Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with industry stakeholders on opportunities to grow UK-based manufacturing of hydrogen and fuel cell equipment by 2030.

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

The Government recognises the need for strong, home-grown clean energy supply chains to support good jobs and support sustainable economic growth as we accelerate to net zero. Our Clean Industries Sector Plan sets out a strong offer for domestic manufacturing such as the £1bn Great British Energy supply chain fund included in our comprehensive Public Finance Institution offer, as well as considering expanding the Clean Industry Bonus to hydrogen.

My officials in the UK and overseas are working closely with UK-based companies to highlight and develop opportunities across the hydrogen value chain both in the UK and abroad.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to support exports of UK-manufactured hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to international markets.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies constitute a frontier Industrial Strategy sector, so the government has committed targeted support to boost exports by showcasing UK capabilities through our global network, increasing access to international supply chains, and expanding clean energy sector agreements. UK Export Finance can offer a range of support for overseas sales, and as set out in the new Trade Strategy, aims to deliver £10bn in clean growth financing by 2029. Additionally, DRIVE35 will provide £2.5bn for zero-emission vehicle manufacturing including fuel cells, and the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme offers grants to UK fuel cell manufacturers investing in UK-based research and development.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of fiscal incentives to encourage capital investment in (a) hydrogen and (b) fuel cell manufacturing facilities.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is supporting a range of incentives to encourage capital investment in hydrogen. The Government has awarded contracts to 11 projects through the first hydrogen allocation round and £500mn was allocated for the development of the first hydrogen transport and storage network through the spending review.

At Spring Statement 2025, the government committed to removing Climate Change Levy costs from electricity used in electrolysis to produce hydrogen. This will lower costs and support the growth of low carbon hydrogen production, which will play an important role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify industrial sectors.

UK Export Finance also aims to deliver £10bn in clean growth financing by 2029; DRIVE35, the government’s programme of capital and R&D funding for the automotive industry, will provide £2.5bn for zero-emission vehicle manufacturing, including fuel cells; and the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme offers grants to UK fuel cell manufacturers investing in UK-based research and development.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what research and innovation funding streams are available to support companies developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the UK.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Innovate UK supports businesses innovating in hydrogen and fuel cells through several initiatives, including DRIVE35, a £2.5 billion programme supporting businesses conducting R&D in manufacturing zero emission vehicles. The Department for Transport delivers R&D funding to develop clean maritime technologies including hydrogen and fuel cell technologies through its UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE). Other funding streams include Innovation Loans and Investor Partnerships, which can help commercialise highly innovative late-stage R&D projects. Information on all Innovate UK competitions can be found at https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/search.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve the process for (a) selecting and (b) prioritising cases from the daily court lists to ensure that cases involving people charged with breaching bail conditions in violent domestic abuse cases are (i) heard within the required legal timeframes and (ii) not released due to court scheduling delays.

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

Listing and case management decisions are made by the judiciary in collaboration with court listing officers, who prioritise cases involving vulnerable witnesses. The judiciary prioritise cases in line with the Criminal Practice Directions which set out the key principles for managing court lists, available at: Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 and Criminal Practice Directions 2023 - GOV.UK. Cases involving defendants held in custody overnight, including those accused of breaching bail conditions, are a priority. To support this, HMCTS has introduced measures such as a national forum for listing officers to share best practice.

In December 2024, the Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims. Work on Part 2 of the review will consider how the end-to-end process in the criminal courts could be improved to maximise efficiency and ensure public protection in the sorts of cases highlighed in the question. This work is underway and we expect it to be finalised later this year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will publish her Department's post-16 education and skills strategy.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills and will shortly publish the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training his Department provides to (a) Universal Credit agents and (b) Work Coaches on communicating with claimants who have learning disabilities or mental health conditions when responding to messages via (i) online journals and (ii) telephone.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Universal Credit agents and Work Coaches receive a range of training to equip them to support customers with health conditions, learning disabilities, and additional or complex needs throughout their role.

Key training includes:

• Mandatory mental health learning – 2-day course for all customer contact roles, including a focus on communication methods.
• Induction/onboarding training – New starters at DWP receive training to support customers with additional needs and mental health conditions as part of their technical learning journey.
• Refresher learning - (optional, on-demand) point of need learning to support customers with learning disabilities and mental health conditions.
• Training is available at points of need to support continuous development throughout their role.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hours of (a) initial and (b) refresher training Universal Credit agents receive on supporting claimants with learning disabilities or mental health conditions; and at what intervals refresher training is mandated.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Universal Credit agents and Work Coaches receive a range of training to equip them to support customers with health conditions, learning disabilities, and additional or complex needs throughout their role.

Key training includes:

• Mandatory mental health learning – 2-day course for all customer contact roles, including a focus on communication methods.
• Induction/onboarding training – New starters at DWP receive training to support customers with additional needs and mental health conditions as part of their technical learning journey.
• Refresher learning - (optional, on-demand) point of need learning to support customers with learning disabilities and mental health conditions.
• Training is available at points of need to support continuous development throughout their role.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to respond to feedback provided in its consultation on NHS dentistry contract: quality and payment reform, published 8 July 2025.

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

The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish a response in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK-manufactured (a) hydrogen and (b) fuel cell technologies are affected by (i) current and (ii) future (A) hydrogen production and (B) usage schemes.

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

The UK is taking a whole-system approach to developing a hydrogen economy, putting in place the policy and regulatory frameworks needed to support deployment and attract private investment across the full hydrogen value chain.

We are driving demand through our hydrogen production and hydrogen transport and storage business models and supporting manufacturers of hydrogen equipment, including fuel cells, through our comprehensive Public Financial Institution offer, which includes Great British Energy, National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank. We are also improving the visibility of the UK supply chain through “Meet the Specifier” and “Meet the Buyer” events.

We will publish a UK Hydrogen Strategy later this year which will set out clear priorities for collaboration with industry.

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 introduce additional incentives for hydrogen project developers to source (a) equipment and (b) components from UK manufacturers.

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

In the Industrial Strategy, we set out the UK's potential to be a global leader in both hydrogen deployment and supply chains, given the shared skills and infrastructure from the oil and gas sector, existing strengths in innovation, and our supportive policy environment. We have a strong offer for domestic manufacturing including support from our Public Finance Institutions and deployment certainty through Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HARs). Additionally, we welcome the industry-led voluntary ambition of 50% UK local content for hydrogen across the value chain from 2030.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on the development of a strategy for asylum accommodation; if she will list the other Government departments that are involved in this work; and what steps her Department is taking to consult (a) local authorities, (b) the devolved administrations and (c) relevant community organisations during the development of the strategy.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As part of our commitment to end the use of all asylum hotels and reduce costs for taxpayers, the Home Office has been working in collaboration with other government departments and local authorities to develop a more sustainable model of accommodation which seeks to reduce competition for affordable housing and help deliver new supply.

As part of this, the Home Office’s Asylum Accommodation Programme is now working in collaboration with other government departments to deliver a range of sites, including potential former military sites, that contribute to a more flexible estate. Decisions on the use of alternative asylum accommodation sites will be made on a site-by-site basis.

The government is also investing £500 million to develop this new, more sustainable accommodation model. This funding will be delivered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in partnership with the Home Office and local councils, in order to deliver better outcomes for communities and taxpayers. This new funding will complement ongoing Home Office reforms to the asylum accommodation estate, including pilot schemes to repurpose derelict buildings and to develop other community-led alternatives to the use of hotels.

We continue to keep the strategy under review as progress continues.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the total (a) amount of child maintenance arrears owed and (b) number of children for whom maintenance was outstanding in Wiltshire in each of the past five years.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of how the total value of child maintenance arrears owed in Wiltshire has changed since 2015; and what steps he is taking to reduce the level of arrears.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The statistical information requested for Wiltshire is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their responsibilities to provide their children with financial support and the Child Maintenance Service will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. The Service is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and its work in Wiltshire

Thames Water in Wiltshire

Calne Fair Trade

Water bills

Warm Homes Plan

Future of BBC Radio 4 Longwave

South Downs National Park

Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme

Renewable energy and coal

Children of Ukraine

Leasehold reform (No. 2)

80 years of the Moomins

Pavement parking consultation response

Independence of Healthwatch England

Mental health care in Gaza

Final delivery plan on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

Equitable national prostate cancer screening

Found: Written evidence submitted by Sarah Gibson MP [HCE 061] SGMP: SUBMISSION TO SELECT CMTEE HOUSING INQUIRY

Found: Herefordshire) Barry Gardiner (Labour; Brent West) Anna Gelderd (Labour; South East Cornwall) Sarah Gibson