James Frith

203 suspensions are due to expire on 30 June 2026, including 27 measures that are in place on fruit juices and concentrates. The Government will consider a possible extension ahead of the measures’ expiry date. Further information about the review will be made available on GOV.UK in due course.

The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.

The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.

The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) represents our key legislative tool for tackling mis/disinformation and requires platforms to remove illegal mis/disinformation from their services. Our immediate focus is on quick and effective implementation. We will then look at where we could build on the OSA.

The government recently closed a consultation on AI and copyright and welcomed engagement from stakeholders on issues including labelling AI-generated and modified content, and options for enhancing control for rightsholders in the context of the UK’s AI and copyright regime. We are reviewing all responses to ensure any proposals taken forward properly support all sectors.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) represents our key legislative tool for tackling mis/disinformation and requires platforms to remove illegal mis/disinformation from their services. Our immediate focus is on quick and effective implementation. We will then look at where we could build on the OSA.

The government recently closed a consultation on AI and copyright and welcomed engagement from stakeholders on issues including labelling AI-generated and modified content, and options for enhancing control for rightsholders in the context of the UK’s AI and copyright regime. We are reviewing all responses to ensure any proposals taken forward properly support all sectors.

The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

This consultation seeks views on proposals to introduce a text and data mining exception alongside a rights reservation mechanism and transparency measures. The Government has been clear in oral answers, in both houses, that it will not introduce these measures until it has a workable system in place.

The proposals in this consultation are presented for feedback and discussion, and no decision has yet been taken on the final policy.

The consultation closes on 25 February.

The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

This consultation seeks views on proposals to introduce a text and data mining exception alongside a rights reservation mechanism and transparency measures. The Government has been clear in oral answers, in both houses, that it will not introduce these measures until it has a workable system in place.

The Government recognises the vital importance of right holder feedback on a rights reservation mechanism, and how it will work in practice, and will take this feedback into account as it develops its approach.

The consultation closes on 25 February.

The Government will launch a consultation soon on a number of issues relating to copyright and AI, including text and data mining.

Whilst the Government deeply sympathises with those impacted by the collapse of Football Index and BetIndex, we do not plan to introduce a regulator levy to fund compensation for people who lost money as a result.

The Government is working closely with the music and nightclub sectors, to strengthen the sustainability of the entire music ecosystem. Cultural venues, like nightclubs and music venues, provide enjoyment to many thousands of people as the opportunity to hear live music up close is an essential part of our cultural life.

We are continuing to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.

Earlier this year we announced the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £270 million investment for arts venues, museums, libraries and the heritage sector, including the £85m Creative Foundations Fund. This fund will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. Not-for-profit and grassroots music venues will be eligible, and Arts Council England will release more details in due course. We expect the fund may be over-subscribed, so are not intending to extend its scope.

Buildings that are nightclubs, music venues or other contemporary cultural spaces may already be considered for designation as Listed Buildings, where they meet eligibility criteria for special architectural or historic interest. Applications for listing specific nightclubs, music venues or other contemporary cultural spaces can be made to the Secretary of State via Historic England.

The Government is working closely with the music and nightclub sectors, to strengthen the sustainability of the entire music ecosystem. Cultural venues, like nightclubs and music venues, provide enjoyment to many thousands of people as the opportunity to hear live music up close is an essential part of our cultural life.

We are continuing to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.

Earlier this year we announced the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £270 million investment for arts venues, museums, libraries and the heritage sector, including the £85m Creative Foundations Fund. This fund will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. Not-for-profit and grassroots music venues will be eligible, and Arts Council England will release more details in due course. We expect the fund may be over-subscribed, so are not intending to extend its scope.

Buildings that are nightclubs, music venues or other contemporary cultural spaces may already be considered for designation as Listed Buildings, where they meet eligibility criteria for special architectural or historic interest. Applications for listing specific nightclubs, music venues or other contemporary cultural spaces can be made to the Secretary of State via Historic England.

The Government does not intervene in or oversee the work of the UK’s independent press regulators. We are clear, however, that with this independence comes responsibility, and newspapers and regulators have a responsibility to ensure access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.

If a member of the public objects to practices of the press they can complain directly to the publication, or the relevant independent regulator, including Impress or the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including discrimination, accuracy, privacy, and harassment. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections. Both regulators also offer arbitration schemes for legal claims relating to defamation, privacy and harassment.

The Government currently has no plans to consult on reforms to press regulation.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bury North to the answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46672.

The department knows that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities frequently require access to additional support from a broad specialist workforce across education, health and care.

Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) is a pilot programme operating in the department's nine Change Programme Partnerships. It seeks to improve capacity and knowledge of the workforce that supports children with emerging, mild to moderate speech, language and communication needs in early years and school settings.

ELSEC does not directly support deaf babies and children. However, the intention is that needs will be identified earlier and those who require specialist support will receive this in a more timely fashion, which could include children with hearing impairments.

The department recognises the importance of teachers of the deaf and is continuing to support the pipeline of these teachers. There are currently seven providers of the Mandatory Qualification in Sensory Impairment (MQSI). Teachers who teach a class of pupils with sensory impairment are required to hold MQSI. Teachers working in an advisory or peripatetic role are also strongly advised to complete MQSI.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has developed a sensory impairment apprenticeship. IfATE worked with universities, local authorities and sector representatives, including the National Deaf Children’s Society, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People to develop the qualification. The apprenticeship is expected to be available from September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.

Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges. Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers, but are free to implement their own pay arrangements in line with their own local circumstances.

In making their recommendations for 2025/26, the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) has been asked to consider the impact of their recommendations for school teachers on the FE teaching workforce in England. The published evidence provides information and context for STRB to consider as part of this process.

The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills, by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department recognises the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills they need to succeed in their education. We will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.

FE institutions remain solely responsible for the pay, contractual conditions and terms of service for their workforce, and for managing their own industrial relations.

Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges. Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers, but are free to implement their own pay arrangements in line with their own local circumstances.

In making their recommendations for 2025/26, the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) has been asked to consider the impact of their recommendations for school teachers on the FE teaching workforce in England. The published evidence provides information and context for STRB to consider as part of this process.

The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills, by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department recognises the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills they need to succeed in their education. We will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.

FE institutions remain solely responsible for the pay, contractual conditions and terms of service for their workforce, and for managing their own industrial relations.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review is being independently conducted by a group of education leaders (the review group) and chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The terms of reference were published in July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review.

As part of its work, the review group is undertaking a review of the existing national curriculum, including primary science. The role of the review group is to consider the evidence, the responses to the call for evidence and widespread engagement, and then make recommendations for the government to consider.

The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025 setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work and publish its final report with recommendations in autumn 2025.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra is committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs, and is looking at next steps regarding measures to ban horticultural peat including how the Department will continue to work alongside the horticultural sector to accelerate progress on the peat free transition.

This Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals. We do this by monitoring, assessing chemical risk and banning or highly restricting certain chemicals. The UK Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (UK REACH) requires companies to identify and manage the risks presented by the chemicals they manufacture or market in GB. Action to assess and manage the risks posed by specific chemicals is also set out annually in the UK REACH Work Programme. Under UK REACH, there is a restriction mechanism to limit or ban chemical substances if they pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.

We also restrict the most harmful chemicals through regulations that implement legally binding international conventions on chemicals and hazardous waste: Stockholm (Persistent Organic Pollutants), Basel (cross border hazardous wastes and disposal), Minamata (mercury) and Rotterdam (hazardous chemicals). These regimes have led to a reduction in chemical pollution. Monitoring demonstrates that emissions of Persistent Organic Pollutants to air, land and water have fallen between 2001 and 2021.

We work across Government and with relevant agencies, such as the UK Health Security Agency and with the Health and Safety Executive to identify gaps in our evidence and commission new research, which is published in the interests of transparency. Through the Environment Agency, Defra has published research into key chemicals of concern, such as Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS), with a view to understanding the policy options to protect human health and the environment. The UKHSA provides public health advice to Local Authorities, Government Departments and Agencies where chemicals are found in the environment including drinking water, air and soil, to protect the health of the public including women. UKHSA also undertakes research in Environmental Exposures and Chemical Threats and Hazards in partnership with universities, including research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Health Protection Research Units (HPRU) and, and publishes the Chemical hazards compendium which provides information on chemicals to the public.

This Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals. We are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty which requires us to consider how the exercise of our functions may impact people with different protected characteristics, including sex.

The 2024 pEPR impact assessment assessed the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole and the transfer of monies from producers to Local Authorities and impacts on other market actors such as Government for tax implications, reprocessors and exporters, and wider business benefits.

The impact assessment estimated the pEPR producer fees would generate over £1 billion annually to support local authority collection and disposal services, including recycling services. We expect Greenhouse Gas Emissions savings of approximately 0.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the 10-year appraisal period.

The 2024 pEPR impact assessment can be found here.

The impact assessment estimated the pEPR producer fees would generate over £1 billion annually to support local authority collection and disposal services, including recycling services. We expect Greenhouse Gas Emissions savings of approximately 0.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the 10-year appraisal period.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief would have ended entirely in April 2025, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. Instead, the Government has decided to offer a 40 per cent discount to RHL properties up to a cash cap of £110,0000 per business in 2025-26 and frozen the small business multiplier.

By tapering RHL relief to 40%, rather than letting it end, the Government has saved the average pub, with a rateable value (RV) of £16,800, over £3,300 in 2025.

At Budget, the Government also announced that from 2026-27, it intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on the most valuable properties, which includes the majority of large distribution warehouses, including warehouses used by online giants.

The rates for any new business rate multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 require businesses providing the following activities to hold a licence issued by their local authority: selling dogs or cats, dog breeding, boarding for dogs or cats, home boarding for dogs, dog day care or keeping or training dogs or cats for exhibition. Statutory guidance details the licence conditions, including conditions relating to housing and accommodation for dogs and cats.

Defra recently completed a post-implementation review (PIR) of the Regulations, which can be found at - The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 Post Implementation Review. The Government is considering the findings and will be outlining more detail on next steps in due course.

Pakistan is currently listed on the UK Air Safety List (ASL). The UK Air Safety Committee regularly reviews all carriers and States listed on the ASL.

No assessment is made on the impact of the ban as decisions are based on a safety assessment only. Travel between the UK and Pakistan since 2020 has continued to be facilitated through direct services – including via UK airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic – and indirect services.

Since its introduction in 2017, the Plug-in Taxi Grant (PiTG) has provided more than £70m to support the purchase of over 11,000 zero emission cabs. The grant is currently funded until at least the end of this financial year.

Since its introduction in 2017, the Plug-in Taxi Grant (PiTG) has provided more than £70m to support the purchase of over 11,000 zero emission cabs. The grant is currently funded until at least the end of this financial year.

The Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics show trends in poverty, including child poverty. The latest statistics cover years up to and including 2023/24: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK

Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change.

The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, including considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce is exploring how we can harness all available levers to reduce child poverty, including considering social security reforms, before publishing a strategy that will deliver lasting change.

We want to fix the fundamentals of the social security system so that people are not reliant on crisis support for the cost of essentials. To support the upcoming Child Poverty Strategy, we will continue to provide substantial funding to Local Authorities to support those most in need.

That is why the Government is extending the Household Support Fund (HSF) by a further year, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026. This will ensure low-income households can continue to access support towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water.

We recognise that certainty helps Local Authorities to design and deliver sustainable plans for local welfare assistance. Committing to funding the Household Support Fund until 31 March 2026 will allow them to plan their approach with greater confidence.

As with all other government programmes, further funding will be considered in the round at Phase 2 of the Spending Review.

We published the framework ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing Our Strategy’ on 23 October and will explore all available levers to deliver an enduring reduction in child poverty in this parliament, as part of a 10-year strategy for lasting change.

The Child Poverty Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, which includes considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience, and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

The Child Poverty Taskforce continues its urgent work to publish the Strategy in Spring 2025.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and hospices will have a big role to play in that shift.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.

In February, I met with key palliative care and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

No formal assessment has been made on the impact of palliative care and end of life care on patients, but we know that currently approximately 600,000 people die per year in the United Kingdom. Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care provision.

Whilst it is too soon to say what will be in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Department is investing £3 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research in a new Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit launched in January 2024 and will build the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care.

A suite of new community service currency models, including for palliative and end of life care in children and adults, have been developed and published in the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme. Further information on the new community service currency models and the 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme is available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/25-26NHSPS-Community-Currency-Guidance.pdf

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-nhs-payment-scheme/

Currency models will help us to understand:

• the needs and complexity of our populations, allowing us to develop services around these needs;
• the resources, care contacts, and costs of supporting patients to meet these needs; and
• quality indicators and outcome measures to understand the effects of the care provided.

Combining these three elements provides an understanding of the overall value, and will support the achievement of the Government’s priorities for palliative care and end of life care.

The 10-Year Health Plan will set out how the Government will fix our broken National Health Service. Too many people, towards the end of their lives, are not receiving the support and care they deserve, and we know that waiting times for services are far too long. We are determined to change that, by changing the way services operate, rather than by simply funding more of the same.

Whilst it is too soon to say what will be in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are continuing to support the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at end of life and their loved ones.

To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. It is included in the statutory guidance that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include the hospice services available within the ICB’s catchment area.