Will Forster

Heat batteries are a promising technology because they utilise time-of-use tariffs, do not require outside space, and can be cheaper to install than heat pumps in some circumstances. However, they are less efficient than heat pumps and will therefore use more energy to meet the same heating demand.

The Department is exploring, through studies like the Homes for Net Zero Trial, the role heat batteries could play in the future. As the evidence base develops, we will continue to review the incentives available and whether this is sufficient, appropriate, and in line with our net zero ambitions.

DSIT is implementing the Online Safety Act which will bring in a number of protections for online users from the harms associated with doxing. In-scope providers will need to enact measures to take down illegal content and protect children from harmful content. Additionally, the largest services (Category 1) must ensure their terms of service are clear and consistently enforced. Ofcom can take enforcement action against companies failing to meet their duties, including fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue.

DSIT is implementing the Online Safety Act which will bring in a number of protections for online users from the harms associated with doxing. In-scope providers will need to enact measures to take down illegal content and protect children from harmful content. Additionally, the largest services (Category 1) must ensure their terms of service are clear and consistently enforced. Ofcom is required to consult with the Victim's Commissioner before drafting its codes of practice. Ofcom can take enforcement action against companies failing to meet their duties, including fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue.

Since July, this government has had to take some tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, but we are continuing to invest in the early years sector, supporting the delivery of the entitlements and recognising the vital role the sector plays in giving children the best start in life.

The department expects to provide over £8 billion for early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year, which is a more than 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as the department continues to rollout the expansion of the entitlements to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months.

On 10 December, the department published details of local authorities’ early years entitlements funding for 2025 to 2026. The funding rates for 2025/26 include funding to reflect the national living wage announced at the Autumn Budget 2024.

HM Treasury are also increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500 and expanding this to all eligible employers, meaning some smaller providers may pay no National Insurance at all in the 2025/26 financial year. The government has confirmed that public sector employers, including those in the early years sector, will be compensated for the increase in their National Insurance contributions.

On top of over £8 billion through the core funding rates, the department is also providing an additional £75 million in an expansion grant for 2025/26 to support the sector in this pivotal year to grow the places and the workforce needed to deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025. This is in addition to the largest ever uplift in the early years pupil premium, increasing rates by over 45% to up to £570 per eligible child per year. This unprecedented increase is an investment in quality early education for those children who need it most, in the areas that need it most to tackle childcare deserts and give children the support they need to be ‘school ready’ at age 5 and go on to achieve and thrive.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, supports the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). Evidence was provided to the Department on both the pros and cons of allowing VCMs to continue to operate at higher weights. The Department has reviewed the evidence provided and will publish its findings shortly. Any potential changes to the current policy position on VCM weight limits will need to consider the implications for road safety, infrastructure, the environment, and maintaining fair competition in the market.

Whilst discussions with promoters of schemes for a southern rail access route to Heathrow have taken place in recent years, no business case has yet been produced.

The Rail Minister replied to this letter on 14^th January 2025.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as extending the times at which concessionary passes can be used.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as extending the times at which concessionary passes can be used.

The Department publishes statistics on concessionary travel annually on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/concessionary-travel-statistics-year-ending-march-2024/concessionary-travel-statistics-year-ending-march-2024. For the year ending March 2025, 83 out of 85 Travel Concessionary Authorities are offering some form of enhanced discretionary concession in addition to meeting the statutory requirements under the ENCTS.

The independent Pensions Regulator (TPR) is responsible for providing detailed guidance to employers on how to meet their automatic enrolment duties. This includes guidance on avoiding common errors, such as incorrect pension contributions, failing to enrol employees correctly and missing or late payments. Pension scheme managers and trustees also have a responsibility to ensure the correct management of schemes including monitoring the payment of contributions.

If an employee has concerns regarding their workplace pension such as unpaid contributions, they should raise this with their employer in the first instance. An individual can report their employer to TPR if it is not complying with the law and/or make a complaint to The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) who can investigate the complaint and provide a remedy if the employer is found to be at fault. TPO, in collaboration with MoneyHelper and TPR, has published a factsheet for customers about this: Workplace pensions – unpaid pension contributions | The Pensions Ombudsman.

Accessible information and good communications are important in enabling savers to better understand their pensions. Some schemes already offer online access to help members easily and securely view their pension details. The government is also supporting the delivery of pensions dashboards, which will allow people to view their whole pensions picture, including their State Pension, securely and in one place. This will help reunite people with their lost pension pots and support better engagement – empowering individuals to better prepare for retirement.

For hearing and speech impaired customers:

DWP utilise the Video Relay Service (VRS) which enables customers to communicate in real time via a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter using a video connection on an electronic device. There is no need to be in the same location or for the customer to make an appointment. This service is available across DWP and Department for Communities Northern Ireland (DfCNI) service lines.

DWP also use Relay UK, previously known as Next Generation Text. The ‘app’ enables customer to contact a BT agent and type a message to them. The BT agent then calls DWP and verbally passes on the typed message. It works in reverse for a three-way conversation ie the DWP telephony agent speaks, and the BT Relay agent types the message back to the customer.

For customers with learning difficulties:

PIP

Customers with learning difficulties will often be represented by a third party or appointee who can support them to make a claim to disability related benefits, however we are aware that this does not apply in all cases.

When an application for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is made by someone with learning difficulties or cognitive impairments, who is acting on their own behalf, we apply a marker to the case which indicates to colleagues in DWP (and colleagues who are involved in the assessment) that the customer requires additional support. The system marker also prevents the case being closed if the customer fails to engage or is not able to meet requirements to complete or return forms.

Work Capability Assessment

Customers requiring a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) are sent a clerical WCA50. The WCA50 will also gather details of any Reasonable Adjustment (RA) or Alternative Format (AF) requirements. If a RA/AF requirement is established, we would update the availability constraints within Medical Services Referral System (MSRS) to advise the healthcare providers that a face-to-face assessment is required. All WCA appointment letters are sent out clerically too. In cases where customers are vulnerable, and require more intensive support, home visits can be arranged through the Visiting Service, who can help with form completion for example.

Disability Living Allowance

For someone who we need to speak to eg: Parent/Guardian (PG) where they have identified/requested a reasonable adjustment, any business with DLA Adult/DLA Child will be conducted in that manner, including if needed BSL. (Same service as PIP).

For learning difficulties, DLACS system(s) does not have a marker, however if the PG has an appointee DLA Child would need to make enquiries and potentially refer for a visiting officer to establish the child’s wellbeing and the PG support requirements.

For customers who do not have a telephone:

PIP:

Support can be provided by third parties, but a clerical process is available, which means applications for disability benefits can be made in writing. Where the disability benefit is subject to an assessment with a healthcare provider, appointments can be made for face-to-face appointments for those unable to participate in telephony assessments.

DLA Child/Adult:

Primarily DLA Child/Adult operate on a postal notification service, DLA uses a freephone number and where a customer does not have a telephone, DWP JCP resources would be available to initiate contact. From mid-March 2025 enhanced functionality will allow customers using the online option to advise DWP of any Reasonable Adjustment (RA) or Alternative Format (AF) requirements.

The current capital thresholds, namely the lower limit of £14,250 and the upper limit of £23,250, ensure that individuals have a minimum amount of capital protected.

Where an individual is receiving care in their own home, charging should not reduce an individual’s income below the Minimum Income Guarantee. For those receiving care in a residential setting, residents must retain an allowance for personal expenses. Additionally, people must retain enough of their disability related benefits for any disability-related expenditure they incur.

The capital limits and the social care allowance rates are communicated annually, and the rates for the financial year 2025/26 will be published in the Local Authority Circular in February 2025.

We have announced an independent commission into adult social care to build consensus on what adult social care should achieve, address systemic challenges comprehensively, and chart a clear path toward practical and impactful reform.

Pregnant women and new mothers are entitled to free National Health Service dental care. The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Woking constituency, this is the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB.

We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so more patients survive, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. We will also be spending £70 million on new radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to the patients who need it.

We are aware of the additional demand and challenges placed upon primary care infrastructure by rapid housing development. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to address this issue.

The NHS has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area, with funding and commissioning reflecting population growth and demographic changes.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level. The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved, and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.

We are continuing to work to resolve supply issues where they remain, for methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. We expect supply to improve in the UK throughout December 2024 and January 2025. However, we anticipate supply to be limited for some strengths, and we continue to work with all suppliers to ensure that the remaining issues are resolved as soon as possible. To improve supply chain resiliency, we are also working with prospective new suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to expand the UK supplier base.

We are supporting an ADHD taskforce that NHS England is establishing to examine ADHD service provision. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s national ADHD data improvement plan, we plan to combine modelling for future growth forecasts, which will be shared with industry to improve demand forecasting for ADHD medicines.

To minimise the impact of the shortages on patients, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the NHS, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets generically, or available alternative ADHD medicines. To support ADHD patients throughout the NHS, we would expect all ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinions for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.

To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further we have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients. The SPS website also offers additional guidance from NHS England specialists to help systems and healthcare professionals manage ADHD supply disruptions.

The UK government does not monitor or review individual visa applications made by British citizens to the Government of India.

The statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ 2023 is clear that, if at any time it is considered that a child may be in need or has suffered significant harm or is likely to do so, a referral should be made immediately to a local authority’s children’s social care service. Child protection agencies and the police treat allegations of abuse very seriously; they will investigate and take appropriate action, including prosecution, where there is sufficient evidence of an offence having been committed.

A prohibited steps order (PSO) prevents a parent from carrying out actions in the exercise of their parental responsibility for a child without the court’s agreement. A PSO may prohibit a named person from removing a child from the United Kingdom.

The court can also make other orders to support such an order to prevent the removal of the child from the United Kingdom, such as an order to surrender a passport.

Breach of a PSO is a contempt of court, with penalties including a fine or imprisonment.

A Port Alert Order is designed to prevent a child, or a Vulnerable adult being removed from England and Wales on the instruction of a Judge of the Family Court on Behalf of the High Court, or directly from a High Court Judge. Police then watchlist the named individual to ensure any intention to travel is identified. If travel is identified, then an alert is sent to the relevant Port and Police Force. The Order instructs police at port to seize the travel documents of the person subject to the Order (for example their Passport, Identity Card or other Travel Document) to prevent the child or Vulnerable adult from leaving the country.

Good provision of non-statutory services, such as public toilets, is an important issue which local leaders are best placed to make decisions on based on the needs of their communities. The English Devolution White Paper, as well as the recently published Local Government finance settlement, set our plans to give councils more autonomy and financial stability to plan and make these decisions.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) takes action to ensure that applications that do not meet the regulatory standards of building safety are rejected. We understand that the introduction of the new regulatory regime initially resulted in a lot of poor quality and incomplete applications from industry. BSR continue to support applicants to meet the functional requirements of the building regulations. It is worth noting that the requirements in the regulations are not new and rejected applications contribute to the processing time of compliant applications.

BSR officials are also working with MHCLG officials on setting up a dedicated Remediation Enforcement Unit within the Building Safety Regulator. The Remediation Enforcement Unit is designed to hold owners of ACM clad buildings to account, enforcing remediation where necessary, and will be essential to meet the government’s priority for remediation of unsafe Higher-Risk-Buildings (HRBs). We are considering further options to ensure compliance with the building safety regulations as part of the ongoing spending review.

The Building Safety Act 2022 also requires that within five years of the Act coming into force, the Secretary of State appoint an independent person to carry out a review. This includes reviewing the effectiveness of the regulator, and provisions made by or under the Building Act 1984 such as the dutyholder duties and enforcement measures.

EWS1s (External Wall System Fire Review) are not a legal or regulatory requirement. Their use is a commercial decision by mortgage lenders and subject to their individual lending criteria. EWS1 forms are completed by competent members of relevant professional bodies. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) provides guidance on competence for professionals carrying out EWS1. The Department takes seriously any claims of fraud and would advise evidence of any such concerns should be notified to the relevant professional body and RICS, for investigation, and to take any appropriate action.

The absence of a correctly completed EWS1 should not be a blocker to mortgage lending, where a leaseholder can provide alternative evidence of the safety of their building, or that the building is in a remediation scheme or that the leaseholder qualifies for the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act.

We are working closely with the RICS, UK Finance and the lending industry to ensure the market continues to function for leaseholders in properties with building safety issues.

Leaseholders should contact the building owner or person responsible for fire safety if they have concerns about the fire safety of their building.

The government does not intend to introduce a moratorium on Right to Buy sales before any further changes come into effect.