James Wild

This Government is steadfast in its dedication to protecting women and fostering a society in which they feel respected and empowered. We will uphold the Equality Act and its framework to protect single-sex spaces for women, and ensure that service providers understand how to lawfully protect such spaces.

We will also treat violence against women and girls as a national emergency and have committed to halving the instances of this in a decade. This Government believes that women and girls should feel safe and protected wherever they go whether that be at home, on the street or at work.

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination based on the protected characteristics of 'sex' and ‘gender reassignment’. The Government is committed to upholding this important legislation. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, in carrying out their functions, to have due regard to the need to achieve the objectives set out under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. These are to: eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Act; advance equal opportunities between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not; and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Paragraph 7.16 of the Ministerial Code (3.17 of the Ministerial Code updated on 6 November 2024) obliges Ministers involved in legal proceedings in a personal capacity to consult the Law Officers in good time and before legal proceedings are initiated.

The Law Officers do not disclose whether ministers have consulted them on legal proceedings in a personal capacity.

This is due to the long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, that the fact of, and substance of advice from, the Law Officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence. This is set out in paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May, is known as the Law Officers’ Convention, and it applies to your question.

The Cabinet Office is committed to delivering the 5% savings and efficiency target, with Spending Review funding allocations agreed on this basis.

These funding allocations – informed by the findings of the Zero Based Review – are the first step in a wider plan to finalise budgets for different projects and programmes, with any necessary savings decided through that process. The savings taken forward will be subject to the normal rigorous business planning processes, and in-year financial management.

On 19 May, the Government published a renewed agenda for UK-EU cooperation. The Government agreed with the European Commission to proceed swiftly with the commitments and will keep Parliament updated on significant developments.

On 19 May, the Government published a renewed agenda for UK-EU cooperation. The Government agreed with the European Commission to proceed swiftly with the commitments and will keep Parliament updated on significant developments.

On 19 May, the Government published a renewed agenda for UK-EU cooperation. The Government agreed with the European Commission to proceed swiftly with the commitments and will keep Parliament updated on significant developments.

On 19 May, the Government published a renewed agenda for UK-EU cooperation. The Government agreed with the European Commission to proceed swiftly with the commitments and will keep Parliament updated on significant developments.

DBT is committed to meeting the 5% savings and efficiency target, with SR funding allocations agreed on this basis.

These funding allocations – informed by the findings of the ZBR – are the first step in a wider plan to finalise budgets for different projects and programmes, with any necessary savings decided through that process. The savings taken forward will be subject to the normal rigorous business planning processes, and in-year financial management.

The government has committed to cut the administrative costs of regulation to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament. To do this, we must determine the cumulative administrative costs of regulation which has not been done for 15 years. At that time, the exercise took approximately 18 months, which was consistent with efforts of other countries that have undertaken similar exercises.

We are working in partnership with businesses to understand their real-life experiences of regulatory compliance to establish a robust regulatory baseline. We will publish an update on this baseline exercise and our expected timelines in due course.

• The British Hallmarking Council currently employs one part time member of staff.

• In 2024 the annual operating cost of the British Hallmarking Council was £112,650.

• The British Hallmarking Council currently employs one part time member of staff.

• In 2024 the annual operating cost of the British Hallmarking Council was £112,650.

The Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies (“CICs”) (“the Regulator”) plays a crucial role in maintaining the CIC model as an effective form of social enterprise. By exploiting the considerable overlap between the Regulator and Companies House, and the close working relationship that already exists between the two, the Government intends to fully integrate the Regulator’s functions into Companies House as part of wider plans to streamline the UK’s regulatory environment. Both organisations are funded by fees, and there are no expected direct savings.

DESNZ is committed to meeting the 5% savings and efficiency target, with SR funding allocations agreed on this basis.

These funding allocations – informed by the findings of the ZBR – are the first step in a wider plan to finalise budgets for different projects and programmes, with any necessary savings decided through that process. The savings taken forward will be subject to the normal rigorous business planning processes, and in-year financial management.

The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) Phase 3 spring 2024 window (3.1) is currently awaiting outcomes from the autumn fiscal event before decisions on applications can be made.

Our mission is for clean power by 2030 because this is the best way to achieve energy independence and protect billpayers. New, clean renewable energy will reduce our exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets. As part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) programme, the Government is considering what further steps can be taken to shield consumers from the impacts of potential price spikes and to ensure they benefit from lower cost renewable energy.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to meeting the 5% savings and efficiency target, with SR funding allocations agreed on this basis.

These funding allocations – informed by the findings of the ZBR – are the first step in a wider plan to finalise budgets for different projects and programmes, with any necessary savings decided through that process. The savings taken forward will be subject to the normal rigorous business planning processes, and in-year financial management.

CityFibre is currently delivering a Project Gigabit contract across Norfolk.

However, Building Digital UK’s (BDUK) regular market reviews have indicated that premises in the PE30 3RW, PE30 3BZ and PE30 3NQ postcode areas are likely to be included in suppliers’ future commercial plans and should receive a gigabit-capable connection without the need for public subsidy.

BDUK continually monitors suppliers' commercial plans and, if it becomes apparent that these commercial plans will not deliver as expected, premises in these postcode areas may then become eligible for inclusion within the scope of Project Gigabit.

The vast majority of premises will be covered by commercial activity or Project Gigabit, but it will remain too expensive to build a gigabit capable connection to a very small proportion of premises on either a commercial or subsidised basis. The government is exploring options for the kind of support that might be required and appropriate to ensure sufficient, affordable and reliable connectivity in these cases.

The Government is committed to supporting Life Sciences manufacturing to deliver an NHS fit for the future and stimulate economic growth across the UK. It has invested over £405 million to secure vaccine manufacturing through the Vaccine Taskforce and is providing up to £118 million in capital grants to boost UK manufacturing investment.

DSIT is discussing plans to support investment in the sector with the Treasury. The £520 million funding announced in the Autumn Statement for Life Sciences manufacturing is part of these discussions.

The Government is committed to supporting Life Sciences manufacturing to deliver an NHS fit for the future and stimulate economic growth across the UK. It has invested over £405 million to secure vaccine manufacturing through the Vaccine Taskforce and is providing up to £118 million in capital grants to boost UK manufacturing investment.

DSIT is discussing plans to support investment in the sector with the Treasury. The £520 million funding announced in the Autumn Statement for Life Sciences manufacturing is part of these discussions.

The Department for Digital, Media and Sport is committed to meeting the 5% savings and efficiency target, with SR funding allocations agreed on this basis.

These funding allocations – informed by the findings of the ZBR – are the first step in a wider plan to finalise budgets for different projects and programmes, with any necessary savings decided through that process. The savings taken forward will be subject to the normal rigorous business planning processes, and in-year financial management.

Updated guidance was published on the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme website on 19 March 2025.

This Government, and the previous one, has engaged extensively with a wide range of stakeholders as the policy set out in the Football Governance Bill has developed over the last 3 years. This includes engagement with UEFA and FIFA. These discussions have been constructive, and we continue to speak to the relevant football authorities on a regular basis.

The Government does not share private correspondence provided to us by stakeholders including international organisations.

I can confirm that a response to the correspondence dated 23 May 2025 from the hon. Member for North West Norfolk was sent on 25 June 2025.

The department is committed to meeting the 5% savings and efficiency target, with spending review funding allocations agreed on this basis.

These funding allocations, informed by the findings of the Zero Based Review, are the first step in a wider plan to finalise budgets for different projects and programmes, with any necessary savings decided through that process. The savings taken forward will be subject to the normal rigorous business planning processes and in-year financial management.

The investigation remains ongoing and the department is unable to comment further on the progress or specifics of an ongoing investigation.

Information held on the average values of fines for parents who had failed to secure their child’s attendance at school will be held by local authorities.

The amount payable was £60 if paid within 21 days of receipt, rising to £120 if paid between 22 and 28 days. From August 2024, the fine for school absences increased to £80 if paid within 21 days or £160 if paid within 28 days. In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. If children are not in school, it does not matter how effective or well-supported teaching and learning is, they will not benefit. Thanks to the hard work of the sector there has been progress, but we remain a long way off pre-pandemic levels.

The department’s statutory attendance guidance, ‘Working together to improve school attendance’, promotes a support-first model. The guidance is clear that all partners should always work together to understand and remove the barriers to attendance. However, where that support is not successful, not appropriate (for example for term-time holidays), or not engaged with, the law protects pupils’ right to an education. The guidance outlines a role for legal intervention based on effective practice within the sector.

The vast majority of penalty notices are issued due to unauthorised family holidays. However, usage has been uneven across the country, with 26 out of 153 local authorities accounting for half of all penalty notices issued in 2023/2024. The new National Framework for Penalty Notices, introduced in August 2024, is designed to create consistency in that area by establishing a common threshold at which a penalty notice must be considered. In a public consultation in 2022, 71% of local authority employees and 59% of school and academy trust employees and governors or trustees strongly or somewhat agreed with the proposed national thresholds which were subsequently adopted within the framework.

The statistical release on parental responsibility measures, which includes information on the number of penalty notices issued for unauthorised absence, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures.