Richard Baker

The Action Plan for the Clean Power 2030 Mission will set out the path to decarbonise our electricity and support an increasingly electrified economy.

The Government is incentivising adoption of low carbon appliances, including through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, our Warm Homes Plan, and working with industry and local authorities to develop new heat networks.

The Government is also supporting low carbon hydrogen production, which has a unique role in transitioning hard-to-abate sectors away from fossil fuels.

Later this year the Government will publish the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which will set out the path to deliver a clean power system, helping protect billpayers from volatile gas prices and strengthening Britain’s energy security. The Government has also set up Great British Energy, which will own, manage, and operate clean energy projects across the country, generating abundant homegrown electricity.

Interconnectors are the physical assets that enable electricity to be traded between GB and energy markets in other jurisdictions. We are currently trading electricity, including renewable generation, from Europe via nine interconnectors. The Government considers that interconnection should, and will, play an important role in GB’s future decarbonised energy system.

The Government remains committed to examining the case for hydrogen heating and is reviewing plans. This work aims to gather evidence on the feasibility, costs and benefits of hydrogen heating that can inform decisions on its potential role.

Innovation is essential for the Government’s mission to deliver clean power by 2030 and accelerate to net zero, helping to develop and drive down the cost of new technologies.

Around £4.2bn is being invested in research and innovation over 2022-2025 to catalyse the development and commercialisation of these technologies. Furthermore, Great British Energy and our National Wealth Fund, will support clean technologies and investment across the country.

There are no plans to replace the EU’s Global Navigation Satellite System – Galileo – with a UK system. The Government is implementing the October 2023 Government Policy Framework for Greater Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Resilience, which will provide greater resilience for the PNT services that the UK relies upon in the event of any disruption to Global Navigation Satellite Systems.

It is our priority to make Horizon association a success. Government have launched a series of initiatives have been launched to help UK organisations engage with the programme. These include a marketing campaign and large-scale events around the country to promote Horizon Europe, and pump priming support to help increase application numbers, delivered by the British Academy and Innovate UK. On Copernicus, DSIT has been working closely with the UK Earth observation sector to promote the opportunities from renewed participation in the EU Copernicus programme. This includes hosting two Copernicus industry days, investing £250m to support industry and academics to stay at the forefront of Earth observation and through the UK Space Agency. For both programmes, the Department is actively working with European partners to promote UK expertise and capabilities and encouraging collaboration opportunities.

This government recognises the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to support and resources for their mental health and wellbeing, including creative professionals such as musicians and performers.

This government welcomes efforts by the music industry to support artists, such as the Musicians' Union's Wellbeing Support Service and Help Musicians' Music Minds Matter helpline. We would encourage more organisations across the sector to follow suit in order to foster an environment where mental health is prioritised, and artists are empowered to thrive both personally and professionally.

We are working closely with industry stakeholders as they seek to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review, a sectoral deep dive funded by DCMS into job quality and working practice. This sets out a number of priorities to improve job quality in the sector, including developing dedicated support and guidance for self-employed creators.

The arts and creative industries are also crucial to supporting peoples' health and wellbeing. As part of the Government's ‘an NHS fit for the future’ Mission, we will review the evidence and recommendations from stakeholders, including the National Centre for Creative Health. The Creative Industries Council has also established a Health and Wellbeing Forum, whose outputs we will consider.

Additionally, the Arts Council England invests £145 million annually in National Portfolio Organisations to deliver projects including creative health, and in 2022 they published a Creative Health and Wellbeing Strategy to integrate health and wellbeing into the arts sector's core outcomes.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations. We want to see society lotteries continue to thrive, alongside the National Lottery.

We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and to working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk. We have commissioned independent research to look at the overall lotteries sector, to strengthen the evidence base for any further review of the limits.

We continue to keep society lottery sales and prize limits under review with the Gambling Commission. We will set out further information on gambling policy, including the statutory levy, to the House soon.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations. We want to see society lotteries continue to thrive, alongside the National Lottery.

We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and to working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk. We have commissioned independent research to look at the overall lotteries sector, to strengthen the evidence base for any further review of the limits.

We continue to keep society lottery sales and prize limits under review with the Gambling Commission. We will set out further information on gambling policy, including the statutory levy, to the House soon.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations. We want to see society lotteries continue to thrive, alongside the National Lottery.

We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and to working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk. We have commissioned independent research to look at the overall lotteries sector, to strengthen the evidence base for any further review of the limits.

We continue to keep society lottery sales and prize limits under review with the Gambling Commission. We will set out further information on gambling policy, including the statutory levy, to the House soon.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

As the department for opportunity, we recognise the importance of school trips and the impact that this valuable learning experience can have on children and young people. The department also recognises the difficulties that schools have faced in recent years when it comes to organising trips between the UK and the EU. Departments across government are working to mitigate these challenges. The department is working with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office to improve border processing and facilitate school trips between the UK and the EU. The UK has an agreement with France which permits the use of national identity cards for French schoolchildren (aged 18 and under) travelling on organised trips and waives UK visa requirements for their classmates who are visa nationals.

The Home Office has recently announced that children aged 18 and under travelling as part of a French school group will be temporarily exempt from the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme requirement until a group solution is developed.

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme to provide grants for students to study and work anywhere in the world, including in the EU. Students can develop new skills, gain international experience and boost their employability. For the 2024/25 academic year, education providers and other eligible organisations from across the UK have been allocated over £105 million to send more than 43,000 students on study and work placements across the globe.

Countries in the EU are popular destinations for UK students supported by the Turing Scheme, with EU countries making up five out of the top ten most popular destinations across both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years.

The Turing Scheme breaks down barriers to opportunity by prioritising the most disadvantaged students, requiring education providers to demonstrate how their project will support them and provide additional grant funding for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition to travel and living costs, this funding covers items that students may need to be able to travel, including vaccinations, visa applications, passports and insurance costs.

Education is a devolved matter and this response outlines the information for England only. The average cost for a looked after child in private residential care in 2020/21 was approximately £254,000 per annum and £217,000 for a child in an local authority placement: https://www.pssru.ac.uk/pub/uc/uc2021/services.pdf.

Costs may vary depending on factors such as location and the child’s level of need.

For zoo animal transfers from Great Britain (GB) to the European Union (EU), export requirements vary and must be agreed on a case-by-case basis with the importing country. On receipt of the requirements, Defra collaborates with officials in the importing country to ensure these are practical before producing an official certificate ensuring safe, compliant trade while safeguarding animal and public health. This minimizes the risk of live animals being delayed or returned at borders due to non-compliance.

Border Control Points capacity at key locations within the EU can affect zoo animal movements, creating challenges for GB zoos participating in international conservation projects. The department engages with stakeholders, including the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and French authorities, to advocate for new border control posts and streamline processes where possible.

The Prime Minister and President of the European Commission met on 7 November at the EPC in Budapest, where they discussed the strength of the UK-EU partnership and the need to work together to tackle the challenges facing Europe.

Defra’s approach to UK-EU relations will always respect the role of devolved governments and legislatures. The Government knows that many aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement and UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement fall within devolved competence, and there are many reserved aspects of particular importance to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Department for Transport’s £206m UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme focuses on accelerating the technology necessary to decarbonise our domestic maritime sector.

UK SHORE interventions address maritime decarbonisation challenges over the full range of technology-readiness levels (TRL) and are being rolled out between 2022 and 2025.

The UK SHORE programme has allocated funding to more than 150 projects and aims to leverage over £100m private investment to support research and development in maritime decarbonisation. The funding benefits all 12 regions in the UK supporting over 350 organisations, including over 200 SMEs.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is aware that both Gaza and Deir el Belah War Cemeteries have been damaged, but the full extent is not yet clear. A more detailed assessment cannot be carried out until the current situation subsides.

The CWGC will, however, restore those sites to a befitting standard as and when circumstances allow.

The UK Government is committed to making Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

As we make the carefully phased transition to clean energy, we will build alternative opportunities for oil and gas workers - to which we’ve already committed £22bn of investment.

What’s more, we have created the National Wealth Fund to invest in our clean energy industries. I have seen first hand what great work is taking place - including just last week at Dundee Port.

I have had frequent discussions with the Department for Business and Trade, across government, trade unions and with the Deputy First Minister of Scotland, to support activity at Harland and Wolff sites across the United Kingdom. This country has a long and proud history of shipbuilding and fabrication, and I am confident that this Government is taking appropriate steps to support the sector in Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Government and the company itself. Can I refer the Hon Gentlemen to the market update from the company dated Friday 19 July, and the Written Ministerial Statement presented to the House on Monday 22 July for more information.