Lord Hunt of Wirral

British Steel remains owned by Jingye and it would be inappropriate for HM Government to formally approach potential third-party investors in such circumstances. We are in discussions with Jingye to find a pragmatic, realistic solution for the future of the site and our long-term aspiration for the steel sector will require co-investment with the private sector.

British Steel remains owned by Jingye and it would be inappropriate for HM Government to formally approach potential third-party investors in such circumstances. We are in discussions with Jingye to find a pragmatic, realistic solution for the future of the site and our long-term aspiration for the steel sector will require co-investment with the private sector.

As set out in the Implementation Roadmap, the Employment Rights Act 2025 will be delivered in phases to give employees and employers time to prepare.

Following Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was repealed. In February further trade union measures will commence, including repealing the majority of the Trade Union Act 2016.

Further measures will take effect in April 2026, including day one rights to statutory sick pay and paternity leave, and launch of the Fair Work Agency.

The Government remains committed to the Implementation Roadmap timelines and will provide further updates and support for employers and workers in early 2026.

The Government is developing a Steel Strategy to be published in 2025 that will set out a long-term vision for a bright and sustainable steel sector in the UK and the actions needed to get there.

The strategy will articulate what is needed to create a competitive business environment in the UK with the aim of attracting new private investment to secure and expand UK steelmaking capability and capacity which is aligned with our Net Zero goals.

We are committed to meeting the health needs of people affected by thalidomide, known as Thalidomiders, and to ensuring that they can live with dignity and have access the support they need.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, both present and future, of Thalidomiders living in England. This funding helps Thalidomiders to maintain control over their own health and enables them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.

We will provide an update on funding arrangements beyond 2027 in due course.

Strengthening our relationships with all international partners, including the EU, is a key focus of the Government’s Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy.

The UK and EU both face the same challenges – delivering growth, renewal of our infrastructure and the green transition. Financial services are a key part of the solution. We want to work with the EU to ensure that firms and individuals across Europe are able to access much needed capital and investment as efficiently as possible.

This is the message the Chancellor has set out to EU Leaders, including at Eurogroup in December 2024, and reiterated in her Mansion House speech last July. This was also the message that the Economic Secretary to the Treasury shared when she met with European Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque in Brussels in January.

The changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) confirmed at the Budget in November 2025 were informed by the ‘Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy’ consultation, which was open from 28 April to 21 July 2025. Representations from small manufacturers, and the trade bodies representing them, were received and considered as part of this process.

On 25 November 2025, the government published its summary of responses to the consultation, including a full assessment of the impacts of the announced policy changes to the levy. This is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy/outcome/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy-summary-of-responses

The smallest producers, producing less than a million litres a year, will remain exempt from the SDIL.

The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing products and affordable credit. We have also committed to doubling the mutuals and cooperatives sector.

The Chancellor announced new measures to support growth of the credit union and mutual sector in her first Mansion House speech on 14 November. This included asking the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to produce a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025. This report will aid understanding of the current landscape of the sector and how to best support the sector’s specific needs.

The Treasury is responsible for setting the overall legal framework for financial services regulation. The FCA is responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) investigates individual complaints against firms. The FOS does not have a role in setting regulatory policy. The FCA and FOS are independent non-governmental bodies and the independence of both is vital to their roles.

English devolution is a key priority for this government, and by putting more fiscal powers into the hands of local leaders in England, we can help them to increase prosperity in their regions.

As part of this, we will empower local leaders in England to introduce a levy on overnight accommodation in their areas. This will give them greater fiscal freedom, enabling them to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy. Evidence from international and domestic schemes suggested modest rates have minimal impact on visitor numbers and improves destinations and visitor experiences.

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.

The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.

The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.

The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.