Joshua Reynolds

Through the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 we have given the registrar more powers to ensure address (and other) information on the register of companies is as accurate and complete as reasonably possible. Additionally, next year will see the introduction of identity verification for company officers, beneficial owners and those who file information on companies’ behalf. We will assess the merits of these various improvements before considering what, if any, further measures might be appropriate to improve the quality and reliability of company information.

Zero emission boilers, or heat batteries are a promising technology because they utilise time-of-use tariffs, do not require outside space, and can be cheaper to install than heat pumps in some circumstances. However, they are also less efficient than heat pumps and will therefore use more energy to meet the same heating demand.

The Department is exploring, through studies like the Homes for Net Zero Trial, the role heat batteries could play in the future. We will continue to review our position on heat batteries, and other alternative electric heating technologies, as the supporting evidence base develops.

We have recently announced that we are delivering on our manifesto commitment to ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes through the Crime and Policing Bill.

Deepfakes more broadly are captured by the Online Safety Act where they are shared on social media platforms and are considered illegal content or content which is harmful to children.

For those who think that there are no repercussions for online activity, we saw convictions for illegal online activity following the summer riots, including under the new False Communications Offence.

After 14 years of Conservative failure, we share the public’s fury at the levels of sewage being released into our rivers, lakes and seas.

That is why this Government has introduced legislation to put the water companies under special measures to end their disgraceful behaviour. But this is not all we are doing.

We will outline further legislation to fundamentally transform how the water industry is run and speed up the delivery of upgrades to our sewage infrastructure to clean up our waterways for good.

We understand the financial pressures hardworking families are currently facing, especially as many people have been impacted by cost-of-living challenges.

Firmer action should have been taken over the last fourteen years to ensure money was spent on fixing the water and sewage system, not syphoned off for bonuses and dividend payments.

I am angry that over a decade of Conservative failure means customers will now have to pay higher bills to fix the system - this didn't need to happen.

But while I can’t undo the failure of the past – I can stop it happening again.

That is why I have announced reforms to ensure that funding for vital infrastructure will now be ringfenced, meaning it can only be spent on upgrades that benefit customers and the environment, not diverted to pay bonuses, dividends or salary increases.

Where money for investment isn’t spent, companies will refund it to their customers.

We are going further to work with the sector to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. All water companies, including Thames Water, offer affordability support for households who struggle to pay their bills in full including WaterSure and social tariffs, payment holidays, payment matching, benefit entitlement checks and financial advice referral arrangements.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests, very often at significant profit.

It is not possible to block book car practical driving tests. A driving licence number can be assigned to only one car practical driving test at a time. A DVSA survey suggests only 10% of learner drivers use third parties to book their tests. Most either book appointments themselves or through their approved driving instructor.

DVSA deploys enhanced bot protection on its public facing booking system to stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing and DVSA continues to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system.

St Marks Hospital is currently hosting temporary activity for Slough Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Maidenhead whilst the permanent site at Upton Community Hospital in Slough is being completed. All diagnostic activity will move to Upton Hospital later in 2025 once the new CDC is constructed, where it is expected that Slough CDC will be open 12 hours per day, 7 days a week.

The Elective Reform Plan, published on 6 January 2025, sets out that we will extend the minimum standards for all community diagnostic centres, to open 12 hours per day, 7 days a week as well as delivering additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding a number of existing CDCs and building up to five new ones.

CDCs intend to provide a broad range of elective diagnostics in the community and closer to home, reducing pressure on hospitals and giving patients quicker and more convenient access to tests. Therefore, where feasible, the National Health Service has and will endeavour to locate CDCs in the community rather than in acute settings. This supports one of the Government’s key strategic shifts, namely moving care from the hospital to the community.

Capital investment agreed at Spending Review 2025 and announced in the Autumn Statement will be allocated to local systems by NHS England, and details on this will be released as part of upcoming capital planning guidance. The investment will support a range of initiatives, including supporting systems to deliver against the Government's ambition to return to the 18-week constitutional standard.

NHS England will work with local systems to identify the most appropriate locations for investments, including new CDCs, and expansions of existing CDCs. A key factor they will consider is that new CDCs are positioned in a location which addresses local need and will address health inequalities.

Primary care providers, including general practices (GPs), are valued independent contractors who provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract. As in previous years, the issue of National Insurance contribution changes will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. The waiting list at the end of July stood at 7.62 million patient pathways, with 417,864 incomplete pathways waiting for treatment for cardiology.

We will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments per week, including in cardiology services, as a First Step in our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.

We will be supporting NHS Trusts to deliver these through innovation, sharing best practice to increase productivity and efficiency, and ensuring the best value is delivered.

This government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients across all specialities, including cardiology, are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.

Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS in England are taken by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the basis of an evaluation of a treatment’s costs and benefits. NICE’s methods are internationally respected, and have been developed through extensive work with industry, academics and the public to ensure they appropriately capture the costs and benefits, and best reflect social values. These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is important that they are made independently and on the basis of the available evidence.

We understand that despite NICE instigating an exceptional pause in the process to allow for commercial negotiations to take place with the companies, Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca, a deal to enable patient access to this treatment on the National Health Service in England has not been reached.

We know NICE’s announcement has come as a blow to many women and their families. We understand that NICE and NHS England have already sought to apply as much flexibility as they can in their considerations of Enhertu for HER2 LOW breast cancer and have made it clear to the companies that their pricing of the drug remains the main obstacle to access.

Within 16 weeks of the publication of final guidance, companies can also request a rapid review to consider new patient access scheme proposals, with the aim of establishing a pricing agreement that would improve cost-effectiveness and enable patient access to high-cost medicines. This Government wants to see a deal reached to make Enhertu available. NICE and NHS England remain open to considering an improved offer from the companies through the rapid review process, and we strongly encourage the companies to come back to the table.

In his article in Foreign Affairs (April 2024), the Foreign Secretary defined progressive realism as "using realist means to pursue progressive ends". He is clear that this approach will underpin FCDO policies and will require using all the tools at our disposal: economic, diplomatic and societal. In his Kew speech (September 2024), he set out what this means in the specific context of the climate crisis - engaging collaboratively to deliver an ambitious COP29 agreement as we did ensuring genuine partnerships are at the cornerstone of our foreign policy.

The Equitable Life Payment Scheme has been fully wound down and closed since 2016 and there are no plans to reopen any decisions relating to the Payment Scheme or review the £1.5 billion funding allocation previously made to it. Further guidance on the status of the Payment Scheme after closure is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equitable-life-payment-scheme#closure-of-the-scheme.

The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people. We will consider youth homelessness as we develop our long-term cross-government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country, to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

This Government recognises that council funding has been under pressure since 2010. Any council that has unmanageable pressures and is concerned about its financial position should approach the department.

We will provide councils with more stability and certainty through moving towards multi-year funding settlements and by ending wasteful competitive bidding pots. This will ensure councils can plan their finances for the future properly, delivering better value for money for taxpayers. Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement in which we are engaged.

Department officials continue to engage regularly with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead regarding its financial position.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 1177 on 31 July 2024.