Richard Foord

In September 2024, the Cabinet Office delivered a thorough internal One Year Evaluation Report. Lessons identified from the report have been considered and are being implemented into processes used during an alert activation. Since the release of the cross-HMG evaluation, the capability has been used three times, each successfully mitigating danger to lives and most recently in support of organisations in Northern Ireland and Scotland coordinating the response to storm Eowyn.

Whilst the system was used sparingly in its first year of operation, it is expected that it will be used more often and for a variety of use cases as the confidence of the resilience community builds in requesting Alerts.

The Cabinet Office and other government departments continue to work closely to deliver training and facilitate exercising to empower requesting authorities to be confident in the request protocol and drafting process.

The Government is committed to considering further improvements to the way that people can enforce their employment rights, including the role that Acas, Employment Tribunals and the Fair Work Agency play in ensuring workers’ have access to an effective justice system.

The Civil Justice Council (CJC) is currently considering how to improve enforcement methods and recently held a call for evidence on court users’ experiences of enforcement.The government will consider any recommendations that the CJC makes.

The UK is committed to supporting the most vulnerable, including children, who are experiencing the worst impacts of the climate crisis, and working together with partners to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

For example, through UK support to the NDC Partnership, the global coalition for coordinating support for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), we will enable up to 40 countries to strengthen the ambition, quality and investability of their NDCs ahead of COP30. The NDC Partnership is committed to supporting a country-driven process to advance youth engagement in NDC implementation.

The UK has just launched its own new, ambitious 1.5C-aligned 2035 NDC. The Government has consulted with civil society and youth groups to advance the policies on which our NDC target is based.

Government wants all areas of the UK to benefit from reliable and good quality mobile coverage. That is why our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural areas, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030, and to increase 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass by the end of 2025 through the Shared Rural Network programme.

Ofcom is responsible for measuring and reporting on mobile network coverage. Far too often the data published by Ofcom does not match consumers’ experience of using mobile networks. I recently wrote to Ofcom asking them to set out steps to improve their mobile coverage reporting.

Since the general election I have worked with other departments and industry in an effort to ensure that the industry’s necessary retirement of the Public Switched Telephone Network does not compromise national security, and that vulnerable people and others retain connectivity during emergencies. The Department holds quarterly cross-Government engagement groups to discuss switchover risks, to which all Government departments and Devolved Administrations are invited. I intend to hold a further meeting soon with all operators and stakeholders to ensure risks are minimised.

Ofcom ensures that companies identify, prepare for, and reduce the risk of anything that compromises the availability, performance, or functionality of their network or service, including during emergencies, as required by the Communications Act 2003 and the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021.

The Government is keen to ensure that key sporting events remain available to watch for free in years to come.

The Media Act 2024 includes several important reforms to the listed events regime. In particular, it closes the potential ‘streamer loophole’ that would have allowed non-PSB services to bypass the regime and which could have seen live coverage intended for UK audiences disappearing behind a paywall.

The Government is working closely with Ofcom to progress implementation of the Media Act. Further information can be found on Ofcom’s website: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/Media-Act-Implementation/.

An announcement on funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will be made shortly. All future decisions will be considered as part of the next spending review.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the department’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. Poor mental health and inadequate access to support are real challenges facing children today and have a detrimental impact on their school attendance, reinforcing barriers to opportunity.

The ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ statutory guidance promotes a 'support first' approach, encouraging schools, trusts and local authorities to work with families to address attendance barriers. This guidance can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf.

The department is committed to providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. We will also deliver Young Futures Hubs, providing every community with an open-access hub for children and young people. In addition, we are conducting an expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review to ensure that every child has access to a curriculum that is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative and supports their future life and work.

Illness, both physical and mental health related, is marked using the I code in the register. The department does not think that requiring schools to determine whether illness is mental or physical would be practically workable, given that schools cannot and should not diagnose a pupil’s illness.

The department has selected 513 schools for the School Rebuilding Programme. Several rebuilding projects have been completed under the programme, with many more at various stages of delivery. Where schools have not yet started a feasibility study, start dates will be communicated at least a month in advance.

Since 2015 Ofwat has set total expenditure allowances which allow for companies to meet their obligations under the environment and water quality programmes. Based on data provided by Ofwat, the figures for South West Water are set out below.

Between 2015 and 2024 the environment programme allowance for South West Water was £249.2 million and the water quality allowance was £153.2 million.

Due to figures being unable to be split between two price control periods, figures for 2013-15 cannot be provided.

We fully recognise the importance of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) for common land – and we strongly want the schemes to be available to commons as we move forward.

We will be reforming the SFI offer to direct funding towards SFI actions which are most appropriate for the least productive land and have the strongest case for enduring public investment.

We expect to publish more information about the reformed SFI offer in summer 2025. Our intention is that it will be possible to apply for SFI on common land when the reformed SFI offer reopens.

We have published preview guidance for CSHT setting out what funding will be available for farmers and land managers. This includes guidance on entering common land into a CSHT agreement. We will open the rolling application window for CSHT in summer 2025, and we have started inviting farmers and land managers to begin the pre-application process.

68% of common land is currently taking part in our agri-environment schemes. Defra will continue to work with our delivery partners to ensure future schemes will be accessible to managers of common land.

The Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural business and communities.

Rural Rate Relief aims to ensure that key amenities are available, and community assets protected in rural areas. It provides 100% rate relief for properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000.

The specific challenges and opportunities that make rural economies distinctive can be harnessed through funds such as the Rural England Prosperity Fund, which will provide up to £110 million in targeted support to rural businesses and communities in England between April 2023 and March 2025.

We know farmers require stability, which is why we are committed to Environmental Land Management schemes and will optimise schemes in an orderly way, ensuring they produce the right outcomes for all farmers, while delivering food security and nature recovery in a just and equitable way. We will also support farmers by offering a new deal, including cutting energy prices by setting up GB Energy, ensuring future trade deals are fairer for British farmers, and procuring more British produce in Government.

Spending on rural businesses and farming in future financial years will be confirmed as part of the Government’s spending review.

Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. Over half a million business are registered in rural areas, with the rural economy contributing over £315 billion a year to England alone.

The Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural business and communities. To achieve this, we are ensuring that the needs of people and businesses in rural areas are at the heart of policymaking.

That starts with delivering a new deal for farmers including cutting energy prices by setting up GB energy, ensuring future trade deals are fairer for British farmers, and procuring more British produce in Government.

The Department has not recently considered changes to the benefit system to reflect increases in costs for (a) building and contents insurance, (b) home maintenance, (c) boiler servicing and (d) other homeowner-related costs.

The last Labour government lifted over one million pensioners out of poverty, and this government – despite having to make the tough decisions to deal with our fiscal inheritance – remains absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving pensioners the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.

We will honour our commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this parliament with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension and the new State Pension this April, and we are also increasing the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1%. As such, according to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500.

The Government also offers an array of support to ensure pensioners remain comfortable and safe in the winter months. This includes direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount and (in England & Wales) Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments.

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit and want to ensure as many people as possible have access to this support. We urge pensioners to check their eligibility. Pension Credit will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payments in future, alongside other benefits. Our take-up campaign has been successful in boosting applications by 145% since July.

All pensioners will also continue to benefit from free eye tests, free NHS prescriptions and free bus passes.

Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what further support may be available to them. They may be able to receive support from Council Tax Reduction, or through energy support programs – or through the Household Support Fund (a scheme providing discretionary support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water). The Government has extended the Household Support Fund in England by a further year, (until 31 March 2026) – with funding of £742 million provided to enable this extension in England, plus additional funding for the devolved Governments to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

This Government remains completely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.

Linking Winter Fuel eligibility to Pension Credit and other means tested benefits for pensioners, ensures the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need; this includes people with a terminal illness who are eligible. There are no plans to change the eligibility criteria.

To ensure that Winter Fuel Payments are received by those on the lowest incomes, the Government is determined to do everything it can to maximise take-up of Pension Credit which provides a safety net for the pensioners on the lowest incomes and opens the door to other benefits including the Winter Fuel Payment.

For disabled pensioners or those with long-term health conditions, the “extra costs” disability benefits, including those provided for by the Scottish Government, provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition can face, such as additional heating costs. They are paid in addition to any other benefits received.

The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment and without serving waiting periods – and, in most cases, they receive the highest rate of benefit. For many years, the Special Rules have applied to people who have 6 months or less to live and have now been changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.

Personal Independence Payment is available to people with a long-term health condition or disability regardless of whether they are in work, training or education or not. As such, the PIP assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life, such as their ability to prepare, cook and eat food, dress and undress, make budgeting decisions, manage and monitor their health condition, engage with other people, and plan and follow journeys.

The PIP assessment does not look at an individual’s capacity to undertake work or work-related activity. This is the purpose of the Work Capability Assessment which determines eligibility for Employment and Support Allowance and the additional health-related amount of Universal Credit.

Wherever possible, employed earnings are received through the Real Time Information (RTI) system used by employers to report Pay As You Earn (PAYE) data to HMRC (His Majesty s Revenue and Customs). RTI enables a customer’s Universal Credit award to be automatically adjusted to reflect their earnings each month, which eases the reporting burden on customers.

If earnings are not reported through RTI for any reason, the customer needs to self-report their earnings.

Unearned income such as pension payments and certain benefits, including new style Jobseeker’s Allowance or new style Employment and Support Allowance are taken into account when calculating Universal Credit entitlement. Where these are not paid monthly they are calculated as a monthly equivalent. This is to reflect the Universal Credit monthly assessment period and to ‘smooth’ the calculation of award.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefits and State Pensions. The outcome of the Secretary of State’s review will be announced in the usual way.