Mike Martin

Royal Mail is an iconic part of the UK’s infrastructure, and the government has ensured that the takeover has been properly scrutinised. The government has secured a commitment from EP Group, the potential buyers, to ensure that Royal Mail retains control of assets necessary to deliver the universal service obligation and an additional commitment to ensure that Royal Mail continues to use the Royal Cypher in accordance with existing arrangements.

Specific operational arrangements and agreements for historic post boxes continue to be a matter for Royal Mail as an independent business.

A reliable and affordable universal postal service that works for customers, workers and communities is crucial to the UK businesses that help drive growth across the country.

The universal service obligation is a legally binding commitment on the designated universal service provider and its ongoing provision is required irrespective of the ownership of the business.

Energy suppliers are best placed to advise on suitable tariffs for households affected by the switch-off of RTS, including those with Economy 10 electricity tariffs.

Ofgem is consulting on plans to introduce new RTS licence conditions for energy suppliers, one of which states that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to provide a tariff that leaves their customers ‘no worse off’ than previously once their RTS meter is replaced.

Energy suppliers are contacting all households with RTS meters and Ofgem is encouraging customers to book an appointment to ensure they are provided with a replacement meter ahead of the switch-off.

This is an issue the Government takes very seriously. The Government is determined to ensure that any risks arising from the industry-led migration from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated, for all customers across the UK.

I chaired two roundtables with communication providers on this issue in September and November 2024, which included BT. Major communication providers and network operators signed voluntary charters in December 2023 and March 2024, and the Government secured further commitments to protect vulnerable customers during the PSTN migration in November 2024. DSIT officials regularly meet, with signatories of the PSTN charters, including BT, to monitor how they are meeting the safeguards. This includes discussions on the speed of the rollout.

The Department has acknowledged that customers who may be considered vulnerable in the context of the digital switchover may require additional support. A definition of vulnerable customers was published in November 2024. It includes those who are telecare and other social or medical alarm users. Any customer, including the elderly, can also self-identify as requiring additional support.

The Government is aware of issues relating to the life-span of digital content, including video games, and we appreciate the concerns of players of some games that have been discontinued. We have no plans to amend existing consumer law on digital obsolescence, but we will monitor this issue and consider the relevant work of the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) on consumer rights and consumer detriment.

Video games sellers must comply with existing consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs). However, there is no requirement in UK law for software companies to support older versions of their products. Decision-making is for those companies, taking account of commercial and regulatory factors and complying with existing consumer law.

There may be occasions where companies make decisions based on the high running costs of maintaining older servers for games with declining user bases. If software is offered for sale that is not supported by the provider, then this should be made clear, for example on product webpages and physical packaging.

The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and firmly believes that the unique obligations placed on the BBC demand continued, sustainable public funding to support its vital work.

There are a range of alternatives and we are thinking creatively about options for the future, to ensure we future-proof our national broadcaster for many years to come. The Government will be taking forward the question of how the BBC is funded as part of the Charter Review process.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency awards adult education budget allocations on an annual basis. Allocations are based on an academic year rather than a financial year.

Allocations that span the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years have been published on GOV.UK.

‘Funding allocations to training providers: 2023 to 2024’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2023-to-2024.

‘Funding allocations to training providers: 2024 to 2025’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2024-to-2025.

Allocations for the 2025/26 academic year have not yet been finalised. The department expects to confirm these shortly.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has made no assessment of the impact of applying VAT to school fees on children who do not attend private schools but may utilise their facilities.

The 20% standard rate of VAT applies to all education services, vocational training and boarding services provided by private schools for a charge. The VAT treatment of services delivered by third-party providers at private schools, for instance, self-employed music teachers or organisations that rent out private schools’ facilities, are unaffected by this policy. These services will always have been subject to VAT, if the provider is VAT-registered, unless it is private tutoring of a subject ordinarily taught in schools, which is exempt from VAT.

However, any before or after school childcare, or childcare-based holiday clubs, that consists solely of childcare and does not fall within the definition of education will remain exempt from VAT by virtue of the fact that welfare services are exempt from VAT.

HM Revenue and Customs have published guidance on charging and/or reclaiming VAT on good and services related to private school fees, which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charging-and-reclaiming-vat-on-goods-and-services-related-to-private-school-fees.

The department has amended the Student Support regulations so that those who have been granted leave under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme may qualify for higher education student support in England and home fee status without the requirement to meet the normal three-year ordinary residence requirement.

Where a person's Ukraine Scheme permission expires during their course of study and they are granted further permission to remain under one of the standard immigration routes, they will continue to be eligible to access student support and home fee status while they complete their studies. This is in line with those granted leave under the other Ukraine Schemes.

We will continue to keep the Ukraine Schemes under consistent review in line with developments in the ongoing war.

I refer the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells to the answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18517.

School uniforms play a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities, however, too many schools require high numbers of branded uniform items which creates a significant cost burden for families. This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and physical education (PE) kit that schools can require, to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities. This will give parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allow them greater flexibility to make the spending decisions that suit their circumstances.

​The department expects schools to ensure that all pupils can participate in all aspects of school life, including PE and sport. No pupil should be discouraged from participating in any aspect of school life, such as team sports or interschool competitions, because of the cost of additional uniform requirements. This limit allows school leaders to prioritise branding the uniform and PE kit items which best reflect the needs of their school, whilst reducing costs for parents.

​Our statutory guidance on the ‘Cost of School Uniform’ already requires schools to avoid being overly specific in their kit requirements for different sports and keep the number of items, particularly the number of branded items, to a minimum. Research also tells us that the more choice that girls in particular have over what to wear for PE, the more comfortable they are and the greater the likelihood of their long term participation in sport. The research is available at the following link: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/43602/documents/216689/default/.

Schools will still be free to loan out specific competition kit where appropriate, however, the cost of PE and sports kit should never be a barrier to participation in PE and sport, and that is why this measure is needed.

Local authorities are the regulators for private water supplies. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has information about private water supplies on their website, some of which covers private supply networks.

Nature and catchment-based solutions in the water sector have an important role to play. Natural flood management (NFM) is a key part of our approach to mitigating flood risk, and can involve floodplain meadows when designed and located appropriately

Natural England support the role of nature-based solutions (NBS), like water meadows in resolving multiple pressures on the water environment. NBS are a core pillar of Natural England’s five-year aims.

The Environment Agency is increasingly looking to nature to enhance ecosystem services, reduce risks, and build resilience in rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters. Using NBS involves protecting existing natural functions, restoring ecosystems, and recreating landscapes. NBS benefit wildlife, food security, and resilience to floods and droughts. Restoring floodplains and water meadows reduces pollution from intensive agriculture while improving aquifer recharge, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity (CIEEM, 2022). Projects like Mires for Moors show how peatland restoration and upland reforestation reduce runoff, prevent sewer overflows, and mitigate flooding, as seen in the Ullswater Catchment.

On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.

The scope of the commission is detailed in its terms of reference, available on GOV.UK. It includes specific mention of enabling the greater use of nature-based solutions where these represent good value for money.

The commission will provide a report to the Government by Q2 2025 with recommendations to the Secretary of State and Welsh ministers. Once the commission has made recommendations, both Governments will respond and consult on proposals, including potential legislation.

The Environment Agency (EA) continues to regulate Southern Water (SW) in the Tunbridge Wells area, including through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). The EA also monitor SW’s permit compliance to drive required improvements. More widely, The Environment Agency are working with the wider community through the Medway Catchment Partnership to improve the quality of waterways in Kent.

As Southern Water’s proposals for the next five-year Asset Management Period (AMP8) have not yet been agreed with Ofwat, the Environment Agency are unable to comment on future plans in the area. The Environment Agency will however make assessments of future schemes as appropriate.

While there is no time limit for completion of a Blue Badge application in legislation, in order to comply with UK data handling regulations personal data relating to an application on the Blue Badge online application system is deleted after thirty days. In that thirty-day period applicants are able to save and return to their online application.

Emergency works are defined in legislation as works needed to deal with dangers to life and property and so must be carried out urgently. For these, and other urgent works needed to restore customer connections or deal with leaks, permits must be submitted to the relevant highway authority within two hours of works starting on site. The authority can assess these permits and request works are completed by a particular time.

Authorities are also required to evaluate the operation of their permit schemes, annually for the first three years of operation and then every three years after that.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area, including cycle paths. Kent County Council is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the non-motorised user route that runs from Pembury Hospital to Vauxhall Lane, Tonbridge.

This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing the local highway network and tackling the maintenance backlog. The Government has already announced a funding uplift of £500 million for the 2025/26 financial year compared to 2024/25, with Kent County Council receiving an additional £14.2 million for highway maintenance.

The number of people killed in reported road collisions on the A21 in the Tunbridge Wells constituency in each year since 2019 are shown in the table. The latest year for which data is available is 2023.

The responsibility for litter clearing on the A21 near Tunbridge Wells, falls to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 18 November 2024 to question UIN 14156.

The first £10 of any War Pension payment or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded in Pension Credit. Income is calculated on a weekly basis, so the disregard is £10 per week.

Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her / his partner.

War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016.

Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.

The Rodenticides Stewardship Scheme was developed by The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK to promote responsible use and is overseen by the Government Oversight Group for Rodenticide Stewardship (GOG), chaired by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The GOG is conducting a review of rodenticide stewardship, under which it will consider all appropriate evidence. The detailed work of this review is expected to be completed in 2025.

Wildlife crime is a matter for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh and Scottish Governments, and the Police. Bird of prey crime is identified by Defra as a national wildlife crime priority, and significant sanctions are available against proven perpetrators of the crime, including an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence. HSE may also take action, where appropriate, in its role as a workplace health and safety regulator.

It is for sponsoring employers to decide what pension benefits they offer, provided these meet minimum standards. These benefits are set out in the scheme rules. It would not be appropriate for the Government to interfere in decisions made by individual schemes, beyond setting clear, affordable minimum standards that apply to all.

Pensions legislation does not usually apply new provisions retrospectively to rights that have already been accrued. It is generally seen to be unreasonable to add liabilities to pension schemes that could not have been taken into account in the funding assumptions that determined the contributions to be paid at the time. In some cases, the additional, unplanned liabilities could result in significant additional contributions from the sponsoring employer, and could ultimately threaten the future viability of some schemes.

It is important to achieve a balance between providing members with some measure of protection against inflation and not increasing schemes’ costs beyond a level that schemes and employers can generally afford.

It is part of the Pay Review Bodies’ remit to look at and, if necessary, make recommendations on the future geographic coverage of high-cost area supplements, and on the value of such supplements. As these provisions are reflected in staff terms and conditions of service, any recommended changes would need to be collectively agreed between employers and trade unions.

Alternatively, National Health Service employers or staff organisations in a specified geographic area can propose an increase in the level of high-cost area supplement, or can request the introduction of a supplement where no supplement exists. There must be evidence to support its introduction, and this would be down to local determination.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. NHSR has confirmed that there is no specific NHS compensation scheme for claims relating to defective hip replacements supplied by DePuy.

While there is no specific compensation scheme for claims relating to defective hip replacements supplied by DePuy, NHSR’s website gives some general advice for claimants wishing to make a claim for clinical negligence, with further information available at the following link:

https://resolution.nhs.uk/services/claims-management/advice-for-claimants/

Anyone who is aware of complications or adverse events associated with hip replacement devices is encouraged to seek clinical advice from their responsible clinician and report the issue via the Yellow Card Scheme, which is available at the following link:

https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance identifies several treatment options for those with symptoms or complications associated with varicose veins, including surgery to remove the veins.

Pain that is more severe can often be associated with other conditions. A decision on which treatment is most appropriate will be led by a clinician on a case- by-case basis, based on the evidence, level of associated risk, as well as the pain and symptoms the patient presents with.

There are no grants available specifically to support mental health initiatives at this time; however, local authorities may decide to fund such initiatives from their Public Health Grant allocations.

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model, and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%.

The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures, and support the patients who sustain them. The Government is committed to ending the postcode lottery for access to FLS.

FLS are commissioned by integrated care boards, which make decisions according to local need. Officials are continuing to work closely with NHS England to consider how best to support systems to ensure better quality and access to these important preventative services.