Written Statements

Monday 1st June 2026 Written Statements

Monday 1 June 2026

EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement: Business Readiness

Monday 1st June 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Reynolds)]

Further to the written statement of 9 March 2026, I am today updating the House on the Government’s work to support business preparation for a future sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the European Union. Negotiations continue with the European Union and are set to conclude this summer. It is our intent that businesses be ready for, and benefit from, the deal from mid-2027.

The deal will apply to businesses in agrifood and related sectors, including producers, manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, hauliers and logistics providers, irrespective of whether they export to, or import from, the European Union. It will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood goods, including plants, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market.

As previously set out, the Government are seeking an agreement that will make it easier, cheaper and quicker to move food, plants, animals and related goods across our borders. Unnecessary costs, burdens and delays currently faced by British businesses throughout the agrifood sector and related sectors will be reduced.

The SPS agreement will deliver significant benefits for UK businesses trading with the EU, our closest partner and largest agrifood market. The agreement is expected to increase UK exports of key agricultural commodities to the EU. It could add up to £5.1 billion annually to the UK economy by 2040, while reducing red tape and lowering costs for businesses and consumers.

The Government will work proactively to reach an estimated 500,000 businesses that may be affected by the changes. This includes a communications campaign, alongside detailed, sector-specific information that is now available on www.gov.uk and will be developed as negotiations progress. In addition, we are undertaking targeted engagement activity to ensure that businesses understand what is required and how to prepare.

Businesses have told us that they want early clarity to support their preparations, and we have listened. Government are committed to transparency, and to providing clarity, where we can, at the earliest opportunity. As part of the commitment we have made to UK business, we are now providing sector-specific information that sets out the broad nature of the changes that may be required.

Some of the detail is still subject to negotiations. Depending on the final negotiated outcome, businesses may need to consider changes in areas including production and processing requirements, certification, labelling, IT systems, and wider compliance activity. We know that some businesses will need to adjust to the new arrangements, and we will work with those businesses to make sure they have the detail required to be ready. We will provide more information once negotiations conclude. Any changes requiring legislation will be subject to the usual parliamentary scrutiny.

As part of our business engagement, we have established a new SPS Readiness Business Advisory Council, which has met for the first time and is comprised of representatives from across the agrifood supply chain, including producers, manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers and trade bodies. We are collaborating with them to ensure that we hear from, and understand more about, what businesses need and how they can best prepare themselves to benefit from upcoming changes. Responses received to the Government’s call for information, launched in March, which totalled 489 responses, will also be used to co-design and deliver support and guidance through to mid-2027.

Businesses can engage with trade bodies, sign up for alerts from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and explore how potential changes may affect their operations. By preparing now, businesses can put themselves in the best possible position to benefit from day one.

This SPS agreement recognises our shared interests, common challenges, commitment and co-operation to resetting our relationship with the EU. It will deliver real benefits for British business. We will actively support UK businesses to seize those opportunities and drive growth. The Government will continue to engage closely with businesses, trade bodies and other stakeholders, as negotiations soon conclude, and I will continue to update the House.

[HCWS71]

Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework Consultation

Monday 1st June 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)]

I am pleased to announce that we have now concluded our consultation on the community pharmacy contractual framework for 2026-27. We have agreed with Community Pharmacy England that in 2026-27 the CPCF will increase to £3,636 million, an increase of £340 million—or 10% —compared with 2025-26 budgets.

This investment will enable us to roll out independent prescribing—a Government manifesto commitment—which will allow us to improve access to primary care and better use the skills of pharmacy teams to keep people well in their communities.

This funding will include an increase in the retained medicine margin to further support the supply of medication. The medicine margin allowance will be £1.1 billion in 2026-27, an increase of £200 million from 2025-26. In addition, we have agreed to write off up to £239 million of historical net contract overspend—driven by over-delivery of medicines margin. This will bring more certainty of funding for contractors and support pharmacies in purchasing the medication prescribed for patients.

This agreement with CPE will provide much-needed investment, further building on last year’s uplift in stabilising the community pharmacy sector. We are also committing to work with the sector on reforms that improve sector sustainability, ensuring that community pharmacies are able to continue to deliver for patients.

I would like to thank CPE’s committee and am grateful to them for working constructively and at pace with officials to agree how best to use this significant new investment to support the sector, so that community pharmacies can continue to provide services to patients across the country.

This announcement follows record investment over the last two years and a range of measures to deliver more services to patients, including:

making emergency contraception available free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS;

offering patients suffering from depression convenient support at pharmacies when they are prescribed antidepressants, to boost mental health support in the community;

cutting red tape and bureaucracy to give patients easier access to consultations, with more of the pharmacy team able to deliver a wider number of services; and

boosting funding for medicine supply so that patients have better access to the medicines prescribed for them.

I am therefore very pleased to share this announcement and look forward to continued collaborative working with Community Pharmacy England and the wider sector as we build on what we have announced today and deliver what we all want for community pharmacy: a service fit for the future.

[HCWS73]

Support Hub for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism

Monday 1st June 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)]

Terrorist attacks leave a profound and enduring impact on individuals, families and communities. Beyond the immediate tragedy, the effects are often long-lasting and complex—shaping lives in ways that are not always visible, and requiring careful, sustained support over time. It is essential that our response matches the scale and nature of that harm.

Today, the Government are taking an important step to strengthen that response through the launch of a new, dedicated support hub for victims and survivors of terrorism.

This national service has been established to ensure that those affected by terrorism can access clear, consistent and trauma-informed support, when they need it and for as long as they need it. It is designed to bring greater co-ordination and clarity to the support available, while complementing the vital work already delivered across the system.

The hub is fully funded by Pool Re, demonstrating the shared commitment of Government and industry to improving outcomes for victims and survivors of terrorism. The support hub will be delivered by a partnership of three highly experienced organisations:

Victim Support, as lead provider, bringing decades of experience supporting victims of crime and terrorism;

West London NHS Trust, a nationally recognised leader in specialist mental health care, with particular expertise in supporting individuals affected by complex trauma and psychological recovery following major incidents;

Peace Collective, a community organisation with deep expertise in trauma-informed support and recovery.

Together, they combine clinical expertise, practical support and lived-experience insight to deliver a service that is both specialist and responsive to individual needs.

Launching today, the hub will provide a single, accessible point of contact for those affected by terrorism. It will offer timely emotional and practical support and access to specialist psychological care, where needed. Support will be tailored to individuals, and will include dedicated provision for children and young people and advice on financial, legal and media-related issues. Crucially, it will provide continuity over time, recognising that recovery is often non-linear, and that needs can evolve significantly in the months and years following an attack.

The service will be available to anyone in the UK affected by terrorism, including those who are bereaved, injured, witnesses, first responders, carers, or otherwise impacted. This includes those affected by past attacks, as well as individuals affected by incidents overseas who return to the UK.

This new support hub reflects the Government’s commitment to ensuring that victims and survivors are not left to navigate their recovery alone. Its model has been designed through a combination of professional expertise and, importantly, the experiences and voices of those it is there to support. At its heart, this support hub is about ensuring that those whose lives are changed by terrorism are met with the lasting support, recognition and care they deserve.

[HCWS69]

Online Safety Act 2023 Codes of Practice on Illegal Content

Monday 1st June 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Kanishka Narayan)]

Non-consensual intimate image abuse can have devastating and long-lasting impacts on victims and disproportionately affects women and girls. Delivering stronger protections against this harm is a key Government priority. The Prime Minister committed earlier this year to strengthen protections for victims and ensure platforms take a more proactive role tackling this horrendous abuse.

Today marks a further important step in strengthening protections online, as I lay before Parliament an amendment to Ofcom’s codes of practice for the illegal content duties, bringing in hash matching to strengthen protections against non-consensual intimate image abuse.

The Online Safety Act 2023 puts a range of duties on social media companies and search services, making them responsible for their users’ safety on their platforms. These include duties to put in place systems and processes for tackling illegal content and activity. Ofcom, as the independent regulator for this regime, is required to set out steps in codes of practice that providers should take to ensure they fulfil these duties.

Ofcom issued its first codes of practice for the illegal content duties following parliamentary scrutiny. Those codes came into force in March 2025. They introduced a framework of measures, and required services to take a proactive, systems-based approach to tackling illegal harms.

This amendment introduces a targeted additional measure to strengthen protections against non-consensual intimate image abuse. It sets a clear legal expectation that relevant services will use perceptual hash-matching technologies, or demonstrably equivalent tools, to identify and prevent the re-uploading and circulation of known non-consensual intimate images, including intimate image deepfakes. In practice, this will require services at risk of hosting such content to deploy proactive detection systems, capable of preventing repeat uploads at scale, rather than relying on case-by-case takedown, following user reports. This approach meaningfully supports victims, and ensures that once content is identified, it is effectively prevented from reappearing.

Ofcom has now submitted an amendment to its codes of practice for the illegal content duties. I am laying this before Parliament for scrutiny. If neither House objects to the amendment, Ofcom must issue the amended codes, and the updated measures will apply from 21 calendar days after they are issued.

Once in force, these updated measures will further strengthen the existing framework, ensuring that service providers put in place effective systems and processes to prevent the spread of illegal intimate image abuse content, including through the use of proactive technologies.

The amendment represents a further step in implementing the Online Safety Act and strengthening protections for users, particularly in tackling some of the most harmful forms of online abuse against women and girls. Ofcom will continue to build on this framework and keep its codes under review to address emerging harms.

[HCWS70]

Govia Thameslink Railway Services: Transfer to Public Ownership

Monday 1st June 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)]

I am confirming to the House that on Sunday 31 May, Govia Thameslink Railway’s services, operating as Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, became the fifth to transfer into public ownership under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act.

Operations are now run by a new public sector operator—Thameslink Southern Great Northern Limited (TSGNL)—a subsidiary of public corporation DfT Operator Limited (DFTO).

The new operator will commit to deliver a range of measures to help improve performance and passengers’ experience, including:

doubling the number of Gatwick Express trains each hour between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria from December, as well as more early morning services on Saturdays and Mondays over the busy summer period;

providing additional Great Northern off-peak services from Moorgate from December;

recruiting an additional 75 drivers on Thameslink and Great Northern this year, helping to reduce cancellations;

enabling passengers to get support from staff directly via WhatsApp if there is disruption to services;

improving all 115 Class 700 units on Thameslink by carrying out deep cleaning and repairing minor damage, as well as refreshing and resurfacing all toilets to help combat graffiti;

providing a total of 110 Travel Safe Officers on Thameslink services; and

completing the Automatic Train Operation training programme by December 2026, which will support improvements in punctuality, particularly in recovering delays during disruption.

Nine of the 14 train operators delivering passenger services under contract with the Department for Transport are now in public ownership.

Chiltern Railways’ services will be the next to transfer on 20 September 2026, followed by Great Western Railway’s services on 13 December 2026. The rail public ownership programme is on track to be completed by the end of 2027.

Public ownership is already putting passengers back at the heart of the railway, but it is not in itself a guarantee of improved services. To truly fix the structural issues that have long plagued our railways, we need systemic reform. The Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament and will establish GBR, a new nationalised rail company, that will integrate the management of track and trains for passengers and freight use every day. It will also create a strengthened passenger watchdog.

Once established, GBR will maintain and improve the railways and be accountable to passengers, freight customers and taxpayers. GBR will be empowered to build a railway that not only puts passengers and customers first but also supports the Government’s missions to drive economic growth and opportunity, by improving connectivity and unlocking jobs and housing.

The Government are already making improvements for passengers, with the first regulated rail fares freeze in 30 years as well as rolling out Pay As You Go more widely.

Economic growth is a key priority for the Government. Reforming our railways is central to achieving this. Improved performance will bring more people back to rail—generating greater revenue and reducing costs.

[HCWS72]

Historical Personal Independence Payment Claims

Monday 1st June 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)]

On 28 May 2026, DWP published statistics about two exercises which reviewed historical personal independence payment claims for people affected by the MM Supreme Court judgment or the LB upper tribunal decision.

MM judgment

The MM judgment was handed down in July 2019 and related to daily living activity 9 of the PIP assessment. It found that prompting should be considered social support when it is provided by a person trained or otherwise experienced in assisting people to engage in social situations. It also found that DWP should take account of social support given before and after a social situation, not just at the time of the interaction itself, depending on the needs of the claimant. DWP updated the guidance for new claims from 17 September 2020 to reflect the judgment.

On 20 September 2021, DWP launched an exercise to review historical claims from 6 April 2016 to 16 September 2020 that may have been affected by the MM judgment. DWP looked at cases where people with a psychiatric condition had previously been assessed as needing prompting and cases not previously awarded points for daily living activity 9 because of the timing of any support. A progress update on this exercise was previously published at: PIP administrative exercise for MM: progress report to 31 August 2023 - GOV.UK.

This exercise concluded on 17 November. The release sets out management information related to the exercise. DWP reviewed 350,000 cases and made 48,000 payments in arrears, totalling £270 million.

LB upper tribunal decision

The LB upper tribunal decision was handed down in November 2016 and related to daily living activity 3 of the PIP assessment. It changed how managing therapy or monitoring a health condition should be interpreted. The upper tribunal found that a combination of time spent supervising, prompting and assisting with medication and monitoring a health condition must be considered as therapy. The tribunal also made comments on when paying attention to the timing and nature of food and drink constitutes diet as therapy.

DWP updated guidance for new claims from 17 June 2019 to reflect the decision.

On 15 October 2019, the Department launched an exercise to review historical claims made between 28 November 2016 and 16 June 2019 that may have been affected by the LB decision. DWP looked at cases of people with diabetes and another condition, such as a learning disability or severe visual impairment.

The exercise concluded on 31 January 2024. The release sets out management information related to the exercise. DWP reviewed 44,000 cases and made fewer than 100 payments in arrears, totalling £188,000.

All reviews have been carried out by a case manager within the Department and no one should have seen their PIP reduced because of these exercises.

Although DWP has completed both exercises, claimants can still ask the Department to conduct a review of their case if they think they are affected.

[HCWS68]