Lee Anderson

The Church Commissioners have a discretion under the Episcopal Endowments and Stipends Measure 1943, assessed on a case by case basis, to pay the costs of a bishop’s office, including costs in connection with legal claims. Such claims include those which may allege that the office of a serving bishop is liable for the wrongdoing of a previous holder of the office or a person for whom in law the office of the bishop may be responsible.

Requests to the Church Commissioners for assistance with legal costs are subject to scrutiny by the First Church Estates Commissioner and the KC Commissioner, assisted by officers, to ensure that costs are reasonable in the circumstances.

It is not the practice of the Church Commissioners to disclose expenditure on the costs of legal proceedings of this kind (they are not required to do so under s.5 Episcopal Endowments and Stipends Measure 1943)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th July is attached.

We have agreed that we will work towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. We have agreed that any scheme will be capped as well as time-limited. We have also been clear that it should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes with countries like Australia and New Zealand. The exact parameters will be subject to negotiation, but any scheme will need to be in the UK’s national interests.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 22 May is attached.

The Cabinet Office has not set diversity, equality and inclusion targets for staff recruitment, but the Civil Service is committed to representing the diversity of the UK population.

The Civil Service Code states that Civil Servants must not accept gifts or hospitality from anyone which might reasonably be seen to compromise their personal judgement or integrity. As under the previous government, the Department holds a comprehensive policy and guidance on accepting and giving gifts and hospitality. All Civil Servants are required to declare gifts and hospitality both given and received via a central register and obtain approvals.

The Gifts and Hospitality process is subject to audit in order to provide confidence that the department is fulfilling its obligation.

We remain committed to removing discriminatory adult age band. From 1 April, the National Minimum Wage rate for 18 to 20 year olds will increase by 8.5 per cent, continuing to narrow the gap with the National Living Wage and moving towards a single adult rate.

The Department has published an Impact Assessment providing a comprehensive analysis of the 2026 National Minimum Wage rates.

Growth is this Government’s central economic mission. We have set out a long-term Industrial Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy to give investors the certainty they need to commit capital to the UK. A stable policy environment, competitive tax system and clear long-term planning underpin that confidence.

The enhanced Office for Investment works across Government to secure high-value investment, offering tailored support, removing barriers and fast-tracking investment decisions, including through the concierge and triage services. We have also mobilised the Global Talent Taskforce to attract world-class expertise to the UK. Together, these measures are driving inward investment and growth across the whole of the United Kingdom.

In 2024, the UK exported 77% of the cars it produced, and non zero emissions cars can continue to be sold internationally beyond 2030.

UK product safety regulations require that all consumer products placed on the market must be safe. The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 place responsibilities on importers of electrical products to ensure their safety and compliance with the law. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards enforce these laws and can require the removal of non-compliant or unsafe products from supply. While standards can be designated by Government as a voluntary route for businesses to demonstrate compliance with the law, businesses remain responsible for ensuring products comply with the full regulatory requirements.

The Government remains committed to the transition to Zero Emission Vehicles, and to making sure the transition works for industry. That is why we introduced significant changes to the ZEV Mandate last year, allowing for greater flexibility in meeting the targets. We have also committed £4 billion in funding for DRIVE35, which is the biggest government investment in our automotive sector in decades. In addition, we are investing an additional £1.3 billion in the Electric Car Grant.

We work in partnership with the Construction Leadership Council, which I co-chair.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act will speed up and streamline delivery of new homes and infrastructure, we are investing £39 billion over ten years through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, and our New Homes Accelerator is accelerating delivery of housing sites – speeding up building of almost 100,000 homes across England.

Our 10-year Industrial Strategy recognises construction as a priority, backing faster planning and offsite manufacturing, and we are providing £625 million to tackle construction skills shortages by training up to 60,000 more workers.

The Government recognises the significant role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth, employment and community cohesion across the UK. That is why we are offering targeted support for the sector.

We've permanently lowered tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million annually, benefitting over 750,000 properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap so all qualifying properties will benefit. The government has also introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation.

The Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.

The Government is committed to revitalising former coalfield areas by driving local growth and creating high-skilled, long-term employment through targeted industrial and regional strategies. In the Industrial Strategy we announced £1.2 billion of additional investment in skills per year by 2028-29.

On 23 June 2025, the Government published the Industrial Strategy Zones Action Plan, which consolidates previous Freeport and Investment Zone programmes. Several Investment Zones are located in or near former coalfield heartlands, including the East Midlands, South Yorkshire, and the North East. These zones receive up to £160 million over 10 years for tax incentives and interventions in skills and infrastructure.

The Government continues to work with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, which supported over 7,200 people in 2024/25 to improve their skills and job opportunities. In Wales, the Welsh Government provides specific capital grants to safeguard and improve community facilities in coalfield communities.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.

Last November, I met the CEOs of Royal Mail and International Distribution Services and raised concerns about Royal Mail’s performance. They reported continued targeted action to improve reliability. I will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if quality of service does not improve.

Ofcom, the independent regulator of postal services, sets and monitors Royal Mail’s regulated service standards and decides how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without sufficient justification.

Government marketing supports the effective communication of operational and policy objectives by effectively understanding and meeting the needs of citizens and businesses, changing behaviours for personal, societal and economic benefit.

Total advertising and marketing spend with the Department for Business and Trade’s media buying agency for the last three financial years is as follows:

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, businesses are obligated to provide contact information in a clear and comprehensible manner which is easily, directly and permanently accessible. This includes the business name, the geographical address where the business is established, a telephone number, and email address.

The specific mechanisms businesses use to provide customer services is a commercial decision that the government does not normally seek to intervene in.

While there is no record of a specific discussion on this matter, the Department engages regularly with businesses on consumer law.

Trading Standards enforcement officers are the responsibility of individual Local Authorities.

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this data.

The Civil Service People Plan 2024–2027 commits to attracting and retaining diverse talent. Recruitment follows the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, ensuring fair and open competition based on merit.

Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) supports inclusive recruitment pathways, welcoming individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds, and other categories. GFiE helps participants gain skills, experience, and career opportunities.

From October 2024 to October 2025, the Department supported the Autism Exchange Internship Programme, offering eight placements.

The Department guarantees interviews for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria under the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

Staffing levels and business lone working policies are commercial matters for individual businesses to decide. An employer must identify the risks to lone workers and put control measures in place to protect them. It is for the employer to determine the best way to manage those risks taking account of the circumstances of their business and work activity. HSE provide guidance on lone working: Lone working: Protect those working alone - HSE.

The government is protecting the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package and employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

In the last year, the Department has expanded the use of artificial intelligence for a growing range of purposes within an AI governance framework consistent with the AI playbook for the UK Government. AI is being used to allow businesses to get tailored advice on export finance via business.gov.uk. A dedicated AI team has been exploring over 30 potential purposes such as conducting rapid evidence assessments and improving correspondence processes. In addition, the Department has made available approved AI tools and training to nearly 4,000 DBT officials around the globe, enabling them to benefit from AI in their own individual work.

On 24 October 2024 the Cabinet Office announced that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time. Due to space constraints the department has set the requirement of 40% for delegated grades.

The department does not hold comprehensive data on the number of workdays that were completed remotely. See Civil Service Headquarters occupancy data for published information covering departmental headquarters building occupancy.

The department introduced a process to record office attendance information from 4 August 2025. This data is not yet available.

The Government recognises the vital role pubs play in supporting local economies and fostering community cohesion, as well as the pressures they face.

That is why we established the Licensing Taskforce in April, bringing together representatives from the hospitality sector to help shape reforms. We published the Government’s response on 31 July, setting out a new National Licensing Policy Framework to simplify outdated rules and protect long-standing venues from noise complaints. These reforms form part of the recently announced Small Business Strategy, which aims to tackle late payments, boost access to finance, and remove red tape to enable small businesses, including pubs, grow and thrive.

Additionally, we’re creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street and supports investment, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value. We’ve also launched a Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects aligned with DBT and Hospitality Sector Council priorities such as Pub is The Hub to encourage local investment.

The Post Office provides critical services that are valued by communities across the UK and the Government is committed to strengthening the network.

We are backing that commitment with over £500 million of investment during this Parliament, including this financial year up to £136m to invest in new technology and replace Horizon.

Government recently published a Green Paper which seeks to open a dialogue on the Post Office, from the services it provides, how we modernise and strengthen the network, through to how we change the culture at the Post Office. We want to hear from everyone with a stake in the Post Office’s future.

The government is clear on its commitment to the provision of a comprehensive, reliable and affordable universal postal service that works for customers, workers and businesses.

Ofcom has reviewed the future of the universal service obligation (USO) and set out changes to put the USO on a more sustainable footing and to push Royal Mail to improve reliability.

The Department for Business and Trade does not routinely record the costs for translation of documents into other languages separately from other translation and interpretation costs. We can confirm the Department for Business and Trade spent £14,085.54 on translating documents into other languages from April 2023 - July 2025. Other expenses may be excluded from this as they are not recorded at this level of detail.

As the department for economic growth, we support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. DBT employs teams based in priority markets around the world and those teams often use local language skills to help UK businesses access opportunities to export their goods and services globally. Likewise, they will use local language skills to promote the UK to a global audience, and in particular to attract high value investment to the UK.

Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

As of 2 June 2025, £1.039 billion has been paid to over 7,300 claimants across the Horizon schemes. This represents a more than fourfold increase since July 2024, with more than 4,500 victims receiving compensation for the first time.

We continue to seek the views of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board to ensure fairness and consider ways we can speed up redress.

We are taking a variety of measures to increase the pace of the delivery of redress across our schemes. For example, we recently announced that we are reintroducing facilitated discussions in the GLO scheme – as requested by claimants’ lawyers. This should provide significant help in increasing further the pace at which compensation can be paid.

As of 2 June 2025, £1.039 billion has been paid to over 7,300 claimants across the Horizon schemes. This represents a more than fourfold increase since July 2024, with more than 4,500 victims receiving compensation for the first time.

We continue to seek the views of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board to ensure fairness and consider ways we can speed up redress.

We are taking a variety of measures to increase the pace of the delivery of redress across our schemes. For example, we recently announced that we are reintroducing facilitated discussions in the GLO scheme – as requested by claimants’ lawyers. This should provide significant help in increasing further the pace at which compensation can be paid.

The government does not hold data on how the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate has impacted on towns with large vehicle production industries specifically. However, we speak regularly to all the major UK automotive stakeholders to take the temperature of the sector and their concerns. The government is committed to ensuring the transition to zero emissions works for the industry. That is why we introduced significant changes to the Mandate in April 2025, allowing for greater flexibility in meeting ZEV targets and extending the sale of hybrid vehicles to 2035.

Government cares about working conditions and employment rights, that is why we are delivering the Employment Rights Bill. The Bill will deliver significant benefits, including better working conditions, more secure work, reducing inequalities and improving industrial relations. Stronger employment rights for workers will ensure a fairer and more equal labour market. For example, over 2 million people on zero or low hours contracts could benefit from the right to guaranteed hours, and the right to payment for shifts cancelled, moved or cut at short notice.