Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the compensation provided to Equitable Life policyholders.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Equitable Life Payment Scheme has been fully wound down and closed since 2016 and there are no plans to reopen any decisions relating to the Payment Scheme or review the £1.5 billion funding allocation previously made to it. Further guidance on the status of the Payment Scheme after closure is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equitable-life-payment-scheme#closure-of-the-scheme.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure the Climate Change Committee assesses the upcoming sixth carbon budget plan before it is published.

Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We value the CCC’s independent advice and expertise on progress against our targets. We will deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all the sectors in due course. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our NDC commitments on a pathway to net zero. Government will consider CCC’s already published independent advice on Carbon Budgets as well as annual progress reports to Government ahead of publishing the new Plan.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of making the adoption and special guardianship support fund permanent.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

On 1 April, it was announced that the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) would continue into 2025/26, with a budget of £50 million.

All future decisions regarding the ASGSF will be considered as part of the next spending review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating changes to NHS systems to ensure that it is possible to update the gender marker associated with an NHS number.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Sex and gender identity are not always the same thing, and it is important for patients that we record both accurately. On 20 March 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care instructed the health service to immediately suspend applications for National Health Service number changes for under 18 year olds, to safeguard children.

Taking such action does not prevent the NHS from recording, recognising, and respecting trans people’s gender identity. General practitioners are currently able to rename a patient and manually input preferred pronouns and expressed gender in free text without affecting the formal marker.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the use of co-operatives in supporting the Government's international development objectives.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government recognises the important contribution cooperatives make in serving local communities around the world. Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, that can enable citizens and producers to access services or markets and strengthen their voice in local processes. Cooperatives can enable sustainable and inclusive development centred on self-help, democratic ownership, and concern for the community. The UK has supported cooperatives and producer organisations in developing countries, including, for example in agriculture through funding to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), which supports producer organisations, and the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme (CASA), which partners with cooperatives and small agribusinesses in low-income countries to improve smallholder farmers' access to markets.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of the compensation tariff for whiplash in line with inflation.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Civil Liability Act 2018 allows the Lord Chancellor to set fixed compensation tariff amounts for whiplash injuries from road traffic accidents lasting two years or less. The tariff amounts were first set via the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, and the Civil Liability Act 2018 requires the tariff to be reviewed every three years.

The first statutory review was completed on 22 May 2024. The Lord Chancellor’s report of the review was published on 21 November 2024. The report concluded that the original whiplash tariff amounts should be increased by roughly 15% to account for the impact of inflation since the tariff was introduced on 31 May 2021, and to include a three-year buffer to account for projected inflation until the next review in 2027.

This increase to the whiplash tariff will be implemented by the draft Whiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which was laid in Parliament on 20 March 2025. Subject to approval from both Houses, the new tariff will apply to relevant whiplash injuries that occur on or after 31 May 2025.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to provide additional support for owners of listed buildings.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

In terms of financial support, the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s current 10 year strategy, Heritage 2033, increased the maximum funding available to owners from £100,000 to £250,000 to support designated assets, such as listed buildings. Owners must demonstrate that the public benefit of their project outweighs any private gain.

Historic England also offers repair grants to owners of listed buildings, which in total amounts to between £8.5 - £9 million per year. Historic England also offers various guidance and resources which may be useful to owners and occupiers of listed buildings, as well as the heritage sector more broadly, such as the guidance on Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency, published July 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that GPs are able to access their pension information.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Pension Scheme members, including general practitioners (GPs), can access information about their pension via My NHS Pension, an online portal from the NHS Pension Service, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/member-hub/my-nhs-pension

To provide accurate pension information for practitioners, the NHS Business Services Authority needs a fully up to date record in respect of their NHS Pension Scheme membership. This means practitioners must submit their Annual Certificate(s) of Pensionable Profits to Primary Care Support England (PCSE), so that PCSE can keep their record updated.

PCSE launched the PCSE Online GP Pensions system in 2021 to provide GPs and practices with greater convenience, and more transparency and security when it comes to their pension contributions data. Supporting GPs to accurately submit current and historic Type 1 or Type 2 annual certificates remains a priority for NHS England and PCSE. Since the PCSE Online solution for submitting Type 1 and Type 2 certificates electronically went live in 2021, PCSE have developed user guides and held webinars to educate GPs on how to complete forms accurately.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of schools that receive charitable funding to cover essential costs.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department collects information on the total income that academy trusts and maintained schools receive from private and charitable sources, beyond their core budgets, but does not hold information on what proportion of this was charitable or how money raised through charitable funding is spent in academy trusts and maintained schools. There is no expectation that educational resources should be paid for through charity and we are working closely with schools to understand their financial pressures.

Overall core revenue funding for schools in the 2024/25 financial year totals almost £61.6 billion. At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to the 2024/25 financial year. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion in the 2025/26 financial year.

These increases, against the backdrop of a challenging fiscal picture, demonstrate the government’s commitment to enabling every child to achieve and thrive through delivery of the Opportunity Mission.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for the Government’s Clean Power 2030 target of limiting the supply of solar and battery storage projects as a result of the 2035 regional technology capacities.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Clean Power Action Plan (CPAP) sets out regional capacities for solar and battery storage required to achieve Clean Power by 2030. Regional capacities out to 2035 are also included to provide a 10-year time horizon for connections offers.

2035 capacities are based on the top of the range of NESO's Future Energy Scenarios. NESO analysis suggests that projects allocated to the 2031-35 period may be able to connect pre-2030 where there is spare network capacity or if needed to deal with attrition. However, the reformed queue to 2030 will already contain additional capacity beyond the amount needed to achieve Clean Power by 2030.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to legislate to prevent the Drax power station burning wood from primary forests for producing non-subsidised electricity.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government only provides support for biomass sourced from forests which are sustainably managed.

Under the agreed Heads of Terms for short term support from 2027-2031, Drax must source 100% of its biomass from sustainable sources, and must exclude primary forest to receive support. Drax will be supported at a 27% load factor and we do not anticipate they will be incentivised to generate further, without subsidies.

Nevertheless, we are considering further options through the new contract and the consultation on the Common Biomass Sustainability Framework to provide additional protection for primary forests.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is taking steps (a) reduce and (b) remove policy costs on electricity bills.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. With this, the Government is also committed to ensuring a fair and affordable transition to Net Zero while considering the impact of policy costs on all energy consumers.

NESO’s advice in their Clean Power 2030 Report on the impact of clean power on energy bills finds that a 2030 clean power system can be cheaper for the consumer than the one we have today.

Policy costs, or levies, fund essential schemes that have delivered significant benefits, including increasing renewable generation capacity and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The Department keeps the aggregate impact of these policies under review.

The Government’s main mechanism to invest in new renewables capacity are our Contracts for Difference. We have consulted on reforms to the Contracts for Difference, which are intended to ensure we secure the capacity needed to deliver Clean Power by 2030, whilst minimising the costs to consumers. The Government will publish a response with a view to implementing any changes in time for Allocation Round 7 to open in summer 2025.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support low-income households with the costs of installing (a) insulation and (b) heat pumps.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As the first step towards the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency.

Government energy efficiency schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation, Great British Insulation Scheme, Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant are targeted at low-income households to fund energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating for those eligible.

Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing hon. Members to access (a) the KPMG interim report of December 2022 and (b) the full NESO report on the alternatives to burning 27 million trees a year.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The KPMG report is an internal fact-finding document, commissioned by Drax to review their biomass supply chain against the sustainability requirements of existing arrangements. Whilst DESNZ Officials were granted time limited access to view the report, we do not hold a copy. We therefore have no means or rights to share the report.

NESO published a summary of its advice to DESNZ (here). Given the focus of this analysis is on specific companies, it is commercially sensitive and cannot be shared publicly. This is the right approach to ensure security of our electricity system at a fair price for consumers.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has issued a response to BBC Panorama’s reports that the Drax powerplant has burned wood from primary forest sites.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Following the Panorama reports, Ofgem, as the independent regulator, conducted a comprehensive investigation into Drax’s sustainability arrangements and concluded that, whilst no subsidies were issued for unsustainable biomass, there was an absence of adequate data governance and controls. We are confident in Ofgem’s conclusion, and Drax accepted the findings of the investigation and made a voluntary redress payment of £25m.

Further to this, we have tightened the sustainability criteria under the new Contract for Difference, including strict provisions to exclude material sourced from primary and old growth forests under the contract.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to stop unabated burning of wood at Drax power station.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government has agreed Heads of Terms with Drax for time-limited support from 2027 to 2031. The National Energy System Operator advised that without Drax we would face increased security of supply risks from 2027 to 2031. No decisions have been made on Drax’s future after 2031.

Over the next decade, more and more of our ageing gas and nuclear assets will retire. Government is bringing forward options for low carbon dispatchable power such as hydrogen and gas with carbon capture. But energy security is essential and we will retain existing assets where it is in the country’s interest to do so.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the trees burnt at the Drax power station are imported and transported on diesel freighters.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Drax sources the vast majority of its supply of biomass pellets from the US, with a small percentage from Canada, and elsewhere. It transports pellets to the UK by shipping them on bulk carriers, unloading at ports including Immingham, Liverpool and Port of Tyne before final transport to the Drax site by rail. Bulk transport of biomass pellets can be a highly carbon-efficient way of moving material across large distances.

Under the new arrangements agreed with Drax we have strengthened the supply chain emissions threshold in line with European standards.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his proposed extension of subsidies for the Drax power station would raise the guaranteed strike price for the company from £100 MW/h to £113 MW/h.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The new CfD arrangement caps the volume of supported generation to an annual load factor of 27% compared to Drax’s current 65%. This incentivises dispatchable biomass generation only when the system needs it, ensuring consumers can benefit from cheaper wind and solar power at other times.

The new arrangement is estimated to halve subsidies to Drax, saving around £6 per household per year compared to current arrangements. The strike price for the new CfD is £113 (2012 prices) compared to £100 MWh currently. This modest increase reflects that Drax’s fixed operating costs will be spread over fewer units of generation, but consumers get more valuable power for lower overall subsidy.

Ban trophy hunting imports

Climate and Nature Bill

Blockade of aid to Gaza

Sale of caged hens’ eggs

Sanctioning of UK Parliamentarians by Russia

Robert May’s school and STEM racing competition

Small and medium-sized enterprises in defence procurement

Energy Technical Academy Group’s Female Introduction to Trades Open Day

Government review into Volumetric Concrete Mobile plants

Beer festivals 2025

Whitchurch banking hub

Strode College awarded the CyberFirst Silver Award

Work of the Royal British Legion in Stratford-on-Avon

Gerry Watkins

Cupar Scouts King's Scout Award

International Day for Mine Awareness

Fife Carers Centre

Abduction of Ukrainian children

Protecting children from data exploitation

Humanitarian response to the Myanmar earthquake

Disability hate crime

Festival Medical Services and Ukraine

Israeli Defence Force attacks on humanitarian workers

Found: Whittingdale Pete Wishart Dame Caroline Dinenage Clive Jones Ms Stella Creasy Tom Gordon Pippa Heylings

Found: Whittingdale Pete Wishart Dame Caroline Dinenage Clive Jones Ms Stella Creasy Tom Gordon Pippa Heylings

Submit Evidence (by 26 May 2025)

Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a large, complex group of about 14,000 synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of everyday products. For example, PFAS are used to keep food from sticking to packaging or cookware, make clothes and carpets resistant to stains, and create firefighting foam that is more effective.