Josh Babarinde

We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.

We are engaging with key stakeholders as part of the development of our overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more details on this in due course.

The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. As outlined in our manifesto, we will bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.

This Government remains committed to delivering the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in October 2027, as agreed with the devolved Governments of the UK, and in accordance with the Joint Policy Statement published in April 2024. There are no plans to accelerate this work – industry have been clear that this is the time they need to launch the scheme.

Defra intenda to lay the DRS regulations for England and Northern Ireland before Parliament later this year, assuming Parliamentary time allows. If so, the regulations would come into force in early 2025, before the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), (who will run the scheme), would be appointed in April 2025.

I recognise the continued disappointment felt by communities and businesses in Kent about the continued cessation of Eurostar services. I too am keen to see the reinstatement of these services, recognising this is a commercial decision for Eurostar.

The Government is engaging with Kent stakeholders, including MPs, councillors and representative organisations to discuss this issue and is committed to continue to explore potential solutions including with potential new operators.

The Government is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks, including the footways that make up such an essential part of them. The Chancellor announced an extra £500 million for local highway maintenance at Budget 2024 for the 2025/26 financial year, which, for most authorities including East Sussex County Council, will mean an increase of nearly 40% compared to the current financial year. The funding is for all parts of the highway network, including footways, and it is up to each authority to determine how the funding is spent. The Government encourages local highway authorities to consider the needs of all road users, including pedestrians, when planning their highway maintenance programmes.

As well as the big uplift in maintenance funding, the Government has also announced an extra £100 million investment in active travel infrastructure next year, which will allow local authorities to improve footways in their areas. Further details of how this funding will be allocated will be announced shortly.

We have no plans to reduce the role of independent retailers once rail operators are brought into public ownership.

Independent retailers add significant value to the marketplace in driving innovation and the Government wants to see them continuing to do so in the future.

Payments of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are made every four weeks in arrears, other than SREL (Special Rules, End of Life) cases, which are paid weekly in advance.

These are set out in legislation.

We are working to develop proposals for health and disability reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year. This will launch a public consultation on the proposals.

This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, so we will consult on these proposals, where appropriate, with disabled people and representative organisations.

Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we have already started to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives, including through stakeholder roundtables and public visits. We look forward to progressing these initiatives over the coming months.

We carefully considered the Ombudsman’s findings to ensure our decision was fair and based on the evidence.

We have accepted the Ombudsman’s finding that there was a 28-month delay in sending out letters and for this we have apologised. However, we do not agree with the Ombudsman’s approach to injustice or remedy. Full details of the Government’s decision are available here: Government response to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age communications and associated issues - GOV.UK

We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment amongst as many people as possible. We will set out our proposals in a Health and Disability Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement. Whilst there will be no specific assessment made from the report, we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, so we will consult on these proposals with disabled people and representative organisations. We welcome the views of Citizens Advice Eastbourne and all other stakeholders.

Data on cancer incidence, including for prostate cancer, are available at the level of England, former Government office regions, Cancer Alliances and integrated care boards, rather than by constituency. The data, which also provides an interactive tool for exploring incidence with data available up to 2022, is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2022

The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.

The Department of Health and Social Care funds research into dementia via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society and the People’s Postcode Lottery, the NIHR is funding the Blood Biomarker Challenge which seeks to produce the clinical and economic data that could make the case for the use of a blood test in the NHS to support diagnosis of dementia. The NIHR has also invested nearly £50 million over five years into the Dementia Trials Network, which seeks to significantly expand the United Kingdom’s early phase clinical trial capabilities in dementia which will support the development of treatments.

To prepare for the new generation of dementia treatments in development, we are working to ensure the diagnostic and treatment capacity, clinical pathway redesign and investment are in place to support the adoption of any new licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended treatments as soon as possible.

As part of the Government’s Health Mission, our goal is to create a more equitable healthcare system that leaves no person or community behind. The Government has introduced ambitious reforms aimed at enhancing patient access to services, such as the Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025. We will set out further reforms to improve the National Health Service in the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan. Further information on the Elective Reform Plan is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/reforming-elective-care-for-patients/

We have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for pessary ring treatment for bladder prolapse, wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029. As a first step, we have delivered early an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments across elective services.

There are a range of efforts underway, nationally and in East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust, to reduce the time patients are waiting for care. The Elective Reform Plan sets out actions to reform outpatient care, which is a key part of the National Health Service’s approach to cutting waiting times for patients, including in high volume specialisms such as gynaecology.

Women’s health hubs have a key role in shifting care out of hospitals and reducing gynaecology waiting lists. NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board, which covers East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, has launched Women’s Health Hubs in five locations, namely Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove, Worthing, and Horsham. Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust is hosting a new Women’s Health Hub model, as part of a new South West London initiative to improve care and reduce waiting times for women. Suggested core services for hubs include pessary fitting and removal, including for pelvic organ prolapse.

The Government remains committed to improving women’s health and we are working with NHS England on how we take forward the women’s health strategy by aligning it to the Missions and forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed funding applications against requirements specified by the Department. Although no decision has been made to develop a national strategy to place defibrillators in high need areas, these requirements are to ensure that resources are allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.

The UK Government is committed to equality and opportunity for all, with a particular focus on those most likely to be marginalised and discriminated against, including on the grounds of their age. We are open in principle to the idea of a multilateral instrument dedicated to the human rights of older people and will continue to play a constructive role in discussions on this issue at the UN and other relevant fora.

The Home Office works closely with the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) to ensure that all actuarial advice, guidance and tools provided to Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) actively reflect changes to the firefighters’ pension schemes and regulations.

GAD, in partnership with the Home Office, support FRAs by providing appropriate actuarial guidance to pensions administrators, ensuring they have the means to accurately calculate pension entitlements for retired firefighters, where necessary.

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual FRA.

Peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy. It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law. This Government is committed to protecting and preserving that right.

The decision to prosecute an individual is a decision for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who are operationally independent of Government.

The Home Office is happy to consider proposals for new medals for members of the emergency services who get injured in the line of duty. It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made by these personnel, and it is important to make sure this is done in a proportionate and effective manner.

Any official medal for emergency services personnel is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within the service. The creation of a new medal requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (“HD Committee”), before advice is put to HM The King to make his final decision.

The Home Office allocated funding to the following organisations in FY2023-24 and FY2024-25:

The Home Office has allocated funding to Karma Nirvana – Honour Based Abuse Helpline as outlined in the table above.

Controlling and coercive behaviour (CCB) is a particularly insidious form of domestic abuse and I recognise the devastating impact that it has on victims.

The Ministry of Justice has launched an Independent Review of Sentencing chaired by former Lord Chancellor, David Gauke, which is currently ongoing. The Review will specifically look at offences primarily committed against women and girls, and the Government is dedicated to ensuring that the harm caused by these devastating crimes is appropriately and proportionally reflected in the sentencing framework.

Separate to changes in sentencing, through the Victims and Prisoner Act 2024, offenders convicted of coercive or controlling behaviour, who are sentenced to 12 months or more, will soon be automatically managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). This change will place serious coercive or controlling behaviour offending on an equal footing with serious and/or violent offenders and create greater consistency in how these domestic abuse offenders are managed in the community. The extra monitoring of offenders, and restrictions which can be placed upon them, via MAPPA management will serve to reduce their risk of reoffending and give greater assurance of safety to previous victims in the coming months

Tackling VAWG in all its forms, including CCB, is a top priority for this Government.

The new £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK, laying the foundations to kickstart local growth and drive-up living standards.

We are putting power in the hands of local people to address deprivation and regenerate their local area and unleashing the full potential of places that have for too long been overlooked.

The 75 communities will set up Neighbourhood Boards bringing together residents, businesses, and grassroots campaigners to draw up and implement Plans for how they will spend the up to £20 million of funding, whether that is repairing pavements and high streets, setting up community grocers providing low-cost alternatives when shopping for essentials, or neighbourhood watches to keep people safe.

We have doubled the number of interventions that communities can spend the money on and we are focusing on three long-term aims - building thriving places, strengthening communities and empowering people to taking back control instead of sticking plaster policies. We are giving local people their say by strengthening our consultations to make sure local people have a voice on how the funding is spent.

The pre-approved interventions have been drafted broadly to give flexibility to boards as to how and what they can deliver, providing examples where possible to indicate ideas for spend, but it is not exhaustive. Investment in local swimming facilities would fall under the category of ‘Funding for local sport and activity facilities, events, teams and leagues, to foster community engagement and connection’.

In October 2024, the government announced £500 million in new in-year funding for the Affordable Homes Programme. As a result of significant demand from housing providers across the country, that additional funding is already oversubscribed.

In February 2025, the government announced a further allocation of £300 million to the Affordable Homes Programme. This will support the near-term delivery of more social and affordable housing, delivering up to 2,800 new homes with more than half being Social Rent homes.

We have asked Homes England and the Greater London Authority to maximise Social Rent homes in allocating the remaining Affordable Homes Programme funding.

At the multi-year Spending Review later this year, the government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for Social Rent.

The Government is taking action to implement the measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. On 4 November I laid a Written Ministerial Statement confirming that we will publish the consultation in the new year. We also remain committed to establishing a Supported Housing Advisory Panel.

A consultation on the measures in the Act will be published shortly. We are in the process of establishing the Supported Housing Advisory Panel. This has closed to applications, and we will confirm membership of the Panel in due course.

The Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) is a voluntary protocol which can be triggered for any adverse weather condition that poses a risk to people who are homeless or rough sleeping. In such circumstances, the local authority will work closely with local partners to provide emergency accommodation.

Extreme cold weather conditions can cause serious health problems or even death for those who are exposed overnight or for long periods of time. Historically, SWEP was triggered when the temperature forecast was zero degrees or below for three days. It is now best practice to take a common-sense approach; where the temperature forecast approaches zero, the impact of rain, snow and wind chill are considered, and the ‘feels like’ temperature is checked, along with conditions underfoot (e.g., ice).

Guidance on SWEP is published by Homeless Link and is available here: https://homeless.org.uk/knowledge-hub/guidance-on-cold-weather-provision-swep-and-heatwaves/

The government is fully committed to tackling the issue of persistent vacancy in town centres and rejuvenating our high streets. High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) came into effect on 2 December 2024 and are a new permissive power for local authorities in England to auction the lease of commercial high street property (including retail and leisure units) that has been vacant for longer than 12 months in a 24-month period.

Furthermore, through the English Devolution Bill, we will introduce a strong new ‘right to buy’ for valued community assets. This measure will empower local communities to reclaim and revitalise assets that are important to them such as empty shops, pubs, and community spaces, helping to improve our high streets and eliminate the blight of vacant premises.

The Ministry of Justice’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) was recommissioned in 2023, under Government Commercial Function processes. Grant awards were made to successful applicants following an open competition. Grant amounts were dependent on the population formula amount allocated to the Police and Crime Commissioner area, and the application score. On 2 December 2024, I confirmed to RASASF grant recipients, including Safeline, that grant awards would be maintained through 2025-26 at 2024-25 levels.

Peer mentoring already plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation within prison and probation services. It is currently used in various ways, including providing lived experience insights of probation community requirements, and direct one-to-one mentoring. Some peer-led services are also delivered by external organisations, further supporting rehabilitation efforts. Overall, there is national variation in delivery of peer led services.

The Ministry of Justice has not specifically assessed the contribution of peer mentoring schemes in relation to reducing offending.

The Ministry of Justice intends that any expansion of peer-led initiatives is informed by evidence, ensuring that growth supports safe and effective rehabilitation. Additionally, every prison has been encouraged to deliver peer mentoring as part of the prison regime. This will help to embed peer support across the custodial estate, promoting rehabilitative engagement and enhancing prisoners’ access to mentoring opportunities.

There are several routes currently available for training and accreditation with most prisons offering a peer mentoring training and some offering higher learning with City and Guilds and other advice and guidance qualifications. In probation there has also been localised training created to deliver to peer mentors.

The funds for peer support schemes in both custody and community settings are delivered through various routes within prison and probation budgets. Funding is allocated regionally and locally by leadership teams, often through commissions and direct awards. As this funding is embedded within broader rehabilitation and resettlement budgets, it is not possible to publish a single figure for departmental spending on these initiatives.