John Lamont

The government expects most off-gas grid and rural properties will ultimately transition to heat pumps as these are a proven technology which have been installed in high numbers in other countries. Under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, grants are available for air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps is £7,500, and £5,000 is available for biomass boilers.

The Warm Homes Plan will help households, including rural off-gas grid households, take up measures like solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and insulation, helping them save money on their bills and benefit from cleaner, cheaper heating.

Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out by October.

The transformation of our electricity network will increase capacity for users across GB. Investment under Ofgem’s next electricity distribution networks price control (2028-2033) will be informed by Regional Energy Strategic Plans, which will consider local area energy requirements and ensure timely reinforcement of networks for rural communities. To bring new electricity transmission infrastructure online, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) allows parts of the network to be temporarily switched off so that work can be conducted safely. NESO undertakes system access planning to ensure this process is efficient and economic, and the transmission system continues to operate within the Security and Quality of Supply Standards through all access windows, minimising impacts on customers.

The Government will publish its carbon budget plan by October. This will set out the policy package to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all sectors of the economy, including the role of heat pumps and biomass (including wood pellets).

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides £7,500 grants to households to partially cover the cost of installing a heat pump in their home. Further detail on the Warm Homes Plan, including further funding for the Scheme, will be set out by October.

Biomass for electricity generation receives funding via the government’s Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference schemes.

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

This consultation seeks views on proposals for a new regulatory model for text and data mining. These proposals are presented for feedback and discussion, and no decision has yet been taken on the final policy.

As set out in the consultation “any proposals that we take forward will be implemented in line with our existing legal obligations, domestic and international. Relevant international treaties include the Berne Convention, Rome Convention, WCT, WPPT and TRIPS”.

The consultation closes on 25 February.

The Chancellor continually keeps the tax system under review.

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Defra is engaging with relevant stakeholders on the scope and design of this ban, including on the enforcement of penalties and hunting trophy exports.

We will continue to implement all existing national and international laws regarding trophy hunting trade, for example, under the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, as determined under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once there is sufficient clarity on the Parliamentary timetable.

Whenever a trade agreement of any sort is agreed, there will be domestic impacts if our trading partners have requested further access to the UK market. That is the case for the agreement on bioethanol. Senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting representatives of the domestic bioethanol industry, and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade met with bioethanol businesses on 14 May. We are actively listening to the concerns of the sector, and we are committed to working with the domestic bioethanol industry.

Defra’s approach has been to design a modern border with a simplified but effective system of biosecurity controls to contribute to economic growth, minimising friction at the border, administrative burden to traders, and additional costs to consumers while maintaining or improving biosecurity. Our import controls are a critical element of any biosecurity system.

We also appreciate the importance of timeliness in imports. To this end checks at Border Control Posts are handled by trained staff working to standard operating procedures, ensuring inspections are undertaken safely and efficiently. The Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) plant health import inspection process is accredited to the ISO 17020 Inspection Standard which is subject to external audits from the UK Accreditation Service. Inspectors are rigorously trained and are equipped to ensure sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) goods are handled safely and with care.

GB plant health services have significantly increased the number of plant health inspection staff to service the demand for import checks in England and Wales of EU plants and plant products. Inspector levels are being monitored to ensure these meet demand and deliver checks in line with set Service Level Agreements and ensure minimal trade disruption.

We are committed to reducing barriers to trade and cutting red tape by striking a fair balance between industry and biosecurity and will seek to negotiate an agreement with the EU to achieve this. Our aim is to negotiate a SPS agreement with the EU which could help to cut red tape and costs at our borders whilst maintaining a high standard of safety and security for eligible imports entering the UK through the short straits.

The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) has been developed following extensive engagement with businesses across the UK, points of entry, enforcement agencies and with the Scottish and Welsh Devolved Governments. Defra continues to monitor and review the impact of the BTOM. We continue working closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity.

The consultation on proposed increases to APHA plant health fees closed on 21 March 2025 and we are analysing the responses. We plan to respond to the consultation feedback in the spring.

Checks at border control posts are handled by trained staff working to standard operating procedures, ensuring inspections are undertaken safely and efficiently. The Animal Plant and Health Agency plant health import inspection process is accredited to the ISO 17020 Inspection Standard which is subject to external audits from the UK Accreditation Service.

Inspectors are rigorously trained and are equipped to ensure sanitary and phytosanitary goods are handled safely and with care.

GB plant health services have significantly increased the number of plant health inspection staff to service the demand for import checks in England and Wales of EU plants and plant products. Inspector levels are being monitored to ensure these meet demand and ensure minimal trade disruption.

As the new East Coast Main Line timetable has been developed, both the Department and the operators, including LNER, TransPennine Express and CrossCountry, have considered the effect on local economies and tourism along the route. This includes the Scottish Borders area, where extra services and stops have been introduced in the last few years to maintain connectivity in advance of the London services being revised this December, and further Scottish Border local services will be introduced in December.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.

As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers,  and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.

DVSA conducted 10,400 additional tests in June 2025 as a result of the additional test allowance, which was introduced on 1 June 2025. DVSA conducted 10,638 additional tests in July 2025. The 10,400 and 10,638 additional tests are as a comparison with the number we conducted in the equivalent scheme in June and July 2024.

The table below shows the average waiting times in July at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.

Since July last year, up to and including July 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has recruited and trained 226 driving examiners DEs who are now in post and delivering driving tests. The table below breaks down this figure by month, from July 2024 to July 2025.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.

As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers,  and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.

DVSA conducted 10,400 additional tests in June 2025 as a result of the additional test allowance, which was introduced on 1 June 2025. DVSA conducted 10,638 additional tests in July 2025. The 10,400 and 10,638 additional tests are as a comparison with the number we conducted in the equivalent scheme in June and July 2024.

The table below shows the average waiting times in July at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.

As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers,  and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.

DVSA conducted 10,400 additional tests in June 2025 as a result of the additional test allowance, which was introduced on 1 June 2025. DVSA conducted 10,638 additional tests in July 2025. The 10,400 and 10,638 additional tests are as a comparison with the number we conducted in the equivalent scheme in June and July 2024.

The table below shows the average waiting times in July at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.