Nadia Whittome

No one should suffer prejudice or discrimination on any grounds, including any perception of their caste.

The judgment of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Tirkey v. Chandhok shows that someone claiming caste discrimination may rely on existing statutory remedies in the Equality Act 2010 where they can show that their ‘caste’ is related to their ethnic origin, which is itself an aspect of 'race' under the 2010 Act.

The government is considering whether these existing remedies offer appropriate legal protection for victims of caste discrimination.

No one should suffer prejudice or discrimination on any grounds, including any perception of their caste.

The judgment of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Tirkey v. Chandhok shows that someone claiming caste discrimination may rely on existing statutory remedies in the Equality Act 2010 where they can show that their ‘caste’ is related to their ethnic origin, which is itself an aspect of 'race' under the 2010 Act.

The government is considering whether these existing remedies offer appropriate legal protection for victims of caste discrimination.

No one should suffer prejudice or discrimination on any grounds, including any perception of their caste.

The judgment of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Tirkey v. Chandhok shows that someone claiming caste discrimination may rely on existing statutory remedies in the Equality Act 2010 where they can show that their ‘caste’ is related to their ethnic origin, which is itself an aspect of 'race' under the 2010 Act.

The Government is committed to commencing the socio-economic duty in the Equality Act 2010. The duty will require specified public bodies, when making strategic decisions, to consider actively how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

We know that the duty will only succeed if central Government works in partnership with public sector leaders, communities and other partners up and down the country. We will therefore work closely with relevant organisations to ensure that implementation of the duty is as effective as possible. We will update further on our work to commence the socio-economic duty in due course.

The time limit to bring discrimination cases to a tribunal is being extended from 3 to 6 months through the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament. This measure will allow certain claims to be made that currently are either (a) being made but which require, at the tribunal’s discretion, an extension over the 3-month period or (b) not being made as a result of the length of the time limit.

This supports the Government’s commitment to making work pay by strengthening employment rights and providing quicker and more effective resolutions, to the benefit of all parties. The change will align the timelines across different cases, simplifying the process for applicants and employers.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.

The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.

Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,747 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.

To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

The Government renewed its commitment to the 60% office attendance expectation on 24 October, emphasising the importance of collaboration through face-to-face interactions. This decision is supported by a variety of studies highlighting the benefits of hybrid working.

By colocating departments and fostering great workplaces tailored to support local communities, Places for Growth is helping improve office attendance in regional areas. This strategic approach not only enhances collaboration among civil service staff but also strengthens ties within the local community, making the office a more attractive and supportive environment for employees.

The measure has been designed to strike the right balance between securing the future of domestic steelmaking while maintaining secure supply chains for downstream users. The measure only covers steel requirements that can be met in the UK. In some instances, this is not feasible for technical reasons. Where this is the case, quotas have been designed to allow for sufficient imports to ensure these goods continue to be available to UK downstream users without unnecessary additional costs.

The Government has engaged extensively with manufacturers and wider industry to inform the design of the new steel trade measure, including through ongoing discussions and a Call for Evidence in 2025. We will keep the measure under review, including a review after twelve months to ensure it remains effective and fit for purpose.

To ease short term impacts, we will introduce a transitional arrangement under which the new measure would not apply to goods agreed under contract before 14 March 2026 and imported between 1 July and 30 September 2026.

The Steel Strategy aims to create a more competitive landscape for steel production in the UK, to enable companies to use more domestic content and reduce their dependency on imports.

We regularly keep the resilience of our automotive supply chains under review to ensure a strong and viable automotive sector. As part of our plan for growth, we will continue to work with investors to build a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK, including through new strategic investments such as DRIVE35 and export support for automotive and battery manufacturing.

In parallel, we will explore how to maximise supply chain resilience, including by collaborating with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to cluster electric vehicle manufacturing across our regions starting with pilot projects in the North East and West Midlands.

The Government has ensured that the potential takeover of Royal Mail has been properly scrutinised and that appropriate guarantees have been put in place to protect the interests of the workforce, customers and the country. These guarantees include the bidder’s agreements with the unions and commitments to the Government to ensure the ongoing provision of services and the protection of the network required to deliver those services. Additionally, the company has an ongoing requirement to fulfil its statutory and regulatory responsibilities, regardless of its ownership.

The Government is invested in protecting and enhancing the rights of vulnerable groups in the workplace.

The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to accommodate the needs of disabled em-ployees through reasonable adjustments. This is likely to include provision for disability-related absence.

In addition, changes proposed by the Employment Rights Bill include making it easier for employees to negotiate a flexible working arrangement which suits their needs. This will benefit, among others, employees with long-term physical or mental health condi-tions and disabilities.

The UK benefits from a diverse and resilient fuel supply chain and remains well supplied across all fuel types. The Government regularly reviews which organisations provide essential services within the context of the National Emergency Plan for Fuel. This includes consideration of air ambulance charities, recognising the vital role they play in emergency response and patient care.

A summary of the National Emergency Plan for Fuel is published on gov.uk and sets out measures to respond to fuel supply and distribution disruption. In the unlikely event of a sustained disruption, these arrangements enable fuel to be prioritised for essential services and critical supply chains.

The Government does not assess that the current situation warrants, or is approaching, the threshold for the use of emergency powers.

The Government and the Trustees have discussed the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees’ proposals for the future of the Scheme. DESNZ will now work with the Treasury to seek to reach an agreement that can be implemented at the next Scheme valuation in September 2026.

Though the UK will likely require solar panel imports in the short to medium term, several firms are involved in assembling panels and manufacturing innovative solar, such as thin film. The recently published Solar Roadmap sets out actions for maximising opportunities arising from commercialisation of innovative solar technologies and upscaling production of balance of system components.

As laid out in the recent Industrial Strategy's Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, Batteries is a frontier sector. We will invest £452m in support of Battery Innovation to compete in a challenging global marketplace and meet domestic demand across the supply chain.

Private finance can play a key role in helping us achieve our decarbonisation ambitions. As part of the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency upgrades and low carbon energy technology. This includes engaging with the finance sector on the potential for low-interest loans.

DESNZ does not hold detailed data on the sourcing of biomass.

Drax’s compliance with sustainability criteria is overseen by Ofgem, the independent energy regulator, and the Low Carbon Contracts Company as the counterparty for the Contract for Difference Scheme.

Government works closely with LCCC and Ofgem to ensure that generators only receive subsidies for biomass that meets our sustainability criteria.

The government continues to explore the feasibility of technical solutions for the labelling of AI-generated content to support transparency, such as through the Deepfake Detection Challenge.

AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, which is why the government believes that most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use. In response to the AI Action Plan, the government committed to work with regulators to boost their capabilities. The government has been clear that we will legislate where needed, but we will do so on the basis of evidence where any serious gaps are.

The vast majority of AI systems are regulated at the point of use, and the UK's existing expert regulators are best placed to do this. In response to the AI Action Plan, the government has committed to supporting regulators in evaluating their AI capabilities and understanding how these can be strengthened.

The government is also developing legislative proposals which will allow the UK to safely realise the benefits of the most powerful AI systems. These proposals will be highly targeted, build on the voluntary commitments secured at the Seoul and Bletchley AI Summits, and be future-proofed against this fast-evolving technology.

Digital inclusion is a priority for Government. It means ensuring everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to engage in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. Digital exclusion disproportionately impacts certain demographics, creating new inequalities and exacerbating existing ones. As we develop our approach on tackling this issue we will be working closely with local communities, local authorities, businesses and charities to ensure everything we do is well targeted. We hope to announce more on this in the near future.

The government is focused on implementing the Online Safety Act as quickly as possible working with Ofcom. Ofcom has consulted on its draft Children’s Safety codes of practice which set out the steps companies must take to protect children on their platforms under the Online Safety Act. Ofcom will publish the finalised codes and guidance in Spring 2025 and the government will work to ensure these codes are in effect as soon as possible.

Deepfakes and other forms of manipulated media are captured by the Online Safety Act where they constitute user generated content that is illegal content, or content which is harmful to children. Services that are likely to be accessed by children will need to take steps to protect children from harmful content and behaviour on their services, including AI-generated or enabled content.

Charity clothing collection banks operated by commercial companies can provide a regular source of income for charities whilst supporting the reuse and recycling of unwanted items.

Companies operating collection banks must have written agreements with the charities they support and it should be clear to the public how their items will be used. Charity collection banks must have landowner permission, display the charity's details, and comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice. Local authorities can remove fraudulent or unauthorised collection banks on public land and highways.

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, are able to participate in sport and physical activity.

The This Girl Can campaign, run by our Arm’s Length Body Sport England, has inspired millions of women and girls to get active. 1.6 million women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.

We are committed to delivering best in class facilities, with the significant investment of £98 million in 2025/26 and a further £400 million over the next four years in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities. We are expecting to more than double the share of primetime slots dedicated to women’s and girls’ teams at Government-funded facilities across England over the next five years, with a clear long-term target of reaching equal access as demand grows.

We are working to drive a Decade of Change in women’s sport, kicked off by the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and we are using the Women's Football Taskforce and Women’s Sport Taskforce to drive progress across the sector.

Further to this, we are increasing visibility of women’s sport, including delivering a drumbeat of UK hosted major events, including this year’s Women's T20 Cricket World Cup 2026 and the Tour de France/Tour de France Femmes Grand Depart 2027, while also supporting the bid for the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup.

We want to support women and girls at every stage of their lives to get involved in sport.

A creative career should never be the preserve of a privileged few. The sector’s skilled and dynamic workforce is one of its key strengths, but more work still needs to be done so that, regardless of their background, people feel that a creative career is an option for them.

Making creative careers accessible for everyone is a key priority for the Government. That is why we are supporting creative apprenticeships and providing funding for partners including Screenskills and the BFI Film Academy to open pathways for young people, in particular those from underrepresented backgrounds.

The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is working with industry to deliver a UK-wide £9 million Creative Careers Service, which aims to build awareness of creative careers and provide specialist advice with a particular focus on priority areas where children face the greatest barriers to accessing creative opportunities.

In film and TV specifically, we announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan that we will be investing £75 million in the UK’s film and TV industry over the next three years. This includes support for the next generation of filmmakers.

The Government is pleased to see industry initiatives to monitor and improve diversity in the creative industries such as Project Diamond and the TV Access Project. However, there clearly remains work to do and we want to see stronger efforts from industry to improve socio-economic diversity and representation in the creative industries.

A creative career should never be the preserve of a privileged few. The sector’s skilled and dynamic workforce is one of its key strengths, but more work still needs to be done so that, regardless of their background, people feel that a creative career is an option for them.

Making creative careers accessible for everyone is a key priority for the Government. That is why we are supporting creative apprenticeships and providing funding for partners including Screenskills and the BFI Film Academy to open pathways for young people, in particular those from underrepresented backgrounds.

The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is working with industry to deliver a UK-wide £9 million Creative Careers Service, which aims to build awareness of creative careers and provide specialist advice with a particular focus on priority areas where children face the greatest barriers to accessing creative opportunities.

In film and TV specifically, we announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan that we will be investing £75 million in the UK’s film and TV industry over the next three years. This includes support for the next generation of filmmakers.

The Government is pleased to see industry initiatives to monitor and improve diversity in the creative industries such as Project Diamond and the TV Access Project. However, there clearly remains work to do and we want to see stronger efforts from industry to improve socio-economic diversity and representation in the creative industries.

The Government is aware of concerns relating to the continued access to video games, including licensed, online-only video games, and we appreciate the frustrations of players of some games that have been discontinued. The Government has responded to a recent petition on this issue.

There are no plans to amend existing consumer law on disabling video games. Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), giving clear advice to consumers. Video game sellers must not omit or hide material information, or provide it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.

There is no place for antisemitism in our society.

The department supports teachers through our Educate Against Hate website, which provides teachers with a range of free, quality-assured resources, including on building resilience to antisemitism, teaching about tolerance and rejecting discrimination.

The department has committed £7 million to fund projects and programmes to improve confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism in education. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has also asked Sir David Bell to undertake an independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges, which will be published this autumn.

The government is determined to address the shockingly high number of early deaths among care experienced young people, including unaccompanied asylum- seeking children and care leavers, who can be some of the most vulnerable people in our society due to their experiences.

The department welcomes the report of the Da’aro Youth Project and will carefully consider its findings as we implement measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, supporting children in care and care leavers and deliver wider reforms to children’s social care.

Last month, we launched a review into care leaver deaths, and deaths of young people who were unaccompanied asylum seeking children are being considered as part of this. Insights from the review will be shared later this year and will inform how we improve the support provided to care experienced young people across all aspects of their lives, including those who were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

High needs funding for children and young people with complex needs is continuing at an increased level of over £12 billion in the 2026/27 financial year, following an increase of 11% in 2025/26. Of that total, Nottingham City Council is being allocated over £70 million.

The Schools white paper set out additional funding for both schools and local authorities to drive forward reform of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, with £4 billion over the next three years, including an inclusive mainstream fund of £1.6 million and £1.8 million for Experts at Hand to provide specialist support to mainstream settings. This will reverse the trend of late intervention and escalation in needs.

It remains important that every local authority meets its statutory SEND duties while ensuring robust controls as they, other local partners and the department work together to reform the SEND system. We will support authorities in this work through their Local SEND Reform Plans.

Universities are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for designing and implementing their own artificial Intelligence (AI) policies. They are already responding to the opportunities and challenges AI presents.

The Office for Students (OfS) set out its approach to the use of AI in higher education (HE) in June 2025. The approach can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/blog/embracing-innovation-in-higher-education-our-approach-to-artificial-intelligence/.

Providers are responsible for detecting and preventing academic misconduct, including misuse of AI, in line with the OfS’ regulatory framework. Providers that fall below these standards could be subject to regulatory action.

The government is committed to ensuring that AI is not used to undermine high academic standards in HE. As set out in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, the department will support the OfS to assess the impact of artificial intelligence, including how students are using it in assessments, to ensure the integrity of HE assessments and qualifications is not compromised.

Mandatory nutrition and practical cooking education is already included within the national curriculum. Additional elements of nutrition education can also be covered within science and relationships, sex and health education. The national curriculum aims to teach children how to cook and how to apply the principles of healthy eating and nutrition. Schools also have flexibility within the broad framework of the national curriculum to tailor curriculum subjects to meet the needs of their pupils.

In response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department has set out that we will enhance the identity of food education by clearly distinguishing cooking and nutrition, which will be renamed food and nutrition, as a distinct strand within design and technology. We are also legislating through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to require academies to follow the national curriculum, to ensure that pupils in academy schools also benefit from these changes alongside those in maintained schools.