Liz Jarvis

The Government is committed to tackling the challenges women face in the labour market, whether they want to find a job, return to work, or progress in-work. We are driving this forward through the support measures in the Employment Rights Bill, Make Work Pay and the Get Britain Working White Paper. We are making flexible learning a Day One right, opening up access to childcare with £8 billion investment to roll out further free hours, and tackling the gender pay gap to ensure women are paid fairly.

Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.

It is for Ofcom to decide how to respond should Royal Mail fail to meet its obligations. While the government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions, in January, I met with representatives from Ofcom to discuss the importance of Royal Mail’s quality of service performance.

The government expects that Ofcom will continue to closely monitor Royal Mail’s performance and take action where appropriate.

We recognise the vital role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth and strengthening community cohesion across the country.

We plan to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000, we have reduced alcohol duty on qualifying draught beer products, saving the sector over £85 million annually. We’ve introduced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects aligned with Department for Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council priorities, such as supporting initiatives like Pub is The Hub to encourage local investment. We have also launched a licensing taskforce to cut red tape and remove barriers to business growth.

There is a cross-Government programme of work to tackle unsafe e-bikes, e-scooters and associated products such as lithium-ion batteries, involving the Office for Product Safety and Standards in my Department, and the Department for Transport, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. DBT is not responsible for regulations covering the storage of electric vehicles. The Government’s Buy Safe, Be Safe campaign contains vital safety advice for consumers where these products are kept in the home.

My Department is working with the Post Office to develop a way to fairly assess claims where there is no record of a Horizon Shortfall. Recognising the challenges postmasters may face in providing evidence, Post Office is further investigating its branch files as quickly as possible.

Fixed sum payments will be made as quickly as possible when evidence of shortfalls is found. Where further information is required, Post Office will ask individuals for further information.

Claimants opting for a full assessment will have their case considered on the basis of the evidence available.

This Government recognises the immense economic and social value of the hair and beauty industry, and we know it can be difficult for some to understand their tax obligations. We are working with the industry on producing educational material to help businesses remain within the rules, including providing clarity for those using the ‘rent-a-chair’ model which we are due to publish on GOV.UK this month.

We are committed to tackling false self-employment where HMRC will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. We are also combatting high street crime, for example the National Crime Agency has been coordinating Operation Machinize, which saw 265 premises visited where officers secured freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1 million.

We recognise that bills going up will be worrying news for families. The reason for the increase to the price cap is due to an increase in wholesale energy costs which are influenced by international energy markets which we cannot control. This is why our Clean Power 2030 Mission is so vital. In the short term, we are extending support to ballplayers through the expanded Warm Home Discount, and we are working with Ofgem to accelerate work on a potential energy debt scheme.

The Government will consult shortly on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation will include proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030.

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.

Unsolicited direct marketing calls are regulated by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), which are enforced by the Information Commissioner. The Commissioner has a range of investigatory and enforcement powers, including the ability to issue financial penalties. Details of enforcement actions are published at: https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/

Reforms introduced through the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 will give the Commissioner new powers, including the ability to impose higher maximum fines for infringements. The Commissioner will also be able to take enforcement action based on the volume of unsolicited direct marketing calls made—regardless of whether those calls are answered by the intended recipient —reflecting the potential risk of harm to consumers.

The Government has recently published the Creative Industries Sector Plan which will make the UK the number one place for creativity and innovation by 2035.

The plan includes a commitment that UKRI will lead efforts to increase public funding for the creative industries.

The plan identifies video games as a priority growth sector, with a new Games Growth Package worth £30 million over three years.

The Government’s consultation on copyright and AI, which closed on 25 February, specifically sought views on a proposal to require AI model developers to be more transparent about how they obtain and use copyright works in their training.

Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response, including any legislative proposals.

The government is implementing the Online Safety Act as quickly and effectively as possible, so children can be protected from criminal behaviour and harmful content online.

The illegal content duties are now in force, so platforms already need to act to protect their users.

The child safety duties will be in force from the Summer, at which point companies will need to further protect children from harmful content such as pornography, suicide and self-harm material.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review.

We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.

The Future of Cricket fund was publicly announced by the previous Government before the General Election but did not receive formal business case sign off nor any financial commitment.

Future funding of sports facilities will be considered as part of the upcoming Spending Review.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy.

We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries.

To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course.

Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme.

In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy.

We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries.

To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course.

Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme.

In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy.

We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries.

To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course.

Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme.

In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child, in every region of the country, the best start in life.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading and writing. This summer, the department will publish a Writing Framework which will be a first step to support schools in delivering high-quality writing provision across England.

The department recognises the important work of organisations such as the National Literacy Trust in promoting reading and writing and will continue to engage with them on this important issue.

The government is committed to the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme to ensure children who are eligible for free school meals can access enriching activities and healthy meals. More than £200 million has been allocated to the programme for 2025/26.

Local authorities and their providers have flexibility about how they deliver HAF provision to best serve the needs of children and families in their area. The department encourages all local authorities to have a rich mix of provision catering for children with different interests and of different ages. There is flexibility in how the programme can be delivered to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or additional needs.

When assessing the requirements of children with SEND or additional needs, local authorities should ensure that the provision they fund through the HAF programme is fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010. This will include making sure that they, and the providers they work with, put in place any reasonable adjustments which are required to ensure that children with a disability are not subject to discrimination.

The department and the Student Loans Company (SLC) are committed to ensuring that disabled students domiciled in England and entering higher education receive timely and appropriate support through the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

Eligible students undergo a Study Needs Assessment (SNA), which identifies their individual needs. These are then compiled into a Needs Assessment Report and are submitted to SLC for approval, helping to ensure that students receive the right support efficiently, and enabling them to access higher education with confidence and the resources they need to succeed.

In previous years, approximately 40% of DSA applications are submitted at the start of the academic year. However, this year, SLC has worked with UCAS to encourage earlier applications. This has resulted in a higher volume of submissions ahead of the 2025/26 academic year. To manage this, SLC has increased resourcing to improve processing times and ensure students receive funding promptly.

Additionally, SLC’s suppliers, Capita and Study Tech, have recruited more Needs Assessors to offer flexible assessment scheduling. SLC continues to monitor demand and capacity throughout the academic cycle to maintain effective support for students.

Current processing times for DSA and other applications can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sfe-current-application-timescales.

I refer the hon. Member for Eastleigh to the answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57812.

I refer the hon. Member for Eastleigh to the answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57810.

We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. Deforestation associated with UK consumption is estimated to have fallen by 55% since 2005, although progress has slowed over the last decade.

The Government recently published a Post-Implementation Review evaluating the effectiveness of the UK Timber Regulation (UKTR), which prohibits the placing of illegally harvested timber on the GB market. The review concluded that the regulation has been largely effective in reducing the risk of illegal timber entering the market and has contributed to tackling deforestation.

The Government will set out its approach to addressing UK consumption of forest risk commodities in due course. We are committed to ensuring that any regulatory framework is robust, proportionate and effective in addressing deforestation in UK supply chains.

Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works.

Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution and physical modifications of habitats. Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our overall programme of reforms for the water sector. Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams. Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), over 1000 improvement projects are planned within chalk stream catchments between 2024-2029.

In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), including 3 Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), which cover most of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits. HPMAs were designated to protect the entire marine ecosystem within each site, including areas of habitat considered important for the long-term storage of carbon.

Our focus is now on ensuring these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition and meet HPMA conservation objectives to recover to a natural state. We have recently announced our latest proposals to manage damaging fishing activity in 42 MPAs, covering 30,000 km2 of English waters.

Defra set up the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership in partnership with DESNZ and the Devolved Administrations to address evidence gaps around these important habitats, to support effective protection and restoration.

The Environment Agency are leading the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative to reverse centuries of decline in key estuarine and coastal habitats. By 2043, ReMeMaRe aims to restore 15% of saltmarsh and seagrass extent in England, along with functional oyster reef habitats in 15% of suitable water bodies.

The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal, such as Foxes, with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act.

The aim of Trail Hunting is to simulate traditional hunting as practised before the Hunting Act came into force. The trails are laid along a route that might be taken by the traditional quarry, through hedgerows and woods, along ditches, across fields, to simulate the natural movement of the wild mammal, e.g., a fox, as much as possible.  The most common method of laying the trail is to drag a scent infected sock or cloth along the ground. The scent occasionally lifted for a distance and dropped again, thus allowing the hounds to cast (search for the scent if they lose it). The Huntsman and followers often do not know where any of the trails have been laid, so that the days hunting will mimic its realistic form.

The Government made a manifesto commitment to ban Trail Hunting as part of a set of measures to improve animal welfare. Work to bring this forward is at a very early stage and there is not yet an agreed timetable.

The River Itchen is already designated as a Special Area of Conservation and many of our chalk streams benefit from some form of designation.

Chalk streams can be considered when setting the outcomes for a future system of environmental assessment.

This Government is committed to securing better environmental outcomes alongside securing the development we need and is considering how best to reform environmental assessment processes with this objective in mind. This includes whether to take forward the powers in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act to introduce Environmental Outcomes Reports

Lastly, the National Planning Policy Framework recognises the role that well-designed SuDS schemes have in managing surface water while the National Framework for Water Resources sets out expectations for water efficiency including reducing leakage and long-term water usage.