Kevin Bonavia

The cyber security of the UK economy is a priority, which is why the government already offers free cyber security training via the National Cyber Security Centre website. This includes the “Top Tips for Staff”, an online, accessible cyber security training package for organisations of all sizes and sectors, and the new Cyber Governance Code of Practice, which includes a training package to help boards and directors manage digital risks in their organisations. More widely, the government offers a range of guidance to help organisations improve their cyber resilience and many of these products recommend staff training. Existing legislation - including the Security of Network & Information Systems Regulations (2018) and the Data Protection Act (2018) - includes recommendations for organisations in scope to provide appropriate training for their staff. This year we will introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to improve UK cyber defences and better secure our essential services and the IT infrastructure they rely upon. Later this year, the government will publish a new National Cyber Strategy setting out how we will approach the challenges and opportunities of cyber security.

The Government continues to work closely with Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, to ensure customers are empowered to navigate the telecoms market and find the best deals for their needs.

A range of measures have been implemented, for example since 2020 Ofcom has required providers to issue end-of–contract notifications. These alert customers when their contract/discounts are ending, encouraging them to secure better deals.

The Government has no plans to mandate providers to charge new and existing customers the same price, however we will continue to work with Ofcom to monitor the market to ensure that consumers are receiving fair deals.

The new digital centre exists to enable Departments to deliver digital public services that work for everyone. GDS guide, monitor and assure all digital public services, incentivising departments to provide support for service users with low digital skills or limited access to the web.

Through Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network, we are continuing to deliver broadband and mobile connectivity to hard-to-reach areas with limited or low coverage.

Kinship carers play an extremely important role in both their kin children’s lives and in the children’s social care system.

The government is committed to working in partnership with local government to support children in care, whether they are being looked after by their community or kinship, foster carers and adoptive parents. The department recognises the challenges many kinship carers face. The government will consider how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system so that it is better delivering for children and families. This will include considering how best to support kinship carers and children in kinship care.

The department will recruit the first ever National Kinship Care Ambassador to advocate for kinship carers and work directly with local authorities to improve services. The ambassador will be appointed in 2024 and will support government and local authorities to keep kinship carers at the heart of their services.

The government is extending the delivery of peer support groups, which will sustain over 140 peer support groups across England where all types of kinship carers, including private foster carers, can come together to share stories, support each other, and exchange advice.

The department is also funding a package of in person and online training and support that all kinship carers across England may access. The service went live in April 2024 and is being delivered by the charity, Kinship.

In relation to dogs, under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations), commercial and high-volume dog breeders must hold a licence issued by their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse, vary or revoke licences.

The department has completed a review of the Regulations which can be found here. The department is considering the review’s findings and will outline any next steps in due course.

The Department regularly meets other Government departments to discuss animal welfare issues including enforcement.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the police all have powers to investigate allegations of animal cruelty or poor welfare. These bodies will work in close partnership with welfare charities, including the RSPCA, to ensure that the welfare of animals is protected.

England’s trees and woodlands are protected by a number of regulatory regimes. These include the felling licence regime, the environmental impact assessment regulations, tree preservation orders, sites of special scientific interest and the planning regime.

Defra recently conducted and published a review into how ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are protected by the National Planning Policy Framework. We are working to take forward the findings.

The Government has no plans to ban disposable barbeques at present. Local authorities already have powers to apply local bans on council or public land. It would also be a crime to litter a disposable barbecue for which councils have powers to issue fixed penalty notices (on-the-spot fines) of up to £500 or prosecute.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Since this announcement DVSA has:

• Asked volunteers currently working in other roles, but qualified to examine, to carry out practical driving tests.

• Reintroduced overtime pay incentives for everyone delivering driving tests. The additional testing allowance (ATA) scheme launched 1 June 2025. DVSA believes the introduction of the ATA will encourage both driving examiners (DE) and those in other roles to provide additional tests.

• Continued to work towards doubling new entrant training capacity. By 31 July 2025, DVSA aims to double its permanent training resource from 13 to 26 trainers. This will ensure newly recruited DEs can qualify as quickly as possible.

• Launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests, on 28 May. Views are being sought from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties on changes which aim to prevent learner drivers being exploited by those who resell tests at a higher price. The consultation will close at 11:59pm on 23 July 2025.

Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.

The Minimum Income Floor (MIF) encourages self-employed customers to progress in work and grow their earnings to a sustainable level.

The Government has committed to reviewing Universal Credit to ensure it is supporting the Government’s objectives to make work pay and tackle poverty.

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality.

The policy on the uprating of UK State Pensions paid overseas is a longstanding one.

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so - for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

There are no plans to widen Bilateral Social Security Agreements to include the uprating of State Pensions paid to recipients abroad.

In December 2024, to support local systems to commission high quality cardiac rehabilitation, NHS England published the document, Commissioning standards for cardiac rehabilitation. This document is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/commissioning-standards-for-cardiovascular-rehabilitation/

These standards of care complement the British Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation’s Standards and Core Components document, published in 2023, to support the delivery of high-quality care and adherence to evidenced-based practice. More information is available at the following link:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/66cc563eecc7a22020c7da6c/t/66ffa8f20aef5d0b272c6b0e/1728030962905/BACPR+Standards+and+Core+Components+2023.pdf

Patients who survive cardiac arrest and their families are supported through referral to local services within the National Health Service; this will include rehabilitation such as cardiac and neurological rehabilitation and mental health services for psychological support.

There are different pathways for cardiac arrest survivors, depending on the severity of the damage caused by the cardiac arrest. For people being discharged from secondary care and those with ischemic heart disease, namely myocardial infarction, cardiac rehabilitation services are available in every region. For this reason, the Government does not currently have plans to bring forward legislative proposals on this issue.

The Department remains committed to exploring the extension of medicine responsibilities for non-medical professionals. This will support the aim that patients are cared for and treated by the most appropriate healthcare professional to meet their needs, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Many regulated healthcare professionals have already received extended medicine responsibilities, and the Department is committed to assessing the impact that these changes have had on patient care.

Regarding the extension of paramedics’ medicine responsibilities, there is a process in place for making changes to ensure proposals are safe and beneficial for patients. Officials are carefully considering proposals relating to a range of healthcare professionals, including paramedics, as a part of wider work building on work delivered by the Chief Professions Officers’ medicines mechanisms programme.

In September 2024, my Department announced new funding opportunities for brain tumour research to make sure promising treatments are made available to patients.

The Government fully supports Reservists in volunteering for service alongside their regular employment. Accordingly, Reservists are eligible for an annual tax-free lump sum. Information on this can be found on the Army Reserves pay and benefits webpage. We keep our policies and processes under constant review, to ensure that they attract people to serve and incentivise them to stay.

Introducing a separate, adjusted rate of tax for army reservists’ income would add complexity to the tax system and be costly at a time when the Government has already had to take a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to restore economic stability, fix the public finances, and support public services.

We regularly engage with NATO and our Allies on strengthening Euro-Atlantic security. The Prime Minister met the NATO Secretary General on 3 February, underlining our unshakeable commitment to the Alliance. European Allies must take greater responsibility for our own security, spending more and producing more. That is the message the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary continue to deliver to our Allies.

This Government recognises the vital role Defence plays not only in our national security but also to the economic prosperity and growth of the United Kingdom.

The Government is committed to delivering a new Defence Industrial Strategy, working in partnership with our domestic defence industry across the UK, to support UK innovation and resilience.

In the first days of this Government, the Prime Minister and I met Mayors in Downing Street to discuss devolution and the critical role for mayors in delivering our Mission of Economic Growth.

Building on the last Labour Government’s legacy of the devolution in Scotland and Wales, the Prime Minister and I are determined to see devolution extended to every corner of England and I have invited local areas without a devolution agreement to come forward.

We will continue to work with local leaders, councils, Members of Parliament and stakeholders to deepen and widen devolution across England.

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 199 on 26 July 2024.

The Government does not support the introduction of rent controls. We have made clear that we intend to use the Renters’ Rights Bill to provide tenants with greater protections against unreasonable within-tenancy rent increases.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many young people are now locked out of homeownership. In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the Government has committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme and to giving first-time buyers the first chance to buy homes.