Caroline Voaden

This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a backlog of eighty thousand criminal cases in the Crown court.

That is why we are investing over two and a half billion pounds in our courts. This will fund unlimited sitting days, boost legal aid, and ultimately speed up justice for victims.

At the first UK-EU Summit, the Government agreed a substantial package to take forward our new Strategic Partnership with the EU. We are proceeding swiftly with technical negotiations to implement these commitments. We will keep Parliament updated on significant developments.

Internal policies relating to bereavement are a matter for individual businesses, but we expect companies to treat consumers with compassion in such circumstances, with many organisations having specialist bereavement advisors to support consumers during such times.

Under consumer legislation, businesses are required to carry out their services with reasonable care and skill, and within a reasonable time. Businesses in regulated sectors may have additional obligations, such as financial organisations which are bound by the Consumer Duty.

My department has not had any recent discussions with organisations about improving bereavement processes. However, we do engage with businesses more generally on consumer protection matters.

Internal policies relating to bereavement are a matter for individual businesses, but we expect companies to treat consumers with compassion in such circumstances, with many organisations having specialist bereavement advisors to support consumers during such times.

Under consumer legislation, businesses are required to carry out their services with reasonable care and skill, and within a reasonable time. Businesses in regulated sectors may have additional obligations, such as financial organisations which are bound by the Consumer Duty.

My department has not had any recent discussions with organisations about improving bereavement processes. However, we do engage with businesses more generally on consumer protection matters.

Internal policies relating to bereavement are a matter for individual businesses, but we expect companies to treat consumers with compassion in such circumstances, with many organisations having specialist bereavement advisors to support consumers during such times.

Under consumer legislation, businesses are required to carry out their services with reasonable care and skill, and within a reasonable time. Businesses in regulated sectors may have additional obligations, such as financial organisations which are bound by the Consumer Duty.

My department has not had any recent discussions with organisations about improving bereavement processes. However, we do engage with businesses more generally on consumer protection matters.

I have recently met with Ofcom to discuss a range of issues. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the seller is responsible for the delivery of goods bought online until they are in the consumer's physical possession and is thus responsible if anything goes wrong with the consumer's parcel, including goods delivered damaged or lost in transit.

Ofcom requires that all operators have a straightforward, accessible, and affordable complaints process.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced greater powers to remove false and misappropriated company addresses from the register and more stringent requirements around what constitutes an appropriate address.

It will also introduce compulsory identify verification for company officers. The automated nature of these processes means that they can manage a large amount of data at speed. Verifying an address and a company's link to it, however, would rely on different evidence, requiring much more manual processing. Given Companies House registers over 800,000 companies per year, the vast majority of which are entirely legitimate, the resource demands are likely to be disproportionate and such checks are not currently part of government plans.

The Government recognises the important role small-scale onshore wind can play in achieving our decarbonisation goals.

The Government supports small-scale onshore wind through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), a mechanism that ensures homes or farms with wind turbines receive payments for the renewable electricity they export to the grid.

The Government is also consulting on proposals to introduce a new permitted development right for small-scale, non-domestic wind turbines in England, making it easier for businesses, farms, and public sector organisations to install a single turbine for microgeneration, without needing to submit a full planning application, subject to safeguards.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) - the licensed body that is responsible for the provision of communication and data services for smart metering in GB - is obligated under the conditions of its licence to provide smart meter network coverage to at least 99.25% of premises across Great Britain, and to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of coverage.

The Government is working closely with the DCC and energy suppliers to ensure smart meter connectivity can be extended to currently unserved properties as soon as reasonably possible. One such solution, due to be trialled imminently, will involve VWAN - a new option that, with their consent, uses customers’ broadband connections to carry smart metering communications.

The Government is consulting on changes to how Feed-in Tariff payments are adjusted for inflation in future. The consultation includes an analytical annex which includes an assessment of the potential impacts of this policy. An updated version of this will be published alongside a Government Response, next year.

Due to the physical set-up of these residences, the majority of consumers living on park home sites will continue to receive their energy via a non-domestic contract and will not have their own meter. This means that the energy price cap will not apply to them. However, park home residents who purchase their gas or electricity from their park home site owner are protected from excessive charges by the Maximum Resale Price provisions drafted by Ofgem.

The provisions prevent mobile park owners from reselling energy to the residents at a higher price than the price that they paid to the licensed energy supplier. Consumers are entitled to receive a breakdown of the park owner’s costs upon request. The breakdown should include details of the cost of electricity and/or gas, standing charges and VAT paid.

The Government is now consulting on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector, including proposals for rented homes to achieve EPC C or equivalent by 2030. The consultation sets out proposals on maximum spend required from landlords and the exemptions regime to manage the cost burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market, whilst still achieving our ambition to deliver significant bill savings for tenants and lift households out of fuel poverty. We are considering how we can best support landlords to meet the new standards and welcome responses from landlords to the consultation.

The Government is undertaking a Mobile Market Review to assess major developments in the sector and how these impact investment in high-quality connectivity. A Call for Evidence supporting the review closed on 5 May and sought detailed input from stakeholders on whether the regulatory framework is equipped to support future investment, innovation and competition in mobile networks. We have engaged with stakeholders, including the mobile industry, throughout the review process and are assessing the responses received. We will provide an update on our findings and next steps later this year.

No assessment has been made of the comparative adequacy of mobile mast density in the UK against other European countries. It would be difficult to compare these across markets in a meaningful way as the mast density will be dependent on factors including market structure, topology, reusability and sharing of infrastructure, as well as spectrum availability.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030; this is commercially led and it is for network operators to define infrastructure deployment plans to deliver this ambition. Network operators have committed significant investment that align with Government’s ambition and already made significant progress with Ofcom reporting that as of January 2026, standalone 5G is available outside of 93% of premises across the UK from at least one operator.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to high quality standalone 5G by 2030. This includes rural and coastal communities across the UK. The rollout is commercially led by the network operators with all three operators having committed to significant investment plans which align with this Government’s ambition.

Government is undertaking a Mobile Market Review with the aim of better understanding how Government can go further in supporting the sector to invest in widespread, high-quality connectivity, as well as continuing efforts to identify and remove barriers to telecoms deployment.

4G connectivity remains important for many and with the help of Government’s Shared Rural Network programme, 4G coverage is now available to over 96% of UK landmass. The programme continues to support the delivery of 4G connectivity improvements to some of the hardest to reach areas of the UK, including South Devon, where a Government-funded SRN mast has been upgraded and activated to provide additional 4G coverage in the Newton Abbot area.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 of June 2026 to Question 9431.

Ofcom is responsible for reporting on mobile network coverage across the UK, through their Connected Nations reports and the coverage maps available in the ‘Map Your Mobile’ tool. Through the Connected Nation's reports, data is provided on a constituency and local authority level, and through the Map Your Mobile tool, individuals across Devon can determine which operator provides the best level of coverage in their area.

Government recognises that there remain discrepancies in some cases between individual experience and the level of coverage that Ofcom reports should be available.

‘Map Your Mobile’, launched in June 2025, includes crowdsourced data on network performance, opposed to coverage alone to help be more reflective of individual experience. Whilst this was a positive step, we continue to work closely with Ofcom on this issue.

The Government has also restated the importance of continuing to improve the reporting of mobile coverage in the Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum and postal services, designated on 27 April 2026. This includes building on the Map Your Mobile tool, exploring further use of measured and crowdsourced data, and keeping under review definitions of “good” 4G and 5G to ensure they reflect evolving consumer and business expectations.

Parliament legislated for a national registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. The government remains committed to implementing this registration scheme.

As part of the government’s ambition to halve the participation gap, DCMS, in partnership with DfE,will invest £22.5 million through the Enrichment Expansion Programme (EEP). This funding will support up to 400 schools provide youth-voice led, tailored, and high-quality enrichment offers.

Whilst the design of the EEP is ongoing, the department is taking learnings from the Enrichment Pilot Programme around how to ensure long term change in the way schools develop their enrichment offer. DCMS is also working closely with DfE to ensure other programmes complement the EEP and avoid duplication.

The EEP will work in tandem with other government initiatives, and participating schools will be supported to link up with local authorities and other local providers and initiatives. As the programme is currently being designed, further details on evaluation plans, impact measurements and indicators of success will be shared in due course and we will commission an evaluation contractor to monitor and assess the EEP.

As part of the government’s ambition to halve the participation gap, DCMS, in partnership with DfE,will invest £22.5 million through the Enrichment Expansion Programme (EEP). This funding will support up to 400 schools provide youth-voice led, tailored, and high-quality enrichment offers.

Whilst the design of the EEP is ongoing, the department is taking learnings from the Enrichment Pilot Programme around how to ensure long term change in the way schools develop their enrichment offer. DCMS is also working closely with DfE to ensure other programmes complement the EEP and avoid duplication.

The EEP will work in tandem with other government initiatives, and participating schools will be supported to link up with local authorities and other local providers and initiatives. As the programme is currently being designed, further details on evaluation plans, impact measurements and indicators of success will be shared in due course and we will commission an evaluation contractor to monitor and assess the EEP.

As part of the government’s ambition to halve the participation gap, DCMS, in partnership with DfE,will invest £22.5 million through the Enrichment Expansion Programme (EEP). This funding will support up to 400 schools provide youth-voice led, tailored, and high-quality enrichment offers.

Whilst the design of the EEP is ongoing, the department is taking learnings from the Enrichment Pilot Programme around how to ensure long term change in the way schools develop their enrichment offer. DCMS is also working closely with DfE to ensure other programmes complement the EEP and avoid duplication.

The EEP will work in tandem with other government initiatives, and participating schools will be supported to link up with local authorities and other local providers and initiatives. As the programme is currently being designed, further details on evaluation plans, impact measurements and indicators of success will be shared in due course and we will commission an evaluation contractor to monitor and assess the EEP.

The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils' Core Spending Power on 2024-25.

Public libraries are funded by local authorities as part of this broader settlement. Each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.

School closure information is available via the register of schools, which is accessible at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

The latest school census data, as at June 2026, reveals pupil numbers remain firmly within historical patterns seen for over the last 20 years. Further information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2025-26.

School closure information is available via the register of schools, which is accessible at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

The latest school census data, as at June 2026, reveals pupil numbers remain firmly within historical patterns seen for over the last 20 years. Further information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2025-26.

The department’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms are ensuring every child gets the right support at the right time. This includes all of those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). We regularly engage with organisations who represent children with SLCN, including DLD, such as Speech and Language UK who are a member of our Complex Needs Group.

​Speech and language therapists (SaLTs) break down communication barriers, but too often, children and young people with SEND wait too long for this support.

​As part of our new £1.8 billion investment, schools will be able to access support from professionals such as SaLTs through the Experts at Hand offer. They will work directly with school staff to equip them with skills and strategies to better meet need.

​We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers, and promote the SaLT apprenticeship route.

The department’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms are ensuring every child gets the right support at the right time. This includes all of those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). We regularly engage with organisations who represent children with SLCN, including DLD, such as Speech and Language UK who are a member of our Complex Needs Group.

​Speech and language therapists (SaLTs) break down communication barriers, but too often, children and young people with SEND wait too long for this support.

​As part of our new £1.8 billion investment, schools will be able to access support from professionals such as SaLTs through the Experts at Hand offer. They will work directly with school staff to equip them with skills and strategies to better meet need.

​We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers, and promote the SaLT apprenticeship route.

We are consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England. Healthier food does not have to mean higher cost. We tested proposals to check affordability and are working closely with the sector.