theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to bring forward legislative proposals to grant local authorities increased powers to remove unauthorised traveller encampments from public and private land. \p Matthew Pennycook: Local planning authorities already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use to tackle all types of unauthorised development.

We will keep the use of these powers under review.
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Paul Holmes:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the target of 1.5m homes this Parliament applies to England only. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government’s ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament applies to England only.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) recently forecast approximately 1.3 million cumulative net additions to housing stock between 2025-26 to 2029-30 as a result solely of the impact of the changes the government made to the National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024. This forecast applies to the UK as a whole. The OBR does not provide a breakdown between England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
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Mr Richard Quigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to enable registered providers to bid for section 106 housing on the Isle of Wight. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government recognises the ongoing challenge posed by the reduced appetite of Registered Providers of social housing to buy affordable homes delivered under Section 106 agreements. We will continue to work with housebuilders, local authorities, and Registered Providers to tackle this problem.

One of the causes of this ongoing challenge is a reduction in Registered Providers’ financial capacity over recent years. The government recognises that Registered Providers need support to build their capacity and increase their contribution to affordable housing supply. We have consulted on a 5-year social housing rent settlement, to give Registered Providers the certainty they need to invest in new housing. The consultation closed on 23 December; we are carefully considering the feedback we received and will respond in due course.

We have also announced that councils will be allowed to keep 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales, so that they are better able to build and buy new homes. We have provided flexibility for councils to combine Right to Buy receipts with Section 106 contributions (this flexibility will be in place until the end of 2025-26 and then subject to review).
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the planning system in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on chalk streams protection. \p Matthew Pennycook: Cleaning up our waters, including chalk streams, is a government priority. Restoring them to better ecological health means fixing the systemic issues in the water system.

Through the Water Environment Improvement Fund, the government is funding 45 projects this financial year (worth £2.5m of government investment) that improve chalk streams, each with the injection of private investment.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill establishes the Nature Restoration Fund which will create the opportunity for housing and infrastructure to do more to drive environmental recovery, including for chalk streams where these are covered by an Environmental Delivery Plan.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes she plans to provide in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire this Parliament. \p Matthew Pennycook: My Department published an update on targets in the 2021-26 Programme on 30 July 2024 which can be found on gov.uk here.

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

Exact funding to different places and the locations of homes that will be built will depend on the bids received from local authorities and housing associations. The government encourages social housing providers in all areas to come forward with bids for new ambitious projects, including those ready to commence quickly.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of new homes will be built on surplus military land over the next four years. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Secretary of State for Defence has identified the long-term opportunity to build over 100,000 homes on surplus defence land, improving opportunities for homeownership and creating jobs across the country. This includes a commitment to building and modernising family homes for the Armed Forces and Veterans, delivering on our commitments to British families and our Armed Forces.

Work is underway with HM Treasury, the Ministry of Defence, and Homes England to establish opportunities to accelerate delivery with trailblazer sites at Ripon, Chilwell and Wyton.

It is not possible to indicate the exact proportion of new homes that will be delivered on surplus military land over the next four years
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) local authorities and (b) social housing providers to tackle anti-social behaviour in residential premises. \p Matthew Pennycook: Social landlords already have a range of powers and enforcement tools to tackle anti-social behaviour including powers to evict perpetrators. We expect landlords to use those powers promptly and proportionately, putting the needs of victims at the heart of their response.

The government is strengthening these powers through the Renters’ Rights Bill for private registered providers.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. We will crack down on those making neighbourhoods feel unsafe and unwelcoming by introducing the new Respect Order, which local authorities will be able to apply for and which will carry tough sanctions and penalties for persistent adult offenders. The police, local authorities and social landlords may already apply for a Civil Injunction under Section 1 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to prevent behaviour that is causing housing-related nuisance and annoyance.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of former foreign national asylum seekers granted (a) refugee status and (b) settlement claiming (i) emergency homeless and (ii) temporary accommodation. \p Rushanara Ali: The most recent statutory homelessness statistics (July – September 2024) is available at: Homelessness statistics - GOV.UK, which includes former asylum seeker households that are owed a homelessness duty.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published in March 2025, whether people with a terminal illness who do not have a claim under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness will be eligible for the additional premium in Universal Credit. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These rules enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods, and in most cases, to receive the highest rate of benefit.

The SREL have been extended to apply to people who have 12 months or less to live, rather than 6 months or less to live, so that people receive vital support through the Special Rules six months earlier, increasing the number of people able to access benefits through the Special Rules.

The Pathways to Work Green paper announced that the Government is considering the appropriate rules for those in specific circumstances, such as being at end of life. It also announced that, after April 2026, the Government plans to protect the incomes of those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who have no prospect of improvement and will never be able to work.
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Danny Kruger:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average number of people assigned to each work coach is. \p Alison McGovern: In March 2025 there were 1,662,380 Universal Credit (UC) customers in the Searching for Work conditionality regime, and at the end of March 25 the number of full time equivalent (FTE) Work Coaches was 17,160.

Not all UC claimants have a Work Coach. We have provided the number of customers in the Searching for Work conditionality regime as most of this group do.

The average number of people assigned to each Work Coach is not a metric used by the Department and the Department has complex models to estimate the resource required in Jobcentres at a national level. These models cover activities across all DWP customer groups and job roles.

The Department continually impacts and assesses the service being offered to customers. Staff numbers, including the number of Work Coaches, and demand for Jobcentre services are reviewed on an ongoing basis, in line with the latest economic and benefit forecasts.

Notes on the figures:

Work coach FTE figures are management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and are not quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They are not routinely published, but as the Department holds the information, we have released it in this PQ to answer the question asked.

Work Coach figures include both Universal Credit Work Coaches and Existing Benefit Work Coaches. They do not include Work Coach Team Leaders and Disability Employment Advisers.

The number of Universal Credit claimants includes those who have started Universal Credit (completed the Universal Credit claim process and accepted their Claimant Commitment) and have not had a closure of their claim recorded for this spell, up to the 'count date', and is correct as of the second Thursday in March 2025. This figure is provisional and may be subject to revision in future releases of the data.

Inclusion in a specific Labour market regime is based on an individual's circumstances on the count date.

FTE data is correct as at the end of March 25. These figures were derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM), which provides Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures based on point in time estimate by Line Managers. They cover only FTE of staff with paid employment.

All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and cover Great Britain.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Carer’s Allowance overpayment cases identified by her Department in each of the last six years were subject to investigation prior to the commencement of debt recovery procedures. \p Andrew Western: The Department looks into every case where an overpayment is calculated before the overpayment is finalised and debt recovery commences.

Where overpayments do occur, the Department has a duty to the taxpayer to protect public funds and to ask for money to be paid back. We remain committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms and will always look to negotiate sustainable and affordable repayment plans
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to monitor the responsiveness of the Health and Safety Executive to inquiries from hon. Members. \p Andrew Western: The Department attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence and keeps this under constant review.

The Cabinet Office publishes statistics on Departmental performance which can be found on the gov.uk website and can be viewed here.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether benefit fraud statistics are disaggregated by (a) nationality and (b) immigration status. \p Andrew Western: The Monetary Value of Fraud and Error Statistics are not disaggregated by nationality and immigration status.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy that claimants of (a) Personal Independence Payment and (b) Universal Credit with sight loss conditions that have no prospect of improvement will be exempt from reassessment under proposed changes to the benefits system. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Our wide-ranging package of reforms to health and disability benefits, set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, will improve experiences of the system for those who need it. The functional impact and severity of a condition can significantly vary across individuals, so we are not planning to exempt specific conditions, but we are planning to reduce reassessments for those with the most severe conditions.

We aim to guarantee that for both new and existing Universal Credit claims, those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will not need to be reassessed in the future. Our plans to improve experiences of Personal Independence Payment also include reducing assessments for this group. We are exploring ways we could use evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce need for some people with very severe health conditions and disabilities to undergo a full PIP functional assessment.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of disabled people in receipt of a means-tested benefit but not in receipt of Personal Independence Payment in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England. \p Sir Stephen Timms: There are an estimated 1.7 million disabled people of working age who are in receipt of a means-tested benefit but not in receipt of Personal Independence Payment or an equivalent disability benefit in England, and an estimated 0.6 million of pension age.

With respect to (a) Staffordshire, no estimate can be made due to methodological constraints.

Source: These figures are modelled estimates from DWP’s Policy Simulation Model (PSM), and therefore should not be treated as official statistics.

The PSM is a tax/benefit static microsimulation model used widely throughout DWP and across Government to assess the impact of welfare policy. The PSM is based on a three-year pooled sample of the Family Resources Survey (FRS 19-20, 21-22 and 22-23). It is therefore subject to potential sampling error and respondent error. This is projected forwards to 2025/26 based on multiple assumptions about incomes for all households. The PSM corrects benefit under-reporting in the FRS by aligning the sample weights to benefit forecasts. The PSM is also calibrated to population data from the ONS and incorporates the OBRs economic forecast. The model does not yet take account of Spring Statement 2025 policy measures.

Notes: 1. Disability is defined as the Equality Act 2010 core definition, self-reported by survey respondents who report that they have a long-term physical or mental health condition, lasting or expected to last at least 12 months, that limits their daily activities either ‘a little’ or ‘a lot’.

2. Means-tested benefits includes any of the following: Universal Credit (UC), Income Support (IS), Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Working Tax Credit (WTC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), Housing Benefit (HB, or Northern Ireland equivalent), Council Tax Rebate (CTR, or Northern Ireland equivalent), or Pension Credit (PC).

3. Receipt of Personal Independence Payment includes other equivalent disability benefits: Disability Living allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA). Eligibility for these benefits is based on different criteria to the legal definition of disability (see Note 1).

4. Estimates for England relate to 2025/26 and are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million people.

5. The working age and pension age estimates for England are based on 2,557 and 1,421 individuals respectively, from a total national sample size of 78,192.
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Danny Kruger:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the Personal Independence Payment on social care costs for local authorities. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Pathways to Work Green Paper announced our plans to bring forward reforms to the Personal Independent Payment (PIP) eligibility criteria. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the eligibility changes and we will work closely with DHSC and others to consider how people’s health and eligible care needs could be met outside the benefits system. As we develop our detailed proposals for change, we will work with local partners to consider their important role and how the reforms could affect them.

We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead. We will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many foreign nationals who currently live outside of the UK are paid the state pension. \p Torsten Bell: The Department does not hold data on the number of foreign nationals residing outside of the UK and in receipt of the UK State Pension. However, the Department does hold data on the number of individuals in receipt of the UK State Pension residing outside of the UK. As of August 2024, this was 1.1 million.

Source: DWP Stat-Xplore.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of Employment and Support Allowance claimants who have not moved to Universal Credit after the deadline day set out in their migration notice in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, (b) the North East and (c) England. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Monthly statistics for the number of People and Households sent a Migration Notice for Move to Universal Credit in Great Britain by geography including by Westminster Parliamentary Constituency and by legacy benefit type are published quarterly on Stat-Xplore - Log in

People invited to Move to Universal Credit statistics are currently available from July 2022 to December 2024 in the People invited to Move to Universal Credit dataset. Households invited to Move to Universal Credit statistics are also available in the Households invited to Move to Universal Credit dataset.

In addition there are a number of ready-made tables by various breakdowns available in the Move to Universal Credit tables.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access Introduction to the Stat-Xplore User Guide on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide - GOV.UK
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many unpaid carers concurrently on Personal Independence Payments and Carers Allowance are expected to lose (a) PIP and (b) PIP and Carers Allowance. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department does not hold the data requested.
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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to include representatives of the (a) voluntary and (b) charitable sector in the consultation on the proposed welfare reforms. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We strongly value the input of disabled people and people with health conditions, in addition to representative organisations that support them, and that is why we have brought forward this Green Paper and the consultation.

The consultation welcomes the views of voluntary organisations, and we hope many will respond before the consultation closes on the 30 June 2025. Our programme of accessible public events will further facilitate input, including in-person and online, and will help us hear from disabled people and representative organisations directly.

We are also exploring other ways to facilitate the involvement of stakeholders in our reforms. In addition to the consultation, we will establish ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups of people together for specific policy development areas and our wider review of the PIP assessment will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.

As we develop proposals further, we will consider how to best to involve voluntary and community organisations in the planning and implementation of reforms, including in our employment support package.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Pension Credit applications. \p Torsten Bell: The most recent information on processing times for Pension Credit was published in the DWP Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) published on 22nd July 2024 DWP annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK. This shows that in 2023/24 DWP cleared 192,000 Pension Credit claims within the planned 50 working day timescale, equating to 77.7%. The next publication of the ARA will include claims processed in the financial year 2024 to 2025 and is due for publication in the summer.

The Department is working hard to meet its published timeliness standard of processing claims and reduce Pension Credit processing times, DWP deployed over 500 additional people. As a result, the Department is clearing more cases. The latest Pension Credit published statistics show DWP cleared 211,600 Pension Credit claims from 29 July 2024 to 9 February 2025, representing an 87% increase in clearance compared to 112,900 cleared Pension Credit claims for the comparable 2023/24 period (31 July 2023 to 11 February 2024). Subsequently, our latest published statistics up to February 2025 show outstanding volumes have reduced Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK. Escalation arrangements are also in place for cases where individuals are identified as being vulnerable or in immediate hardship.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support people whose home values have been affected by spray foam insulation installed under the 2020 Green Homes Grant Scheme. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: All installations under government scheme, including the Green Homes Grant Scheme must be installed by Trustmark registered installers. If the installation has met the standards required, it is not expected removal will be required.

Where measures have not been installed correctly, homeowners can use the TrustMark dispute resolution process to seek remediation or redress. If the installer is no longer trading, they should contact the guarantee provider.

The Government has also consulted the insulation, lending and surveying communities and published an inspection protocol that surveyors can use to appropriately assess spray foam installations (https://www.property-care.org/resources/spray-foam-insulation-inspections). It is important a surveyor with appropriate knowledge of spray foam and the protocol is used to give an accurate assessment.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of employment opportunities pertaining to the North Sea. \p Michael Shanks: In March, the government launched a consultation setting out the next steps in its overarching objective to make the North Sea a world leading example of an offshore clean energy industry. Britain is well-placed to use the skills and expertise of our existing offshore workforce and supply chain to get ahead in the global race for new jobs and industries.

We are working with industry to explore public awareness campaign options promoting the opportunities from clean energy jobs (including those in the North Sea), as announced in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy costs on business in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

In the short-term, the Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. Last year, the Government launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers.

The consultation has now closed, and a Government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed.

There is support in place through the British Industry Supercharger to reduce the cumulative impact of energy and climate change policies on industrial electricity prices for eligible energy intensive industries (EIIs), including compensation for indirect emission costs of the UK ETS and Carbon Price Support and reductions in the indirect cost due to the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation and small-scale feed-in-tariffs.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for consultation response feedback to be made publicly available. \p Michael Shanks: The Department publishes the government’s responses to consultations on GOV.UK. In line with the Cabinet Office consultation principles, these documents explain the responses that have been received from consultees and how they have informed the policy.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what level of fire service coverage Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project solar farms are required to have. \p Michael Shanks: Fire service coverage is considered during the examination and determination of any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is for the applicant to demonstrate satisfactorily that this issue has been addressed, which will include the view of the relevant fire service, Local Authority, and health and safety experts.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what level of fire service coverage solar farm applications are required to have in order to be approved as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. \p Michael Shanks: Fire service coverage is considered during the examination and determination of any Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is for the applicant to demonstrate satisfactorily that this issue has been addressed, which will include the view of the relevant fire service, Local Authority, and health and safety experts.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce household energy bills in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. In February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what comparative assessment he has made of the potential impact of EPC band requirements on (a) all homeowners and (b) homeowners with (i) detached and (ii) bungalow-style properties. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: We have recently consulted on reforms to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to ensure these are better aligned with our key policy objectives of achieving Clean Power by 2030 and accelerating to Net Zero, and effectively delivering the Warm Homes plan to reduce peoples bills and address fuel poverty.

The consultation has now closed, and we are analysing the responses. As part of this we will consider the impact on relevant groups including homeowners and will publish the Government response in due course.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budge on (a) his Department's policies and (b) people in Fylde constituency. \p Kerry McCarthy: The actual costs of delivering the Seventh Carbon Budget will be determined by the choices that government makes. The costs and funding scenarios set out in the CCC’s Seventh Carbon Budget report are illustrative and do not represent government policy and Government is not bound to accept their recommendations. We will set the level of Carbon Budget 7 by June 2026, in line with our statutory duties.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce industrial electricity prices in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

The Government recognises that one of the barriers to industrial electrification is that electricity is significantly more expensive than gas. We also recognise that the UK’s industrial electricity costs are currently higher than those of our competitors, which partly reflects how the costs of the electricity system are distributed across households and industrial customers.

There is support in place through the British Industry Supercharger to reduce the cumulative impact of energy and climate change policies on industrial electricity prices for eligible energy intensive industries (EIIs), including compensation for indirect emission costs of the UK ETS and Carbon Price Support and reductions in the indirect cost due to the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation and small-scale feed-in-tariffs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_336

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the creation of Great British Energy on household energy bills in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire. \p Michael Shanks: In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee energy security and protect billpayers is to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. That is why government has a mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

We have a sustainable, long-term plan to protect all UK billpayers, including the people of Fylde and Lancashire, from volatile international gas markets. Backed by £8.3 billion, Great British Energy is part of this plan, driving the deployment of the clean, homegrown energy we need to boost our energy independence. As a publicly-owned company, Great British Energy will ensure UK taxpayers, billpayers, and communities reap the benefits of this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_337

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism on the cost of installing new gas boilers for people in Fylde. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Clean Heat Market Mechanism does not require any change in the price of fossil fuel boilers.

The Government took steps before introducing the scheme to revise the 2023 proposals in order to reduce impacts on boiler manufacturers and provide them more time to scale up supply chains.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_338

Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the UK's priorities for the UN Climate Change Conference 2025. \p Kerry McCarthy: My Rt Hon friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues, including driving forward the UK’s priorities for COP30.

The joint work of countries committed to development, tackling climate change and multilateralism has never been more important.

We are also working closely across Government to drive further international action, including with
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_339

Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his Department's timetable is for bringing section 159 of the Energy Act 2023 into force. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expect to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation, which have fewest options to decarbonise. Renewable liquid heating fuels are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutions.

Before taking decisions on whether to support the use of renewable liquid fuels in heating, the Government would require stronger evidence on their affordability for consumers, and the availability of sustainable feedstock.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_340

Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much money the Government has committed for the Digital Inclusion Fund; and how it will be allocated. \p Sir Chris Bryant: Digital inclusion is a priority for Government. The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is designed to support initiatives that increase digital participation and to identify innovative best practice with an ambition to scale and replicate successful digital inclusion activities.

Further details of funding will be shared in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_341

Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to publish the evidence from the Digital Inclusion Strategy Call for Evidence. \p Sir Chris Bryant: The Government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February, which sets out the first steps we are taking towards our ambition of delivering digital inclusion for everyone across the UK, regardless of their circumstances. The Government also published a call for evidence on the focus areas and invited contributions from individual citizens, charities, business, civil society, and subject matter experts. The call for evidence closed on 9 April and details on how the Government expects to respond will be shared in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_342

Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on the Shared Rural Network (SRN) since July 2024; and what SRN projects are underway in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency. \p Sir Chris Bryant: Since July 2024, we have activated 40 government funded masts under the Shared Rural Network, providing new 4G coverage to rural communities across Great Britain. At the end of 2024 Ofcom confirmed that the programme had also hit its objective of helping to deliver 95% coverage a year ahead of schedule. In Mid Dorset and North Poole, outdoor 4G coverage from all four operators has increased to 92% up from 85% since the programme begun in March 2020. There will not be any further coverage improvements from the Shared Rural Network in Mid Dorset and North Poole.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_343

Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to undertake a review of the mobile telecommunications market. \p Sir Chris Bryant: The Government constantly reviews the mobile sector. As part of this, we are reviewing sector-wide investment challenges, technological innovations and their effect on the market and considering what Government can do to support the telecoms sector to invest in their networks over the next decade. We will also consider any impact on the rollout of high-quality wireless infrastructure and concomitant mobile signal and coverage issues, and the quality of service afforded to mobile customers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_344

Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether appointments to the Regulatory Innovation Office will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the Chair appointment will be classified as a significant appointment. \p Feryal Clark: The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) was established as an Office within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in 2024 to support regulators to update regulation, speed up approvals, and ensure different regulatory bodies work together smoothly. The Department will continue to evaluate and review the RIO’s governance arrangements and objectives to ensure its work aligns with transformative goals and delivers effective regulatory solutions. There are no immediate plans to seek inclusion on the Public Bodies Order in Council which would lead to regulation by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_345

Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of applying the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/xx-xxxx-xxxx apart from Articles 103-107 and 109 to Great Britain on a regulatory border between (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the country. \p Feryal Clark: The UK is committed to establishing a proportionate Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulatory approach which is grounded in science and supports growth and innovation.

As we develop our approach to regulating AI, we recognise the need to engage with a range of stakeholders. This includes engaging with the European Union (EU) and other international partners to discuss our respective policy and regulatory approaches.

The European Council has published its proposal for a decision to apply the EU AI Act to a limited extent in Northern Ireland under Article 13(4) of the Windsor Framework. The Act would only apply following an agreement at a Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee, which will be subject to the mechanisms in Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The EU AI Act is complex and requires further dialogue and consideration as to its interaction with the Windsor Framework. The UK Government is assessing the proposal and will continue to engage closely with the EU on it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-30 conversation_346

Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking with regulators to increase adoption of non-animal New Approach Methodologies. \p Feryal Clark: The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.

The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods in basic, applied, translational and regulatory research and testing later this year. As part of this we are engaging with regulators including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and international medicines regulators such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) as to how we will take this commitment forward.