Ian Lavery

We understand that this will be a concerning time for workers at TGI Fridays, and we stand ready to support those impacted. Affected employees will be able to access Government support, including Universal Credit and Job Centre Plus to help them find new jobs, through its Rapid Response Service. DBT officials are monitoring developments and are in touch with administrators.

The Hospitality Sector Council’s Terms of Reference is publicly available, outlining that membership is by invitation only and is subject to final agreement by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Ministers in consultation with the joint chairs. Members are selected to provide a breadth of knowledge and experience across the hospitality sector and Government. All members are selected in a personal capacity and will be expected to speak for their areas of expertise rather than the specific interests of their organisation.

Membership is reviewed by DBT and it may be amended to take account of changing priorities in the sector to ensure appropriate representation and expertise is maintained.

Through the recently introduced Employment Rights Bill, we are amending existing legislation to ensure employers accept flexible working requests, except where they are not reasonably feasible. These changes will support employees to access flexible working, including women. We know flexible working is particularly important supporting women who combine work with caring responsibilities.

The Government greatly values kinship carers who come forward to care for children who cannot live with their parents. The Government has committed in the Plan to Make Work Pay to review the system of parental leave to ensure that it better supports working families. We will set out more information in due course.

Although standing charges are a commercial matter for suppliers, and are regulated by Ofgem, we know that too much of the burden of the bill is placed on them. The Government has worked constructively with the regulator on the issue of standing charges, and we are committed to lowering the cost of them.

The Government understands that there is a degree of variance in electricity standing charges across the country. This arises from a regional variation in electricity distribution costs and reflects the different costs of maintaining and upgrading the distribution network in a specific area, and the number of consumers those costs are spread across.

Ofgem’s recently published discussion paper sets out the options for how standing charges could be reduced, including by moving some supplier operational costs off standing charges onto the unit rate, increasing the variety of tariffs available for consumer in the market, and in the longer term, reviewing how system costs are allocated. Ofgem's publication can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/call-for-input/standing-charges-domestic-retail-options. The Government will continue to support Ofgem in this work and ensure that standing charges are reduced.

Our Manifesto committed to reviewing the surplus sharing arrangements and work is already underway to initiate that process. We are committed to transferring the Investment Reserve and ending the injustice of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme.

Museums and galleries play a crucial role in our civic life, and delivering central and local government priorities. Their programmes and activities promote education and wellbeing, and they are central to the vibrancy of our towns, cities and communities. We encourage all councils to continue investing in and partnering with local cultural providers, to safeguard communities’ access to museums and their heritage.

The government is committed to stabilising local government funding. We look forward to engaging further with sector stakeholders, metro mayors, and across Whitehall, to promote the value of museums to society and their role in delivering our policy priorities.

Birkbeck University’s Mapping Museums project monitors museum openings and closures across the UK. In the last ten years, data indicates that 29 Arts Council England Accredited museum sites have closed in England.

I look forward to engaging further with sector stakeholders, and across Whitehall, to promote the value of museums to society and their role in delivering our policy priorities.

The government does not set or recommend pay in further education (FE). This remains the responsibility of individual colleges who are free to implement pay arrangements in line with their local needs.

The government recognises the vital role that FE teachers play in developing the skills needed to drive our missions to improve opportunity and economic growth. That is why the department is investing around £600 million in FE across the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. The department also continues to support recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas and with support for industry professionals to enter the teaching workforce through our Taking Teaching Further programme.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced a Budget on 30 October, to be followed by a multi-year Spending Review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

Children in Special Guardianship and Child Arrangement Orders have higher attainment than children in local authority care but perform worse compared to all children.

In 2022/23 the average Attainment 8 score for children who left care on a Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangement Order was 28. By comparison, the average attainment for children in care at March 31 was 18, while for the overall pupil population it was 46.

This department is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve. We know that many children who receive care from relatives and friends need extra support, including in school. We are working to ensure their needs are met, and that they have the best possible opportunity to succeed.

In September 2024, the role of virtual school heads was expanded to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care, to ensure they receive the help they need to thrive at school.

This government is considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system to deliver better outcomes for children and families, including how best to support kinship children and families.

This government recognises the valuable and important role that kinship carers play and appreciates that they often take on this role at a time in their lives when they are least expecting to raise a family.

Statutory guidance issued to local authorities makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare.

Local authorities have the powers to provide a range of services, including financial support, to support children and families. As local authorities know their carers best, they have the power to decide what financial support should be provided to carers and their children and any payments should be made in accordance with their model for assessing support needs. The government does not set a maximum or minimum allowance for local authorities to administer. While the government recognises the financial constraints on local authorities, guidance makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare.

The government is committed to work with local government to support children in care, including through kinship, foster care, and adoption, as well as strengthening regulation of the children’s social care sector.

This government is considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system to deliver better outcomes for children and families, including how best to support kinship families.

This government recognises the importance of health and therapeutic support services for all children, including those in kinship care. Ensuring every child receives the support they need is a key priority.

The department recently renamed the Adoption Support Fund, the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, to increase awareness among families in kinship arrangements who are eligible for therapeutic support through the fund.

We are committed to working with local government to support children in care, including through kinship arrangements. We are considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system to deliver better outcomes for children and families, including how best to support kinship children and families.

This department is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this. We know that many children who receive care from relatives and friends need extra support, including in school. The department is working to ensure their needs are met, and that they have the best possible opportunity to succeed.

In September 2024, the role of virtual school heads was expanded to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care, to ensure they receive the help they need to thrive at school.

All children in kinship arrangements, regardless of legal status, will benefit from the adaptation of the strategic virtual school head role. This will be a systemwide approach, bringing greater focus and visibility to the distinct needs of children in kinship care.