Ayoub Khan

Pay arrangements for civil servants below the Senior Civil Service are delegated to departments. Under the framework of delegation, each department and agency has the power to determine its own terms and conditions of employment and is therefore a separate bargaining unit. Each department and agency is therefore responsible for consultation (or for certain matters, negotiation) with trade unions subject to the annual Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance. This has been the case since 1996. Departments each have their own local pay bargaining units to engage with trade unions.

COP29 is a crucial moment for global action on climate change. The UK is working closely with the incoming COP29 Presidency and other partners to make it a success. Shared priorities include agreeing a new global climate finance goal, encouraging ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and delivering on the outcomes from the Global Stocktake at COP28.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Local authorities are responsible for transport to education and training for 16-19 year olds. Post-16 transport guidance requires local authorities to make the necessary transport arrangements or provide financial support to ensure young people can participate in education or training. The needs of young people with SEND should be specifically considered and the arrangements put in place for each group must be documented in local authority transport policy statements.

In addition to their statutory responsibilities, many local authorities do offer some form of subsidised transport which, combined with the 16-19 bursary, has been intended to provide financial support to students from low-income households. These decisions are best made locally, in consideration of local needs, the resources available and other local circumstances.

The level of farming funding in future financial years will be confirmed as part of the Government’s spending review.

We know farmers require stability in order for the Government to reach its nature recovery and net zero targets. We have already started to deliver on our commitment to restore stability by continuing the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and will go further by optimising our schemes and grants, ensuring they produce the right outcomes for all farmers including small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms, while delivering food security and nature recovery in a just and equitable way.

As is typical, the farming budget beyond this year will be part of the Government’s spending review.

This Government recognises that food security is national security. We said we would provide stability for farmers and we are delivering on this commitment and have confirmed that the first Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements of the 2024 offer are now live. We will confirm plans for rollout of schemes and our wider approach when possible.

In England, we have committed to halting the decline in species abundance by 2030. The UK Government is also committed to protecting 30% of the UK’s land and sea by 2030, and to playing our part in achieving the global 30by30 target adopted at the UN Biodiversity Summit COP15 in December 2022.

Delivering these targets sits at the heart of our mission to ensure nature’s recovery. To meet our species abundance target we will create, restore and connect wildlife-rich habitat, reduce pressures on species including from pollution and climate change and take targeted action to recover specific species, working in partnership with civil society, communities and business. Delivering 30by30 on land in England means ensuring that our most important and wildlife-rich habitats are benefiting from effective, long-term conservation and management. This will require a collaborative approach, and all sectors have a role to play.

We have launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to complete before the end of the year to make sure it is fit for purpose to deliver our ambitious targets. This review is an important step in turning the page on nature recovery and will provide the foundations for delivering these targets. This includes the Government’s manifesto promise to expand nature-rich habitats such as wetlands, peat bogs and forests so people can enjoy and wildlife can thrive, including on public land.

We have also commissioned an overarching evaluation framework for our 2030 species target and wider biodiversity targets programme. This will strengthen our understanding of our progress towards meeting our biodiversity targets and will follow Magenta Book guidance.

The new Government is committed to making Protected Landscapes greener, wilder and more accessible. We are currently considering the best way to do this.

To support this, Defra is working with the National Parks and National Landscapes to improve data on the state of nature in Protected Landscapes.

Ensuring nature’s recovery is a top priority for this Government. This is why the Government has announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to deliver on our legally binding environment targets, including reversing the decline in species abundance and reducing the risk of national extinction.

Earlier this year, Natural England published the English Seabird Conservation and Recovery Pathway (ESCaRP), which assesses the vulnerability of seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and sets out actions that could help to bring about seabird recovery. Defra plans to seek stakeholders’ views on the recommended actions this winter.

The Oslo-Paris Commission (OSPAR), the regional seas convention for the North East Atlantic, has published a Regional Action Plan (RAP) for Marine Birds on 6 September. UK experts were involved in developing the RAP which aims to reduce and eliminate the main pressures and activities impacting marine birds in the North-East Atlantic.

The Government recognises that homelessness levels are too high and there are a range of contributing factors. We will look carefully at these issues as we develop our strategy for ending homelessness.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates have not been frozen for the current year, but were restored to the 30th percentile of local market rents from April 2024 for one year. Any decisions on LHA in 25/26 need to be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, housing priorities, and the fiscal context.

For those who need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than quadrupled in the last 17 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

Over recent years, the NHS in England has taken significant steps forward in addressing this issue. NHS Resolution, which manages claims against the NHS in England, has implemented the Early Notification scheme to improve maternity safety and support families in a cohort of maternity claims, and has made significant improvements in claim resolution, through greater use of alternative dispute resolution and mediation, across all claims.

The causes of the overall cost rise are complex and there is no single fix, as costs are likely rising because of a range of factors, including higher compensation payments and legal costs, rather than more claims or a decline in patient safety.

We recognise that this is an important issue, and ministers intend to look at all the drivers of cost, how to manage spending on clinical negligence, and the potential merits of the reform options.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than quadrupled in the last 17 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

Over recent years, the NHS in England has taken significant steps forward in addressing this issue. NHS Resolution, which manages claims against the NHS in England, has implemented the Early Notification scheme to improve maternity safety and support families in a cohort of maternity claims, and has made significant improvements in claim resolution, through greater use of alternative dispute resolution and mediation, across all claims.

The causes of the overall cost rise are complex and there is no single fix, as costs are likely rising because of a range of factors, including higher compensation payments and legal costs, rather than more claims or a decline in patient safety.

We recognise that this is an important issue, and ministers intend to look at all the drivers of cost, how to manage spending on clinical negligence, and the potential merits of the reform options.

There are no plans for my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to meet with the Medical Defence Union to discuss National Health Service staff morale.

The Department works closely with NHS England to address issues around staff morale in the NHS and ensures staff are able to work in an inclusive, compassionate environment that supports their health and wellbeing.

Ensuring all individuals have access to the appropriate financial services and products they need is a key priority for Government and is vital to supporting people’s financial resilience and wellbeing. It is also an essential part of achieving inclusive growth and ensuring individuals are able to fully participate in the economy.

The Government is currently taking steps to understand barriers to financial inclusion in more detail and I am committed to considering what more can be done.

The Government believe it is right that those social tenants who have lived in their homes for many years retain the right to purchase their property at a reasonable discount. As such, we will not be ending the Right to Buy scheme.

We are, however, committed to better protecting our existing stock of social rented homes and are currently reviewing the increased right to buy discounts introduced in 2012. We will bring forward secondary legislation to implement changes in the autumn.

We also intend to review Right to Buy more widely, including looking at eligibility criteria and protections for newly-built social housing. A consultation of these wider changes will be brought forward in the autumn.

Ministers and officials in the department have regular conversations with counterparts in the DWP on a range of issues.

The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) was restored to the 30th percentile of local market rents from April 2024 for one year.

Any future decisions on LHA will be taken in the context of the Government’s housing priorities and the fiscal situation.