Kanishka Narayan

We are a mission-led government and women’s equality is at the heart of all our missions.

On health, we are continuing to work with NHS England and the Women’s Health Ambassador to implement the Women's Health Strategy. Our priorities for delivering the strategy will be aligned with the 10 Year Plan and the government's Missions. The 10 Year Plan will set out how we tackle the inequities that lead to poor health, including those for women.

Women’s equality in the workplace and their financial security go hand in hand. As part of our mission to Make Work Pay we will move further and faster to tackle the gender pay gap, provide high-quality, accessible early years education and improve access to flexible working.

Discrimination has no place in society and we will continue to tackle it in every setting through the protections offered in the Equality Act.

The Business and Trade Secretary was in Delhi in February to relaunch negotiations for a trade deal with India and made good progress in building momentum towards a deal that will strengthen economic growth across the UK.

A trade deal with India could improve our access to the fastest growing economy in the G20; cut red tape for business, support jobs, and boost wages in UK.

Our negotiating team is working to capitalise on the positive momentum and secure a deal that strengthens our trade and investment relationship.

Venture capital-backed startups will frequently offer shares in the business to employees, as part of their remuneration. Most of these startups will be eligible to use the Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) scheme, which is open to firms with assets of £30 million or less and fewer than 250 employees. Using EMI firms may award share options up to a value of £250,000 in a 3-year period, free of Income Tax and National Insurance to the employee subject to certain conditions.

Embracing the opportunities that AI can provide to drive growth and productivity in the economy is a government objective. Supporting the development of AI data centres through policies such as AI Growth Zones is a key part of that. The Department is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in setting up the AI Energy Council that will have senior representatives from both the energy industry and the AI industry to look at where best to locate AI data centres and proactively manage the energy requirements of AI. Building the low carbon economy of the future will lead to significant increases in electricity demand across many sectors. These projected increases were a key part of the analysis that underpinned the department’s Clean Power Action Plan. This set out how, by unlocking new low carbon electricity generation, improving access to the electricity grid and efficient use and operation of the energy system - which can be supported by new technologies such as AI - we will achieve Clean Power by 2030 and maintain secure, resilient energy supplies.

The Government is receptive to representations regarding the BCSSS. I recently met with the Trustees of the Scheme to discuss their proposals, and will be discussing the matter with the Treasury in due course.

In response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, DSIT is currently developing a long-term compute strategy. At the same time, DSIT and UKRI are taking forward the development of the AI Research Resource, a network of supercomputers, currently consisting of Isambard-AI, in Bristol, and Dawn, in Cambridge, which will increase the UK’s existing public compute capacity by thirty times.

The Government has also committed to expanding the AIRR a further 20 times by 2030 to ensure that the UK has the AI infrastructure and compute capacity it needs to deliver new scientific innovations and discoveries that will drive productivity and growth throughout the economy. This expansion, and the long-term compute strategy – will reflect the evolving demands for training and inference.

Universities and research institutions are critical to the UK’s vision for AI. To build upon our strong R&D base and to ensure we’re at the forefront of AI innovation, AI Growth Zones will help secure the UK’s position as a global leader in AI, attracting significant investment and ensuring long-term economic growth.

In February, local authorities and industry, were invited to come forward with potential sites suitable for hosting AI infrastructure as an early expression of interest, and hundreds of responses were received. Further updates will be provided in due course.

The Government is committed to removing barriers to growth for AI startups and ensuring that they have access to resources and expertise needed to develop and scale.

Earlier this year, DSIT opened phase 1 of the AI Research Resource for early access to SMEs and startups to drive forward new AI-enabled innovations.

Expanding the UK’s compute capability is essential for the development and adoption of AI, scientific research, and improving public services. DSIT and UKRI are taking forward the development of the AI Research Resource, a network of supercomputers, currently consisting of Isambard-AI, in Bristol, and Dawn, in Cambridge, which will be fully operational by the summer. When this capacity is live, it will increase the UK’s existing public compute capacity by thirty times.

In response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we have also committed to expand the AI Research Resource (AIRR) by a further 20 times by 2030, and to publish a long-term compute strategy.

Expanding the UK’s compute capability is essential for the development and adoption of AI, scientific research, and improving public services. DSIT and UKRI are taking forward the development of the AI Research Resource, a network of supercomputers, currently consisting of Isambard-AI, in Bristol, and Dawn, in Cambridge, which will be fully operational by the summer. When this capacity is live, it will increase the UK’s existing public compute capacity by thirty times.

In response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we have also committed to expand the AI Research Resource (AIRR) by a further 20 times by 2030, and to publish a long-term compute strategy.

On behalf of the Secretary of State, last year I held a series of productive meetings with the Wales Office, Welsh Government, Arts Council England, and Welsh National Opera (WNO) to understand the issues in more detail and to see how, within the parameters of the arm’s length principle, DCMS can best help ensure a strong and secure future for the WNO.

Across all these meetings there was a recognition of the value of the WNO and its work - both for the people of Wales, and for people elsewhere in the UK. It was clear that all partners were keen to achieve a positive long-term future for the organisation.

Everyone wants to sustain the WNO, and so I was pleased to see additional funding of £755,000 allocated by the Arts Council of Wales to WNO last December. Funding decisions are of course for the Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council England, however, I welcome the tenure of the new joint CEOs and General Directors at WNO, and I am confident that they are now in a strong place to succeed.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Financial education currently forms a compulsory part of the national curriculum for mathematics, at key stages 1 to 4, and citizenship, at key stages 3 and 4, which together cover personal budgeting, saving for the future, managing credit and debt and calculating interest. Primary schools are free to teach financial education within citizenship. The non-statutory primary citizenship programme of study at key stages 1 and 2 equip pupils to look after their money and realise that future wants and needs may be met through saving.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that equips young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to thrive in life and work.

The department published a Jobs and Skills Dashboard in May 2024, which allows users to explore employment, demand and education pathways for both science, technology, engineering, and mathematics occupations and occupations most relevant to the UK critical technologies. This dashboard can be accessed here: https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/ufs-jobs-and-skills-dashboard/?_inputs_&navbar=%22Jobs%20and%20skills%22&tabsID=%22Summary%22&sectorChoice=%22STEM%22&shortageTimeChoice=%22Air-conditioning%20and%20refrigeration%20engineers%20SOC2010%22. An accompanying ad-hoc statistics release was also made available on Explore Education Statistics in May 2024, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supply-of-skills-for-jobs-in-science-and-technology.

Skills England will continue to assess the skills needs of the tech sector and the skills provision required to meet these skills needs. It is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Industrial Skills Council to bring businesses, training partners and unions together with national and local government, including Mayoral Strategic and Combined Authorities, to develop a clear assessment of the country’s skills needs for the tech sector and map pathways by which they can be filled.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department is currently reviewing the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance for schools and will look carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, consider the relevant evidence and discuss with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence. As part of this process, we will explore whether additional content is required, including on personal safety and safety awareness.

Sixth-form colleges and further education colleges are autonomous, and as such are responsible for determining the content of teaching provision, including whether to teach young people about personal safety and how to stay safe when going abroad.

The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) are currently conducting full market investigation into the supply of veterinary services for household pets in the UK. Defra appreciates any recommendations that support the services that consumers of veterinary services receive, whilst retaining a strong and healthy veterinary profession within the UK.

The CMA operates as an independent, non-ministerial department, which is separate from Defra. As such, Defra is not able to provide comment on any investigations currently being conducted but will consider the recommendations once the investigation is complete.

As announced in the recent Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new Jobs and Careers service that will enable everyone, regardless of age or gender, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in work or increase their earnings.

For those above state pension age, the new State Pension addresses historically poorer outcomes for women, low earners and self-employed people. This means, on average, women on the new State pension are receiving around 98% of the amount received by men.

The government have made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which will mean spending on State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £31 billion and will see pensioners’ yearly incomes being up to £1,900 higher.

Pension Credit provides a safety net for low-income pensioners and those with additional needs, such as those with a severe disability, caring responsibility, responsibility for a child or certain housing costs. Around 1.4 million pensioners are in receipt of the invaluable help that Pension Credit provides.

For those below State Pension age, support is also available through the working age welfare system. In addition, further help is available to eligible over 50s on Universal Credit, through Midlife-life MOTs delivered in Jobcentres and online, which provide an opportunity to review health, finances and skills and signpost to suitable support. There are also over 70 dedicated 50PLUS champions, working across all 37 Jobcentre Districts.

In Vale of Glamorgan, Employer and Partnership Teams in Jobcentres work with a range of employers and partners to enhance the skills and employment support available locally for customers, including women of all ages. The Department for Work and Pensions is also working across government, and through regular engagement with employers, to encourage positive attitudes towards older workers and to advocate for a more diverse, inclusive, and multigenerational workforce.

The Department has worked in close partnership with the devolved administrations in the management of this supply issue. The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this work, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.

In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals, which was then discussed with and cascaded to all the devolved administrations. This directs clinicians to consider these unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.

The Department has frequent conversations with representatives from the impacted patient groups, so that they are informed of the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

The Department will also continue to meet with suppliers, patient groups, and other relevant stakeholders across the supply chain to provide updates on the supply position and the actions being taken to address them.

The Department is looking to encourage greater innovation in the health sector to help support the three big shifts in healthcare, from hospitals to communities, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention, which are set out as part of the Government’s Health Mission.

The upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan, as part of the United Kingdom’s industrial strategy, and the 10-Year Health Plan present significant opportunities to strengthen the UK’s life sciences sector and ensure that innovation is embedded across the healthcare system. This will build on the Department’s MedTech Strategy, published in February 2023, and the subsequent One Year On Report in April 2024, outlining our priorities for improving the adoption and spread of safe, effective, and innovative medical technologies across the National Health Service.

The 15 Health Innovation Networks across England are our regional support structure for the development and adoption of health innovation. These networks are health innovation adoption experts, with each delivering services for their local population, as well as working as a national network. They transform lives through innovation by supporting health and social care teams to find, test, and implement new solutions at scale to tackle one of the NHS’ greatest challenges, driving economic growth.

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing children around the world. We know that children are disproportionately at risk from the effects of climate change, and children and young people will be at the forefront of shaping a resilient, sustainable future. The UK-led Glasgow Climate Pact urges Parties and stakeholders to ensure meaningful youth participation and representation in multilateral, national and local decision-making processes. We championed this approach at COP29, with the former Minister of State for Development meeting youth climate activists from developing countries, and UK Special Representative for Climate Rachel Kyte attending events alongside universities and the UN Youth Office to highlight the critical role of youth in climate action. I have also met with young people to discuss the impacts of climate change during my first to our overseas territories in the Caribbean.

Our international climate finance continues to prioritise support to the most vulnerable communities who are experiencing the worst impacts of climate change, including children. In addition, we are committed to amplifying the voices of the most marginalised, empowering them as decision-makers, advocates, and leaders in the climate response, ensuring gender and inclusion characteristics are a key part of our policy and programming. Through our policy and programming in health, we are promoting climate resilience, sustainable and equitable systems for health, including for children. The UK is also supporting the Global Partnership for Education in a new initiative partnering with the Green Climate Fund to provide co-financing to support countries to build the resilience of their education systems to climate shocks.

We are deeply concerned at the announcement that Israel has halted all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. As per the UK Government's statement on 5 March, with France and Germany, the entry of lifesaving aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool. A halt on goods and supplies entering Gaza, such as that announced by the Government of Israel would risk violating International Humanitarian Law. It is vital that the ceasefire is sustained, all the hostages are released, and continued flows of humanitarian aid to Gaza are ensured.

The Government wants to see more consumers participate in capital markets and benefit from the long-term financial security that investing can provide.

The Financial Services Growth & Competitiveness Strategy Call for Evidence, which closed on 12 December, asked how increasing retail participation in capital markets could support long-term sustainable growth within the sector and the wider economy. The call for evidence welcomed further evidence on how to improve consumer engagement with investing, and the Government is considering the feedback provided.

At Spring Statement 2025, the Government announced it is looking at options for reforms to ISAs that get the balance right between cash and investing, to earn better returns for savers, boost the culture of retail investment in capital markets, and support the growth mission.

More broadly, the Government is committed to boosting our capital markets to deliver growth across the UK and is pursuing ambitious reforms to make our markets even more competitive. For example, reforms to the Prospectus rules will give investors, including retail investors, access to better quality information and so participate more easily in the capital raising process. The Government is also working with the FCA to review the boundary between financial advice and guidance, to ensure consumers get the support they need to make decisions about their finances.

The National Payments Vision, published at Mansion House 2024, sets out the government’s ambition for a trusted, world-leading payments ecosystem delivered on next generation technology, where consumers and businesses have a choice of payment methods to meet their needs. It sets out two key foundations to deliver the government’s vision: a clear, predictable and proportionate regulatory framework, and resilient payments infrastructure that supports innovation.

The Vision established a Payments Vision Delivery Committee, which is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by senior representatives from the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority, to drive forward key outputs over the course of this year, including on payments infrastructure.

The Committee, through work led by the PSR and the Bank of England, will set out an approach for the development and delivery of the UK’s retail infrastructure needs and the required governance and funding model to achieve it.

The government published the Interim Report of its Pensions Investment Review at the Mansion House event on 14 November. This Report puts forward ambitious proposals to reform the UK pension system which could unlock productive investment while boosting savers’ pension pots.

The government is currently considering whether further interventions may be needed by the government to ensure that these reforms are benefiting UK growth.

The final report of the Pensions Investment Review will be published in the Spring, ahead of the introduction of the Pension Schemes Bill.

The Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme is a tax-advantaged share scheme, which allows SMEs to attract and retain high productivity workers that they otherwise would not be able to recruit due to insufficient cashflow compared to larger, more established companies. The asset and employee number eligibility caps ensure the scheme is targeted at those small companies most affected by this issue.

At Spring Budget 2022, a review of EMI concluded that the scheme and its limits remain “effective and appropriately targeted.” Following this evaluation, Company Share Option Plan (CSOP) was expanded from April 2023 in order to support companies as they grow beyond the scope of EMI.

The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, to ensure they continue to meet their policy objectives in a way that is fair and effective.

The Welsh Government’s Phase 1 Spending Review 2025 settlement for 2025-26 is the largest in real terms of any Welsh Government settlement since devolution.  The Welsh Government is receiving at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in England. That translates into over £4 billion more in 2025-26.

Barnett consequentials provided to the Welsh Government are not ringfenced for a specific policy area. It is for the Welsh Government to allocate their funding in devolved areas, including health, as they see fit. They can therefore take their own decisions on managing and investing available resources, reflecting their own priorities and local circumstances, and it is accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s mission to make our communities safe. We are taking a range of steps to realise this ambition.

We recently announced “Ronan’s Law”, a range of measures which will include stricter rules for online sellers of knives; increased penalties for illegal sales of knives; and consultation later this year on a registration scheme for online sellers of knives. We have also implemented the ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and created a new Young Futures programme, which will establish Prevention Partnerships across England and Wales, bringing partners together to intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime.

On Monday 24 February, I met with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip, Jane Hutt MS CBE (MS for Vale of Glamorgan). At the meeting I set out our ambitions to keep communities safe and to take a preventative approach to tackling knife crime. On Monday 10 March, I met with Emma Wools, along with the other PCCs for Wales.

Over £1m has been made available in 24/25 to the Wales Violence Prevention Unit (VRU), for violence prevention activity in South Wales. This funding is delivering a range of interventions to divert young people from a life of crime. In addition, we are providing up to £3.4m toward the Youth Endowment Fund’s Trauma-Informed Practice Grant Round – an innovative intervention to help frontline workers recognise and respond to trauma in the young people they work with. One of the projects participating in this important evaluation is the Relationship Building Together Project, run in Bridgend.

We have already announced a series of measures designed to strengthen the police response to violence against women and girls (VAWG), protect victims and hold perpetrators to account across England and Wales. This includes:

• Embedding the first domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms in five police forces under Raneem's Law to advise on risk assessments, work with officers on the ground and ensure that victims are referred to appropriate support services swiftly.
• Launching new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in select police areas which will go further than any existing order, making it a legal requirement for perpetrators to inform the police of any change in name or address; imposing electronic monitoring and ordering assessments for behaviour change programmes.
• Investing £13.1 million next financial year (25/26) into the new National Policing Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, to co-ordinate the police response to these crimes from 1 April 2025. Centralising policing expertise to tackle these crimes will drive national coordination, with the development of strengthened specialist training for officers across England and Wales ensuring they offer consistent protection for victims and relentlessly pursue the perpetrators of these vile crimes.

The Home Office also continues to fund a range of organisations providing vital frontline support to victims of VAWG.

Stalking is an insidious crime that can leave victims living in fear every day, and tackling it forms a key part of our mission on to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) over the next decade.

That is why the Home Office is:

- investing £13.1 million next financial year (25/26) to set up a new National Policing Centre for VAWG and Public Protection which will drive consistency in the police response to these crimes;

- introducing provisions for new multi-agency statutory guidance on stalking which will set a robust framework for how agencies such as the police, local authorities and health should work together, including statutory guidance for the police on when they should release identifying information about stalking perpetrators to victims;

- conducting a review of stalking legislation to determine whether the law should be changed and strengthened to take tougher action against perpetrators, and better protect victims; and

- the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are updating their joint protocol on the handling of stalking offences, so police and prosecutors are better equipped to recognise and respond to stalking. The CPS will also shortly launch a revised training module on stalking to support prosecutors.

Home Office officials engage regularly with the police and Welsh Government on this issue to understand how measures to improve identification, investigation and prosecution of stalking will apply to Wales.

In addition, we have established a VAWG Strategy Advisory Board which is feeding directly into the development of the new VAWG Strategy and has representatives from Wales, including the Independent Adviser on VAWG for Wales.

Spiking is an appalling crime that undermines the people's right to feel safe when they are simply enjoying a night out.

The Government is currently delivering a range of measures to tackle this vile practice, specifically targeted at raising awareness, identifying perpetrators, and gathering evidence. They include:

• Introducing a new criminal offence for spiking to help police better respond to this crime. This is being delivered through the Crime and Policing Bill which is currently at Committee Stage in the House of Commons.
• Funding the development and delivery of increased training on spiking to staff in the Night Time Economy at no cost to venues.
• Working with the regulator of the UK private security industry, the Security Industry Authority to deliver mandatory spiking training for their 352,000+ door supervisor licence holders by April 2028. This has already been delivered to more than 135,000 new licence applicants since Spring 2024.
• The funding of police spiking "intensification weeks" which have seen an enhanced focus on spiking and led to increased arrests, detections, and prevention activity taking place.
• Investing in research into the accuracy and efficacy of commercially available spiking testing kits, to help the police detect if someone has been spiked in real-time.

The Home Office works closely with the hospitality and third sectors, as well as law enforcement to ensure that we are delivering measures on spiking which make it more difficult to carry out in the first place, that venues and the emergency services are proving the best possible response, and that victims are listened to and feel supported.

A wide range of spiking training, resources, support and advice options are available across a number of organisations, many of whom are referenced on the Government's spiking web pages or within our training package.

Strengthened international cooperation is essential to tackle the gangs who facilitate organised immigration crime (OIC) and this Government is providing a step change in leading the international community’s approach.

We have signed a series of landmark agreements including with Iraq, Germany, Italy as well as deepening our relationship with France, and this week the UK hosted a landmark international summit to tackle the shared threat of OIC and protect our collective border security.

We expect this to have a positive impact on tackling organised immigration crime to the benefit of the whole of the UK, including South Wales.