Steve McCabe

The Government is committed to improving life choices and opportunities for disabled people in their private lives, in their communities and in employment. We want everyone to live their lives free from discrimination and harassment, including disabled people.

The Equality Act 2010 places obligations on employers and service providers regarding people with disabilities, to ensure that they are fully protected from any unlawful behaviour in employment or in the provision of services. This includes a disability that may not be obvious or may be entirely hidden.

The Government is delivering for disabled people - in just the last year, we have supported the passage of two landmark pieces of legislation, the British Sign Language Act and the Down Syndrome Act.

The Minister for Disabled People announced on 2 December 2022 that a new Disability Action Plan will be consulted on and published in 2023. The Plan will set out the action the government will take in 2023/2024 to improve disabled people’s lives.

This Government has successfully reduced inflation by more than half, which will make the cost of living more affordable for veterans along with every other resident in the UK. We’re also getting support directly to those who need it, with the £104 billion Cost of Living package worth an average £3,800 per household.

Veterans’ employment is at an all-time high, with 89% of those leaving service finding employment within six months, but we're determined to go further. That is why we recently launched OP PROSPER, our dedicated employment pathway for veterans, alongside introducing a 12-month National Insurance relief to eligible employers recruiting veterans in their first civilian role after service.

The Office for Veterans' Affairs has conducted extensive research with veterans and charities to understand the current service provided by the Veterans' Gateway. Based on the feedback received, we plan to improve information and content on GOV.UK as well as developing a new comprehensive signposting tool, ensuring veterans receive the right help as quickly as possible.

We plan to regularly assess, iterate and improve the services we provide to veterans to ensure that they meet individual needs and align with the principles in the Government Service Standard.

The Office for Veterans' Affairs works with partners across and beyond government to monitor the effectiveness and impact of the commitments outlined in the Veterans' Strategy Action Plan.

Since the publication of the Action Plan in 2022, the Government has published four updates on progress; two six monthly reports in August 2022 and August 2023, and two updates within the Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Annual Report laid before parliament in December 2022 and December 2023.

The most recent report highlighted notable achievements against the Action Plan and 2018 Strategy for our Veterans, outlining where commitments have been delivered and where more work is needed to deliver on our government’s ambition to make the UK the best place to be a veteran. The Office for Veterans' Affairs engages with its partners regularly to ensure the commitments in the action plan are delivered, with updates on progress provided to the Veterans Advisory Board and departments across government.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ definition of homelessness is in line with the Government’s definition of homelessness. Statutory homelessness is defined as households or individuals who are owed a homelessness duty by a local authority.

This Government is committed to supporting all veterans with securing appropriate accommodation.

In 2023, we launched Op FORTITUDE, the dedicated referral scheme for veterans facing homelessness and rough sleeping, which is part of a broader £8.55 million of funding for specialist help and wrap-around support for veterans in more than 900 supported housing units.

This is in addition to establishing the Veteran Capital Housing Fund, which is dedicating £20 million over three years to fund the refurbishment of existing affordable and social rental properties and the development and delivery of new build projects.

Through these programmes, the Government is not only supporting the sustainable supply of veteran housing, but also ensuring that no veteran is forced to sleep rough due to a lack of provision.

Following correspondence from Help for Heroes and Combat Stress in November 2023, officials in the Department recently met with representatives from the organisations to discuss the impact of fireworks on armed forces veterans. We agreed to continue engagement on this matter going forward.

Whilst the Government has no current plans to introduce further legislation on fireworks, we continue to monitor the situation and engage with a wide range of stakeholders to listen to and understand their views.

There is a comprehensive legislative framework regulating the manufacture, storage, supply, possession and use of fireworks in the UK. The Government has no current plans to review the legislation, but we continue to monitor the situation.

The Government regularly engages with its counterparts in Scotland. We have discussed the recent Scottish legislative changes with them, and we will continue to discuss the impacts of their approach to fireworks legislation.

There is a comprehensive legislative framework regulating the manufacture, storage, supply, possession and use of fireworks in the UK. The Government has no current plans to review the legislation, but we continue to monitor the situation.

The Government regularly engages with its counterparts in Scotland. We have discussed the recent Scottish legislative changes with them, and we will continue to discuss the impacts of their approach to fireworks legislation.

The Government commissioned an independent review from the British Geological Survey, the National Oceanography Centre and Heriot-Watt University, to support informed decision making regarding potential future development of mineral resources in the deep sea.

Chapter Four of that review addresses Economics, and the full document (published in October 2022) is available here: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/deep-sea-mining-evidence-review-published/

Royal Mail’s approach to informing customers of service disruptions is an operational matter for Royal Mail as a private business. I understand that Royal Mail had provided updates to its customers on the resumption of services through its international incident bulletin, published on its website: www.royalmail.com/international-incident-bulletin.

Emissions from UK oil and gas extraction are accounted for in our legally-binding carbon budgets. Projected future emissions from all licensing rounds are incorporated into the offshore sector’s North Sea Transition Deal commitments. The sector’s progress against these targets is monitored by the North Sea Transition Authority.

‘Scope 3’ emissions from the burning of oil and gas are accounted for in the country in which they are used, in line with guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Emissions will be reduced by reducing our consumption of fossil fuels, not by placing restrictions on our oil and gas industry.

Emissions from UK oil and gas extraction are accounted for in our legally-binding carbon budgets. Projected future emissions from all licensing rounds are incorporated into the offshore sector’s North Sea Transition Deal commitments. The sector’s progress against these targets is monitored by the North Sea Transition Authority.

‘Scope 3’ emissions from the burning of oil and gas are accounted for in the country in which they are used, in line with guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Emissions will be reduced by reducing our consumption of fossil fuels, not by placing restrictions on our oil and gas industry.

The UK has over-achieved against the first, second, and third carbon budgets. The transitions set out in the Net Zero Strategy and the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan keep us on track to meet Carbon Budgets 4, 5 and 6, our 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution, and net zero by 2050.

The Government will continue to use Contracts for Difference to grow renewables’ share of electricity generation which has already moved from less than 7% in 2010 to more than 40% today. Use of coal in electricity generation will be ceased by the end of this year - having been nearly 40% in 2012.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme review took account of contributions from the private sector, trade associations, the voluntary sector and other types of organisations on sectors that may be most affected by rising energy prices based on energy and trade intensity. The outcome of the review informed the criteria for the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS).

Eligible SMEs will get the baseline discount. The higher ETII support will be provided to SMEs that meet the eligibility criteria. The EBDS reflects the scale of change in the energy market as prices continue to fall. The EBDS strikes the right balance by supporting businesses over the next year, ensuring fiscal responsibility and limiting the taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets.

Under Ofgem’s Maximum Resale Price rules, landlords with a domestic contract with an energy supplier are required not to charge tenants more than they have paid suppliers for the energy.

Telegraph poles play an important role in delivering efficient and cost-effective coverage and connectivity to communities, particularly in hard to reach areas without costly and disruptive roadworks, or where existing infrastructure cannot be used.

Permitted development rights allow telegraph poles and lines to be deployed without requiring case-by-case approval from the local planning authority, and we have no plans to introduce legislation to change permitted development rights for telegraph poles.

However, we are aware of the concerns that residents in some parts of the country have about the deployment of telegraph poles. There are existing measures to minimise pole deployment and avoid inappropriate siting, and we are also taking further action to respond to those concerns.

For example, the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”) set out the legal requirements operators must adhere to.

Already, Local Planning Authorities should be notified 28 days before poles are installed in many circumstances as set out in the 2003 Regulations, and can impose conditions on this installation which operators must adhere to provided that the conditions are reasonable. The 2003 regulations also state that operators should share infrastructure where practicable.

There is also a Code of Practice in place, which provides guidance on ways operators can ensure new installations are placed appropriately, and that local authorities and communities are to be engaged with regarding proposed installations.

Ofcom can take enforcement action in respect of breaches of the restrictions and conditions contained in the 2003 regulations. Ofcom have also stated that they would investigate any cases where poles are sited in a way which is not consistent with the requirements and guidelines in place – including where they block residents’ drives or where operators systematically fail to engage with local planning authorities’ suggestions. We encourage Local Planning Authorities to make complaints to Ofcom if they feel these criteria apply.

I recently met with Melanie Dawes, CEO of Ofcom, to discuss this, and to explore ways DSIT and Ofcom can work together to raise awareness of statutory roles and responsibilities and ensure better compliance.

I also wrote to all fixed line operators on 14 March, setting out the government’s concerns and emphasising the importance of infrastructure sharing. Specifically, I have asked them to do everything possible to share existing telegraph poles before installing new ones.

Separately, DSIT is considering how revisions to the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice might be delivered to promote better working practices.

I met interested MPs on Monday 25 March 2024, and I remain keen to hear and understand the concerns shared by MPs and their constituents. I am also meeting fixed-line operators to discuss these concerns.

The Government commitment to invest in R&D makes the UK a globally competitive destination for investment and partnerships. Funding programmes which anchor investment in the UK are open to international investors and partners.

An example is Research Partnership Investment Fund which supports investment in higher education facilities across the UK. Universities must attract a further £2 from non-public sources for every £1 invested by the fund. Funded projects go on to attract wider investment and partnerships as they develop to enrich the UK science and research system.

Ofgem has stringent rules on the force-fitting of prepayment meters and is responsible for ensuring licensed energy suppliers comply with those rules. Ofgem publishes details of its compliance and enforcement action on its website at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/compliance-and-enforcement.

The Government has set out its 5-point plan regarding prepayment meters and Ministers will keep the House updated on its progress. Ofgem has launched a new prepayment meter investigation, in response to the 5-point plan. I have spoken to Ofgem to discuss the specific case of British Gas.

Ofgem restricts the force-fitting of a prepayment meter on customers who are in debt, except as a last resort. When installing a PPM, suppliers must consider whether this is safe and practicable, including whether a PPM is appropriate for the customer, before remotely switching or installing a PPM under warrant.

The Government has set out its 5-point plan regarding PPM and Ministers will keep the House updated on its progress. Ofgem has launched a new PPM investigation, in response to the plan. I have spoken to Ofgem to discuss the specific case of British Gas.

The Government has expanded the Warm Home Discount scheme this year, providing £150 rebates to over 3 million households. The Government published impact assessments when consulting and publishing the Government’s response, which compared the option for reforming the scheme to continuing the previous scheme.

As households previously applied through their suppliers, which set their own application processes and eligibility criteria and selected successful applicants each year, the Government has not been able to assess how many households previously eligible are no longer eligible.

Third-party intermediaries, such as landlords, who receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) must pass that support through to end users, such as tenants, in a just and reasonable way.

The Government has introduced regulations to require that EBSS support is provided to the people it is designed to help. Further details can be found here.

This is an important issue which the Government has committed to act on shortly. We will introduce new civil monetary penalties for breaches of consumer law. The Government will do so through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill which will be brought forward in this session of Parliament.

This means that anyone ripping off consumers with misleading claims, unfair terms and conditions and hard-to-exit contracts may be penalised up to 10% of annual global turnover, or £300,000, whichever is higher.

Under these plans, the Competition and Markets Authority will be given direct fining powers, alongside the civil courts which would be able to act on application from enforcers like sector regulators and local authority trading standards departments.