theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_78
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_78

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to include appointments to the Fair Work Agency in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the chair appointment will be classified as a significant appointment. \p Justin Madders: The Employment Rights Bill is the first stage of Fair Work Agency implementation, and we will publish further details around the establishment of the FWA in due course.

We will make the FWA Chair appointment in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments, as regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_79
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_79

Alison Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what data his Department holds on the number of businesses that have closed involuntarily in each month of the last five years. \p Justin Madders: Official statistics on company involuntary dissolutions are published quarterly. These are made publicly available online by Companies House. We have extracted and produced the relevant yearly figures for your convenience below:

Financial Year

Struck off and dissolved

2023/24

631,742

2022/23

557,240

2021/22

557,653

2020/21

425,594

2019/20

497,639

The statistics for October to December 2024 will be published in the next quarterly release on 30 January 2025 at 9:30am.

The most recent complete datasets can be found here:

Incorporated companies in the UK July to September 2024 - GOV.UK

Statistics for previous periods are available here.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_80
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_80

Alison Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what data his Department holds on the number of businesses that have closed voluntarily in each month of the last five years. \p Justin Madders: Official statistics on company voluntary dissolutions are published quarterly. These are made publicly available online by Companies House. We have extracted and produced the relevant yearly figures from this publication for your convenience below:

Financial Year

Wound up voluntarily or subject to the supervision of the court under the Companies Act

2023/24

31,603

2022/23

28,711

2021/22

23,901

2020/21

24,287

2019/20

26,629

The statistics for October to December 2024 will be published in the next quarterly release on 30 January 2025 at 9:30am.

The most recent complete datasets can be found here:

Incorporated companies in the UK July to September 2024 - GOV.UK

Statistics for previous periods are available here.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_81
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_81

Alison Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what data his Department holds on the number of involuntary business liquidations that have taken place each month of the last five years. \p Justin Madders: The numbers of companies entering compulsory liquidation in each month since January 2019 are provided in monthly Official Statistics on company insolvency at Company insolvency statistics releases - GOV.UK and in the tables below.

England & Wales

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

January

317

295

51

124

204

339

February

259

231

33

77

162

225

March

237

175

33

140

302

230

April

234

100

30

94

187

291

May

272

32

34

141

195

248

June

274

70

37

148

264

293

July

250

175

44

137

249

336

August

195

79

38

151

232

236

September

228

49

32

219

255

221

October

237

67

53

252

260

212

November

270

37

54

296

364

340

December

170

43

52

186

164

[x]

Source: Insolvency Service. [x] indicates not yet available

Scotland

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

January

57

45

12

14

53

34

February

51

44

7

10

22

33

March

68

47

11

9

40

44

April

66

17

9

17

41

48

May

50

10

8

19

35

43

June

45

21

14

8

36

43

July

45

21

14

15

44

33

August

49

18

11

38

33

42

September

43

12

8

25

30

18

October

55

10

11

19

35

60

November

56

13

21

42

30

54

December

47

21

17

22

40

[x]

Source: Companies House. [x] indicates not yet available

Northern Ireland

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

January

7

21

2

2

1

8

February

9

18

0

10

1

14

March

25

12

0

7

2

8

April

3

0

3

6

2

17

May

35

0

1

3

2

22

June

16

0

1

11

3

8

July

12

1

1

1

3

5

August

5

0

1

2

2

1

September

28

0

0

2

25

15

October

39

1

1

0

14

17

November

22

0

2

2

13

3

December

18

1

7

2

6

[x]

Source: Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_82
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_82

Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20204 on Nissan, what his planned timetable is for publishing the updated transparency data on meetings. \p Justin Madders: The Department for Business and Trade follows the publication schedule set by No. 10
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_83
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_83

Alison Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what data his Department holds on the number of voluntary business liquidations that have taken place each month of the last five years. \p Justin Madders: Voluntary liquidations consist of creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs) and members’ voluntary liquidations (MVLs).

Tables 1 to 3 show monthly numbers of CVLs, based on Insolvency Service official statistics at Company insolvencies, November 2024 - GOV.UK.

Table 4 shows numbers of MVLs, based on Companies House official statistics at Incorporated companies in the UK July to September 2024 - GOV.UK. MVL data is not published on a monthly basis.

Table 1: Creditors’ voluntary liquidations by month, England & Wales

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

January

1,225

1,054

663

1,383

1,402

1,309

February

852

991

638

1,351

1,539

1,726

March

1,182

934

945

1,859

2,036

1,452

April

1,045

973

847

1,810

1,371

1,853

May

995

854

974

1,605

2,191

1,626

June

1,058

593

1,164

1,472

1,773

1,906

July

1,043

631

1,029

1,629

1,344

1,662

August

1,007

628

1,302

1,683

1,905

1,555

September

1,148

777

1,372

1,400

1,588

1,441

October

1,108

719

1,275

1,608

1,910

1,514

November

1,100

814

1,542

1,610

1,983

1,631

December

823

1,085

1,383

1,676

1,749

[x]

Source: Companies House. [x] indicates not yet available

Table 2: Creditors’ voluntary liquidations by month, Scotland

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

January

25

21

15

35

54

47

February

23

36

16

61

63

58

March

22

21

29

71

62

64

April

31

26

29

73

64

59

May

24

17

38

70

57

72

June

22

20

61

66

74

60

July

39

28

55

55

51

77

August

27

21

76

66

72

57

September

28

25

53

74

53

48

October

20

27

54

56

59

51

November

24

27

77

73

74

56

December

36

26

75

85

66

[x]

Source: Companies House. [x] indicates not yet available

Table 3: Creditors’ voluntary liquidations by month, Northern Ireland

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

January

8

3

1

12

11

17

February

10

6

5

4

10

10

March

7

11

5

13

9

15

April

10

2

2

4

5

12

May

4

3

6

17

8

20

June

7

8

9

13

11

7

July

7

8

12

10

8

11

August

17

2

8

10

6

9

September

7

8

9

18

9

10

October

7

7

12

13

12

14

November

6

8

6

16

10

10

December

9

6

0

11

16

[x]

Table 4: Members’ voluntary liquidations by financial year, United Kingdom

Financial Year

Members' voluntary liquidations

2023/24

11,507

2022/23

14,929

2021/22

11,824

2020/21

10,249

2019/20

9,240
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_84
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_84

Uma Kumaran:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much their Department spent on (a) media and (b) voice training for Ministers between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024. \p Justin Madders: The Department for Business and Trade has not spent anything on media and voice training for Ministers between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_85
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_85

Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help tackle barriers to export for small businesses. \p Gareth Thomas: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting small businesses grow and export. UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.

DBT is also piloting an enhanced partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, taking a targeted place-based approach to accelerate small business growth through exporting across the region. This will be rolled out to other regions across England over the next 12 months.

We will bring forward further measures in due course.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_86
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_86

Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 15845 on Small Businesses: Recruitment, when he plans to publish the small business strategy. \p Gareth Thomas: The Government will publish a Small Business Strategy Paper later this year.

This will set out the Government’s vision for all small businesses, from boosting scale-ups to growing the co-operative economy, across key policy areas such as creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment.

The paper will complement the Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_87
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_87

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the hospitality industry. \p Gareth Thomas: Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth.

This is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship levy to support business and boost opportunities. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper which will be published later this year.

Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_88
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_88

Alison Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 19977 on Trade Union Officials, on what dates (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met with trade union officials since 1 November 2024. \p Justin Madders: The Secretary of State and departmental Ministers have met with many trade union officials, representing millions of British workers since 1 November 2024. Information about Ministerial meetings can be found on Gov.uk.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_89
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_89

Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to allow not-for-profit Community Interest Companies to receive the associated advantages of non-profit organisations. \p Justin Madders: While Community Interest Companies (CICs) must satisfy the Regulator that their primary purpose is to benefit a community, they can still generate profit, albeit with restrictions on profit distribution and as long as profits are primarily used to benefit the community.

CICs occupy a middle-ground between private enterprises and charities, providing unique advantages and opportunities. Compared to non-profit organisations, CICs have greater flexibility, no trustees, and can pay directors. CICs benefit from the risk-taking features of a company and access the debt market for loans. The Secretary of State does not intend to change the associated advantages of CICs.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_90
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_90

Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of US policies enacted between 20 January 2017 and 20 January 2021 on the UK renewable energy industry. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The UK government is committed to monitoring US policies and considering what action is best to promote and safeguard UK business interests.

Between January 2017 and January 2021, we engaged the US administration extensively on a range of US policies, including in the context of UK-US FTA negotiations. Beyond 2021, we have continued engaging with the US to improve access to the US market for UK exporters, including by securing the removal of Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium products.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_91
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_91

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of Mexico's recent constitutional reforms on UK investments in the regional energy sector. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The UK Embassy in Mexico regularly engages with the Mexican Government to underline the importance of strong institutions, independent courts, and the rule of law.

My Department has been following the regulatory reforms closely. We are aware of market reactions and maintain a dialogue with the Mexican Government at the highest levels about how these reforms may affect UK business. Mexico is a long-standing and valued trade partner for the UK and we are working to grow our two-way trade and investment.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_92
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_92

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for (a) his policies and (b) bilateral trade relations of Argentina’s most recent debt repayments to international bondholders. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The UK Government continually monitors international economic developments and is aware of the domestic reforms that the Argentine government is undertaking and their most recent debt repayments. The UK is working with Argentina to strengthen our trade relationship – worth £2 billion in the 12 months to June 2024. In October 2024, the Secretary of State met his Argentine counterpart, the first ministerial meeting between trade ministers since 2019 and agreed to work together in areas such as services, customs, and education.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_93
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_93

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 14th October 2024 to Question 5918 on Department for Business and Trade: Canada, whether he plans to meet the Agent General of (a) Ontario, (b) Quebec and (c) Saskatchewan in the next six months. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has no plans to meet with the Agents General of Ontario, Quebec, or Saskatchewan in the next six months.

Canada is a key ally and valued partner for the UK. Our trade relationship – worth £26.4 billion in the 12 months to June 2024 – is underpinned by regular engagement, including at the provincial level.

In November 2024, I attended the 8th annual CPTPP ministerial meeting in Vancouver, during which I met with Canadian officials, business leaders and Indigenous communities to confirm our common interests in a future of shared security and economic growth.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_94
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_94

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent progress he has made on free-trade negotiations with the Swiss Confederation. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The fifth round of negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Switzerland took place in London between 14 and 18 October 2024. UK negotiators made good progress, working towards agreeing ambitious outcomes in key areas including services, investment and digital. Round 6 talks are expected to take place in Switzerland in early 2025. The Government will continue to work towards delivering outcomes in the FTA that secure economic growth for the UK and will update Parliament on the progress of discussions with Switzerland as they continue to develop.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_95
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_95

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to make the Chartered Town Planner Level 7 Apprenticeship exempt from any reforms in access to the new Growth and Skills Levy. \p Janet Daby: The government is committed to creating opportunities and economic growth supported by a strong skills system.

There are tough choices that need to be taken on how funding should be prioritised in order to generate opportunities for young people, who too often have been locked out of accessing these opportunities that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers. Following reforms to apprenticeships, including the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017, apprenticeship starts by young people under 25 fell by almost 40% between the 2015/16 and 2023/24 academic years. The department will therefore be asking more employers to step forward and fund a significant number of Level 7 apprenticeships themselves outside of the levy-funded growth and skills offer.

The department is taking advice from Skills England, who engaged with employers on funding for Level 7 apprenticeships over the autumn, and the department expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships shortly.

The department recognises that for some employers, Level 7 apprenticeships form an important part of their workforce and career development offers. Employers will still be able to offer and invest in these apprenticeships where they feel they provide a good return on their investment.

Learners who have started these apprenticeships will be funded through to completion.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_96
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_96

Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of (a) revising the school calendar and (b) reducing the length of the school summer holidays. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department does not currently have any plans to propose changes to the school calendar or to the setting of school holidays.

School holidays are not determined at national level, they are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities depending on school type. The department believes that they are best placed to set school term and holiday dates in the interests of the pupils at their schools and their parents.

If schools, trusts or local authorities decide to change their term dates, it is expected that they will act lawfully and reasonably, giving parents notice and considering the impact on those affected. This includes pupils, teachers, the local community, parents’ work commitments and childcare options for both parents and teachers.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_97
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_97

Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many families are eligible for the Adoption and Special Guardian Support Fund; and how many of these have accessed the fund since 7 February 2024. \p Janet Daby: Local authorities, Adoption England and Regional Adoption Agencies promote the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) to families throughout their adoption journey as a source of support should they need it.

In December 2023, the department changed the name of the Fund from the Adoption Support Fund to the ASGSF, to reflect the eligibility of special guardianship order (SGO) families and encourage increased numbers of applications for therapy where these families might need support.

The department does not hold definitive data on the number of families eligible for the ASGSF at any one time. During the period from 7 February to 31 December 2024, 18,030 individual children have accessed support through the ASGSF.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_98
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_98

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing domestic fee status for the children of British National (Overseas) visa holders in the UK. \p Janet Daby: Generally, to qualify for higher education (HE) student support and home fee status in England, a person must have settled status and have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for the three years preceding the first day of the first academic year of their course.

This means that under existing student support legislation, holders of a Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa would qualify for home fee status and financial support once they have acquired settled status in the UK and meet the three-year ordinary residence requirement. This also applies to any dependants who have been granted Hong Kong British National (Overseas) status.

There are no plans to extend HE student support and home fee status to Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) or their dependants before they are settled in the UK.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_99
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_99

Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a suicide prevention strategy aimed at (a) school and (b) university students. \p Stephen Morgan: The government is committed to reducing the numbers of lives lost to suicide, including through prevention in educational institutions.

The Department of Health and Social Care published a Prevention Strategy for England on 11 September 2023 with over 130 actions aimed at reducing the suicide rate. The strategy also sets ambitions to improve support for people who self-harm and people who have been bereaved by suicide. As part of the strategy, a number of groups have been identified for consideration for tailored or targeted action at a national level, including children and young people.

Guidance to schools is reviewed regularly, including the statutory ‘Keeping children safe in education’ guidance that all schools must have regard to. Amongst other things, the guidance sets out the role all staff must play in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including identifying where mental health concerns are also safeguarding concerns and making appropriate referrals into early help support services and statutory support services as appropriate.

The statutory guidance for relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), which came into force in September 2020, advises that schools should approach teaching about self-harm and suicide carefully and should be aware of the risks to pupils from exposure to materials that are instructive rather than preventative, including websites or videos that provide instructions or methods of self-harm or suicide. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

The department is currently reviewing the RSHE guidance and as part of this process the department will explore whether additional content is required on suicide prevention.

The National Review of Higher Education Student Suicides will report with important lessons for better supporting students and preventing tragedies in higher education (HE) settings in the spring. This will be published alongside updated data on HE student suicides from the Office for National Statistics.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_100
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_100

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for implementing alternative student finance following the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement in the 2025-26 academic year. \p Janet Daby: The department is committed to introducing an alternative student finance (ASF) product, compatible with Islamic finance principles, as quickly as we can. To support this, the department has reconvened an expert working group made up of representatives from the Islamic community and the finance sector. The department has also appointed a secretariat to take forward the certification of the product as compatible with Islamic finance principles.

The delivery of the ASF product will need to follow the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will replace the existing student finance system when introduced. The first LLE-funded courses and modules will begin in January 2027 and the department intends to introduce ASF as soon as possible after this.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_101
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_101

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to employers' National Insurance contributions on specialist colleges. \p Janet Daby: The department is receiving compensation in recognition of the increase in National Insurance contributions (NICs) paid by institutions it funds, including colleges, schools and other state-funded special educational needs and disabilities provision. Work is in progress to determine how that funding will be distributed, and more information will be provided as soon as is practicable. This NICs funding will be in addition to the £300 million and £1 billion funding increases announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 for further education and young people with high needs respectively, in 2025/26.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_102
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_102

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to decolonise the (a) artwork and (b) heritage assets in (i) her Department and (ii) each of its arm’s length bodies. \p Janet Daby: The department does not hold art or heritage assets.

The department borrows art from the government Art Collection for use in the Ministerial suite. There has been no change in the Cabinet Office’s management of artwork or heritage assets since the previous administration.

The department occupies Sanctuary Buildings in London, a partially Grade II listed building (predominantly its façade). Sanctuary Buildings is leased from a private landlord via the Government Property Agency.

As separate entities, the responsibility for creating policy and guidance for artwork and heritage assets sits with each individual Arm’s Length Body, rather than with the department. However, they do not hold art or heritage assets.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_104
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_104

Michael Payne:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) support children in foster care and (b) the work of foster carers (i) in Gedling constituency and (ii) nationally. \p Janet Daby: The government is committed to ensuring that every child in care grows up with the love, care and support they need to achieve and thrive. All foster carers receive the National Minimum Allowance to cover the costs of looking after the children in their care. In the 2025/26 financial year this allowance is being uplifted by 3.55%.

This government is supporting children in care by expanding the ‘Mockingbird Family Model’ which is an innovative evidence-based approach. Relationships are central to the design of the programme, which involves six to ten satellite families grouped into a constellation around a hub home carer.

In Gelding this is being delivered as part of the ‘Foster For East Midlands’ Recruitment Hub which launched in March 2024 and comprises of four neighbouring local authorities, Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, and Derby City Council.

Across England ten regional fostering programmes are live, working with 64% of all local authorities collaboratively to recruit and retain foster carers who will provide loving homes, local to the children who need them. An additional £15 million was announced to support this programme in the Autumn Budget 2024, and we intend to move towards full national roll out in the next financial year. We welcome discussions with other local authorities about our national expansion plans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which contractors have been chosen to carry out works under the school rebuilding programme; and on what criteria these contractors were chosen. \p Stephen Morgan: The department procures contractors from its frameworks to deliver the vast majority of projects, including the School Rebuilding Programme. Information on the contractors on its frameworks, including the criteria for selecting contractors for individual projects, can be found on GOV.UK, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-buildings-construction-framework-2021/appendix-d-framework-contractors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children that were home-schooled in Lincolnshire in the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-2024 academic years. \p Stephen Morgan: The department collects data on children in elective home education (EHE) from local authorities. The latest data, including at the local authority level, is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

In Lincolnshire, the number of EHE children at any point during the 2022/23 academic year was 2,280 and 2,040 in 2023/24.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced on 17 December, will place a duty on all local authorities in England to hold and maintain registers of children not in school in their area. Parents and certain providers of out-of-school education will be required to provide the local authority with the information needed for the registers and there will be sanctions for failing to do so. The Bill also includes a new requirement for parents to obtain local authority consent before they can home educate if their child is subject to a child protection enquiry or has a child protection plan. Local authorities will have new powers to require any home educated child to attend school if their home or learning environment is unsuitable. These proposals will strengthen the existing system of oversight for these children.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Graham Stuart:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of children of peripatetic families not in school who will be captured by the proposed register of home schooled children. \p Stephen Morgan: The measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for statutory Children Not in School registers in every local authority in England, and the accompanying duties on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for these registers, will support local authorities in identifying all children not in school in their areas, and ensure that they receive the education they deserve.

The department knows that the new duties created by the Children Not in School measures will create additional burdens for local authorities. Additional funding will therefore be provided to support local authorities to carry out these new duties. As part of our implementation strategy, we will conduct a new burdens assessment to determine the level of funding.

Parents will not be issued with monetary penalties for failure to provide information for Children Not in School registers. The consequence if a parent of an eligible child has failed to provide the required information for a local authority register is that the local authority has the power to commence the School Attendance Order process. Once an order has been issued, it is only if it is subsequently breached and the parent is convicted that this might lead to a monetary penalty not exceeding Level 4 on the standard scale for the parent. The School Attendance Order process is not intended to criminalise parents of home educated children, but to ensure that those children receive a suitable education.

In the autumn 2023 elective home education (EHE) data collection, local authorities recorded that 4.6% of the EHE population were known to them to be children from Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities, which is in comparison to 0.4% of such children recorded to be in the wider school population. We will continue to engage with these communities as part of the implementation process, to ensure that their specific needs are identified and considered.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Online Safety Act 2023 to help tackle fake news through (a) AI-generated content and (b) deepfakes. \p Feryal Clark: The Government recognises the challenges that AI-generated content, including deepfakes, can pose to the online environment. The Online Safety Act puts new requirements on social media platforms to swiftly remove illegal misinformation and disinformation - including where it is AI-generated - as soon as they become aware of it.

Our immediate focus is getting the Act implemented quickly and effectively. We will then of course look at where we could go further, as set out in the government’s manifesto. It is right that government continually assesses the law’s ability to keep up, especially where technology moves so fast.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, published on 17 December 2024. \p Feryal Clark: The Intellectual Property Office launched the ‘Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Consultation’ on 17th December 2024.

As per the Governments Publishing Accessible Documents guidance, the document is published in HTML format, making it easier for users to find and navigate. The survey for users to respond to is also hosted on an accessible platform. We provided a PDF version, as per Government guidance on publishing official documents. The summary of responses is in open format (Government standard) complying with accessibility guidelines and providing ease of use.

As with all of our publications, users can request an alternative format by emailing xxx@xxx.xx.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the call for evidence on DSIT Central Statistics User Engagement Exercise, published on 18 December 2024. \p Feryal Clark: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology launched the call for evidence ‘DSIT Central Statistics User Engagement Exercise’ on GOV.UK on 18 December 2024, with more information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/dsit-central-statistics-user-engagement-exercise

As per the Government’s Publishing Accessible Documents guidance, the user engagement exercise document is published in HTML format to make it easier to read and to find. The digital survey for users to respond to the consultation is hosted on an accessible platform. The option to respond directly via email is also provided.

Users who have queries on the user engagement exercise were invited to contact xxx@xxx.xx
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Government Office for Technology Transfer on (a) detecting, (b) preventing, and (c) removing child sexual abuse images created by generative artificial intelligence since July 2024. \p Feryal Clark: The Secretary of State has not had any conversations with the Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) on this topic. The Home Office are responsible for policy related to detecting, preventing, and removing child sexual abuse images created by generative digital AI and Ofcom are responsible for implementing measures in the Online Safety Act 2023 that relate to detecting, preventing, and removing child sexual abuse images created by generative digital AI.

GOTT helps to accelerate government’s innovations towards the market to impact growth and deliver new products and services for citizens. GOTT provides direct practical expert support, grant funding for specific opportunities, access to networks, and guidance to central government departments and arm’s length bodies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the role of online pornographic content in perpetuating violence against women and girls. \p Feryal Clark: An independent review into online pornography regulation was tasked with understanding the impact of pornography on viewers’ attitudes towards violence against women and girls. The review has just concluded and the government is assessing its findings. The final report will be published in due course.

The Online Safety Act introduces safeguards against harmful content and targets illegal content which includes violence against women and girls. The Act also prevents children from accessing pornography and requiring in-scope services to protect users from illegal pornographic content.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the use of artificial intelligence in farming and agriculture. \p Feryal Clark: AI is a general-purpose technology, with a wide array of applications. The government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will make the most of this transformative technology by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology engages regularly across government departments, including the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, to understand how they are considering AI-related policy opportunities within their remit.

In addition, Innovate UK’s BridgeAI programme supports AI adoption across four sectors, of which agriculture is one.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI bots on (a) community cohesion and (b) national security. \p Feryal Clark: The Government recognises that the huge opportunities offered by AI also come with risks. This includes the potential to generate inauthentic content indistinguishable from human-generated content at higher scale and lower cost than previously possible. We continue to investigate the potential for transparency and detection and welcome technical innovation in this space.

The Online Safety Act requires social media platforms to swiftly remove illegal misinformation and disinformation or hateful content - including where AI-generated - as soon as they become aware of it. The Government also empowers users with the skills and knowledge to engage critically with online content through media literacy initiatives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Regulatory Innovation Office on (a) detecting, (b) preventing, and (c) removing child sexual abuse images created by generative artificial intelligence since July 2024. \p Feryal Clark: The government has regular meetings with research and business organisations on matters relating to online safety and AI. The Online Safety Act places duties on platforms to proactively detect, prevent and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including CSAM content created using AI technology. Ofcom has set out steps providers can take for these duties in draft codes of practice and will develop these iteratively. These steps include measures to detect, prevent and remove CSAM. The Act requires Ofcom to consult extensively when drafting its codes and Ofcom has an ongoing programme of research. The first code is due to come into force in Spring 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Tonia Antoniazzi:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his Department's timetable is for publishing the independent Pornography Review led by Baroness Bertin. \p Feryal Clark: The Independent Pornography Review assesses the effectiveness of current pornography legislation, regulation, and enforcement. It is an important area of interest for this government.

The Review has now just concluded. The government is assessing its findings and the final report will be published in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of AI regulation in (a) detecting, (b) preventing, and (c) removing child sexual abuse images created by generative artificial intelligence. \p Feryal Clark: AI generated child sexual abuse images are illegal material. It is an offence to produce, store or share any material that contains or depicts child sexual abuse, regardless of whether the material depicts a real child or not.

The government engages regularly with the tech sector, including AI companies, to support them in making their platforms safer for children.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the potential merits of strengthening technology regulation. \p Feryal Clark: The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology regularly engages with international counterparts, including European partners, both bilaterally and through multilateral forums such as the G7, G20, and OECD. These discussions focus on shared opportunities and challenges posed by technological innovation, including the role of regulatory frameworks in fostering growth and innovation while ensuring security.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to tackle the impact of grey imports on UK businesses. \p Feryal Clark: There are regulations that enable intellectual property rights owners to limit the sale of goods in some territories and these regulations may be used by rights owners to manage the parallel import of goods covered by their intellectual property rights.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposals within the English Devolution White Paper on the (a) borders and (b) status of ceremonial counties. \p Jim McMahon: The proposals within the English Devolution White Paper will not directly impact the borders or status of ceremonial counties which do not exist for the purposes of local government administration. Where areas develop proposals for local government reorganisation, we will work with councils to consider any implications for the ceremonial counties.