Lizzi Collinge

In December 2024, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) began making payments to people who are infected and as of 24 April, over £78 million has been paid in compensation. In March Parliament approved Regulations to give the IBCA the power to make payments to people who are affected as a result of the Infected Blood Scandal. The Government expects IBCA to begin making payments to people who are affected before the end of this year.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority’s priority is to deliver compensation to those who are legally entitled to it under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025, which includes infected people, affected people and estates of those infected people who have very sadly died. IBCA provides legal and financial advice to those who are eligible for compensation under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. IBCA does not, however, currently fund legal advice to those who are distributing a person’s estate following the receipt of a compensation payment.

We have analysed the responses to our consultation on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in the non-domestic private rented sector and we are reviewing the policy design to ensure it remains fair and appropriate for landlords and tenants, and plan to publish our response in the first half of 2025.

High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor to a child’s educational outcomes. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

The 2024/25 initial teacher training (ITT) census reported 618 trainees had begun courses in design technology, up from 334 trainees in 2021/22. The department offered a £25,000 tax-free bursary for design technology teacher training in 2024/25 and increased this to £26,000 for courses starting in 2025/26.

A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and we want to ensure teachers of all subjects and phases stay and thrive in this profession. The department agreed a 5.5% pay award for teachers in the 2024/25 academic year and has taken steps to improve teachers’ workload and wellbeing, and enable greater flexible working, to support retention and help re-establish teaching as an attractive profession.

High-quality continuing professional development is also key to ensuring the retention of an effective teaching workforce. The department has established teaching school hubs across the country, who play a significant role in delivering ITT, the early career framework, and national professional qualifications. Star Teaching School Hub North West Lancashire and One Cumbria Teaching School Hub are both centres of excellence supporting teacher training and development across Lancaster, Westmorland and Furness.

Northern Trains’ current performance is not acceptable and we have issued it with a notice requiring it to develop an improvement plan to address the issues underlying its current lack of reliability. The Secretary of State also recently met with Northern to understand how that plan is progressing, following a previous meeting with the Rail Minister.

As Passenger-in-Chief, the Secretary of State will keep standing up for passengers and demanding better services from operators.

In 2019, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that the shingles vaccination programme should switch to using a two-dose vaccine called Shingrix, to better protect individuals from the effects of shingles, provide better clinical outcomes, and reduce pressures on the health system. The committee also advised that the vaccine should be given to everyone at the age of 60 years old, rather than 70 years old.

Based on this advice, the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and NHS England decided to phase the expansion of the shingles programme. During the first phase, which commenced in September 2023, those who reach the ages of 65 or 70 years old will be called in for vaccination on or after their 65th or 70th birthday. During the second phase, from September 2028, individuals will be called in for vaccination on or after their 60th or 65th birthday. From 1 September 2033 onwards, vaccination will be routinely offered to those turning 60 years of age on or after their 60th birthday.

Phasing the roll-out of the shingles vaccination over time to everyone aged 60 years old maximises cost-effectiveness and population benefit, ensures consistent messaging over time to maximise coverage, and takes account of National Health Service capacity, all while being consistent with the approach taken by all four nations in the United Kingdom.

This is a newly expanded programme and anyone who is unsure if they are eligible for the shingles vaccination should check online, on the NHS.UK website, or should speak to their general practice.

In November 2024, the JCVI provided further advice to the Department on eligibility for the shingles vaccination programme. This included advice that the Government should consider expanding the shingles vaccination offer to include older adult cohorts aged 80 years old and over. The Government will consider this latest advice when setting the policy on who should be offered shingles vaccinations, and will update in due course.

The Department has understood that the term ‘self-employed carer’ refers to self-employed personal assistants. There are no current plans to introduce a requirement for self-employed carers to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Currently, a person, or a related third party on their behalf, can make their own arrangement for personal care where an individual works directly for that person and under their control, without involving an agency or employer in managing or directing the care provided. In this case, the individual engaged does not need to register with the CQC for the regulated activity of personal care.

Since 1 April 2020, the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedures (WLTP) have been used by the DVLA to measure the CO2 emissions of a car, rather than the CO2 emissions stated by an EU Certificate of Conformity or a UK approval certificate.

Where a car has not been tested to WLTP standards, the car must be taxed according to its engine size and in the Private Light Goods taxation class. This means its tax rate is based on its engine size, rather than CO2 emissions.

While the Ministry of Defence (MOD) keeps its own register of the vehicles it owns, the MOD is not a licensing authority, meaning the first registration of an MOD vehicle will be its point of first registration with the DVLA.

The Government keeps the tax system under review.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office withdrew the Country Policy Information Notes and guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions.

Settlement Protection applications from Syrian nationals who are trying to obtain indefinite leave to remain in the UK are also subject to the pause.

The decision to pause was, and remains, a necessary step. As long as there is no stable, objective information on which to base an accurate assessment of a claimant’s risk on return to Syria, we are unable to make robust, reliable decisions on claims for international protection.

Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not an automatic right. Given the need for protection may be temporary, a safe return review is carried out on every application for settlement on a protection route to determine and confirm the need for protection is continuing.

We will keep this pause under constant review.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office withdrew the Country Policy Information Notes and guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions.

Settlement Protection applications from Syrian nationals are also subject to the pause, and this includes indefinite leave to remain applications from Syrian nationals resettled under the Community Sponsorship Scheme.

The decision to pause was, and remains, a necessary step. As long as there is no stable, objective information on which to base an accurate assessment of a claimant’s risk on return to Syria, we are unable to make robust, reliable decisions on claims for international protection.

Settlement in the UK is a privilege, not an automatic right. Given the need for protection may be temporary, a safe return review is carried out on every application for settlement on a protection route to determine and confirm the need for protection is continuing.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets. The Government will give police the powers they need to tackle the dangerous and antisocial use of e-vehicles off the streets for good, so that they will be able to quickly destroy those that they seize from offenders. We will set out more information in due course.

Information on the risks of using electric vehicles is available at: E-cycle and e-scooter batteries: managing fire risk for premises - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and more detailed guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidance-to-enhance-e-bike-and-e-scooter-safety.

The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) currently has 60 Inspectors (55FTE) trained to carry out Local Plan Examinations.

The government is committed to achieving a more efficient and consistent local plans examination process. This includes ensuring there is sufficient resourcing in PINS to support such activity.