Jayne Kirkham

Most people use fireworks in a responsible, safe, and appropriate manner and there are laws in place to address situations where fireworks are misused. The current regulatory framework is designed to support people to enjoy fireworks whilst lowering the risk of dangers and disruption to people, pets, and property.

To inform any future decisions the Government intends to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks.

The cross-government review of the barriers to adapt and retrofit listed buildings and homes in conservation areas (www.gov.uk/government/publications/adapting-historic-homes-for-energy-efficiency-a-review-of-the-barriers) was published in January 2024. This sets out the core challenges faced by homeowners and the actions government is taking to overcome barriers.

Changes to Permitted Development Rights in England, announced recently, will enable more air source heat pumps to be installed in homes, including those in conservation areas.

The Government has committed an initial £3.4bn over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency as part of the Warm Homes Plan. Further details will be set out in due course.

The Crown Estate’s Leasing Round 5 will bring forward up to 4.5GW of floating offshore wind capacity in the Celtic Sea in addition to the five Test and Demonstration projects currently in development.

The partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate announced the potential to deploy up to a further 12GW of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, of which 4-10GW could be leased to developers by 2030.

The Government will work closely with developers and The Crown Estate to support the delivery of floating offshore wind projects across the UK, including in the Celtic Sea.

The Government is working with industry to accelerate ways the Contracts for Difference scheme and other energy policies can be expanded to deliver the clean energy superpower mission. The Government recognises the important role that Test and Demonstration projects, including in the Celtic Sea, could play in securing learnings, developing infrastructure, and building sector confidence to enable cost-effective commercial scale floating offshore wind projects in future.

The Clean Industry Bonus further underscores the Government’s commitment to the technology, in particular the minimum budget to be set aside for investment in floating offshore wind supply chain to help drive investment into the sector.

As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expects to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation, and potentially the small number of homes unsuitable for heat pumps, as these sectors have fewest options to decarbonise. The cost of renewable liquid heating fuels is currently much higher than other fuels available to off grid customers. Before taking decisions on whether to support the use of renewable liquid fuels, like hydrotreated vegetable oil, in heating, the Government would require stronger evidence on their affordability for consumers, and the availability of sustainable feedstocks.

Heat batteries are a promising electric heating technology, which can be charged off-peak to utilise cheaper electricity. However, they are less efficient than heat pumps and if a battery has insufficient storage capacity, it may need to draw electricity at peak times which can add to the burden on the electricity network. Consequently, policies like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, are currently focused on supporting heat pumps. However, my Department is exploring, through studies like the Homes for Net Zero trial, the role heat batteries could play in the future.

During the current spending period, the Government has invested over £6.9 million to support the Cornwall region to develop its local space capabilities, enabling Spaceport Cornwall to conduct the first ever orbital launch attempt from UK soil and supporting Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd to deliver deep space commercial services. The cluster is also being supported to attract investment from international space companies, and progress Cornwall’s strategic ambitions to become a global leader in satellite operations and communications and the testing and development of spaceflight systems.

The British Council supports a number of programmes that support cultural exchange between the UK and African music sector. Events such as The Great Escape and the Worldwide Music Expo connect African music professionals with UK platforms, promoters, and festivals such as Africa Oye. The British Council also supports talent development in sub-Saharan Africa, with programmes including Scripts and Bars in Zimbabwe.

Arts Council England (ACE) supports a number of organisations that promote African artists. The ACE National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) Africa Oye Limited receives £217,456 per annum, and delivers an annual festival in Liverpool’s Sefton Park that celebrates and champions African music and culture. Over the past 5 years the festival has brought many high profile African artists to the UK to perform. Yaram Arts Community Interest Company (CIC), another ACE NPO receiving £81,370 per annum, has promoted, presented and supported touring for hundreds of African and world music artists in the UK, Europe and Africa.

DCMS is keen to hear the views of and work with all parts of the visitor economy, including the cruise sector. Details of how Ministers will engage in this Parliament with stakeholders across what is a diverse and broad sector will be published shortly.

Parliament has legislated for a registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. We are committed to the introduction of such a scheme as soon as possible.

The details of how the scheme will operate and who it will be administered by will be confirmed in our full consultation response. This includes how costs for the service will be established and maintained through the recovery of fees charged to the property owner or provider(s) of the short-term let(s). It is not intended that the scheme would raise revenue above and beyond cost recovery (including for set-up and delivery).

The registration scheme will be designed to ensure that all providers of short-term lets are aware of their legal responsibilities to ensure health and safety standards, including fire and relevant safety checks, are met in their properties.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 is already in place. This will enable us to reap the benefits of a thriving visitor economy whilst protecting the spirit and fabric of communities, including by giving local authorities valuable data on short-term lets in their area to help address possible housing impacts. We will set out further detail on how the scheme will work as soon as practicable.

The apprenticeship ‘National achievement rate tables’, which includes achievement rates, are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2023-24.

The department does not hold information on apprenticeship achievement rates for apprenticeships with specific functional skills qualifications requirements.

In November 2024, indicative achievement rates for apprenticeships where an English and/or mathematics component aim was present were published here: https://content.explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/api/releases/bfd06312-7732-41bc-97e7-94a6d85d2400/files/ffbc3754-8edb-4110-96af-1c1558f185bf. There was an indicative achievement rate of 42% for apprenticeship standards where an English and/or mathematics aim was taken alongside an apprenticeship in the 2022/23 year.

Please note:

(1) The 42% figure is not directly comparable with those published in the National achievement rate tables and is indicative only. For all apprenticeship standards for 2022/23 the achievement rate was 54%.

(2) English/mathematics aims include some that are not Functional Skills Qualifications.

(3) The department cannot differentiate between English/mathematics aims that are taken as a mandatory requirement of the apprenticeship and those that are not.

(4) Wider functional skills qualifications (i.e. Digital Functional Skills) are not included in these figures.

(5) 2022/23 is the Hybrid End Year. The Hybrid End Year is the later of the Achievement Year, Expected End Year, Actual End Year or Reporting Year of a programme.

All young people should have access to high-quality education and training that meets their needs and provides them with opportunities to thrive.

Over £7 billion of 16-19 programme funding will be invested during academic year 2024/25, to ensure there is a place in education or training for every 16- to 18-year-old who wants one. The department calculates the basic funding for institutions using lagged student volumes and funding rates, which depend on the size of their students’ study programmes or T Levels. These rates are regardless of which type of institution they study at or what they study.

The Adult Skills Fund (ASF) is worth £1.34 billion this year, and funds education and skills training for those 19 and above to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. Learners aged 19-23 can get their first full level 2 and level 3 fully funded under the ASF legal entitlements.

For the 2024/25 academic year we have introduced five new funding rates that apply to the ESFA funded ASF. Under these new funding rates, 78% of qualifications are seeing an increase in funding.

The government’s reformed growth and skills levy will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, including through new foundation apprenticeships that will give more young people a foot in the door and will support clear pathways into work-based training and employment.

Local authorities have been expected to publish a policy detailing their approach towards meeting the needs and supporting children living in kinship care since the Family and Friends Care guidance was published in 2011. The department will soon be releasing updated guidance, called Kinship Care statutory guidance, which will restate that requirement.

The department recognises the valuable and important role that kinship carers, including special guardians, play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. The government is committed to working with local government to support children in care, including through kinship arrangements.

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. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide.

Financial support is paid at the discretion of the local authority and in accordance with their model for assessing support needs. All local authorities should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra are continuing to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.

This Government is committed to empowering Protected Landscapes to become greener, wilder, and more accessible to all. We understand the uncertainty around resourcing remains a challenge for Protected Landscapes bodies like National Landscapes. Defra business planning is ongoing and we will communicate the outcomes of this as soon as possible.

Defra and the Welsh Government have concluded a six-week consultation on proposed reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, which closed on 23 December. In this consultation, we asked for responses to three core reforms and nine technical amendments and called for evidence on two wider reforms for potential future development. We encouraged all parties to respond to the consultation to ensure a balanced and representative response. A Government response, outlining next steps, will be issued in due course following the analysis of responses.

Certain hedgerows are protected from removal under the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 if they meet specific criteria. The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 introduced management rules into domestic legislation to protect hedgerows on land used for agriculture in England.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive was developed to recognise the large variety of locally and nationally important hedges and hedgerows we see across England. In 2023, the hedgerow offer was launched and expanded in 2024. This includes an offer to maintain earth banks or stone-faced hedge banks (BND2). Those with Cornish hedges will be eligible to apply for both offers to ensure their hedgerow is maintained. We will continue to review what additional policies may be required to protect and enhance the ecological and cultural value of hedges and hedgerows in England.

Grants have been made available to support Cornish hedges under the Capital Grants offer. In 2024 the scheme supported agreements to plant over 4,000 miles of new hedgerows across England, creating essential habitats for at-risk species of birds and mammals. In November, the Capital Grants scheme was closed to new agreements following unprecedented demand this Autumn. We are forecast to spend more on capital grants this year than ever before. We currently are reviewing the Capital Grants offer to ensure funding goes further to improve outcomes for food security and nature conservation and will provide an update in early 2025. We have allocated the largest ever budget for sustainable food production through the farming budget.

This is a devolved matter with regard to Scotland and Northern Ireland; hunting with dogs is a reserved matter with respect to Wales and therefore, the information provided relates to England and Wales only.

The Government is committed to banning trail hunting as part of a wider drive to introduce ambitious plans to improve animal welfare. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and, to date, no assessment has been made on either the impact of hunting with hounds or trail hunting on rural communities.

Moving traffic contraventions, including entry into a designated pedestrian zone, may be civilly enforced by designated local authorities using CCTV prescribed by regulations made under the Traffic Management Act 2004.

By using these cameras local authorities are able to capture not just the number plate and location, but the wider context, to establish whether a contravention has occurred.

In the Department’s view, ANPR technology could not in isolation provide the functionality needed for fair and effective civil enforcement.

The Bus Services Act 2017 already requires an authority to make a statement on how they will facilitate SMEs in service provision as part of the franchising process.

On 9 September 2024, the Department consulted on updates to bus franchising guidance, these updates aim to reduce the technical barriers to franchising and support safer, more accessible services. The Department is currently reviewing the feedback received, including valuable insights from bus operators and organisations representing small-to-medium-sized operators, and will respond shortly.

The Department will continue working with local authorities to develop different franchising models that could be smaller scale, require less financial commitment and support SME participation.

The three lithium substances (lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and lithium chloride) referred to above, do not currently have mandatory classification and labelling in Great Britain (GB). HSE specialists are considering the need to fully evaluate the available data using the Article 37A process under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (GB CLP) following publication of the Agency Opinion by HSE in August 2023 to determine whether mandatory classification and labelling is warranted.

Customers working as a member of the First-tier Tribunal can receive ESA if they work no more than one full day, or two half days, in a working week. They have a weekly £20 disregard applied to their earnings and the remaining amount is deducted penny for penny from the customer’s ESA entitlement.

There are no current plans to increase the earnings disregard amount beyond £20.

There are nine possible award outcomes on a claim to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), ranging from a nil award through to an award of the enhanced rate of both the daily living and mobility component. The decision on a claim to, or an existing award of, PIP persists in law until such time as a new decision is made. As such, a claimant appealing against their decision will continue to receive the level of award, if any, that the decision entitles them to until such time as a new decision is made by the tribunal. Payment of that existing award will only be suspended in cases where there is evidence to suggest the award in place is incorrect, such as in cases of suspected fraud.

Claimants to PIP, whether they are appealing against a decision or not, can be entitled to a range of additional support depending on their circumstances, including benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit.

All Disability Living Allowance (DLA) staff receive extensive training in the DLA customer journey and have an awareness of other benefits. When claiming Disability Living Allowance, a detailed notification and an additional leaflet are also issued to the customer which explain wider benefit entitlement options and we also encourage customers to visit the Gov.uk website which provides details of additional benefits they may be entitled to.

PIP assessment accuracy and quality is a priority for both suppliers and the department. The department works extensively with suppliers to make improvements to guidance, training, and audit procedures to ensure a quality service. A high standard is always maintained through an independent audit function that continually monitors performance and provides feedback to its suppliers.

DWP have a comprehensive and on-going quality assurance process in the decision-making journey and work closely with colleagues in Dispute Resolution Service (DRS), who are responsible for reconsiderations and appeals, to understand and learn from decisions that are changed. This also helps to maintain standards and consistency.

The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising Health and Disability benefit services to create a more efficient service and an improved claimant experience, building trust in our services and decisions. The HTP Evaluation Strategy, published here on GOV.UK, provides an overview of our plans to evaluate the Programme.