Employment Rights Bill: October Consultation
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)
The Government’s top priority is to grow the economy and improve living standards. We are clear that we cannot build a strong economy while people are in insecure work. For too long, employment law has failed to keep pace with fundamental changes to how, when and where we work. This has allowed bad actors to take advantage of loopholes in the current law via exploitative practices, fuelling a race to the bottom, undercutting responsible businesses, and eroding the living standards of working people. We are clear that unfair competition, where a bad employer undercuts a good employer by reducing the terms and conditions of service for their employees, is bad for business, bad for workers and bad for growth.
Our plan to make work pay will modernise our employment rights legislation, extending the employment protections already given by the best British companies to millions more workers across the country. Strengthening this underlying framework will make work more secure and predictable, putting more money into working people’s pockets and strengthening the foundations that underpin a modern economy. It will also offer dignity to those going through the toughest personal circumstances, support working families to juggle the demands of work and raising children and help more working parents to stay in the workplace. This is a win-win. Policies that improve workforce wellbeing and job satisfaction also improve retention, boost productivity, promote fair competition and economic growth.
We are committed to full and comprehensive consultation with employers, workers, trade unions and civil society. By delivering this change together, we will back employers who do the right thing and give hard-working people the security, fairness and job satisfaction they deserve. As set out in our “Implementing the Employment Rights Bill” publication (published 1 July 2025), we are taking a phased approach to engagement and consultation on these reforms. This will ensure stakeholders have the time and space to work through the detail of each measure and to help us implement each in the interests of all.
Today I am launching an initial package of consultations covering the following four measures. Alongside a programme of direct stakeholder engagement, these will support us in determining how best to put our plans into practice.
Consultation 1: enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
Discriminating against women because they are pregnant or on maternity leave is already unlawful. However, pregnant women and new mothers continue to face a significant and unique risk to their job security. Every parent should feel secure at work, and that includes ensuring motherhood is not a barrier.
Starting with the Employment Rights Bill, the Government are introducing legislation which will make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on maternity leave, and mothers who return to work for at least a six-month period—except in specific circumstances. The Bill establishes the requisite powers to then set out the detail of the policy in regulations. Other powers taken ensure that those taking other types of family-related leave can be brought into the policy’s scope, subject to the outcome of the consultation.
The consultation seeks views on how the enhanced dismissal protections should work in practice, including the “specific circumstances” in which the dismissal of pregnant women and new mothers should still be allowed; when the protections should start and end; whether other new parents should be covered by the protections; policy measures to support implementation and impact; and how to mitigate against any unintended consequences.
This consultation will close after 12 weeks on 15 January 2026.
Consultation 2: bereavement leave
Bereavement and the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal experience that impacts everyone differently. In some cases, employees will need to take time and space away from work to grieve; in other cases, employees might wish to continue working as normal. For too long, employees facing bereavement have had to navigate their grief without the security of knowing they have a legal right to the time they need away from work. While many employers do give their employees the time they need, some do not. Fair competition demands some statutory protections for bereaved workers.
The Employment Rights Bill introduces a new statutory right to bereavement leave which will ensure all employees have a right to time away from work to grieve. Government amendments tabled on Report in the Lords extend bereavement leave to include pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, to enable the Government to consult on the full range of bereavement leave and ensure long overdue recognition for the women and families affected by pregnancy loss.
The Bill provides framework powers to establish the new right to bereavement leave, and we are consulting on the details to be set out in secondary legislation, ensuring that the entitlement is fully informed by the needs of both employers and employees from the outset.
The Bill sets out that the leave must be a minimum of one week and employees must be allowed at least 56 days from the date of the loss in which to take the leave. The consultation will ask questions about who should be eligible for bereavement leave, including specific questions on different types of pregnancy loss. The consultation will also ask for views on the maximum length of leave and the timeframe in which it should be taken, and what else the Government can do to support employers to implement the new entitlement to bereavement leave, such as guidance. Lastly, the consultation will ask for views on what notice and evidence requirements an employee may be required to give to an employer to allow us to balance the needs of bereaved individuals with the needs of their employers to manage staff absence with minimum disruption.
This consultation will close after 12 weeks on 15 January 2026.
Consultation 3: trade union employer duty to inform
A lack of awareness about the right to join a trade union may be contributing to reduced engagement from workers in collective bargaining and access to representation when they need it. At present, employers are not required to inform workers of this right, either at the start of employment or subsequently. While employees and workers are legally protected if they choose to join a union, there is no obligation on employers to make them aware of this. This legal omission needs correction in law.
The Employment Rights Bill will introduce a new duty on employers to provide their workers with a written statement of their right to join a trade union at the start of their employment and at other times. This new duty addresses an existing information gap by ensuring workers are better informed of their rights.
This consultation seeks views on how this duty should work in practice—what the statement should say, in what manner it should be given, and how often the statement should be delivered outside the start of employment.
The consultation will close after eight weeks on 18 December 2025.
Consultation 4: trade union right of access
Effective trade unions are important to tackling insecurity, inequality, discrimination, poor working conditions and low pay. The best employers value their role in the workplace and experience the benefits of working in partnership.
Within the current legislative framework, trade unions do not have an independent right of access to workplaces protected in law. They may only act through individual members or by voluntary access arrangements with employers. Where membership is limited, and there are no voluntary arrangements in place, there is limited scope for trade unions to represent and support their members in employment-related matters.
The Employment Rights Bill will establish a new legal framework for unions and employers to negotiate access into the workplace, formalising a trade union’s right to access workplaces physically, and to communicate with workers both in person and digitally. A statutory access framework gives clarity to employers on how to agree access and will enable unions to contribute positively to workplace culture, fostering open communication and trust between workers and employers and leading to more stable and constructive industrial relations.
We are seeking views on how this framework should operate in practice, consulting on the practical details of the policy before we set them out in secondary legislation. The consultation will cover how unions will request access and how employers will respond; factors the Central Arbitration Committee will take into account when determining whether access should be granted and on what terms; and how breaches of access agreements should be assessed by the CAC.
The consultation will close after eight weeks on 18 December 2025.
Next steps for consultation
This package sets out the next steps in delivering our plans. As trailed in “Implementing the Employment Rights Bill”, further packages of consultations are planned for later in the autumn and into the winter. These will be central to shaping the practical implementation of this legislation, helping Government deliver reforms that are both effective and inclusive. It is in everyone’s interest to get the relationship between employer and employee right. These consultations will help us make work pay for both.
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Infected Blood Victims: Interim Compensation Payments
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The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Nick Thomas-Symonds)
On 9 July 2025, the infected blood inquiry published its additional report on compensation. The inquiry made a number of recommendations to the Cabinet Office and to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to ensure that fair compensation is provided to every person that is eligible without delay.
As of 21 October, IBCA has contacted over 3,614 people to start their compensation claim; 3,371 have started the claim process; 2,476 people have received an offer, totalling over £1.8 billion; and so far 2,033 people have had their compensation paid, with more than £1.35 billion paid in compensation by IBCA. IBCA has now contacted all registered infected people to begin a claim, and the Government expect IBCA to open the service for those who are infected and unregistered, deceased infected and affected this year.
I am pleased that progress is being made, but I acknowledge the calls from the community highlighting the need for faster payment. That is why, on 21 July 2025, I informed the House that the Government would make a further interim payment of £210,000 to the estates of infected persons who were registered with an infected blood support scheme or predecessor scheme on or before 17 April 2024 and who have sadly passed away.
This is in addition to the interim payment of £100,000, which opened for applications in October 2024, meaning an estate could be eligible for up to £310,000 in interim payments. Since applications opened, over 600 estates have received payment, totalling over £60 million.
Today, I can announce that the process under which estates can apply for a further interim compensation payment has now opened. I hope this payment goes some way in recognising the hurt of those who have been impacted by losing their loved ones due to infected blood and blood products.
These payments will be delivered through the existing infected blood support schemes. They will be made to the estates of deceased infected persons As with all compensation payments related to infected blood, it will be exempt from income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax, and disregarded from means-tested benefit assessments.
Only the personal representative of the estate is able to make the application. Applicants will need a grant of probate, letters of administration, or—specific to Scotland —a grant of confirmation to evidence entitlement to claim interim compensation on behalf of the estate. To assist the legal process of obtaining this evidence as quickly as possible for those that do not already have it, applicants can claim back their exact legal costs up to £1,500. The application form is available to download online at gov.uk, together with full guidance on how to apply.
For those estates that have already received £100,000, an expedited application form is available. This requires much less information from the applicant than provided previously. Estate representatives can access this directly by contacting the UK infected blood support schemes.
I hope this additional interim payment brings some relief to the families impacted by a scandal that is a shameful mark on our national history. Please rest assured that delivering compensation for every eligible person remains an utmost priority for this Government.
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Greenhouse Gas Removals: Independent Review
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The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)
The independent review into greenhouse gas removals has published a report of its findings and recommendations to Government.
In February, the Government commissioned the independent review of GGRs and appointed Dr Alan Whitehead CBE as the independent chair, to consider how options for GGRs, including large-scale power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage and direct air carbon capture and storage, can assist the UK in meeting our net zero targets, out to 2050. The review terms of reference were published on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-removals-ggrs-independent-review/independent-review-of-greenhouse-gas-removals-terms-of-reference
The independent review has engaged extensively with industry and stakeholders through a call for evidence, industry roundtables and the net zero all-party parliamentary group.
The Government welcome this report’s findings and will consider the recommendations as we get on with our clean energy superpower mission, which will not only tackle the climate crisis, but will boost our energy security, protect households from energy price spikes, and create thousands of skilled jobs across the country.
Greenhouse gas removal technologies will play a key role in achieving our net zero target and it’s important we consider how best to deploy these.
I thank Dr Alan Whitehead for undertaking the review and everyone who contributed.
[HCWS983]
Energy Retail Market: Strengthening Customer Protections
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Martin McCluskey)
Today I am announcing Government plans to deliver stronger protections and a better deal for energy consumers. The Government are publishing our response to the consultation on third-party intermediaries and launching two new consultations on strengthening the Energy Ombudsman and standardising business energy contracts linked to smart meters. These plans will directly support working people, and the businesses that employ them, and drive forward the Government’s commitment to an energy market that puts consumers first.
Regulation of third-party intermediaries
The Government have listened to the voices of working people, small businesses and industry, keenly expressed in responses to our consultation and by Members of this House, including prominently by my hon. friend the member for Tamworth (Sarah Edwards).
I am proud to announce today that the Government intend to directly regulate third-party intermediaries, including energy brokers, by appointing Ofgem as regulator when parliamentary time allows.
Many energy brokers, price comparison services and other TPIs provide a good faith and good value service to their customers. But throughout the consultation and more widely, consumers, suppliers and others have provided evidence that confidence in the business energy market, and energy brokers in particular, has been undermined by a subset of unethical and exploitative rogue actors. This minority of rogue brokers have used dubious sales tactics, biased and misleading information, and deceptive commission payments to profit from charities and small business who just wanted a fair deal on their energy contracts.
That is why the Government are taking decisive action, introducing direct regulation of this market, moving to appoint Ofgem to create additional protections and fighting to get a better deal for energy consumers. Regulation will support good faith TPIs by clearing out bad actors and creating an even playing field that rewards quality services and enables pro-consumer innovation.
The Government’s decision to regulate this market will ultimately give consumers confidence that TPIs are acting in their best interests and enabling them to benefit from the smart, secure and sustainable energy system of the future.
Standardising business energy contracts linked to smart meters
In addition to TPI regulation, the Government are also protecting small businesses through proposals in our consultation published today on business energy contracts linked to smart meters. These new regulations would standardise the use of fixed-term energy contracts that require businesses to install smart meters, in response to the increasing use of these contracts by energy suppliers. From 2027, suppliers will need to co-ordinate the roll-out of these contracts and follow a legally binding customer protection code. Through these rules, the Government will ensure that these contracts are implemented fairly and consistently across the non-domestic energy market.
Smart meters bring significant benefits to non-domestic consumers, helping them to better manage their energy use and save money on their bills, giving them access to more innovative tariffs, and removing the need for manual meter readings and estimated billing. The consultation announced today will ensure that businesses are better protected and know what to expect when moving to a contract that requires a smart meter.
Strengthening the Energy Ombudsman
In addition to these measures, which focus on protecting small businesses, the Government are seeking to increase protections for all consumers in the energy market. Today I am also able to announce a third set of proposals that would improve protections for households as well as small businesses.
The Government want to eliminate bad practice and prevent problems arising, but when things do go wrong, we want consumers to have access to faster, fairer and easier redress. That is why we are planning to strengthen the Energy Ombudsman, ensuring that when it rules in a consumer’s favour, that decision is implemented and things are quickly put right.
The Energy Ombudsman’s dispute resolution service is available to all households and small businesses as an alternative to legal action to resolve consumer complaints against energy suppliers, heat networks providers and some energy brokers.
The Government’s plans would legally require suppliers to comply with the ombudsman’s rulings. Further, where a company has not implemented a decision on time and in full, the ombudsman would be given the power to order companies to compensate their customers. With these proposals, consumers will be able to trust that when the ombudsman rules in their favour, their supplier must act.
The proposals would also speed up the process for consumers receiving redress. We are proposing to halve the time before issues can be escalated to the ombudsman from eight weeks to four, and to cut the time for a decision from the ombudsman from six weeks to four. Consumers would have access to a legally-binding decision as quickly as two months after their initial complaint, with the outcome implemented within a further month. This is a significant improvement on the four or five month wait that many consumers currently experience to have things put right.
Together these steps will prohibit anti-consumer practices, improve consumer access to redress if issues occur and take a substantial step towards an energy market that puts consumers first.
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Water Company Performance Reports
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)
Today, the Environment Agency will publish its environmental performance assessment (EPA) for 2024 and Ofwat will publish their water company performance report (WCPR) for the 2024-25 financial year.
These assessments are being brought together for the first time, as a first step to join up economic and environmental regulation of the water industry ahead of the formation of the single water regulator.
Ofwat’s report shows a mixed picture, with improvement in some areas such as internal sewer flooding and increasing the number of vulnerable customers included on the priority services register. However, both reports show that pollution and customer experience performance remain concerning. Polluting our waterways is unacceptable and we are taking decisive action. The increased transparency and accountability in the sector is revealing the full picture. The sector must now step up to deliver improvements for the benefit of customers and the environment.
Since July last year, this Government have introduced the landmark Water (Special Measures) Act which provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers to the regulators in a decade, giving regulators the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies. The Act has started to drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry. It has banned unfair bonuses, and Government have ensured money is ringfenced for investment.
A record 87 investigations into water companies have been launched in England since the election, as part of a crackdown on sewage dumping. The Environment Agency has increased its capacity for inspections of water company assets fourfold, with over 4,000 inspections completed from April 2024 to March 2025. As of April 2025, the Environment Agency has increased its target for inspections to 10,000 inspections per year as part of the Government wider focus on holding companies to account and improving our water environment.
To fund their tougher inspections and enforcement regime, the Environment Agency has increased its water quality charges to £149 million from 2025-26, ensuring water companies, not taxpayers, pay the cost of regulating the sector. These charges include permit charges on water companies for inspections and the new enforcement levy, which will enable Environment Agency to recover the costs of their enforcement activity.
Since the start of this year, water companies have been required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Act introduced a new duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This will create an unprecedented level of transparency, enabling the public and regulators to see where, and how often, overflows are discharging, and hold water companies to account.
The Government also updated the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS) regulations resulting in an up to tenfold increase for customer compensation when they have been failed by water companies. A key step in the Government mission to reform the water sector, the move marked the first uplift in compensation rates in 25 years, recognising the urgent need to bring payments in line with inflation and properly compensate households for poor service.
And yesterday we kick-started the process of introducing new automatic penalties, which will deliver swift action if water companies break the rules. These penalties will streamline the penalty process for offences that can be identified and evidenced quickly, delivering a transparent and robust enforcement regime that drives real change.
On 23 October 2024, the Government also asked Sir Jon Cunliffe to lead the biggest review of the water sector since privatisation in 1989. Following Sir Jon’s final report, the Government announced the intention to establish a single regulator for water, to improve regional planning, and to establish a new statutory water ombudsman. The Government also intend to end operator self-monitoring, transferring oversight to the new regulator and transitioning to open monitoring to increase transparency and help restore public trust. To support transition to this new regime, we announced our intention to update ministerial guidance and direction to Ofwat and the Environment Agency and will publish a White Paper, responding to the independent review.
The reports published today show the full extent of the problem, and we have already taken action to reform the water sector. While we cannot expect change to happen overnight, these measures, alongside a record £104 billion investment in water infrastructure, means together we will clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.
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Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong: Six-monthly Report
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The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Yvette Cooper)
The latest six-monthly report on the implementation of the Sino-British joint declaration on Hong Kong was published today and is available as an attachment online. It covers the period from 1 January to 30 June 2025. The report has been placed in the Library of each House. A copy is also available on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/six-monthly-report-on-hong-kong-january-to-june-2025 I commend the report to the House.
Attachments can be viewed online at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2025-10-23/HCWS988
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Menopause and the NHS Health Check
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The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)
My noble friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health (Baroness Merron) has made the following written statement:
Today I am pleased to be updating the House on a key step we are taking to support women who are going through the menopause.
Menopause is a major life event affecting all women in a variety of ways, both short and long term. Each year around 400,000 women in the UK enter menopause and around three quarters will experience symptoms, lasting an average of seven years.
While menopause is a natural stage of a woman’s life course, symptoms are common with one in four women experiencing the impact on every area of life, at home and at work with women's employment rates falling as the number of menopausal symptoms they report rises.
That is why we are taking action to ensure women are supported through this journey.
Every five years, people aged between 40 and 74 without pre-existing heart conditions are invited to an NHS health check, aiming to detect people at risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
Perimenopause symptoms can often start from the age of 40, with most women starting the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, so NHS health checks provide a key opportunity to reach and support these women.
We have listened to women, organisations like Menopause Mandate and the all-party parliamentary group on menopause who have long campaigned for the menopause to be included in the NHS health checks.
That is why we will ask all local authorities to introduce a new element to NHS health checks in 2026. This new menopause question included in the NHS health check will mean eligible women aged 40 to 55 can access advice about the menopause and perimenopause more easily.
We know that women have faced difficulty with access to NHS services being fragmented and through this change we are delivering on our commitment to women’s health, by personalising services to support individuals to manage their health, as set out in the 10-year health plan.
Together, we will ensure women feel supported and are able to access high quality information on the menopause, including advice on managing symptoms and where to seek support.
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Police Accountability Rapid Review
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The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Shabana Mahmood)
Today, I am publishing the police accountability rapid review, an independent report commissioned by the Government in October 2024. The review was conducted by Timothy Godwin OBE QPM and the right hon. Sir Adrian Fulford between November 2024 and May 2025. The review will be available on gov.uk.
The review examined two key legal issues:
Whether the legal test for use of force in police misconduct cases should be raised from the civil to the criminal standard; and
Whether the threshold for determining a short-form conclusion of unlawful killing in inquests should revert from the civil to the criminal standard of proof.
The review concludes that the current legal framework has created confusion, inconsistency, and a chilling effect on police morale, particularly among firearms officers. It recommends the Government the criminal law test for use of force in misconduct cases and carries out a public consultation on the standard of proof in inquests.
I am pleased to confirm that the Government accept both recommendations. Police officers have an exceptionally demanding role. They have to run towards danger, tackle dangerous criminals and put their lives on the line to keep the public safe. We are determined to ensure both that officers are supported in making difficult decisions in the line of duty and that we have robust and transparent systems of accountability. We are committed to a policing system that commands public confidence and protects those who serve with integrity and professionalism.
Police officers need to be confident they can act decisively in challenging situations. Anything that undermines this confidence affects their ability to protect the public. This uncertainty is neither fair on them, nor in the public’s interest. That is why we have accepted the recommendation to raise the legal test for use of force in police misconduct cases from the civil to the criminal standard. This will not water down standards or make officers less accountable. Any officer falling below the standards we expect has no place in policing, and we have brought in measures to ensure they are swiftly dismissed. Hesitation and second-guessing can cost lives, and this Government will do everything we can to make our streets safer.
Making this change will require amendments to the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020. I will consult the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales, as required by statute, before making the necessary changes. Subject to that process, my intention is that those changes will come into force by spring 2026.
The report also highlights the need for greater consistency and fairness across criminal, disciplinary, and coronial proceedings. It finds that the current framework where different legal standards apply to the same set of facts can lead to confusion, reputational harm, and a loss of confidence among police officers and the public alike.
The Deputy Prime Minister welcomes the recommendation that the Government should undertake a full public consultation on the standard of proof for unlawful killing in inquests. This is a matter of significant legal and constitutional importance, with implications beyond policing, including in prisons, healthcare, and workplace safety. The Ministry of Justice will publish a consultation paper in due course.
These issues go to the heart of public confidence in the police accountability system. We must ensure that our legal standards are coherent, proportionate, and uphold the rule of law, while also supporting those who serve the public in challenging circumstances.
This Government have set out bold plans to ensure that the police have the confidence of the communities they serve, and that officers have the confidence that they need to do their vital and often extremely difficult job of keeping us all safe.
Since Parliament was last updated in April, we have made considerable progress in implementing the wider measures we committed to in the accountability review. This includes:
The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and will make changes to: provide for a presumption of anonymity for firearms officers who are subject to a criminal trial following a shooting, align the threshold for police and Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) referrals of police officers to the CPS with the threshold used by the police when referring cases involving members of the public, allow the IOPC to send cases to the CPS where there is sufficient evidence prior to their final investigation report, and put the IOPC’s victims’ right to review policy on a statutory footing. The Bill is currently in the Lords.
To help ensure consistency and clarity, the IOPC and National Police Chiefs’ Council have introduced two new protocols, the first regarding the investigation of deaths or serious injuries on the roads involving police officers, and the second protocol is in regard to the expectations and arrangements for the use of subject matter experts in IOPC independent investigations concerning the use of force by police officers.
New police vetting regulations and changes to police misconduct, performance and complaints regulations came into force in May, followed by the publication of operational vetting guidance in July.
The development of phase one of a national database of lessons learned when death or serious injury take place after police contact or pursuits is now complete. This is being developed by the College of Policing, and phase 2, the development of a fuller featured national database including a wider range of data sources, will commence shortly.
This builds on the progress we had already made, including the Director of Public Prosecution’s review of CPS guidance and processes in relation to charging police officers for offences committed in the course of their duties, which was completed in January 2025.
We will launch a wider review to address systemic barriers to timeliness in the police misconduct system to improve public and police confidence shortly.
I remain committed to build on the strong progress we have already made.
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Greater Cambridge: Sustainable Growth
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The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)
Today, I set out further steps the Government are taking to realise the full potential of Greater Cambridge as part of our plans to supercharge growth in the Oxford- Cambridge corridor.
The Oxford-Cambridge region is already home to world-leading universities and globally renowned science and technology firms. It has the potential to become one of the most innovative and economically dynamic areas in the world. However, numerous long-standing barriers to further growth, from inadequate transport connections to a lack of affordable housing, are preventing it from realising its true potential.
The supply-side constraints evident across the Oxford-Cambridge region are particularly acute in Greater Cambridge. Its economic growth has been a phenomenal success and the city and its environs are home to the most intensive science and technological cluster in the world. Yet, Cambridge’s continued position as a world-leading centre of innovation is dependent on tackling infrastructure deficiencies, commercial accessibility and housing affordability.
In October 2024, I appointed Peter Freeman to chair the Cambridge Growth Company (CGC)—a subsidiary of Homes England. The CGC was tasked with working with local partners to develop and implement an ambitious plan for high-quality sustainable growth in Cambridge and its environs. Its efforts to unlock and accelerate prime development opportunities have already facilitated the delivery of over 9,000 additional homes, a new cancer hospital, and new commercial and laboratory space.
In addition to identifying and enabling near-term development opportunities, the CGC was asked to develop the evidence base to support an infrastructure-first growth plan and a long-term delivery vehicle. Based on the work the CGC has undertaken over the past year, I believe that the nature, scale and complexity of ambitious and high- quality sustainable growth in Cambridge and its environs will require a delivery vehicle with the necessary powers, authority and access to finance.
I am therefore announcing today that the Government intend to consult on establishing a centrally-led development corporation to deliver nationally significant growth in Greater Cambridge.
To support the delivery of new homes, infrastructure, business and laboratory space, and a programme of water-saving measures, the Government are also making available up to £400 million of initial funding. This ambitious funding package will provide the CGC and a future delivery vehicle with the capital needed to unlock and accelerate key sites, remove barriers to sustainable growth, and boost housing supply.
In order that the benefits of further growth will be felt by new and existing communities alike, we are committed to an ongoing partnership with local leaders, communities and residents. Their insights, knowledge and direct input will steer the precise form of any delivery vehicle’s ambition. Should a decision be taken to establish a centrally-led development corporation, it is our intention that local democratically elected leaders would be invited to join the board. There will be opportunities to formally shape the Government proposals as part of the future consultation process.
To demonstrate the Government’s firm commitment to realising the full potential of Greater Cambridge in the months and years ahead, I can today also confirm the following:
A new chief executive will be recruited to lead the next phase of the CGC’s ambitious programme.
The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology will provide a £15 million grant for the University of Cambridge’s innovation hub to build a flexible, world-class lab space where life science and technology start-ups can begin their growth journey to becoming global businesses.
The CGC is working with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority and other local partners to explore options for mass rapid transit solutions for Cambridge.
The Government have instructed Anglian Water to accelerate planning for wastewater infrastructure upgrades required to accommodate development and growth both now and for the Cambridge Growth Company’s long-term ambitions for expansion in Greater Cambridge. This will report to Government by early 2026.
Work continues with local partners and the advisory water scarcity group to deliver our water efficiency programme. The first phase, backed by £5 million of investment, is already under way and will roll out water retrofits in social housing and public buildings across the city.
Investment announced today will go towards expanding delivery of the water efficiency programme and wider water package to address water scarcity. We will also use Cambridge as a testbed to trial innovative water interventions, including working with experts to switch on the water recycling system at the Eddington site in north-west Cambridge next year.
We will continue to update Parliament on the work of the Government in Greater Cambridge, and the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor.
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Housing Delivery
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The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)
Today, I set out further steps the Government are taking to realise the full potential of greater Cambridge as part of our plans to supercharge growth in the Oxford- Cambridge corridor.
The Oxford-Cambridge region is already home to world-leading universities and globally renowned science and technology firms. It has the potential to become one of the most innovative and economically dynamic areas in the world. However, numerous long-standing barriers to further growth, from inadequate transport connections to a lack of affordable housing, are preventing it from realising its true potential.
The supply-side constraints evident across the Oxford-Cambridge region are particularly acute in greater Cambridge. Its economic growth has been a phenomenal success and the city and its environs are home to the most intensive science and technological cluster in the world, yet Cambridge’s continued position as a world-leading centre of innovation is dependent on tackling infrastructure deficiencies, commercial accessibility and housing affordability.
In October 2024, I appointed Peter Freeman to chair the Cambridge Growth Company—a subsidiary of Homes England. The CGC was tasked with working with local partners to develop and implement an ambitious plan for high-quality sustainable growth in Cambridge and its environs. Its efforts to unlock and accelerate prime development opportunities have already facilitated the delivery of over 9,000 additional homes, a new cancer hospital, and new commercial and laboratory space.
In addition to identifying and enabling near-term development opportunities, the CGC was asked to develop the evidence base to support an infrastructure-first growth plan and a long-term delivery vehicle. Based on the work the CGC has undertaken over the past year, I believe that the nature, scale and complexity of ambitious and high-quality sustainable growth in Cambridge and its environs will require a delivery vehicle with the necessary powers, authority and access to finance. I am therefore announcing today that the Government intend to consult on establishing a centrally led development corporation to deliver nationally significant growth in greater Cambridge.
To support the delivery of new homes, infrastructure, business and laboratory space, and a programme of water-savings measures, the Government are also making available up to £400 million of initial funding. This ambitious funding package will provide the CGC and a future delivery vehicle with the capital needed to unlock and accelerate development on key sites, remove barriers to sustainable growth, and boost housing supply.
In order for the benefits of further growth to be felt by new and existing communities alike, we are committed to an ongoing partnership with local leaders, communities and residents. Their insights, knowledge and direct input will steer the precise form of any delivery vehicle’s ambition. Should a decision be taken to establish a centrally led development corporation, it is our intention that local democratically elected leaders would be invited to join the board. There will be opportunities to formally shape the Government’s proposals as part of the future consultation process.
To demonstrate the Government’s firm commitment to realising the full potential of greater Cambridge in the months and years ahead, I can today also confirm the following:
A new chief executive will be recruited to lead the next phase of the CGC’s ambitious programme.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will provide a £15 million grant for the University of Cambridge’s innovation hub to build a flexible, world-class lab space where life science and technology start-ups can begin their growth journey to becoming global businesses.
The CGC is working with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority and other local partners to explore options for mass rapid transit solutions for Cambridge.
The Government have instructed Anglian Water to accelerate planning for the waste water infrastructure upgrades required to accommodate development and growth, both now and for the Cambridge Growth Company’s long-term ambitions for expansion in greater Cambridge. This will report to Government by early 2026.
Work continues with local partners and the advisory Water Scarcity Group to deliver our water efficiency programme. The first phase, backed by £5 million of investment, is already under way and will roll out water retrofits in social housing and public buildings across the city.
Investment announced today will go towards expanding delivery of the water efficiency programme and wider water package to address water scarcity. We will also use Cambridge as a testbed to trial innovative water interventions, including working with experts to switch on the water recycling system at the Eddington site in north-west Cambridge next year.
We will continue to update Parliament on the work of the Government in greater Cambridge, and the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor.
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Digital Identity Scheme: Departmental Responsibility
(2 days, 6 hours ago)
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The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)
I am making this statement to bring to the House’s attention the following machinery of Government update. In order to deliver this cross-Government priority, the Cabinet Office will have overall responsibility of the new digital identity scheme, including policy development, legislation and strategic oversight.
The Cabinet Office will work alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, who will be responsible for the technical design, build and delivery; and other Departments. This will be effective immediately.
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