theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to compensate employees of (a) the Post Office, (b) sub-postmasters and (c) shops that fulfilled Post Office functions who were (i) prosecuted, (ii) arrested and (iii) had their employment terminated on the basis of flawed information generated by the Horizon system. \p Gareth Thomas: Regardless of employment status, individuals who had their Horizon-related convictions overturned, or were prosecuted but not convicted, are eligible to apply for redress through the Overturned Convictions Scheme or Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme. Postmasters who were part of the 2019 group litigation against the Post Office are eligible for redress via the Group Litigation Order Scheme, whilst those not in any of these groups who suffered mainly shortfall losses may seek redress via the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS).

Individuals who were employees of the Post Office, or those who were employed by a business partner of the Post Office or a postmaster in branch, unfortunately are not eligible for redress under the HSS. This is because they did not have a direct contract with the Post Office. We are, however, continuing to look actively at potential gaps in the provision of redress which may prevent individuals who were affected by the Horizon scandal from being able to claim redress.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to promote the Government’s Business Growth Service with small business owners in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) Heywood and Middleton North constituency. \p Gareth Thomas: We are engaging widely with stakeholders, including with entrepreneurs and small business owners, on the design and implementation of the Business Growth Service (BGS) to ensure that we deliver on our mission to make it easier for businesses to get the support they need to grow and thrive. We are working in partnership with the Combined Authority and the Growth Hub for Greater Manchester to coordinate and deliver local engagement on the BGS, including in the Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support people with ME in Devon. \p Andrew Gwynne: Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning specialist myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), services that meet the needs of their population, including in Devon, subject to local prioritisation and funding.

NHS England colleagues in the south west of England have engaged with the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which is in the process of developing formal pathways for acute admission and emergency admission for patients with ME/CFS.
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Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has plans to take steps to help lower the price of healthy food. \p Andrew Gwynne: Steps to improve the affordability, availability, and accessibility of healthy foods are being considered as part of both the Child Poverty Strategy, due to be published in spring, as well as the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs-led Food Strategy, for which further updates will be released in due course.

The Government is committed to increasing access to healthy foods for vulnerable populations by rolling out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools. This also supports free school meals, where under current programmes, 2.1 million of the most disadvantaged school pupils are registered to receive benefits-related free school meals, and a further 90,000 students in further education receive free lunches on the basis of low family income. Also, approximately 1.3 million infant pupils in reception, year one and year two, receive free lunches as part of the universal infant free school meals policy.

We also have schemes to support those on low incomes such as Healthy Start, which reached over 354,000 vulnerable people in December 2024. Healthy Start supports a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old from very low-income households by providing vouchers for fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried, and tinned pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries also have access to free Healthy Start vitamins for pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children aged under four years old.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support people with long covid in Devon. \p Andrew Gwynne: NHS Devon continues to provide long COVID services for patients in Devon. The services are provided by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Livewell Southwest and Torbay, and the South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.
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Tessa Munt:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 22 January 2025 to Questions 24638, 24639 and 24640 on Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment, whether the criteria developed by NHS England for funding exclude (a) replacing radiotherapy machines purchased by charities for use by the NHS and (b) the costs of artificial intelligence products; and what the three technical specification options are for linear accelerators from which providers need to choose. \p Andrew Gwynne: The criteria developed by NHS England excludes the replacement of radiotherapy machines purchased by charities. These machines fall outside the scope of National Health Service capital replacement funding, as they are not originally procured through NHS-funded budgets.

The costs of artificial intelligence products are not typically covered under NHS capital radiotherapy equipment replacement programmes.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 901298 on leases for GP premises, if he will review the decision to delegate the authority to hold GP leases to integrated care boards. \p Stephen Kinnock: The GP (General Medical Services) Contract terms ordinarily require the contractor to hold the premises liability.

NHS England also holds the right to hold operational estate and has delegated the power to hold leases to integrated care boards (ICBs). However, bringing ICBs into any formal leasing structure creates capital accounting liabilities, and these would need to be considered in the context of any request to directly hold operational estate.

NHS England currently accepts ICBs holding leases only as a last resort or by exception due to the significant capital required. Whilst we know this not the most effective use of ICB resources, it is an important safeguard.

Given where the liabilities lie within contracts and the power already held by ICBs to provide exceptional support, it is not deemed necessary to seek to amend any rules or guidance.

We are committed to fixing the front door of the National Health Service by supporting GPs and ICBs through, for example, the £102 million of capital funding announced at the Budget for GP estate upgrades.
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Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 22633 on NHS: Weather, on what date in early December he first chaired a winter preparedness weekly meeting. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care first held discussions on winter planning with the Department ahead of the general election. The first briefing my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care received on winter preparations was on his first day in office, on 5 July 2024.

On 4 September my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care chaired a preliminary winter preparations meeting. The Minister of State for Health chaired fortnightly meetings on winter preparedness from 26 September 2024 until 2 December 2024 at which point, as planned, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, began chairing a weekly meeting.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings he has attended to discuss winter preparedness. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has chaired eight meetings on winter preparedness since 2 December 2024.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what purposes NHS England has used AI in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: Artificial intelligence (AI) presents significant opportunities within NHS England to improve delivery of care and outcomes for patients by increasing the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, alongside improving staff productivity, by freeing up staff time from some routine and administrative work.

Many of these AI technologies are being tested and evaluated in NHS England to aid clinical decision-making, healthcare diagnostics, and imaging. For example, AI has been used to analyse and interpret acute stroke brain scans to support doctors in making treatment decisions in 100% of stroke units in England. In addition, many new technologies have been deployed in over half of acute trusts in England in high-demand areas, such as chest x-rays and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis of diseases like cancer.

AI can support clinicians and National Health Service managers in running clinical operations through note taking during mental health consultations, appointment scheduling, and bed management. For example, automated voice to text tools, which use AI to listen to and transcribe patient notes, could help ease the administrative burden faced by staff and make systems more efficient. Several trusts in NHS England are currently running trials, including a multi-site assessment of the impact of using automated transcription software.

The deployment of AI in the NHS is still at a relatively early stage, with many AI tools being used in a research capacity. To address this, the Department is carrying out work, with NHS England, to assess the barriers of safe, ethical, and effective adoption and improve the way AI tools are deployed and used in NHS England.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8352 on Surrogacy, whether he plans to publish details of the meeting of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health with the Law Commission; and whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the report. \p Karin Smyth: Ministerial meetings attended by third parties are declared in the quarterly transparency publication on GOV.UK. The Government will publish a response to the Law Commission’s report on surrogacy in due course.
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Danny Beales:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of regularly publishing data on incidents of corridor care in the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and is determined to tackle the issue of corridor care.

Discussions on how to improve urgent and emergency care services are continuing, and we will continue to keep the data available and published to support that aim under review. Before the spring, we will set out the lessons learned from this winter and the improvements that we will put in place ahead of next winter.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to end hospital parking fees for (a) National Health Service staff, (b) patients and (c) visitors; and provide additional funding to help offset lost revenue. \p Karin Smyth: The Government has no plans to end car-parking fees for National Health Service patients, staff, or visitors, or to provide additional funding to help offset lost revenue.

All NHS trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking for those in greatest need, which includes NHS staff working overnight, frequent outpatient attenders, disabled people, and parents of children staying overnight in hospital.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22603 on Community Diagnostic Centres: Cambridgeshire, how many tests were delivered at North Cambs Diagnostic Centre in each month since June 2023. \p Karin Smyth: Published data is not held in the format requested. Data for the number of tests delivered by Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) is held centrally and published at the national level, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/cdc-management-information/

As of November 2024, CDCs have collectively delivered over 12.1 million tests and checks since July 2021.
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Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 7682 on Cancer: Medical Treatments, when he plans to publish the updated NHS Commercial Framework for New Medicines. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England published its updated Commercial Framework for New Medicines on 29 January 2025. The publication can be found here: NHS England » NHS commercial framework for new medicines
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of aging hospital infrastructure on clinical outcomes. \p Karin Smyth: The safety of National Health Service staff and patients is of vital importance to the Government. That is why repairing and rebuilding our hospital estate is a key part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan.

In July 2024, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care commissioned Lord Darzi to conduct an independent and immediate investigation of the NHS. This report provided the Department with an expert of understanding of the current performance of the NHS across England and the challenges facing the healthcare system. As highlighted in Lord Darzi’s independent review of the NHS in England, demand is growing for new and improved health infrastructure that addresses the deteriorating condition of the NHS estate. The Darzi Review highlighted the impact of aging infrastructure on clinical activity, finding that aging infrastructure affected services at 13 hospitals a day in 2022/23.

As part of the management of their estate, NHS trusts regularly assess the physical condition of their estate. The Estates Related Information Collection survey collects data from trusts on the quality of their estate annually, including estates related incidents. The latest data is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estates-returns-information-collection-summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-202223
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what approvals process (a) NHS England and (b) his Department has for business cases under the New Hospitals Programme. \p Karin Smyth: Each National Health Service trust seeking approval for their New Hospital Programme (NHP) scheme will need to follow the business case process as set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book. Trusts will need to develop and gain approval for a Strategic Outline Case, followed by an Outline Business Case, and finally a Full Business Case. Following the approval of their Full Business Case, funding is released at agreed milestones. Following submission by the trust, the approvals process is as follows:

- once reviewed and approved by the NHP Investment Committee, NHS England’s regional teams undertake a fundamental criteria review of the business case, which is then submitted to the joint Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England National Capital Assurance Team, where an independent assurance review is undertaken by a number of subject matter experts to ensure it meets the criteria as outlined in HM Treasury’s Green Book, and a report is prepared and presented to the Department of Health and Social Care’s Joint Investment Committee for consideration; and

- once agreed by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Joint Investment Committee, the business case is submitted for onward approval by ministers and HM Treasury, if necessary.

The level of approval required for business cases will depend on the amount requested. Some requests for fees and enabling works, for example, are requested in parallel via a separate, shorter process to the main scheme’s approval process.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent officials are working on the New Hospitals Programme in (a) his Department and (b) NHS England. \p Karin Smyth: As of 31 December 2024, there were 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) officials working on the New Hospital Programme (NHP) in the NHP Sponsor Team in the Department, along with 165.4 FTE officials working in the NHP Delivery Team in NHS England. These figures include inward secondments, individuals employed on fixed term contracts and permanent employees, but do not include any external resources such as individuals engaged via third party commercial contracts.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation, published on 20 January 2025, whether (a) NHS England and (b) his Department plan to approve business cases submitted by NHS Trusts that are subject to the completion of the site-by-site report process for hospitals with RAAC. \p Karin Smyth: The site-by-site report that has been commissioned on the seven hospitals in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) that were built predominantly with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) will help inform individual development plans, which continue to progress at pace.

The report’s findings are due in summer 2025 and will not impact the business case process for either NHS England or the Department. The trusts will need to follow the business case process as set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book, as is usual for large infrastructure projects.
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Alice Macdonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of extending the funding for women's health hubs beyond March 2025. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Secondary Care of 18 December 2024, Official Report, column 345, when he chaired the first of the weekly winter preparedness meetings. \p Karin Smyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care first held discussions on winter planning with the Department ahead of the general election. The first briefing the Secretary of State received on winter preparations was on his first day in office, on 5 July 2024. Since then, heading into winter, ministers speak regularly with staff in the department, NHS England and social care leaders to make sure we were as well prepared for this winter as we could be.

In addition, I chaired fortnightly meetings on winter preparedness from 26 September 2024 until early December 2024 at which point, as planned, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, began chairing a weekly meeting.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to update the policy paper entitled Airports National Policy Statement, published on 5 June 2018, to reflect the net zero targets set out in legislation. \p Mike Kane: The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer.

Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her decision on the application to expand Luton airport of the level of emissions from flights departing from that airport. \p Mike Kane: The statutory deadline for a decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for London Luton airport expansion is 3 April 2025. Given the Secretary of State’s role in determining the application, it would not be appropriate to comment on the application.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of ultra fine particles at Luton airport on local residents. \p Mike Kane: There are currently no legal limits for ultra fine particulate concentrations. Air quality at Luton Airport is closely monitored and is reported in its Sustainability Reports.
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Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he (a) last met and (b) plans to meet Transport Scotland. \p Kirsty McNeill: Transport is a devolved matter but the Secretary of State for Scotland and I meet stakeholders from a range of sectors in connection with transport and related matters, as needed.

We have not met with any of the aforementioned organisations since taking office, nor do we have any upcoming meetings with any of them.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal aid provision for parents of children who are or may be deprived of their liberty. \p Sarah Sackman: Legal aid is fundamental to a fair justice system, underpins the rule of law, and facilitates access to other public services across government. We are committed to a well-functioning legal aid system, and one which aids in the smooth running of the justice system. For this reason, we keep the adequacy of all legal aid provision, including for deprivation of liberty and kinship carers, under regular review.

Individuals may be eligible for legal aid where a child is, or may be, subject to deprivation of liberty proceedings under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 (Secure Accommodation Order) or under the Inherent Jurisdiction of the High Court (Deprivation of Liberty Order). This is subject to meeting the relevant means and merits tests. Kinship carers may be eligible for legal aid in family proceedings such as Care Proceedings subject to meeting the relevant means and merits tests.

We continue to work closely with the Department for Education on these areas, including following the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what funding her Department provided to the (a) Survivors Trust Helpline, (b) National Male Survivor Helpline, and (c) Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline in financial year (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice funds a range of support services for victims and survivors of sexual violence.

In financial year (FY) 2023-24, the Ministry of Justice provided funding of £38,907.75 to Survivors Trust Helpline (grant funding ended on 30 June 2023), £244,887.00 to the National Male Survivor Helpline, and £2,522,082.32 to the national 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line delivered by Rape Crisis England and Wales.

In FY 2024-25, the Ministry of Justice has allocated £244,887.00 to the National Male Survivor Helpline, and £2,751,465.85 to the national 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line delivered by Rape Crisis England and Wales. The Survivors Trust Helpline was not funded by the Ministry of Justice in FY 2024-25. The actual grant funding amounts provided in FY 2024-25 will not be confirmed until after the FY ends, as actual spend may differ from that which is forecast.
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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reviewing the effectiveness of legislation relating to joint enterprise. \p Sarah Sackman: Joint enterprise is a complex area of law. It is not set out in statute but has instead evolved through case law.

The Government is aware of concerns about the impact of the joint enterprise doctrine on defendants and their families. We have heard arguments that the law unfairly convicts those who allege not to have played a major role in the crime they are convicted of; that joint enterprise disproportionately impacts certain ethnic groups; and that defendants are unable to appeal against joint enterprise convictions. The Government is equally aware of the views of victims and their families, who generally want all those involved in a crime, particularly where this involves the death of their loved one, to be prosecuted and convicted.

That is why the Government continues to keep the law in this area under review. There are several strands of work ongoing in this area - including a review of the law on criminal appeals, improving data on joint enterprise cases and considering joint enterprise as part of the Law Commission’s review on the law of homicide.
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on global cooperation on tackling climate change. \p Kerry McCarthy: My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with international counterparts on global cooperation on tackling climate change, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.

For example, at COP29 we met directly with more than a dozen counterparts and worked closely with many more in order to reach the final agreement in Baku.

This will continue to be a focus for both my Rt hon Friend and I throughout 2025 as we approach COP30 in Belem.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation on Funding mechanism for the Hydrogen Production Business Model: proposed design of the Gas Shipper Obligation, published on 16 January 2025. \p Sarah Jones: The Department launched the consultation ‘Funding mechanism for the Hydrogen Production Business Model: proposed design of the Gas Shipper Obligation’ on 16 January 2025, with more information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/funding-mechanism-for-the-hydrogen-production-business-model-proposed-design-of-the-gas-shipper-obligation  (opens in a new tab)

As per the Department's accessible documents policy guidance, the consultation document is published on GOV.UK and provided as both a tagged PDF and HTML so screen readers can understand the page structure. The digital survey for users to respond to the consultation is also hosted on an accessible platform.

Users of assistive technology (such as screen readers) can request a copy of the consultation in an accessible format by emailing xxx@xxx.xx. Users who have queries on the consultation can also contact xxx@xxx.xx.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department is having with Distribution Network Operators to accelerate upgrades to substations near ambulance stations. \p Michael Shanks: The Government regularly engages with the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), who are responsible for maintaining and upgrading electrical infrastructure, including substations. Ofgem, the regulator, ensures that DNOs build and operate this infrastructure efficiently. The current electricity distribution price control has allowed £22.2bn for upfront investment in low voltage networks, including £3.1bn for network upgrades to support low-carbon technologies, such as electric vehicle charging. Furthermore, the Government will consult this year on land rights and consenting measures to accelerate the development and maintenance of electricity network infrastructure.
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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of trends in demand for insulation retrofitting over the last 20 years; and whether he is taking steps to promote greater stability in the market for insulation retrofitting. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The market for insulation for retrofitting homes has been driven largely by government-initiated schemes. The main ones have been the Energy Company Obligation (ECO, 2013-present); the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP, 2008-2013); and the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC, 2002-2008). The number of insulation measures installed over this time can be obtained from https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/household-energy-efficiency-national-statistics.

Going forward the Warm Homes Plan will set out the plans to upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country by accelerating the installation of efficient new technologies. As the first step, the government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency.
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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing loan schemes for homeowners to fund insulation retrofitting, where repayments are collected from the energy bills of the property improved. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Private finance can play a key role in helping us achieve our decarbonisation ambitions. Through the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what rank Leyton and Wanstead constituency has in relation to average energy efficiency score for housing; and what steps he is taking to support the roll-out of home energy efficiency measures in areas with the lowest energy efficiency scores for housing. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is responsible for data relating to Energy Performance Certification including that of the Leyton and Wanstead constituency.

Going forward, the Warm Homes Plan will upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country and as the first step towards, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. We will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to inform households of the Warm Homes Plan. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: We have kick-started the Warm Homes Plan by announcing in October 2024 an initial £3.4 billion in funding for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency over the next 3 years. In November, we announced we were almost doubling funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in 2025/26 and changing planning regulations for heat pumps. We will set out full details of the Warm Homes Plan following the Spending Review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Clean Power 2030 Action Plan: A new era of clean electricity, published on 13 December 2024, what progress his Department has made on achieving clean power by 2030. \p Michael Shanks: In addition to publishing our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan the Government has taken rapid action towards meeting our 2030 targets by: lifting the ban on onshore wind, establishing Great British Energy, consenting almost 2 GW of nationally significant solar, and delivering a record-breaking renewables auction. As announced last week, the Government will bring forward a Planning and Infrastructure Bill with new measures to prioritise projects and streamline the legal framework for critical infrastructure through the planning process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to improve energy security in (a) England and (b) Beckenham and Penge constituency. \p Michael Shanks: The Government will reduce dependency on fossil fuel markets by transitioning to a diverse energy system based on renewables and nuclear. This includes delivering clean power by 2030 as part of the Prime Minister’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, supported by the largest investment in home-grown energy in history. By producing clean energy at home and being more efficient in how we use it, we can boost our energy independence, protect billpayers and reduce exposure to global supply shocks. The Clean Power Action Plan details the route towards the mission, covering Great Britain, including Beckenham and Penge.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation on Developing an energy smart data scheme, published on 13 January 2025. \p Michael Shanks: The Department launched the call for evidence ‘Developing an energy smart data scheme’ on 13 January 2025, with more information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/developing-an-energy-smart-data-scheme (opens in a new tab)

As per the Department's accessible documents policy, the call for evidence document is published on GOV.UK and provided as both a tagged PDF and HTML so screen readers can understand the page structure. The digital survey for users to respond to the call for evidence is also hosted on an accessible platform.

Users of assistive technology (such as screen readers) can request a copy of the call for evidence in an accessible format by emailing xxx@xxx.xx. Users who have queries on the call for evidence can also contact xxx@xxx.xx.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to households with legacy gas heating systems for the cost of (a) repairs and (b) replacements; and what steps he is taking to (i) encourage and (ii) support those households to transition to zero-carbon heating systems. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Energy Company Obligation delivers household energy efficiency retrofits across Great Britain. Subject to eligibility, these retrofits may include measures such as heating controls, insulation, or improvements to legacy heating systems.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme supports property owners in England and Wales with grants up to £7,500, to replace fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps and biomass boilers, with property owners in Scotland supported via the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme.

The Home Upgrade Grant supports lower-income households off the gas grid, and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant, support social housing providers and tenants, and lower-income homeowners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2024 to Question 19379 on Marginal Tax Rates, for what reason there are lower marginal rates of taxation for higher earners than in some lower earning brackets; and what assessment she has made on the potential impact of marginal tax rates on economic growth. \p James Murray: The Government is committed to a fair tax system in which those who have more contribute more. The income tax system is highly progressive, with different rates of tax sitting above an internationally high Personal Allowance.

Within the personal tax system, withdrawal of the Personal Allowance affects those with income over £100,000 a year. It was introduced in 2010-11 and occurs gradually, with £1 of allowance lost for every £2 of income above the income limit of £100,000, implying an effective marginal income tax rate of 60 per cent. This reduction continues until the Personal Allowance is completely withdrawn for those with incomes above £125,140.

The Government recognises that because of this, taxpayers with incomes within the taper band face a higher a marginal tax rate and that it introduces some complexity into the tax system. However, removing this would be expensive and regressive.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-21)

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Mr Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to provide proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club to humanitarian causes in Ukraine in the first half of 2025. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government is working hard to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible. The proceeds are currently frozen in a UK bank account while a new independent foundation is established to manage and distribute the money. They are not Government funds. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners, and we are continuing on our efforts to reach a resolution.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-21)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the International Telecommunication Union and (b) other UN agencies ceasing to recognise UK sovereignty over British Indian Ocean Territory on (i) Gibraltar and (ii) other UK Overseas Territories. \p Stephen Doughty: It is the Government's view that without a negotiated solution on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), Mauritius would inevitably have pursued a campaign to obtain a legally binding judgment against the UK. We could expect a binding judgment that the UK was not sovereign over the British Indian Ocean Territory, to be applied by international organisations, including UN Specialised Agencies such as the International Telecommunication Union. This would have real-world impacts on the protection and security of the base including our ability to operate the electromagnetic spectrum undisturbed. Regarding impact on other Overseas Territories, BIOT is a unique case. No impact would be expected on other Overseas Territories as the situations are not comparable.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-21)

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Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the potential merits of establishing a special tribunal on the crime of aggression following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and if he will take steps to ensure that such a tribunal has sufficient international legitimacy at the UN General Assembly. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK supports work towards establishing a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine as a means of promoting accountability for atrocities in Ukraine. The UK has played an active role in discussions with Ukraine and close partners in the "core group" working to progress this commitment. On 3-4 February, senior UK legal experts participated in a meeting in Brussels that made progress on technical elements of the legal instruments for the establishment of the Special Tribunal. We are working to ensure the instruments are legally sound and therefore able to attract broad international support. We welcome Ukraine's intent to finalise an agreement with the Council of Europe (CoE), enabling the Special Tribunal to make full use of the CoE's existing infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-21)

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Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent student and pensioner protests in Serbia. \p Stephen Doughty: We are following closely developments in Serbia where large-scale peaceful street protests have been underway for several weeks, following the tragic collapse of a station canopy last November. When I visited Belgrade last month, I noted the Serbian government's commitment to transparency in investigating the incident and their undertaking to act against corruption. During my visit I discussed with the Serbian government and others the importance of respect for citizens' rights of freedom of expression and assembly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-21)

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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the UK leaving the European Court of Human Rights. \p Stephen Doughty: This Government will not withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and not, therefore, from the European Court of Human Rights. The protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law both domestically and internationally is a key way to ensure security and stability for the British people and our interests globally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-21)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has engaged legal counsel from Matrix Chambers on the UK’s sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. \p Stephen Doughty: The Department has not engaged legal counsel from Matrix Chambers on the Chagos sovereignty question.