Alison Bennett

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants/candidates, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.

On 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas have also published comprehensive guidance for employers on their obligations to disabled employees and job applicants under the 2010 Act and Acas provides a helpline for people who think they have experienced discrimination at work.

The next report into the operation of the UK Honours System is expected in due course.

Every five years, a review is carried out of how honours are distributed across the different categories of activity in UK life and is reviewed by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (HD Committee) before it is sent to The Sovereign for approval. This Quinquennial Review is guided both by priorities set by the Prime Minister and also changes to the population and sizes of workforces in each sector of the economy.

The most recent Quinquennial Review set out recommendations for the period of the Birthday Honours 2023 List to the Birthday Honours 2028 List (inclusive). The next review period will begin in 2026/27 for implementation in the New Year Honours 2029 List. The scope of this review has not yet been agreed but will be approved by the HD Committee in due course.

I have not discussed this with the Leader of the House. As announced in the policy paper ‘The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture’, published on January 22, the Government will bring forward amendments to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, in advance of longer-term reforms.

The SI will be laid when parliamentary time allows.

This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at the heart of this. TrustMark, sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme that covers work a consumer chooses to have carried out in or around their home. In addition, the Building Safety Act 2022 has introduced competence requirements for both individuals and businesses working in the built environment.

Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.

Companies House does not have any plans to build a specific database for the purpose outlined.

Companies House is taking action to improve the quality of the information on the Register of Companies using powers made available by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

The Act also provides for the compulsory identity verification of directors, persons with significant control and those acting on behalf of companies. This will ensure that consumers are able to more easily trace the previous appointments of company directors. The systems needed to enable the deployment of identity verification are currently being implemented.

The department has published the Warm Homes Plan which will tackle fuel poverty, lower bills, and deliver warmer, more comfortable homes. A new Fuel Poverty Strategy has been published alongside the Warm Homes Plan, which specifically considers the needs of low-income households most at risk from the impact of living in a cold home.

Additionally, the Warm Home Discount will be expanded to support a further 2.7 million households. From this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support off their energy bill.

There is a robust regulatory framework that addresses the health and safety risks associated with grid-scale battery storage. Specifically, the Health and Safety at Work Act and secondary legislation places legal duties on employers to manage risks to employees and anyone else who may be affected. It is the policy of the Health and Safety Executive to continue to review its regulatory framework to make sure it works in a time of innovation.

The government’s vision for the 16-19 education system is to create a clear and coherent system with distinct pathways leading to further study, training or employment, including apprenticeships.

At level 3, this includes introducing V Levels, a new pathway alongside A levels and T Levels, as recommended in the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report. These reforms are currently under consultation.

Despite removing qualifications with sustained low or no enrolments ahead of this academic year, there remain 872 level 3 qualifications that are still available for 16–19-year-olds. Further analysis shows there were circa. 494,300 16-19 study programme enrolments in academic year 2022/23.

Official statistics showing Participation in education, training and employment age 16 to 18 are published annually, with the latest estimates being for end 2024, and accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/participation-in-education-and-training-and-employment/2024.

The estimates relate to a snapshot of activities at the end of the calendar year, and are based on academic age, defined as ‘age at the start of the academic year’, that is age as at 31 August. The number of 16 to 18-year-olds participating on level 3 qualifications by their highest qualification aim at the end of 2024 can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/2e4d74ca-0086-4465-e324-08de1acd7617.

The government fully supports the arts and the development of a skills pipeline into the creative industries.

The department is providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year.

Funding beyond the current academic year, including any introduction of multi-year funding agreements, will be considered in due course.

​​​The department introduced 140 newly reformed qualifications to be taught from the beginning of this academic year and just announced a further 27 newly reformed qualifications which it will fund from August 2026. This includes newly reformed alternative academic qualifications and new technical qualifications in health and social care and related areas such as science, that will sit alongside the T Level in health and related A levels. The department is withdrawing funding from unreformed qualifications in the same areas, so that students can benefit from the higher quality reformed alternatives.

​T Levels are out-performing other qualifications. Where a student wishes to study a large qualification in health they should undertake the T Level.

​We published an equalities impact assessment alongside the outcome of the review of qualifications reform. The review is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-level-3-qualifications-reform-equality-impact-assessment. The department expects the impact on the number of young people not in education, employment or training, to be mitigated by the availability of T Levels and other reformed qualifications. ​

​​​The department introduced 140 newly reformed qualifications to be taught from the beginning of this academic year and just announced a further 27 newly reformed qualifications which it will fund from August 2026. This includes newly reformed alternative academic qualifications and new technical qualifications in health and social care and related areas such as science, that will sit alongside the T Level in health and related A levels. The department is withdrawing funding from unreformed qualifications in the same areas, so that students can benefit from the higher quality reformed alternatives.

​T Levels are out-performing other qualifications. Where a student wishes to study a large qualification in health they should undertake the T Level.

​We published an equalities impact assessment alongside the outcome of the review of qualifications reform. The review is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-level-3-qualifications-reform-equality-impact-assessment. The department expects the impact on the number of young people not in education, employment or training, to be mitigated by the availability of T Levels and other reformed qualifications. ​

Defra is not planning on further regulating glyphosate use by local authorities.

There is a legal requirement to minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public. It is for each Local Authority to decide the best way of delivering effective and cost-effective weed control in its operations without harming people or the environment.

The UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP) sets out how we intend to increase the uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) across all sectors, including in amenity. Defra funded the recent publication of Parks for London’s Integrated Weed Management guide, which has been made open access. IPM lies at the heart of the government’s approach to minimise the environmental impact of pesticides.

A pesticide may only be placed on the market in Great Britain (GB) if the product has been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), GB’s pesticide regulator. This only happens following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met.

The decline of the barn owl is attributed to several factors including the loss of suitable habitat, which limits the availability of hunting grounds; the use of rodenticides; road traffic collision; and the loss of traditional nesting sites.

To address their decline nationally, agri-environmental schemes are supporting barn owls by the funding of habitat creation, such as rough grassland for hunting, and by supporting the provision of nest boxes in suitable locations.

Defra recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain.

Defra works closely with the industry including through the Small Abattoirs Working Group and the Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. These groups bring together Government and industry representatives on a regular basis and provide a forum for identifying the challenges and opportunities that the sector faces, and for collaborating on practical solutions to support the sustainability of small and medium sized abattoirs. This includes issues such as regulation, efficiency and labour, to help ensure the sector remains viable and resilient.

The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders to help address the pressures facing small abattoirs and ensure they remain a vital part of a competitive, sustainable and locally rooted food supply chain.

The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. This Government will uphold and protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trade deals. We will promote robust standards nationally and internationally and will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage

All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards

The Government recognises farmers’ concerns about imports produced using methods not permitted in the UK. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to support economic growth and promote the highest standards of food production.

We are seeking powers in the Home Office’s Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their fly-tipping enforcement powers. These include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, vehicle seizure and prosecution action which can lead to a significant fine or even imprisonment.

We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

Defra officials chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders, including officials from the Department for Transport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and devolved governments, to promote good practice on preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools are available from their webpage which can be found at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.