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility, and newspapers must operate within the bounds of the law. This includes ensuring access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.
Having a press that is completely separate from the Government is important for press freedom and to ensure the public have access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. An independent self-regulatory regime is important to ensure the press adheres to clear and high standards and the Government currently has no plans to change the present system of press regulation.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Drax power station on his net zero policies.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognises that bioenergy can play a significant role in decarbonising economies provided policies mitigate the use of unsustainable biomass. The low carbon dispatchable CfD mechanism will result in Drax generating more flexibly, displacing higher-emissions unabated gas plants, helping to reduce power system carbon emissions.
The Government is commissioning an independent review to consider how greenhouse gas removal technologies, including power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, can assist with UK Net Zero targets, whilst maintaining security of supply. Further details will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will meet with organisations representing older people to discuss the potential impact of the transition to digital telecommunications infrastructure on (a) older and (b) vulnerable people.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are always happy to meet - as the Government has met several times - with organisations representing older people several times to discuss the impact of the industry-led analogue to digital migration on older and vulnerable people.
Following engagement with multiple organisations representing older people across the UK, the Government in November 2024 published a definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support during the migration. This definition includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landlines. Any customer, including the elderly, can also self-identify as requiring additional support.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of the UK copyright framework for creatives in the context of AI-generated content.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Copying protected material in the UK infringes copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.
The Government recently consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI).
This consultation closed on 25th February. The Government is reviewing the responses to the consultation, it will continue to engage extensively on this issue and its proposals will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of ventilation in schools in reducing the spread of airborne infections.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ventilation in ‘Building Bulletin 101: Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings.
This guidance is consistent with the expert advice given by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic on ventilation requirements to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and by extension other airborne infections. The department supports and works with academics to understand the research relating to the impact of air quality on school users.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to provide redress to patients affected by pelvic mesh implants.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Metropolitan Police on an apology to Ali Kololo following his overturned conviction.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The operationally independent Metropolitan Police continue to progress matters relating to this case. It would not be appropriate for Home Office Ministers to comment on any discussions concerning the individual.