Kim Johnson

Post Office recently announced that it will be moving to a fully-franchised network. Transitioning to a franchise model will help in tackling the losses that directly managed branches incur on a sustainable basis, as this is expected to result in over £100 million of savings for the company over the next five years.  This aligns with Post Office’s commitment to deliver a New Deal for Postmasters, as the savings created by these changes will put Post Office in a better position to increase remuneration for postmasters across the UK.  This decision regarding the network, and decisions around the circumstances of each directly managed branch are operational matters for Post Office.

The Government’s Green Paper, due to be published later this year, will ask the public what they want to see from a modern Post Office network. The Green Paper is about a long-term vision for the Post Office, not about operational decisions related to individual branches.

Post Office recently announced that it will be moving to a fully-franchised network. Transitioning to a franchise model will help in tackling the losses that directly managed branches incur on a sustainable basis, as this is expected to result in over £100 million of savings for the company over the next five years.  This aligns with Post Office’s commitment to deliver a New Deal for Postmasters, as the savings created by these changes will put Post Office in a better position to increase remuneration for postmasters across the UK.  This decision regarding the network, and decisions around the circumstances of each directly managed branch are operational matters for Post Office.

The Government’s Green Paper, due to be published later this year, will ask the public what they want to see from a modern Post Office network. The Green Paper is about a long-term vision for the Post Office, not about operational decisions related to individual branches.

Post Office recently announced that it will be moving to a fully-franchised network. Transitioning to a franchise model will help in tackling the losses that directly managed branches incur on a sustainable basis, as this is expected to result in over £100 million of savings for the company over the next five years.  This aligns with Post Office’s commitment to deliver a New Deal for Postmasters, as the savings created by these changes will put Post Office in a better position to increase remuneration for postmasters across the UK.  This decision regarding the network, and decisions around the circumstances of each directly managed branch are operational matters for Post Office.

The Government’s Green Paper, due to be published later this year, will ask the public what they want to see from a modern Post Office network. The Green Paper is about a long-term vision for the Post Office, not about operational decisions related to individual branches.

Post Office recently announced that it will be moving to a fully-franchised network. Transitioning to a franchise model will help in tackling the losses that directly managed branches incur on a sustainable basis, as this is expected to result in over £100 million of savings for the company over the next five years.  This aligns with Post Office’s commitment to deliver a New Deal for Postmasters, as the savings created by these changes will put Post Office in a better position to increase remuneration for postmasters across the UK.  This decision regarding the network, and decisions around the circumstances of each directly managed branch are operational matters for Post Office.

The Government’s Green Paper, due to be published later this year, will ask the public what they want to see from a modern Post Office network. The Green Paper is about a long-term vision for the Post Office, not about operational decisions related to individual branches.

The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives, reducing pressures on the NHS.

There are multiple targeted schemes delivering energy efficiency measures to low-income and fuel poor households. The Warm Home Discount schemes provide a £150 rebate off bills to eligible low-income households across Great Britain.

The Government has kickstarted delivery of the Warm Homes Plan, including an initial £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes over the next 3 years.

DCMS recognises the significant role the cruise industry plays in the broader tourism and hospitality sectors. The Department regularly engages with a range of stakeholders across the tourism sector, including the cruise industry, to understand their perspectives and challenges. As part of our ongoing commitment to represent the diverse interests within tourism, DCMS is reviewing opportunities for industry representation in relevant groups and will consider the cruise industry’s inclusion in these forums where appropriate. Further details on stakeholder engagement will be made available in due course.

DCMS is committed to working collaboratively with all sectors of the tourism industry to support sustainable growth and resilience across the sector. The Department engages regularly with representatives from the cruise industry, as well as other key tourism stakeholders, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges each sector faces. These consultations will continue to inform our approach to tourism planning.

DCMS is reviewing how best it works with industry and local and devolved authorities to drive forward an ambitious plan for UK tourism and the visitor economy. We are committed to ensuring that we work with the whole of the tourism sector, including those who work in inbound, outbound and domestic tourism. We hope to make announcements soon.

The department does not currently plan to establish a public inquiry into the policy framework surrounding placement of children in schools for the so-called “educationally subnormal” in the 1960s and 1970s, but is keen to ensure that the mistakes made in that time are never repeated, and that no children or young people today suffer from the structural barriers and entrenched racism that held too many of our young people back in previous generations.

The government wants to ensure that whoever you are, wherever you come from, Britain is a country that will respect your contribution and give you a fair chance to get on in life.

We want every child and young person to achieve and thrive in education, work, and life, regardless of their background. All children and young people must be treated fairly. There is no place for hate or prejudice in our education system.

Additionally, under the Equality Act 2010, schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act.

The Public Sector Equality Duty also requires public bodies, including maintained schools and academies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Act; advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and foster good relations across all characteristics.

The department is also focused on driving high and rising standards in every school, helping every child to achieve and thrive. We aim to deliver improvements though excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum and a system which removes the barriers to learning that holds too many children back.

Nobody should have to miss out on education because of their period, which is why the department provides free period products to girls and women in all state-maintained schools and 16 to 19 education organisations in England. Higher education (HE) institutions are independent bodies and so would be expected to make their own arrangements to ensure that pupils have access to the products that they need. Only girls and women aged 16 to 19 attending further education courses funded by the department within HE institutions would be eligible for the scheme.

The department has noted with interest the Association of Colleges report about educational provision for 14 to 16-year-olds in further education (FE) colleges in England. Funding for 14 to 16-year-olds in FE colleges is based on the same approach as for 16 to 19-year olds. In 2024/25 there will be a significant increase of £750 per full time 14 to 16-year-old student that has not yet achieved GCSE English and mathematics. This is as a result of extending to programmes at all levels the English and mathematics funding only previously available for those on Level 3 programmes without grade 4 in the subjects. 14 to 16-year-olds in colleges will also benefit from the £300 million funding boost for FE in 2025/26 that my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at budget to ensure young people are developing the skills they need to succeed and a further £300 million to support colleges to maintain, improve and ensure suitability of their estate.

The department will work through priorities for future investment as part of the next spending review.

The department recognises the vital role played by free school meals (FSM) and encourages all eligible families to take their entitlement up. There are currently around 2.1 million pupils eligible for and claiming FSM.

To make it as easy as possible to receive FSM, the department provides the Eligibility Checking System, which allows local authorities to quickly verify eligibility for FSM.

The department is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that all children have the freedom to achieve and thrive in education. Further to this, the department is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop a child poverty strategy to reduce child poverty by tackling its root causes and giving every child the best start in life. The strategy will be published in the spring.

As with all government programmes, the department will keep its approach to FSM under continued review.

The department does not centrally hold statistics showing how many children who had been excluded from school were then registered at special schools. However, there are legal duties on schools and local authorities to provide suitable full-time education from the sixth day of a suspension or permanent exclusion.

The duties on schools and local authorities in relation to suspension and permanent exclusion are set out in statutory guidance, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.

Please see below table for the number of certificates of competency issued for ships’ cooks in each year between 2015 to 2024

Please be advised that there is no requirement for a certificate of equivalent competency for Ships Cook.

The Skilled Worker visa for Marine and waterways transport operatives has not been discussed between DfT and Home Office Ministers. Officials continue to liaise with their Home Office counterparts and update Ministers where appropriate.

Improving the pay and working conditions of seafarers is a priority for this government. We are committed to working with the sector and our international partners to improve standards.

All vessels visiting the UK must comply with international minimum standards on employment and welfare. We work with like-minded states and our social partners to continue to improve those international standards.

The UK has signed Memoranda of Understanding with Spain, Greece and Cyprus agreeing to coordinate on matters relating to the conditions of seafarers.

The Memorandum of Understanding covers maritime safety, security and environment and is a basis for dialogue of mutual interest to both states, and to exchange information and best practice. It also promotes cooperation on dialogue in the international fora on areas of common interest.

For seafarers, we have seen this most recently in April in our co-operation with Canada, EU member states including Cyprus, and others on important amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention that the UK helped to drive through.

As the flag state for several vessels on the short sea ferry sector, Cyprus complies with all international and EU requirements in terms of employment and welfare of seafarers. Domestic regulations put in place by the coastal state may go over and beyond international requirements. These are compliant with international law and recognise the authority of the flag state.

The annual review of the Cyprus-UK bilateral Memorandum of Understanding is led by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Director General for Europe. The Department was not represented during the second annual review which took place in December 2024. However, the Department worked with the FCDO to review the UK-Cyprus Joint Statement and provided written contributions on transport related issues covered in the strategic dialogue as part of the second annual review.

In March 2025, 32% of self-employed single parent lead carers on UC were earning at or above their Minimum Income Floor (MIF), compared to 31% of all self-employed lead carers on UC. This only includes claimants who are currently gainfully self-employed and have their MIF applied.

In March 2025, there were 418,000 couples in receipt of Universal Credit payment who met or exceeded the administrative earnings threshold. Of these, 263,000 did so with one parent earning, and the remaining 155,000 did so with two parents earning.

In March 2025, 8% of single parent lead carers on Universal Credit (UC) were self-employed, compared to 8% of all lead carers on UC. This includes both claimants who are classified as gainfully self-employed and non-gainfully self-employed.

The number of single parent lead carers on Universal Credit (UC) with work requirements who earn at or above the individual Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) was 289,000 in March 2025. This is equal to 47% of the UC lead carer caseload who have work requirements.

(a) Official statistics for the number of households on Universal Credit (UC) are published every three months on Stat-Xplore, with breakdowns available by various geographies including Westminster Parliamentary Constituency. In addition, breakdowns are available by the number of children and the different UC elements, including the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity payment. The latest statistics are available to November 2024.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access general guidance on how to extract the information required. For guidance on the UC datasets on Stat-Xplore, see the Universal Credit Official Statistics Stat-Xplore User Guide.

(b) (c) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is an individual-based benefit and therefore DWP does not hold family information on its administrative systems, so this information is not available.