theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a criminal offence of honour based violence or abuse. \p Jess Phillips: ‘Honour’-based abuse (HBA) is an umbrella term, covering specific crimes such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, but also other forms of abuse that take place in an 'honour' context.

While there is not a specific offence of Honour Based Abuse, there are a number of measures in place to help ensure consistency. The college of policing has published policing guidance and a national policing strategy for HBA, FGM and forced marriage and the government has in place statutory multi-agency guidance and free e-learning on forced marriage and FGM to support all professionals. The sentencing guidelines for cases involving domestic abuse also apply to Honour Based Abuse.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this Government and the new VAWG strategy will include action to tackle HBA. The strategy will be published later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the (a) College of Policing and (b) National Police Chiefs' Council policing framework for violence against women and girls include male victims. \p Jess Phillips: The Government adopts a single consistent definition of violence against women and girls (VAWG) which recognises that women and girls are disproportionately affected by certain crimes but includes all victims, including male victims. The police are operationally independent and have developed their own working definition as part of their policing framework, which recognises the same offences but does not include men and boys.

These differences do not impact the way VAWG crimes are investigated or recorded by the police. The different definitions also do not impact on the Government measuring trends, for which we utilise all available data that aligns with the agreed Government definition.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Public Order Act 2023 on (a) freedom of assembly and (b) peaceful protest. \p Dame Diana Johnson: We have committed to carry out post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 beginning in May 2025. This process will review how the legislation has operated since it came into force.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to increase the (a) role and (b) resources of (i) the National Wildlife Crime Unit and (ii) Border Force to support the (A) protection of wildlife, (B) communities and (C) ecological recovery. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. We are committed to reducing crime and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.

Recognising the notable successes of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), we are providing funding this financial year (2025/26) of £450,000, an increase on previous years, ensuring this specialist policing unit can continue to help police forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to tackle wildlife crime, including disrupting serious and organised crime. The NWCU also supports cases referred by Border Force to the National Crime Agency or to individual forces and is the UK policing focal point for EUROPOL and INTERPOL wildlife crime activity.

Border Force’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) officers are dedicated to preventing the importation and exportation of endangered animals and plants, as well as working in partnership with the legal trade and enforcement partners from across the UK to eradicate this ruthless and exploitative trade which has a devastating environmental impact.

Additionally, all new Border Force officers receive mandatory training on CITES to aid the detection of illicit goods linked to the illegal wildlife trade.
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timeline is for launching an inquiry into the events at Orgreave during the miners' strike. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Secretary and the Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime have already met with the Orgreave and Truth and Justice Campaign and the National Union of Mineworkers to discuss the Government’s manifesto commitment of holding an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave. in October 2024. Ministers found this to be a positive meeting and have been meeting with a number of stakeholders to discuss the manifesto commitment for an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave.

Next steps will be announced in due course.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the amount of cannabis seized in the UK over the last 12 months. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office latest published data on cannabis seizures made by the police and Border Force for England and Wales covers the period April 2023-March 2024 and it can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales-financial-year-ending-2024

The latest published statistics show that police forces and Border Force seized 85.01 tonnes of herbal cannabis, 4.16 tonnes of resin cannabis and 0.48 million cannabis plants in England and Wales in the year ending March 2024.

Border Force also release quarterly transparency data which include cannabis seizures. The latest available data are below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-q4-2024
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John McDonnell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the Metropolitan Police on taking steps to ensure that its enforcement of Public Order Act 2023 accords with the (a) rule of law and (b) Human Rights Act 1998. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The police are operationally independent of the government. The police make decisions about how to respond to specific incidents based on their professional judgement, the circumstances at hand, and all applicable laws, and the Home Office does not direct them on how to make those operational decisions.
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Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to conduct a Child Rights Impact Assessment before the potential authorisation of Taser 10 for use by police forces in England and Wales. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Government decisions on whether to approve Taser for police use are informed by robust, independent technical and medical testing and assessments alongside an equality impact assessment which sets out any implications for those with protected characteristics, including age.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when Chief Constables will be informed of changes to staffing levels as part of the plans to implement her neighbourhood policing plan. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Home Office officials have reviewed all force delivery plans, and all forces have been contacted with confirmation of the outcome.

Police forces have been able to decide how best to spend their allocation of the Neighbourhood Policing Increase to recruit a workforce mix tailored to suit local context and operational needs. All forces’ plans are therefore informed by a force-level understanding of what can be achieved.

This approach enables forces to design their neighbourhood policing teams for and with local communities, providing flexibility to forces to manage operational pressures and maintain service levels.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press notice entitled £200 million boost to transform neighbourhood policing, published on 31 January 2025, for what reason it is her policy to recruit 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of the British policing model. Every community deserves visible, pro-active and accessible neighbourhood policing with officers tackling the issues that matter to them.

Neighbourhood policing has been decimated in recent years. The proportion of people who said that they never saw the police on the beat in their community doubled from 2010 to the year ending March 2024.

We have provided £200 million in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood personnel. This major investment supports the commitment to make the country’s streets safer and reflects the scale of the challenges that many forces face and the Government’s determination to address them.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where British passports are (a) printed and (b) produced. \p Seema Malhotra: Following a competitive tender process conducted under the previous government in 2017, the contract to manufacture passports was awarded to a company in mainland Europe, but the personalisation of those passports continues to be carried out within the UK to ensure that no personal data leaves the country.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers were (a) removed, (b) reprimanded and (c) transferred after raising grooming-related failures between 1980 and 2010. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Our focus is to deliver meaningful change for victims and survivors of all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including grooming gangs. That means protecting more children, getting justice for victims, rooting out grooming gangs across the country, toughening up police action, and better understanding the current scale of offending.

Today (08 April 2025) the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, MP made a statement to Parliament setting out a detailed update on Government action to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as a progress update on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse undertaken by Professor Alexis Jay.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was given on 8 April to question 44194. We are already taking swift action to tackle grooming gangs, including through stronger national backing for local inquiries and Baroness Casey’s audit on existing evidence of grooming gangs; therefore, we do not believe a further national inquiry is necessary.

However, we are supportive of independent local-led inquiries. Local authorities, which are responsible for delivering local services, are best placed to commission local inquiries. The best practice framework we are developing, along with the £5m fund for local authorities to undertake independent inquiries or related activity, will help deliver meaningful change for victims and survivors.

We have also taken the decision to implement the fund in a flexible way, in order to support both local authorities who want to launch full independent local inquiries; and those who want to take on more bespoke work, including in areas where inquiries have already taken place, for example through the establishment of local victims’ panels or conducting locally-led audits into the handling of historic cases.

Furthermore, the police are independent of Government, and it is the responsibility of forces to consider requests for disclosure of their records in accordance with respective records management policies; and it would be a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council to consider whether to appoint a liaison officer to this inquiry. Additionally, the Home Office does not collect data on police officers that were dismissed, transferred or reprimanded after raising grooming-related failures.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the affordability of the cost of a British passport. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office laid an amendment to the Passport (Fees) Regulations 2022 on 19 March 2025 which increased fees payable for passport applications from 10 April 2025.

An Economic Impact Assessment and Equalities Impact Assessment have been published in relation to those passport fee increases and can be found via the following links: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2025/55/pdfs/ukia_20250055_en.pdf and https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/363/pdfs/uksiod_20250363_en_002.pdf.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is in place for Ukrainian refugees who reach the end of their three-year visa. \p Seema Malhotra: The UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families under the Ukraine Schemes, thanks to the immense generosity of the British public. We are determined to continue to provide stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and who still need our sanctuary.

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.
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James Asser:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of protections for overseas (a) health and (b) social care workers on a visa sponsorship arrangement. \p Seema Malhotra: The Government condemns the exploitation of international care workers by rogue employers in the adult social care sector and continues to take robust action against this unscrupulous behaviour.

We have recently implemented a prohibition on Skilled Worker sponsors recouping sponsorship costs from those they sponsor, and those doing so now risk losing their licence. We are also working to ensure sponsorship and employment systems are more strongly aligned.

On 9 April we further clarified our Skilled Worker salary assessment rules to make clear that sponsors cannot inflate wages by including loans for the worker’s immigration application.
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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's original budget for the Emergency Services Network programme was; how much her Department has spent since that programme started; and what the estimated final cost is in (a) real and (b) current terms. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In July 2021 the Emergency Services Network (ESN) Full Business case was approved by HM Treasury with a whole life cost of £11.3bn through to 2036/37.

In October 2024, HM Treasury approved an updated version of the business case which reflected a change in planning assumptions and timescales through to 2043/44 with a revised whole life cost of £19.2bn.

For the period 2015/16 to 31 March 2024, ESN has spent £5.5bn.

The estimated future cost to be spent by 2043/44 is £9.5bn (real), or £13.7bn (current).

In December 2024, the Home Office procured a new supplier for mobile radio and data services and intends to release a revised Full Business Case in Autumn 2025, which will set out a new timetable and costs, taking into account the impact of the recent procurement activity and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Charge Control.

The Home Office’s priority is to deliver ESN as swiftly as possible and Airwave will be shut down only when it is safe to do so.

The Programme is under regular review by the IPA, NAO and engages regularly with PAC and HASC.
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Steve Witherden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to protect places of worship from police raids. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The enforcement of the law is an operational matter for the police. It is for them to decide whether a particular action warrants police involvement, based on their operational expertise and the circumstances of the case.
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Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40292 on Demonstrations, whether the post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 will be carried out independently; and whether her Department plans to publish the outcomes of the review. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In line with standard practice, the memorandum the government will complete as part of the post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 will cover:

Further details on post-legislative scrutiny can be found here: 2025 Guide to Making Legislation - master version - Google Docs
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Hazel Grove in Home Office oral questions on 31 March 2025, Official report, Column 19, if she will (a) extend the Ukrainian Permission Extension scheme beyond 18 months and (b) create a pathway to UK citizenship for resident Ukrainians. \p Seema Malhotra: The UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families under the Ukraine Schemes, thanks to the immense generosity of the British public. We are determined to continue to provide stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and who still need our sanctuary.

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.

We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.

This is why our offer of temporary sanctuary under the Ukraine Schemes does not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application. This applies to holders of Ukraine Scheme permission regardless of nationality. There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.

Registration or naturalisation as a British citizen is available to a Ukrainian national in the same way as other nationals, if they meet the statutory requirements.

Those granted permission under one of the Ukraine Schemes, which provide full rights to work and study, can apply to switch into other visa routes for which they qualify, including work and global talent visas.

We continue to keep the Ukraine schemes under review in line with the ongoing conflict.
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Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April to Question 43180 on Metropolitan Police: Finance, whether ministers in her Department have (a) met with and (b) corresponded with the (i) Mayor of London and (ii) Metropolitan Police Commissioner to discuss increasing investment into the Metropolitan Police Estate. \p Dame Diana Johnson: It is the role of Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners (including Mayors with PCC responsibilities) to make decisions about their resources and estates, based on their local knowledge and expertise.

This Government is committed to supporting the Metropolitan Police by providing them with £3.8 billion of funding in the 2025-26 police settlement. This is a £262.1 million increase when compared with the 2024-25 settlement, equating to a 7.4% cash increase.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a person's passport can be used to prove their (a) biological sex, (b) genetic sex, (c) sex at birth and (d) sex as legally defined. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 31 March to question 41234.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how she plans to identify the (a) roles and (b) number of police officers in each role who will be redeployed to increase neighbourhood policing. \p Dame Diana Johnson: We have asked forces to outline proposals for their workforce mix that is tailored to local needs and operational contexts, based on what is deliverable within their funding allocation.

This will ensure that additional neighbourhood personnel in 2025-26 are delivered in a manner that is flexible and easily adaptable to varied crime demands, allowing forces to increase the neighbourhood policing workforce at pace.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the starting figure was upon which the planned 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers will be in addition to. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to tackle crime effectively and protect the communities they serve. We are clear that visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police.

As such, total funding of the £17.6 billion allocated to police forces win 2025/26, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement – a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding. This includes funding to support the costs of the 24-25 pay award, the increase in the employer national insurance contributions, funding for officer maintenance and an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles. A total of up to £376.8 million has been allocated to support of police officer numbers in England and Wales in 2025-26.

The Government expects forces to use the resources available to them effectively, to tackle crime and protect the public. Forces are operationally independent; therefore, it is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. Robust workforce plans will ensure forces can continue to manage budgets whilst maintaining officer numbers and effectively deploying resources to serve and support communities.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling shop lifting. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The measures relating to shop theft in the Crime and Policing Bill will be enacted in England and Wales; however, we have had regular engagement with the Northern Ireland Executive – and will continue to do so as the Bill makes its passage through Parliament - on measures in the Bill.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the graduate route visa scheme. \p Seema Malhotra: We keep all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of hours spent by West Midlands Police investigating fly-tipping related incidents in the last two months. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The requested data is not currently collected by the Home Office.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many firearms-related offences there were by the type of offence in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands in each of the last five years. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on offences involving firearms recorded by the police in England and Wales at the Police Force Area level.

These data, by offence group and type of weapon, are published in Open Data Tables, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6793b6b48a0829895f24bf55/prc-firearms-open-data-march2009-onwards-300125.ods
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Sarah Owen:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to lower (a) visa and (b) administrative costs for research organisations. \p Seema Malhotra: The Government keeps the immigration system and fees for immigration and nationality applications under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.

The Government will also continue to set fees for immigration and nationality applications at a level to ensure the migration and borders system is sustainably funded. It is right that a greater share of the cost of operating the system is borne by those applicants who directly use it, rather than the taxpayer.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish an updated version of the report entitled The economic and social costs of crime second edition, published on 23 July 2018. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Economic and Social Costs of Crime, Second Edition was published by the Home Office in July 2018. An update to the economic and social cost of fraud against individuals has since been published in the Fraud Strategy (May 2023). Together, these documents are currently the most comprehensive source for the estimated economic and social costs of these specified crimes against individuals and businesses.

The Home Office plans to publish a report containing updated estimates of the costs of the included crimes in due course.
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) police officers and (b) workers in her Department submitted their resignation in each of the past five years. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers leaving the police service, including resignations, in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

Information on the number of police officers leaving the police service, broken down by reason for leaving, between the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2024 can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669a917cce1fd0da7b59294f/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-240724.ods.

Information for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 is due to be published in Summer 2025.

The number of Home Office staff who have submitted their resignation in the last five years can be found in the table below.

Year

Headcount

Mar-21

614

Mar-22

1,009

Mar-23

1,497

Mar-24

1,451

Mar-25

1,452
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many scientific procedures involved the use of dogs from 2020- 2024. \p Dan Jarvis: The number of animals used in scientific research and testing, including dogs, is published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit#statistics. Statistics for 2024 are scheduled for publication in July.

The Home Office assures that, in every research proposal, animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible, the number of animals are reduced to the minimum necessary to achieve the result sought, and that, for those animals which must be used, procedures are refined as much as possible to minimise their suffering.

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is leading on a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department plans to use to provide the starting point against which it will measure its progress in halving violence against women and girls. \p Jess Phillips: Further details on the suite of metrics used to measure progress on our VAWG mission is being discussed with the Office for National Statistics, and will be published in the VAWG Strategy later this year.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to review cross-Departmental (a) legislation and (b) guidance to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of biological sex. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The Supreme Court’s ruling has brought clarity and confidence for women and single-sex services providers. The Government will work closely with the EHRC as they develop definitive guidance. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what proportion of qualifying companies provide gender pay gap reporting. \p Dame Nia Griffith: Around 10,000 organisations are required to report their gender pay gap data annually and we continue to see high levels of on time compliance. All of the data reported by organisations can be found at https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk/

Following the reporting deadlines the Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the requirement. They will contact organisations believed to be required to report to ascertain whether they were in scope of the requirement, and prompt them to report if so.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_651

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which trade unions will be involved with the new Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The government is committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination. Alongside other measures, we will establish an Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit with the involvement of trade unions.

This month we launched a call for evidence on a number of areas of equality policy, including equal pay enforcement. We are holding this call for evidence while policy is at a formative stage in order to enable businesses, trade unions, civil society and others to share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives at this early point.

Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including trade unions, as policy develops.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_652

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how ethnicity will be defined in instances of equal pay claims. \p Dame Nia Griffith: As set out in the King’s Speech in July, the government is committed to making the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people. This measure will be part of the upcoming Equality (Race and Disability) Bill.

This month we launched a call for evidence on a number of areas of equality policy, including on this commitment. We will consider the views from the call for evidence to understand the challenges and find the appropriate solutions in developing this policy, making sure that the legislation works for all.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_653

Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to paragraph 2.28 of the Office of Budget Responsibility's publication entitled Economic and fiscal outlook, published in October 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the change in overall trade intensity on Scotland. \p Ian Murray: In its latest economic outlook, the OBR expects the level of overall exports to recover in 2025 and return to growth over the period 2026 to 2029. The European Union is an important trade partner for the UK, with total trade in goods and services of £813 billion in 2024.

A closer, more co-operative relationship with the EU is in the UK’s national interests and the Prime Minister and President of the European Commission have agreed to strengthen the relationship between the UK and EU.

The UK-EU Summit on 19 May will provide an opportunity to make further progress on areas which will deliver tangible benefits working with the EU to identify areas where we can strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit, such as trade and the economy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_654

Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to help strengthen links between Scotland and Malawi. \p Ian Murray: I recently hosted a Scotland-Malawi Partnership delegation as part of the wider events marking six decades of Malawian independence. The roundtable looked at ways of strengthening the already deep relationship between Scotland and Malawi.

As you will know, the UK Government remains committed to creating a world free from poverty on a liveable planet, working in partnership with international partners such as Malawi to support their development. As the UK transitions to an Official Development Assistance budget of 0.3 per cent of gross national income globally, we will continue to prioritise aid effectiveness and targeting assistance where it can have the greatest impact.

One of my priorities is promoting Scotland on the global stage. This includes supporting more Scottish businesses to export and attract inward investment.

The Scotland Office is looking at a potential trade mission to Southern Africa within the next two years where we can highlight the positive role Scottish industry can play in driving both economic growth at home and development overseas.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_655

Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) direct and (b) indirect jobs have been created through (i) platform electrification, (ii) CCUS and (iii) hydrogen between 2021-2024. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government does not currently have information on jobs created in platform electrification, CCUS and hydrogen between 2021-2024.

In 2024, the Government confirmed funding for 11 HAR1 projects, which are estimated to support around 760 direct jobs during construction and operation.

The £21.7 billion of funding for Track 1 announced last year is intended estimated to support up to 4,000 direct jobs and the industry as a whole will support up to 50,000 jobs as the sector develops into the 2030s
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_656

Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) direct and (b) indirect supply chain jobs have been created under the North Sea Transition Deal. \p Michael Shanks: The North Sea Transition Deal remains an important partnership between Government and industry, but job creation is based on many factors. Attributing direct or indirect job creation to the Deal alone is not possible and the Department does not track these figures.

The Government and industry continue to work together to deliver on the commitments in the North Sea Transition Deal. This includes actions to support workers and the supply chain to build on the opportunities the transition presents, to create high quality, well-paying jobs in existing and future energy industries, with no community left behind.
wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_657
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_657

Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of solar radiation modification technologies on the atmosphere. \p Kerry McCarthy: Given the significant uncertainty around the possible risks and impacts of deployment on the climate and environment, the Government is not deploying SRM and has no plans to do so.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_658

Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his Department's original budget for the construction of Hinkley Point C was; how much his Department has spent since that project started; and what the estimated final cost is in (a) real and (b) current terms. \p Michael Shanks: Hinkley Point C is not a UK Government-funded project. The financing of Hinkley Point C is the responsibility of EDF (Électricité de France) and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN). The latest update from EDF on costs of Hinkley Point C can be found here (on page 29):

https://www.edf.fr/sites/groupe/files/2025-03/annual-results-edf-2024-presentation-2025-03-07.pdf
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_659

Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what role the Treasury holds in approving new oil and gas fields. \p Michael Shanks: The Oil & Gas Authority (operating as the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA)) are the licensing authority for offshore oil & gas. The NSTA are also responsible for granting consents and authorisations for subsequent activities (including development consents) under the Petroleum Act 1998. The NSTA requires Secretary of State’s agreement under relevant environmental regulations prior to granting any licence, consent or authorisation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_660

Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to prevent solar panels from being placed on agricultural land. \p Michael Shanks: Planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, solar developers should utilise brownfield, industrial, contaminated, or previously developed sites. Where the development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, lower-quality land should be preferred to higher-quality land.

The total area of land devoted to solar panels is very small. As of the end of September 2024, ground-mount solar PV panels covered an estimated 21,200 hectares (52,000 acres), which is only around 0.1 per cent of the total land area of the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_661

Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to incentivise small businesses in the (a) computing and (b) AI sector to generate their own renewable energy. \p Michael Shanks: The Government is committed to ensuring the growth of AI and data centres in the UK is done in a way that supports our clean power mission and longer-term decarbonisation goals. The department has funded the AI for Decarbonisation Programme which supports the development of innovative AI approaches to address critical challenges in decarbonisation. The department is also running a Business Energy Advice Service pilot in the West Midlands. This provides free energy assessments and match-funded grants to small businesses to support them to decarbonise and reduce their energy demand. The scheme has been extended to 31 March 2026.
wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_662
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_662

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many large area solar proposals going through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects process are requesting planning approval to acquire freehold land. \p Michael Shanks: An application for development consent can include a request for the granting of rights to compulsorily acquire or temporarily possess land to facilitate the development of the proposal.

Each application for development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIP), including solar NSIPs, has a dedicated webpage on the Planning Inspectorate’s website which sets out its intention to acquire land or not: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/.

As part of the application process, a ‘Book of Reference’ is uploaded to the relevant proposal’s webpage listing the Classes of Rights which are being sought over each plot, including acquiring freehold, if applicable.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_663

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many large area solar proposals going through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects process have been initiated by foreign investors. \p Michael Shanks: The Government does not hold the information requested.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_664

Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39218 on Infrastructure, whether his Department plans to implement recommendation 27 of the report by the National Infrastructure Commission entitled Second National Infrastructure Assessment, published on 1 October 2023. \p Michael Shanks: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is the lead department for recommendation 27. The Government will draw on the National Infrastructure Commission’s analysis for the forthcoming 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, which HMT is due to publish in June. My officials are working with DSIT, Ofcom, and Ofgem to support the identification of the future telecommunications requirements of the energy sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_665

Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what representations he has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on securing long-term funding for the development of smart energy systems within the West Midlands as part of the Spending Review. \p Michael Shanks: The Government recognises the important role of local government, such as West Midlands Combined Authority, in driving net zero action. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues. Details of the spending review will be set out in due course.