Ian Roome

Eggs supplied to House of Commons catering services are class A free range and from a UK Farm which is RSPCA Assured.

Developing plans for civilian assistance to the military in a time of conflict is a key component of the Cabinet Office's Home Defence Programme. The Cabinet Office is working closely with the MoD and other Whitehall departments to set a baseline understanding of the support requirements for defence and how positions and roles may need to be backfilled in a conflict scenario. This work is ongoing.

The Cabinet Office is supporting the Ministry of Defence to determine what new legislative measures may be required to increase readiness in the event of crisis or conflict. In line with the Strategic Defence Review and its recommendation concerning a “whole of society approach”, we expect the legislation to enable the Government to better keep the UK safe in crisis or war by improving the preparedness of key industries and to support the mobilisation of wider defence capacity, including the Reserves. As the lead department, the Ministry of Defence will provide more detail in due course.

As announced by the Prime Minister, a new national security strategy will be published in June, ahead of the NATO Summit.

There are several reviews and strategies being developed across government that will be taken into consideration. This includes the Strategic Defence Review, Defence Industrial Strategy, AUKUS Review, Industrial Strategy, and Trade Strategy. The Strategy will also take into account other ongoing national security policy development.

The Government set out clear priorities for the reset with the EU in the manifesto. There are no plans for a Youth Mobility Scheme.

The Civil Contingencies Act and accompanying non-legislative measures deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK.

The Government has a legal obligation to review the Act every five years. The most recent Review was published in March 2022 and concluded that the Act continues to achieve its stated objectives but also set out recommendations to strengthen the system. The review found no evidence to recommend a statutory duty for community resilience.

Several of the mandatory requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act already support community resilience building, including the publication of risk and emergency management information, warning and informing the public about emergencies, and providing business continuity advice for private and voluntary organisations. The National Resilience Standards and the Community Resilience Development Framework set out good practice for Local Resilience Forums to build community resilience.

However, in light of the recent Inquires including COVID and Grenfell, it is right that we seek to continue to improve resilience across the whole of the UK to ensure it meets the needs of the evolving risk landscape. Through the resilience review announced by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in July, we are considering a range of options for how we can help Local Resilience Forums build resilience throughout their communities.

The Consultation on trade union right of access received a total of 1612 responses. Policy officials are in the process of reviewing the responses to the consultation, and the government will publish a formal response in due course detailing our analysis.

The Government is committed to strengthening protections for the self-employed, benefitting those in healthcare, including a new right to a written contract, and extension of health and safety and blacklisting protections. The parental leave and pay review will consider whether support meets the needs of self-employed parents. The Non-Disclosure Agreements measure in the Employment Rights Bill includes a power to apply the measure beyond the standard definitions of employee and worker.

We will also take forward the most significant legislative reforms to tackle late payments in over 25 years, helping ensure that the self-employed are paid on time.

On 10 July this year, Ofcom announced its decision on its review of the universal service obligation. This involved a consultation to which the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) and Unite CMA responded.

The government is aware that Royal Mail's management and the new owners are in discussion with the CWU and encourages both parties to continue their constructive engagement to agree the best approach to reform that supports workers, and delivers for customers and secures the long-term financial sustainability of the universal postal service.

My department is engaging with industry to monitor impacts on small and medium-sized Businesses (SMEs).

We have published information to inform UK businesses and remain in close contact with our US counterparts to seek further clarity as needed. We remain fully committed to empowering SMEs to thrive in international markets through our wide-ranging export support – brought together through the Business Growth Service. Royal Mail’s new service allows SMEs to continue trading with the US, whilst most counterparts have suspended services.

The Government know that the arrival of a child, whether through birth or adoption, is a transformative time in a family’s life. On the first of July, we launched the Parental Leave Review, which presents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system of parental leave and pay. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements, including Shared Parental Leave and Pay, will be in scope.

Introducing a price cap on heating oil risks significant unintended consequences. If wholesale costs rose above the cap, it could drive distributors out of the market and possibly result in supply shortages.

Unlike gas and electricity, heating oil customers can shop around for the best prices delivery‑by‑delivery. There are commercial price comparison websites to help consumers find the best deal.

We continue support the transition away from fossil fuels to strengthen long-term resilience, while we keep under review whether any further action may be needed to protect consumers.

The Government understands that many households, particularly in rural and off-gas-grid areas, rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat. Unlike gas and electricity, heating oil is bought on the spot market, making it more exposed to short-term volatility in global oil prices, which we recognise is a significant concern for those reliant on it.

The Chancellor has announced £53m for low income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices.

This funding is allocated as part of the Crisis Resilience fund, and will be distributed by Local Authorities.

In addition, the measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. On 30 January, we also announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

Due to the level of non-compliance found for EWI measures, the Government is offering a comprehensive on-site audit to all households where external wall insulation (EWI) was installed under ECO4 or GBIS. This check will be provided at no cost to the consumer.

Should any issues requiring action be found, these should be remediated by the original installer. Where the installer has ceased trading, protections under the installation guarantee policy should be invoked.

All measures installed under current government schemes are covered by a guarantee.

The recent consultation on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector sought views on whether short-term lets should be included in the scope of our proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030, to help ensure a consistent standard across all private rented properties.

No final decisions have been made and a Government response will be published in due course. The Government has proposed to maintain a range of exemptions available to landlords to ensure that the required investment is fair and proportionate. We remain committed to taking an evidence-based approach and ensuring that we deliver our net zero commitments whilst supporting small, rural and tourism-dependant businesses to thrive.

The Local Power Plan is a joint plan between GBE and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero which will outline our shared vision for the local and community energy sector: to drive the growth of locally-owned renewable energy projects and support efforts to unlock cleaner, cheaper and more resilient power at the community level. This will give communities a direct stake in the transition to net zero.

We are continuing to develop the Local Power Plan with GBE and other key stakeholders and updates will be provided soon.

The Government does not plan to publish Keeling Schedules illustrating how measures in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 amend the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. However, we have published information about each measure, which legislative provisions they amend, and plans for commencement dates, on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/data-use-and-access-act-2025

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. To support this Minister Vallance hosted a roundtable on 14.05.25 with representatives from animal welfare organisations. He also met with the Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group on phasing out animal experiments in medical research and representatives from Animal Free Research on 01.04.25, and with representatives from Lush UK on 15.05.25. There have been additional meetings before 01.01.25.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is developing a Civil Society Covenant which will be published in the Summer. The Covenant will act as a foundation for resetting the relationship between government and civil society, symbolising recognition of the sector as a trusted and independent partner. DCMS is working closely with departments across government, including the Cabinet Office, to ensure the Covenant is developed and implemented effectively. DCMS has also worked closely with civil society organisations, including NCVO and ACEVO, from the beginning of the process and has conducted a significant period of engagement across the civil society sector to inform the development of the Covenant. The feedback and recommendations in the NCVO and ACEVO report titled ‘A New Partnership’ are being carefully considered as the Covenant develops.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is developing a Civil Society Covenant which will be published in the Summer. The Covenant will act as a foundation for resetting the relationship between government and civil society, symbolising recognition of the sector as a trusted and independent partner. DCMS is working closely with departments across government, including the Cabinet Office, to ensure the Covenant is developed and implemented effectively. DCMS has also worked closely with civil society organisations, including NCVO and ACEVO, from the beginning of the process and has conducted a significant period of engagement across the civil society sector to inform the development of the Covenant. The feedback and recommendations in the NCVO and ACEVO report titled ‘A New Partnership’ are being carefully considered as the Covenant develops.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is developing a Civil Society Covenant which will be published in the Summer. The Covenant will act as a foundation for resetting the relationship between government and civil society, symbolising recognition of the sector as a trusted and independent partner. DCMS is working closely with departments across government, including the Cabinet Office, to ensure the Covenant is developed and implemented effectively. DCMS has also worked closely with civil society organisations, including NCVO and ACEVO, from the beginning of the process and has conducted a significant period of engagement across the civil society sector to inform the development of the Covenant. The feedback and recommendations in the NCVO and ACEVO report titled ‘A New Partnership’ are being carefully considered as the Covenant develops.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is developing a Civil Society Covenant which will be published in the Summer. The Covenant will act as a foundation for resetting the relationship between government and civil society, symbolising recognition of the sector as a trusted and independent partner. DCMS is working closely with departments across government, including the Cabinet Office, to ensure the Covenant is developed and implemented effectively. DCMS has also worked closely with civil society organisations, including NCVO and ACEVO, from the beginning of the process and has conducted a significant period of engagement across the civil society sector to inform the development of the Covenant. The feedback and recommendations in the NCVO and ACEVO report titled ‘A New Partnership’ are being carefully considered as the Covenant develops.

The Government recognises the economic benefits that tourism brings to all communities throughout the UK especially coastal and rural areas. The newly established Visitor Economy Advisory Council (VEAC) is a joint industry and government-led board composed of employers, small businesses and representative organisations. The Council will help co-create a National Visitor Economy Growth Strategy that is anticipated to be launched in the Autumn.

The government has recently implemented the most significant overhaul of destination management in a generation, creating a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic and high-performing Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) in partnership with VisitEngland. These LVEPs are providing strong local leadership and governance in tourism destinations all over the country, and North Devon is included in this programme as part of the Devon & Partners LVEP. LVEPs work collaboratively with both local authority and private sector partners as well as providing small business support.

Better retention of teachers and leaders keeps the skills and expertise they have developed in classrooms, underpinning high quality education for every child.

In our ’6,500 additional teachers’ delivery plan, the department set out it’s focus for delivery across three key themes: attracting, retaining and developing teachers.

The department is increasing access and awareness of flexible working, promoting best practice in workload and wellbeing management, and supporting teachers and leaders to harness the benefits of technology.

We are offering targeted retention incentives worth up to £6,000 after tax for teachers in the first five years of their career, who teach key science, technology, engineering and maths subjects in the most disadvantaged schools. We have also made above inflation pay increases of almost 10% for teachers and leaders over the last two pay rounds, accepting the School Teachers' Review Body recommendations in full.

Our interventions are starting to deliver. The last school workforce census reported 1,700 fewer leavers than the previous year and a leaver rate of 9%, one of the lowest since 2010.

We are supporting young people to stay on and succeed in education and training until at least age 18, and ensure they can take up opportunities to move into work and/or further study. For example, eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, backed by £90 million, are helping young people access support for training, apprenticeships or work.

We have introduced foundation apprenticeships and are expanding them into more sectors, like hospitality and retail.

We will ensure that a post-16 destination is identified for every year 11 pupil, and those most at risk of becoming NEET receive personalised transition support

We are piloting the automatic allocation of a place at a further education (FE) provider for anyone aged 16-17 who doesn’t already have one.

We are also investing in improved Risk of NEET Indicator tools and attendance tracking in FE, so that young people at risk of falling out of education are identified and supported.

Through our commitments to improve careers advice in schools and to deliver two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, we are bridging the gap between the curriculum and the world of work.

The updated Gatsby Benchmarks have been adopted into statutory guidance. The benchmarks provide a framework for good career guidance, tailored to meet each pupil’s needs, with insights into a broad range of career pathways.

Our ambition for a minimum of two week’s worth of work experience by year 11 will further improve employability. Pupils from all backgrounds will be given access to progressive, high quality workplace experiences throughout their education journey.

Evidence shows that these measures will support pupils to make successful transitions from education into training or employment. There is an established link between schools that achieve higher Gatsby Benchmark scores and improved education, employment and training rates for their pupils at post-16 and post-18.

This government’s ambition is that every child or young person receives the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child or young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.

As part of our Plan for Change, we are determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore parents’ trust by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate to crisis point.

We will continue to engage with key stakeholders and seek the appropriate legal advice as we look to build a better system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity, and ensures families can secure support swiftly without a fight. There will always be a legal right to the additional support that children with SEND need.

Pupil premium funding is allocated to eligible schools based on the number of:

• Pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school meals (FSM), or have been recorded as eligible in the past 6 years (referred to as Ever 6 FSM),
• Children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care, including children adopted from state care or equivalent from outside England and Wales.

Pupil premium funding is allocated to local authorities based on the number of:

• Looked-after children, supported by the local authority.
• Pupils who meet any of the eligibility criteria and who attend an independent setting, where the local authority pays full tuition fees.

Pupil premium will continue to be allocated on this basis, on the basis of household income below £7,400 (after tax, not including benefits) for the 2026/27 financial year.

We are reviewing how we allocate pupil premium funding in the longer term. We will provide more information in due course.

The Government has announced its intention to introduce changes to biodiversity net gain (BNG), including a new area-based exemption set at 0.2 hectares. Full details will be set out in the consultation response to be published shortly.

BNG applies to planning permission in England granted under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 unless exempt, and local authorities should check applications to determine if the development should be subject to the biodiversity gain condition.

The South West Coast Path (SWCP) is a 630 mile National Trail around the SW peninsula. As such it follows open and unprotected coast for much of its length, sections of which due to their geological make up are susceptible to coastal erosion. This has always been the case and will continue to be so.

Notwithstanding, Natural England, and Defra, have a statutory duty, emanating from the Marine & Coastal Access Act 2009, to establish a long-distance walking route, the King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP), around the entire English coast. In fulfilling this duty, the line of the SWCP has been largely adopted as ‘part of’ the KCIIIECP and a new legal provision for the path to ‘roll back’ in response to geomorphological events put in place. Going forward this will ensure that the basic right to walk along the coast is not lost in an often dynamic coastal environment.

Local authorities lead in planning for and managing coastal erosion. The Environment Agency (EA) has the strategic overview of the management of all sources of flooding and coastal change. To support those managing coastal erosion, in January 2025, the EA published new National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping data which provides the most up to date national picture of current and future coastal erosion risk for England.

Delivering on the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, helping to avoid disruption to transport and other infrastructure damage, as well as continuing to protect communities from the devastating impacts of climate change.

As published in the Flood and coastal erosion risk management (Section 18) report – in 24/25 – Wessex, and Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly received a combined £173 million, better protecting 4,036 properties across these regions.

The final list of schemes to benefit in 2026/27 is due to be published on GOV.UK in March 2026.

Meat import controls include measures to prevent spread of animal disease such as veterinary health certification and border control post checks.

On farm biosecurity plays a key role in protecting farms from exotic diseases and can mitigate the risk of spread of such diseases in the event of an outbreak. Defra is working closely with the devolved governments, the livestock industry and veterinary bodies to improve the UK’s response and raise awareness of the risks of introduction of exotic disease.