Written Statements

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

Thursday 21 May 2026

Ceramics and Chemicals Industries

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Peter Kyle)]

This statement provides an update on the Government’s support to ceramics and critical chemical producers, two of the foundational sectors underpinning our industrial strategy.

The Government are today announcing the launch of the ceramics industry support scheme of £120 million to support the transition of the ceramics sector to a more cost effective and less carbon intensive means of production. Supporting this transition continues to deliver on our mission to decarbonise the economy, helping businesses to invest and grow across the country.

The ceramics industry has a rich cultural heritage, notably in the Potteries in the Stoke-on-Trent area, and it remains a large source of employment in Staffordshire and neighbouring Derbyshire, as well as in areas across the UK from Devon to Dumfries.

However, in recent years the sector has faced a number of difficulties, including a challenging global trading environment, and the cost of reliance on volatile fossil fuels, which have seen costs increase significantly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These challenges have led to a pattern of decline and resulted in the closure of historic sites such as Johnson Tiles, Moorcroft Pottery, the liquidation of Royal Stafford, loss of jobs at Armitage Shanks, and the recent administration at Denby pottery.

This Government are clear that industrial decarbonisation must not be achieved by deindustrialisation, and reducing operating costs for businesses will support a successful transition to more efficient and cost-effective forms of production. However, we recognise the challenges faced by ceramics producers, and that Government support will be necessary to help the sector.

That is why the ceramics industry support scheme is being introduced: £60 million of this funding will support capital investment from ceramics firms into more efficient and decarbonised means of production, including electrification of relevant processes. This will both attract business investment in efficient new technologies, and enhance our energy security by reducing our reliance on volatile fossil fuels. This fund will be delivered on a competitive basis, with successful companies demonstrating corresponding co-investment of their own. The expectation is that the package will support a small number of high capital projects, likely from larger companies, as well as smaller projects from established trading SMEs.

To ensure that all eligible companies are able to effectively take advantage of this support in practice and invest in the future of this industry, the ceramics industry support scheme will include an additional £60 million to support operational costs for firms that make successful capital bids but demonstrably need additional support to manage the transition.

We will continue to engage with the sector and explore both fiscal and non-fiscal policy options that can continue to support and sustain a modern, thriving ceramics sector. This includes ensuring that our trade remedies regime works appropriately to protect the sector from injury as a result of unfair foreign trading practices. I strongly encourage industry to engage the Trade Remedies Authority and share new evidence to make sure we have the right trade protections in place.

Secondly, the Government are also announcing today the development of a £350 million critical chemical resilience fund to support our chemicals industry. This fund will be available to the UK’s most strategically important chemical producers who underpin our most critical sectors and essential services.

The UK chemicals sector is crucial for UK manufacturing, with chemicals products embedded in the vast majority of manufactured goods. However, like the ceramics sector, the chemicals sector has also faced significant headwinds in recent years with reduced output and recent plant closures raising concerns about its long-term resilience. This Government recognise the scale and depth of those challenges, and we are standing firm, alongside industry, to provide robust support to ensure the sector has a prosperous future in this country.

We have already acted urgently to support and safeguard vital chemical production and jobs at INEOS in Grangemouth, and are restarting production at Ensus in order to protect supply of CO₂.

Today we are taking further action. The fund will seek to address the most acute pressures by offering support to critical chemical companies in key clusters that need help to put themselves on a sustainable footing. This will ensure these companies can continue to supply our essential services, boost the resilience of our supply chains, and protect critical UK sectors like food production, water and healthcare.

This is just a first step, and we will work together with industry to ensure we continue to make the critical inputs our economy requires in the UK. The fund will be developed in collaboration with independent experts and industry representatives, and further details will be communicated in due course.

The Government will continue to work hand-in- hand with industry to ensure broader policy delivers decarbonisation and not deindustrialisation. We are committed to tackling unfair foreign trade practices, and Ministers will urgently convene the chemicals industry to explore potential trade defence action.

The Government are also committed to driving down regulatory costs faced by the industry. We have already cut back the need for UK businesses to buy expensive and unnecessary data, cutting transition costs while maintaining health and environmental protections. We will work with the industry to identify where the UK can go further to reduce regulatory costs and remove duplicative procedures for businesses.

This Government recognise the importance of the chemicals sector, its contribution to society and our economy, and the jobs and communities it supports. The fund supports the delivery of our industrial strategy, which identifies chemicals as a vital foundational sector that underpins the UK’s high-growth industries like defence and advanced manufacturing by producing the materials they all depend on and are essential to many supply chains. Chemicals are also essential to delivering our ambitions in our clean energy mission. Action today will ensure the sector can play its part in strengthening our industrial capability and boosting resilience for the UK’s future.

The Government will continue to work with the sector and experts as the ceramics industry support scheme and critical chemicals resilience fund are being developed, including on eligibility criteria and delivery mechanisms as they are progressed. Further detail will be published in due course, and we are aiming to open both funds to applications later this summer.

The support being announced today is in addition to our support for the chemicals sector through the industrial strategy. In particular, the targeted support to bring down energy costs, through the British industrial competitiveness scheme, will benefit over 10,000 businesses, including many chemical companies, reducing electricity costs by up to £40 per megawatt hour.

This is a long-term industrial intervention designed to address persistent competitiveness challenges facing the chemicals sector. This will help chemical companies remain competitive and resilient through periods of volatility, supporting supply chain security through global supply shocks.

Time and again we have stepped in to support our resilience: from keeping the blast furnaces running at Scunthorpe and restarting production at Ensus to safeguard the UK’s supply of CO₂, to this intervention today. This is the difference an active and strategic state makes.

Together, these measures demonstrate our continued commitment to heavy industry, which underpins our economy, industrial strategy growth sectors, and our national resilience.

[HCWS61]

Humble Address: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)]

I have today laid before the House documents the Government have identified that the House required in the 24 February 2026 Humble Address seeking all papers relating to the creation of the role of special representative for trade and investment in 2001, the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and the advice of officials and Ministers on his suitability and due diligence and vetting conducted.

This statement explains the Government’s approach to finding these historic documents, provides an overview of what has been found, explains the approach taken in releasing information and answers the House’s specific questions on due diligence and national security vetting.

It has not been a straightforward task to identify the historic documents requested by the House. Twenty-five years ago, Government Departments were largely operating paper-based record keeping systems. We have had to track down files that might potentially contain relevant information, recall these from storage and search files manually.

An added complication lies in changes to the machinery of Government. In the period under consideration, the Government’s work to support trade and investment was led by British Trade International, headed by chief executive Sir David Wright. BTI reported to a board chaired by the Minister of State for International Trade and Investment, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, and was accountable both to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

A committee of senior officials, the Royal Visits Committee, provided advice to Ministers and the sovereign on inward and outward official overseas visits by members of the royal family. At the time this was chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.

The search focused on files from 1999 to 2001 held by the most relevant Departments—the Department for Business and Trade, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Ministry of Defence, and Cabinet Office.

Today, The Government have published 11 documents that show how the role was created and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed. These include:



the formal appointment proposal to Ministers;

evidence that Ministers were content with the proposal;

internal communications to all trade staff about the role;

media and press briefing and question and answer materials.

From 1976 to 2001, the Duke of Kent served as vice-chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board and then British Trade International, undertaking more than 60 overseas visits in support of British exports. As he approached retirement from that role in 2001, consideration was given to how best to continue the engagement of the royal family in trade and investment promotion work.

In February 2000, Sir David Wright put a formal appointment proposal to Ministers, explaining that the Duke of Kent intended to withdraw from his role supporting trade promotion overseas and it was Her late Majesty’s wish that the Duke of York should succeed him. He set out a proposed role encompassing two or three trade promotion visits overseas per year, visits to UK regions and receiving prominent overseas trade visitors in the UK.

The documents show that officials and Ministers had been considering expanding the role of the Duke of York for some time prior to the formal proposal. In January 2000, the then Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, agreed that greater use should be made of the then Duke of York.

Media reporting indicates that the Palace announced in December 2000 that the Duke of Kent was stepping down and that the Duke of York would assume his role.

Internal BTI papers illustrate how the proposed role was developed and communicated to staff and to the media, and record that an initial familiarisation programme ran from April 2001, with the role formally announced in October 2001. Documents confirm the role was unpaid, with costs associated with official duties met through standard departmental arrangements and that systems were put in place to oversee the role. Officials established formal processes to assess and approve engagements, taking account of strategic trade and investment priorities, cost, and other Government priorities.

It is a long-standing practice across successive Administrations that when the Government respond to a Humble Address motion they have a responsibility to consider whether it is in the public interest to place information into the public domain. This is done using the principles of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and in line with the ministerial code and the resolutions on ministerial accountability, passed by both Houses in 1997.

In line with this, we have redacted documents to remove the bare minimum of personal information and information whose release would prejudice international relations. We have consulted the police to ensure that the release of information does not prejudice their investigation. We have also considered carefully the redaction of information relating to royal communications, mindful of the long-standing convention of confidentiality, which is codified under the Freedom of Information Act, in relation to communications with and on behalf of the sovereign. In this exceptional circumstance, the Government are releasing royal communications about the former Duke of York’s appointment as special representative. Communications with the royal household on unrelated topics have been redacted.

I can assure the House that we have proceeded on the basis of the maximum transparency, in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Humble Address.

We have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken. There is also no evidence that this was considered. This is understandable since this new appointment was a continuation of the royal family’s involvement in trade and investment promotion work following the Duke of Kent’s decision to relinquish his duties as vice-chairman of the Overseas Trade Board.

The Government are co-operating fully with Thames Valley Police on their investigation into Andrew Mountbatten- Windsor and possible misconduct in public office.

[HCWS57]

Senior Civil Service

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Darren Jones)]

I am today announcing the Government’s decision to accept, in part, the recommendations of the Senior Salaries Review Body on pay for the senior civil service for 2026-27. This is being laid in Parliament today and published on gov.uk.

This Government greatly value the independent expertise and insight of the SSRB and broadly accept its recommendations for the SCS for the 2026-27 pay round.

In January this year, I set out the need to reward the doers, not the talkers, in the civil service and my intention to award higher, but fewer, bonuses to those exceptional senior civil servants who go above and beyond, in order to incentivise faster delivery and innovation.

Following this, the Government received the SSRB’s 2026 report on 6 March. The SSRB recommended:

That all members of the senior civil service should receive a 3.5% consolidated increase to base pay from 1 April 2026, setting the following changes to the SCS pay ranges from 1 April 2026:

SCS pay band 1: £86,000 to £117,800.

SCS pay band 2: £105,000 to £162,500.

SCS pay band 3: £135,000 to £208,100;

and a central pot, comprising 1.0% of the total SCS pay bill, is allocated for the introduction of pay progression for the SCS from 1 April 2026, supporting our commitment to incentivise and reward the highest levels of performance.

The Government have very carefully considered the advice provided by the independent SSRB and fully understand the justifications by the SSRB for reaching its recommendations. Improving the pay system for the SCS is an important and long-standing objective and the Government are grateful for the SSRB’s work and recommendations.

This is just the start of improving our pay system. It represents an important milestone in modernising a framework to foster a dynamic and innovative civil service. Alongside the changes I announced to the bonus scheme in January, I am proud to announce that for the first time ever, we are introducing performance-based pay progression for the senior civil service—with those who deliver for the public being rewarded with salary increases. This is one of the many steps I am taking to power up the system to make sure words are turned into action and what happens in Westminster is followed through to the streets, schools and livelihoods of people in every part of the country.

In the light of the overall constraints posed by the current affordability context, as well as fairness across the wider public sector, the first recommendation on consolidated increases to pay is only partially accepted. The Government have decided that the total increase in SCS pay should be 3.5%. This means that base pay increases for all members of the SCS will be limited to a 2.5% increase in base pay, as well as the 1% of the SCS pay bill designated to the introduction of pay progression. The Government accept all other recommendations in full.

In addition, as outlined in the former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster’s letter to the SSRB Chair of 22 July 2025, recommendations made by the SSRB in relation to the Permanent Secretary group will be additionally considered by the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee.

The Government are also publishing their civil service pay remit guidance, which includes the introduction of a voluntary pay compression framework to allow Departments to address pay compression affecting the lowest paid.

This Government value the leadership role that senior civil servants play in driving their ambitions on public sector modernisation and delivery. After years of cuts to public investment, and lack of support for innovation, the public sector has become disjointed, overworked and often resourced in the wrong places.

The implementation of these recommendations will support the ambition for a modernised and simplified pay structure that is driven by increased performance and delivery. Through shorter pay ranges and the introduction of performance-based pay progression, these recommendations enable the Government to drive a more productive, and incentivised senior workforce to lead the country through increasingly complex challenges—so that together, we can build a Britain that is richer, fairer and stronger.

I am grateful to the chair and members for their report.

[HCWS64]

Transport Taxation

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Dan Tomlinson)]

In March, the Government announced a review of mileage rates for employees using their own vehicle for work and the self-employed who use the simplified expenses rates.

In recognition of the pressures facing drivers as a result of the effects of the Iran war, the Government are today announcing the first uprating of mileage rates in 15 years, backdated to April, to provide immediate support to both groups.

Mileage rates will increase for 2026-27 from 45p to 55p for the first 10,000 miles, and 25p thereafter, with effect from 6 April 2026.

This will represent the largest ever increase to these mileage rates, benefiting around 2 million employees and 1 million self-employed individuals, saving over £120 a year for a worker doing 6,000 business miles.

The Government will legislate retrospectively for this change at the earliest opportunity. In the interim, HMRC will exercise its discretion and will not seek to collect any income tax or national insurance contributions that may otherwise arise on payments made before the legislation takes effect.

Looking ahead beyond 2026-27, the Government have already committed to a review of these rates and will set this out at the Budget.

This announcement is one part of a package of support for households and businesses announced today.

[HCWS62]

Children’s Social Care Reform

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)]

Transforming children’s social care is central to this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity for all children. It is fundamental to ensuring that every child grows up safe, supported and able to thrive, and is key to putting our public services and our public finances on a sustainable long-term footing.

In November 2024, this Government published “Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive”, which set out a clear and ambitious vision for reform to support more children to remain safely with their families, to strengthen wider family networks where children cannot live at home, and to ensure that those who need care receive stable, enduring relationships.

We have laid strong foundations for whole-system reform through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, which is the most significant overhaul of children’s social care legislation in a generation. This Act strengthens multi-agency safeguarding, oversight and accountability across the system. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 has further strengthened our response to child sexual abuse and criminal exploitation, with tougher offences, modernised enforcement powers and a clearer focus on protecting victims. Our reforms to children’s social care are also backed by sustained investment, including £2.4 billion for the families first partnership programme.

Today we are publishing an implementation plan to support local partners to deliver reform. This plan builds on activity to reset the system, through prioritising intensive, earlier family help, renewing the focus on family-based care, strengthening child protection, and reforming the care market and workforce. It also follows recent work to update the children’s social care national framework, Working Together To Safeguard Children, and the families first partnership programme guide. As we drive forward delivery of reform, we will focus on three areas.

First, by 2026-27, every local authority will be embedding a single, seamless family help offer, ending the divide between early help and child-in-need services. Safeguarding partnerships will establish multi-agency child protection teams, bringing together social workers, health professionals, police and education, while new statutory duties on family group decision making will ensure that families are involved earlier and in decisions about their children. Alongside this, we will strengthen kinship care, recognising that children do best when cared for by people who know and love them. From 2026, every local authority will publish a clear local kinship offer underpinned by national standards, alongside targeted investment through kinship zones and pilot programmes to address practical and financial barriers for carers. We are also improving the evidence base through new data, robust evaluation, and the first Government-led study of kinship care.

Secondly, we are placing a renewed emphasis on the importance of stable, lifelong relationships for children in care and care leavers. We will expand foster care capacity from 2026 by strengthening support and financial stability for foster carers and simplifying fostering standards by autumn 2026 to ensure a greater supply of high-quality placements. In parallel, we will scale regional care co-operatives from spring 2026 onwards to deliver more homes, improve commissioning and enhance forecasting. This will be underpinned by enhanced financial oversight of the children’s homes market, including the introduction of the first provider oversight scheme for groups of children’s homes, targeted capital investment to build provision in the right locations, and tighter regulation of unregistered homes. Care leavers will continue to benefit from support through Staying Put, while Staying Close will become a national offer in spring 2029. In addition, new corporate parenting responsibilities for Government Departments and relevant public bodies will be introduced from autumn 2027, ensuring a more consistent and joined-up approach to supporting young people as they move into adulthood.

Thirdly, adoption support is a key element of reform. We will continue to provide vital therapeutic support through the adoption and special guardianship support fund, to consult on the fund’s longer-term future, and to introduce a new universal parenting offer from autumn 2026 to support families and children as they transition to secondary school. Adoption England will also work with local authorities and regional adoption agencies to improve adoption practice, Ofsted will undertake a thematic review of regional adoption agencies, and we will strengthen adoption record retention by establishing a consistent 100-year standard.

Finally, supporting the whole workforce is a central aim of this programme. Our plan sets out a comprehensive package of actions to strengthen capability, stability and professional standards. This includes enhancing training and standards for children’s homes staff from spring 2026, streamlining Ofsted registration processes for children’s home managers, and investing in the early career development of social workers. Alongside this, we will work in partnership with local authorities to embed a strengthened professional development offer for social workers, underpinned by clear and consistent standards. We will also take steps to improve workforce stability by strengthening the regulatory framework for agency workers from spring 2028, supporting more expert practice for children and families.

I am also pleased to inform Parliament that Foundations—What Works Centre for Children & Families, is today publishing an implementation framework for designing and delivering services for children and families. The framework supports the implementation plan published by the Government today, and sets out a clear, consistent and evidence-based framework to support local authorities and their partners to map local systems, identify strengths, convene key stakeholders, and follow defined steps to design and deliver evidence-informed children’s services.

By reforming children’s social care, we are investing in children’s futures. I would like to thank all those across children’s social care, policing, health, education and wider public services who are working tirelessly alongside the Government to bring the change that our children need and deserve.

I will deposit copies of the implementation plan in the Library of each House.

[HCWS54]

Ebola: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

My noble Friend the Minister of State for International Development and Africa (the right hon. Baroness Chapman of Darlington) has today made the following statement:

I would like to update the House on the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the United Kingdom’s response.

On 15 May, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an Ebola outbreak following confirmation of the Bundibugyo strain. Uganda also confirmed a case on the same day. On 17 May, the World Health Organization subsequently designated this a Public Health Emergency of international concern, reflecting the seriousness of the situation and the risk of wider regional spread. The outbreak is centred in Ituri province in eastern DRC, with 51 confirmed cases and 4 deaths reported as of 19 May, alongside over 500 suspected cases. This remains a fast-moving situation.

The outbreak is taking place in a highly complex humanitarian and security environment. Eastern DRC already faces significant humanitarian and health challenges, with high levels of displacement, fragile health systems and limited access to care. These conditions increase the risk of further transmission and complicate response efforts.

The United Kingdom is working closely with international partners and the Government of DRC to support a coordinated and effective response. Yesterday, the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care co-chaired a cross-Government ministerial meeting to coordinate the UK’s response. The UK is already a leading donor in the response, and has now allocated up to £21 million to help contain the outbreak. This funding will support a DRC-led response and help the World Health Organization, UN, international and NGO partners to strengthen surveillance, support frontline health workers, improve infection prevention and control, and support access to essential care.

The UK is also playing a leading role in coordinating the international response in DRC. Through our embassy in Kinshasa, we are continuing to convene partners to mobilise resources, align support behind the Government of DRC’s response plan, and ensure delivery is effective and coordinated on the ground.

Alongside this, UK humanitarian programmes in eastern DRC are being adapted to respond to the outbreak, including through support for water, sanitation and hygiene, provision of personal protective equipment, and strengthened Ebola containment measures. The UK is also working to protect vulnerable groups, including maintaining access to maternal health services and mitigating risks of increased gender-based violence during the outbreak.

Next week, I will visit the region for the African Development Bank annual meetings in Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo. I will meet partner organisations and ministerial counterparts from the DRC and the wider region to discuss the evolving situation and explore further areas of UK support to the response.

While this is a serious outbreak, the risk to the UK public remains low. The UK Health Security Agency is closely monitoring the situation and working across Government to assess any potential risks. UKHSA and the NHS have robust procedures and specialist facilities in place to assess and manage any potential cases safely. The UKHSA returning workers scheme has also been activated to monitor and support individuals travelling to or from affected areas for their work. The UK public health rapid support team is in contact with affected countries and international partners and stands ready to provide technical support if requested.

The Government keep travel advice under constant review. We have updated advice for the DRC and Uganda to reflect the outbreak. Existing advice already advises against all travel to eastern DRC, including Ituri, Goma and Bunia, due to insecurity and instability. British nationals in affected countries are advised to follow FCDO travel advice and local public health guidance. We are providing consular support where required.

The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with international partners to limit the outbreak. Rapid containment remains the most effective way to protect regional and global health security.

[HCWS60]

Dental Quality and Payment Reform

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

I wish to update the House on the implementation of the quality and payment reforms to the NHS dentistry contract. This follows the Government’s 2025 public consultation on proposals to address some of the pressing issues that dental teams face and support them to spend more time on patients with the greatest need. The first set of regulatory amendments to accompany these reforms came into force on the 1 April 2026. Today, we have laid the second set of regulatory amendments to the National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts) Regulations 2005, the National Health Service (Personal Dental Services Agreements) Regulations 2005, and the National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations 2005, to support these reforms. These amendments will come into force on 23 June 2026 and will

create new long-term care pathways for patients with significant dental decay and/or significant gum disease, with improved payments to cover the costs and labour involved for dentists, and more effective, joined up care for patients, with a single patient charge;

introduce a new add-on payment for denture modifications, relining and repairs, to more fairly remunerate dentists delivering these treatments to patients;

remove existing regulatory barriers to enable an electronic prescription service in dentistry.

These reforms build on the April regulatory changes to improve access to urgent NHS dental care and support greater use of cost-effective, evidence-based prevention for children.

In addition to these regulatory changes, we have introduced a new funded quality improvement programme and are providing funding towards annual appraisals for associate dentists, dental therapists and dental hygienists delivering NHS care.

These reforms are an important step towards fundamental reform, but not the end point, and we will continue to go further before the end of this Parliament.

[HCWS63]

NHS Pension Scheme: McCloud Implementation

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)]

On 11 December 2025, I issued a written statement on the implementation of the McCloud remedy for affected NHS pension scheme members. I updated on progress in planning for the delivery of the remedy and reaffirmed my commitment to deliver the remedy to the coalition Government’s discrimination. I also committed to keeping the House informed of progress.

The NHS Business Services Authority has now developed and aligned its plans for the delivery of the McCloud remedy. An independent review, led by Lisa Tennant, has considered those plans and the NHSBSA’s capacity, capability and functions to deliver the remedy. Lisa Tennant is now preparing a final report, which I intend to publish in due course.

The independent review has found that significant progress has been made in the NHSBSA’s planning for the remedy, including the comprehensive analysis of steps that will need to be taken to provide each individual member with their remedy choice and to enact it. Given the level of complexities in the membership of the NHS pension scheme, this has been a substantial undertaking. The review also highlights a number of dependencies that are critical to delivering the remedy. These include:

Procuring external suppliers to bolster NHSBSA’s capacity to manually calculate remediable service statements for some members;

The release of software to automate statements as far as possible, enabling future retirees to make their remedy choice at the point of retirement, and to further automate calculations for members who are already retired.

I remain committed to setting deadlines that prioritise the delivery of the remedy to members who are likely to be facing financial detriment as a consequence of the discrimination identified by the McCloud judgment. The deadlines must be realistic and achievable. They must also ensure that the scheme’s ongoing performance is maintained and protected alongside the delivery of the remedy. I expect these dependencies will have advanced sufficiently, or been appropriately mitigated, to enable me to issue new statutory deadlines with confidence before summer recess.

Subject to the dependencies outlined above, the NHSBSA’s plans currently forecast that:

Retired members whose remedy period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022 benefits are still affected by the discrimination identified by the McCloud judgment—in that some or all of the accrual for that period is 2015 scheme accrual—should receive their remedy choice by the end of December 2027;

Retired members whose remedy period benefits are no longer affected by this discrimination—in that all of their accrual for the period is 1995 to 2008 scheme accrual—should receive their remedy choice by the end of June 2030;

All active and deferred members who are due a remedial pension saving statement should have received this by the end of March 2027.

I have asked the NHSBSA to take steps to communicate to members when they can expect to receive their remedy choice, and which deadlines, when issued, will apply to them.

The NHSBSA continues to issue remediable service statements and remedial pension saving statements in line with its delivery plans. To date, 10,462 remediable service statements have been issued to retired members who are most likely to be facing financial detriment. Of those, 5,804 have been returned and 5,368 decisions have been enacted. A further 11,457 have been calculated and are scheduled to be issued in alignment with the NHSBSA’s delivery plan. In addition, a remediable pension savings statement has been issued to 121,824 members, and 19,952 are outstanding.

[HCWS55]

Senior NHS Workforce Pay

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)]

I am pleased to announce that we are publishing our response to the recommendations made by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body for the 2026-27 financial year.

I hugely appreciate the incredible work of talented staff across our NHS, and that is why I am formally accepting the headline pay recommendation of 3.0% for senior leaders across the NHS in England, to give them a well-deserved pay rise. This award relates to:

Over 3,200 very senior managers (VSMs)

Over 400 executive senior managers (ESMs)

These awards mean that the Government are delivering a well-deserved pay rise, on top of those in preceding years, underlining the extent to which we value our senior leaders. Eligibility for pay awards for VSMs is linked to their organisation’s performance as determined by the NHS oversight framework segment to which they are assigned: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-oversight-framework/

I am grateful to the Chair and members of the SSRB for their thoughtful consideration of the evidence presented to them. Their report recognises the vital contribution that NHS leaders make to our country. The SSRB has examined the economic picture and evidence on recruitment, retention, motivation and morale to reach their recommendations.

The SSRB made a further two recommendations, which are not directly related to headline pay. I recognise the challenge of recruiting those at the top of the Agenda for Change pay scale into VSM roles. To help address this, I am therefore pleased to accept the recommendation to deliver training and support knowledge-sharing for remuneration committees and chief people officers. However, we will do this over a longer timeframe than envisaged by the SSRB, to allow sufficient engagement with relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the training. Following engagement with stakeholders, we will deliver this training within this financial year.

I can also confirm that I am accepting, in principle, the recommendation to withdraw the very out-of-date executive senior managers pay framework. It is not feasible to withdraw and replace the framework ahead of April 2027. Any changes to ESM pay setting and reward will need to be carefully sequenced and considered alongside the ongoing DHSC/NHSE transformation.

We will continue to implement commitments to improve the support NHS staff receive and their experience at work. Ensuring the NHS is a great place to work is fundamental to improving patient experience: from reducing the backlog in elective care to ensuring timely access to GP appointments.



Next steps

We have listened to the workforce and understand the difficulties they face when pay awards are not delivered on time. I am pleased to be announcing the pay awards earlier than the previous year. We will continue work across Government to keep bringing forward the pay round for all public sector staff.

The SSRB report will be presented to Parliament and published on gov.uk.

[HCWS66]

Proceeds of Crime Act 2002: Appointed Person Report

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)]

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 appointed person report covering England and Wales for the period 2024 to 2025 has today been laid before Parliament. The appointed person is independent of Government and scrutinises the circumstances and manner in which search and seizure powers conferred by the Act are exercised without prior judicial approval and where no property is seized or property is seized for less than 48 hours.

I am pleased that we are now able to publish the appointed person’s latest report. The report details that POCA search and seizure powers were used on seven occasions in a way that required notification of the appointed person.

The appointed person has confirmed in the report that he is satisfied that the criteria required for justifying the searches without prior judicial approval were met and that the powers of search were exercised appropriately. This would indicate that the powers are being used reasonably and appropriately, in accordance with the Act. We will continue to monitor the way that the powers are used closely. The appointed person recommended that the standard template be used in all reports sent to them and that the sections of POCA used for search and seizure should be clearly indicated in those reports. Guidance will be updated to reflect these recommendations.

Copies of the report will be available in the Vote Office. It will also be published on gov.uk.

[HCWS58]

English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026: Commencement

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Samantha Dixon)]

When elected mayors were first established by the Local Government Act 2000, they were elected using the supplementary vote system. This system, which is suitable for the election of single executive office holders, such as mayors ensures a broader level of support for the person elected.

This voting system for mayoral elections was changed following the Elections Act 2022, which removed the supplementary vote system and replaced this with a simple majority—first past the post—system. This Government have always been clear that supplementary vote is the more appropriate system for electing mayors.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, reintroduces the supplementary vote system for mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections. It was the clear intention of the Government, as stated during parliamentary passage of the Act, that this return to supplementary vote would be implemented ahead of any future relevant elections after May 2026. The Government are conscious that there is now a possible scenario in which a mayoral election may need to be held in Greater Manchester in the coming months, subject to the outcome of the parliamentary by-election in the Makerfield constituency.

We are therefore taking action to seek parliamentary approval to deliver that change in all scenarios. I have today laid the legislation necessary to support the implementation of these measures for combined authority mayors and combined county authority mayors. The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026, which makes the required changes to conduct rules, ballot papers, postal voting statements, and guidance and instructions to voters, will now be considered by Parliament under the affirmative procedure. Relevant changes to the secondary legislation governing conduct of elections for local authority mayors, the Mayor of London and police and crime commissioners will be brought forward as soon as possible later this year.

The Government’s intention, subject to the approval of Parliament, is for the secondary legislation to be in force by 19 June 2026.

We will work with the Electoral Commission and local authorities to support implementation of this change, to ensure all rules are clear and understood, and to support clear communications with electors.

[HCWS65]

Neighbourhoods and Public Services

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed)]

Since the election, this Government have taken steps to support local renewal, including investment through the Pride in Place programme, fairer local government funding, publication of the northern growth strategy, and further progress on fiscal devolution and community empowerment. Today I’m announcing a new programme of reform to further restore people’s pride in their areas and communities, and help deliver effective local public services centred on communities and users.

We will take further action to address excessive profiteering in children’s social care, where the market is failing users and taxpayers. We are already reforming the placements market to put children first, and we have legislated for powers to enforce a cap on profits in children’s social care. We will monitor the market carefully, including learning early lessons from our expansion of regional care cooperatives, but—based on our assessment and subject to consultation—we will not flinch from capping the profits of private providers placing vulnerable children in care.

We are giving local councils stronger tools to shape and improve their high streets. We have already brought forward gambling impact assessments to allow councils to limit the number of gambling premises in their areas. And now we are giving councils new powers to restrict certain shops on the high street, take over empty shops, and use the spaces to run services or activities or businesses. We are also setting up a new high street organised crime unit in the Home Office to take out organised crime on our high streets, and we will give the police new powers to close down those that do nothing about antisocial behaviour. We also recognise that councils need funding to build the high streets of the future, which is why we are committing £300 million for high streets innovation.

We will set out a neighbourhood guarantee to set clear expectations of local, regional and national Government, to bring real change that can be seen and felt in every town, city and village. This will include basic public service provision, cleaner streets, better-maintained public spaces and a stronger sense of local safety and pride. We will publish an easily accessible digital tool showing progress, so that residents can see how their neighbourhood is performing and hold the relevant bodies to account for delivery.

We will put more power in the hands of the nations’ mayors. Our new English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 means that mayors can request the new powers and funding they need. As part of the first round of that new right-to-request process, we are now signing off on a series of new power transfers. As previously announced by the Transport Secretary, we will devolve decisions on Transport and Works Act orders to mayors, with a consultation to be launched in the autumn to consider the scope of powers to be devolved. This will provide mayors more tools to get on with building public transport, like tram networks. We will also go further on the devolution of public services. We have already announced plans for Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire to pilot a deputy mayor for health. We will now work in partnership with the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region to drive up attainment and standards in local schools. In the run up to autumn Budget, we will also work with mayors to explore further devolution, as we know it means better local services for our communities.

We will soon be launching a new programme of community power pilots which will support councils, community groups and local residents to co-design solutions to local problems, explore longer term models of community involvement in service delivery, and help build neighbourhood and community capacity for the future.

Finally, we want to give social housing tenants greater control of their homes and communities. Our Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has already given tenants greater control and our leasehold reforms will do the same for homeowners. We are committed to social tenants’ right to manage, and we are reviewing how the existing process works, so we can make it as easy as possible for more tenants to take on management duties, with effective support and oversight.

[HCWS59]

Judicial Workforce

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Lammy)]

I am today announcing my decision on pay for the judiciary.

I value the Senior Salaries Review Body’s expertise and independent advice in recommending a judicial pay award which reflects the important role that the judiciary play across the justice system. When making my decision, I have carefully considered the SSRB’s advice alongside the financial implications for my Department.

The SSRB recommended a pay award of 3.8% for all judicial office holders within the remit group for 2026-27. I have decided to reject this recommendation, and instead a 3.5% judicial pay award will be applied equally to all judicial office holders for whom I have responsibility, from April 2026. I highly value the important work carried out by the judiciary in upholding the rule of law. I have therefore prioritised funding to provide an award 1.5% higher than the 2% affordability set out in published evidence, but this has required tough choices within the Department’s spending plans. This approach carefully weighs the SSRB’s recommendations against the affordability constraints of my Department, as well as the wider pressures on public finances.

The SSRB highlighted their concern over the persistent recruitment and retention issues affecting parts of the judiciary when making this recommendation. I share these concerns. The major review of the judicial salary structure is the right place to address these issues through targeted reform, and presents better value than the flat rate pay uplift of the annual pay review. I look forward to continuing to work with the SSRB on the major review and receiving its report later this year.

I am committed to strengthening our world-class judiciary. I have already announced in December a record investment in sitting days, court buildings, technology and legal professionals. I hope this increase reflects the high value I place on their independence and commitment to the delivery of justice and the rule of law.

The SSRB’s report will be presented to Parliament and published on gov.uk.

[HCWS53]

Equality Act 2010: Draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)]

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is the independent equality regulator and ensures compliance with the Equality Act 2010. Its code of practice on services, public functions and associations covers all nine protected characteristics and the steps the EHRC considers service providers should take into account when ascertaining how to comply with the law. We share the EHRC’s commitment to ensuring duty bearers and service users have accurate and up-to-date guidance on the Equality Act 2010 including in the light of recent court rulings.

We are grateful to the EHRC for its work on the draft code. The EHRC has rightly focused on ensuring the draft code is accessible and provides a wide range of examples for duty bearers.

The Equality Act 2006 states that before issuing a code of practice, the EHRC shall submit a draft to the Secretary of State to make a decision whether to approve it; and then if it is approved, the Secretary of State lays the draft before Parliament. Earlier in this process, as required, I consulted the Scottish and Welsh Governments.

I have approved the draft code submitted on 4 September 2025 and as updated by the EHRC in April 2026 following engagement with Government and their consideration of consultation responses and further legal analysis.

The current code was produced in 2011, and there have been significant developments since then, including the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland, resulting in the EHRC wanting to update the code.

Following last year’s Supreme Court ruling, the draft code’s content on sex and gender reassignment has changed substantially from the 2011 version. The ruling made it clear that sex means biological sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 and that trans people are still protected by the Act under the protected characteristic of “gender reassignment”.

A number of other changes were made as part of updating the 2011 code across all protected characteristics, including highlighting protections for disabled people, and advice on pregnancy and maternity discrimination as well as age discrimination. The draft code now before Parliament more accurately reflects the position on all protected characteristics. This includes protections for women whose menopause has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their everyday life, as well as updates to reflect legislative changes on same-sex marriage.

This Government are proud of the Equality Act 2010 and will protect and uphold it. This code is an important step in ensuring that organisations across Great Britain have clear guidance regarding its implementation, protecting people’s rights across our country.

The draft code will be laid before Parliament in both Houses for a 40-day period, in line with the Equality Act 2006. If neither House disapproves the draft within this time period, the code currently in force will be revoked by means of a negative procedure statutory instrument and the new code will be commenced by a separate statutory instrument.

I have therefore laid the “Equality Act 2010: draft code of practice for services, public functions and associations” in Parliament today, with an explanatory memorandum, in line with the Equality Act 2006.

[HCWS67]

Fit Note Reform Pilot Schemes

Thursday 21st May 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Pat McFadden)]

Together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, I am today announcing a series of pilots to test a new approach to managing sickness absence in England.

We have known for some time that the fit note is not working as intended. Over 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with around 93% being issued as “not fit for work”. Far too often, employees are not receiving the advice that might help them return to work earlier, and employers are not being offered advice on how to support their employees in the workplace.

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/fit-notes-issued-by-gp-practices

In April 2024, the previous Government launched a call for evidence seeking views from a wide range of stakeholders on the fit note process. Today I have published its findings, which reveal several challenges with the fit note process. Many healthcare professionals do not feel sufficiently equipped to bridge the barriers between a patient’s work and health. Employers, meanwhile, expressed concerns that “may be fit for work” fit notes lack sufficient detail and also report the need for a greater understanding of workplace contexts. Although patients appreciated the simplicity, accessibility and legitimacy of the current system, they also supported the need for more detailed work and health discussions.

That is why, from July 2026, we will begin pilots in four areas across England to test reforms to the traditional fit note. The pilots will offer up to 100,000 appointments and move away from a system focused primarily on sickness certification and instead offer personalised work and health support.

In participating areas, new community work and health teams will work with patients and their employers to develop workability plans that support them to remain in work or return sustainably. These plans are focused on what people can do, the support they may need, and when time away from work is right. Crucially, this model is designed to keep people connected to their workplace from day one of absence. This shift will enable earlier, more tailored support for individuals, while freeing GPs from administrative processes so that they can focus more on care.

The pilots will be backed by £3 million of funding in their first year and will be delivered in partnership with the NHS and employers. They will operate initially in four integrated care board areas: Birmingham and Solihull; Cornwall and Isles of Scilly; Coventry and Warwickshire; and Lancashire and South Cumbria.

These pilots are the first step in the Government’s ambition for radical fit note reform, moving towards a more holistic and partnership-based approach to supporting sickness absence. Designed in collaboration with patients, employers and GPs, we will take a “test and learn” approach, with findings shaping future legislation and implementation as we scale what works.

This sits alongside wider action that we are taking to drive change across the work and health system, such as clearing the Access to Work backlog, to ensure people receive timely and effective support to stay in work. In parallel, Sir Charlie Mayfield’s “Keep Britain Working” programme is convening Vanguard employers to test new employer-led approaches and develop a healthy workplace standard.

[HCWS56]