Daisy Cooper

In 2019, when civil partnerships were made available for opposite-sex couples in England and Wales, the Government ran a public consultation on the future of conversion rights between marriage and civil partnerships for both opposite and same-sex couples in England and Wales: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/civil-partnerships-next-steps-and-consultation-on-conversion#:~:text=We%20are%20seeking%20views%20on,be%20brought%20to%20an%20end

This Government is considering all options, and we will update the House in due course.

The delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) as an operationally independent arm's-length body. Going forward, IBCA is aiming to contact an average of 100 people to begin their claim every week. At that rate, they expect to have brought in to claim all those infected people who are registered with a support scheme this calendar year. The Government expects IBCA to begin payments to people who are affected by the end of this year.

As of 17 June, IBCA has contacted 1,707 people to start their compensation claim, and 1,346 have started the claim process. 462 offers of compensation have been made, totalling over £395 million, and so far 310 people have accepted their offers with more than £231 million paid in compensation.

In February, IBCA set out their plans to open the compensation service in stages to make sure it is effective and secure for all those claiming. IBCA have provided details of their plans on their website here: https://ibca.org.uk/news/payments-to-be-scaled-up-in-2025

A relative of a deceased infected person may be eligible for compensation on behalf of the estate of the deceased infected person; as an affected person in their own right; or as both.

Out of the 906 miscalculated overpayments in 2024, in respect of the second bite overpayment (742 members) we can confirm that 248 overpayments have been recovered in full; 494 are in recovery by way of monthly deductions to their pension, and 4 members have yet to have their recovery method agreed, and there is ongoing correspondence to finalise this.

In addition, all 160 duplicate pension increase members are in recovery. Where members were unable to return the overpayment in full, monthly deductions from their pension were put in place. There were no part payments or payments written off.

The scheme administrator, Capita, has not compensated or agreed a reduction of payment figures for any of the 906 cases affected by overpayments.

However, the scheme administrator has taken steps to support these members. This includes arranging monthly deductions to be taken from the member’s pension in payment where they were unable to repay their overpayment in full. Affected members are also able to contact Capita to discuss alternative repayment arrangements using the helpline number or dedicated email address.

The total value of the overpayments in relation to the 906 lump sums miscalculated in 2024 is £1,325,340.78.

The Cabinet Office has worked closely with the scheme administrator, Capita, to review all other processes in relation to the administration of the scheme, to ensure that they are documented and accurately reflect the contractual requirements and scheme rules, to deliver the best possible service to members and minimise errors.

Whilst all of the 906 overpayments happened in 2024, the impacted members retired across a number of years.

Of the 906 cases, 163 retired in 2024, 597 in 2023; 5 in 2022), 3 in 2021, 4 in 2020, 2 in 2019, and 8 in 2018. The remaining 124 cases retired before 2018.

The Cabinet Office has worked closely with the scheme administrator, to review all other processes in relation to the administration of the scheme, to ensure that they are documented and accurately reflect the contractual requirements and scheme rules, to deliver the best possible service to members and minimise errors.

Women and young people are less likely to get the employment rights they are entitled to than the general population. The creation of the Fair Work Agency will deliver a generational upgrade to enforcement of workers’ rights, and young women particularly stand to benefit.

Its core function will be to enforce specific employment legislation set out in Part 1 of Schedule 7 of the Employment Rights Bill. The Government has worked closely with a variety of stakeholders as it has developed the Bill, and we are committed to continuing this.

The Secretary of State has discretion to appoint individuals as independent experts to the Fair Work Agency’s Advisory Board, if the Secretary of State considers them to have relevant expertise. This could include appointing individuals with expertise in relation to young women’s experience of the labour market.

Women and young people are less likely to get the employment rights they are entitled to than the general population. The creation of the Fair Work Agency will deliver a generational upgrade to enforcement of workers’ rights, and young women particularly stand to benefit.

Its core function will be to enforce specific employment legislation set out in Part 1 of Schedule 7 of the Employment Rights Bill. The Government has worked closely with a variety of stakeholders as it has developed the Bill, and we are committed to continuing this.

The Secretary of State has discretion to appoint individuals as independent experts to the Fair Work Agency’s Advisory Board, if the Secretary of State considers them to have relevant expertise. This could include appointing individuals with expertise in relation to young women’s experience of the labour market.

Women and young people are less likely to get the employment rights they are entitled to than the general population. The creation of the Fair Work Agency will deliver a generational upgrade to enforcement of workers’ rights, and young women particularly stand to benefit.

Its core function will be to enforce specific employment legislation set out in Part 1 of Schedule 7 of the Employment Rights Bill. The Government has worked closely with a variety of stakeholders as it has developed the Bill, and we are committed to continuing this.

The Secretary of State has discretion to appoint individuals as independent experts to the Fair Work Agency’s Advisory Board, if the Secretary of State considers them to have relevant expertise. This could include appointing individuals with expertise in relation to young women’s experience of the labour market.

Fair Work Agency officers will be operationally independent. Additionally, the Employment Right Bill provides for effective oversight of the Fair Work Agency through the three-year enforcement strategies and annual reports, which must be laid before Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The Secretary of State is also required to consult the Advisory Board, which will have equal representation from businesses, trade unions and independent experts, to ensure they benefit from a broad range of insight when developing these documents.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. Royal Mail endeavours to respond to all queries about postal services in a timely manner. Specific operational arrangements continue to be an internal matter for Royal Mail as an independent business.

No such estimate has been made.

However, deploying rooftop solar remains a key part of the Government’s clean power mission, and it continues to be one of the most popular and easily deployed renewable energy sources. Solar is also an important part of the Government’s strategy for increasing energy performance of buildings, and the Future Standards this year will ensure our new buildings are fit for a Net Zero future. The Warm Homes plan will set out pathways for decarbonisation of all buildings, including non-domestic ones. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out soon.

A Statutory Instrument to update the permitted development right for air source heat pump installations in England was laid in parliament on 8 May and will come into force on 29 May 2025. These changes will enable more households to install an air source heat pump without needing to submit a planning application. The Statutory Instrument can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/560/made.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Great British Energy’s branding and logo were developed in-house with government resources.

The Government has pledged to take action to stand with tenants and deliver the safety and security of warmer, cheaper homes, and has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1bn of this allocated to 2025/2026. We have published our consultation on improving energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector in England and Wales, containing proposals that could lift up to half a million households in England out of fuel poverty by 2030. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.

Assessor feedback is provided to successful and unsuccessful applicants and is comprised of the comments supporting the scores given by assessors. A notification email states when feedback will be available, which is then published on the applicant’s Innovation Funding Service dashboard.

The Government is committed to ensuring a fair and balanced IP system and the protection of IP rights. The UK has a robust framework in place to protect IP rights, which includes both civil and criminal enforcement measures.

Right owners can report IP crime by contacting Trading Standards. They may also consider alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, like mediation, or taking legal action before courts.

With respect to online databases, the Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 requires platforms to disable or remove IP infringing content that they become aware of or risk legal action.

The Independent Pornography Review assessed the effectiveness of current pornography legislation, regulation and enforcement. This included considering the difference in regulation for pornography online versus ‘offline’.

The Review has now concluded, and the report has been published. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/creating-a-safer-world-the-challenge-of-regulating-online-pornography.

The Government is aware of the Stop Killing Games campaign and concerns relating to the continued access to video games, including licensed, online-only video games, and we appreciate the frustrations of players of some games that have been discontinued. The Government has spoken with the video games industry and has responded to a recent petition on this issue.

There are no plans to amend existing consumer law on disabling video games. Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), giving clear advice to consumers. Video game sellers must not omit or hide material information, or provide it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.

The Government wants local authorities to feel empowered to make decisions that are in their communities’ best interests. Local authorities have a range of powers to manage gambling in their areas, both under the planning system and as licensing authorities under the Gambling Act 2005.

As set out in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s English Devolution White Paper, the Government will look to complement local authorities’ existing powers in relation to gambling outlets to refuse or place conditions on premises licences, in line with measures outlined in the 2023 Gambling White Paper, when parliamentary time allows.

The UK Copyright regime is clear about the rights holders’ intellectual property rights. Works can only be used where permission is granted or where there is an existing exception in copyright law. It is possible for rights holders to license the use of their copyright protected works for AI training at the moment, or to protect their works from being used, but we are aware that this can be difficult in practice for individual firms and creators. Responses to our consultation on the impact of AI on the copyright regime, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February, will inform our approach to the design and delivery of a solution to this issue.

We will now consider the full range of responses we have received through our consultation. Addressing this is an urgent priority for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, but no decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives.

The Gambling Minister has met with the Betting and Gaming Council since her speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December 2024 and the Department continues to work with the BGC on the issue of advertising. We have set the gambling industry a clear task to raise standards in this area to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm and this work will be monitored closely.

National guidelines for concussion in grassroots sport were developed by international experts on concussion and acquired brain injury to better identify, manage and prevent the issue. We continue to encourage National Governing Bodies to adapt the guidance to their own sport where appropriate.

The concussion guidelines’ impact is in the process of being evaluated by the Department for Health and Social Care, with DCMS involvement, and the evaluation is expected to be published in 2025.

The Government will continue to discuss athlete safety with relevant stakeholders and the sports sector in the coming months to ensure that everyone can take part in sport as safely as possible.

​​​This abhorrent practice should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected.

​We take this issue extremely seriously and continue to engage with those affected to provide support.

​The department continues to follow up on the 2022 Joint Committee on Human Rights report, including improving access to adoption records, enhancing intermediary services and preserving historical records.

The repayment of student loans, including the setting of interest rates applied to student loan plan types for borrowers in the UK or overseas, is determined by the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended).

Overseas repayment thresholds are calculated using World Bank price level index (PLI) (which is used to compare differences between the cost of living in the UK and other countries), not the tax rates of countries of residence. This means that if a borrower is resident in a country calculated as having a lower cost of living than the UK, the repayment threshold applied to their loan will be lower than if they are residing in the UK. The country bandings and thresholds are reviewed annually.

Using a recognised measure of the relative cost of living in different countries ensures that borrowers residing in different countries are assessed in a fair, transparent and consistent way.

The department works closely with a range of colleges, schools, employers and their representative bodies to ensure the availability and quality of T Level industry placements across the country. For the engineering and manufacturing sector this includes the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Engineering and Manufacturing working group, made up of organisations including EngineeringUK, Enginuity (and the National Manufacturing Skills Task Force), Make UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering. The group share resources, case studies and undertake employer awareness-raising campaigns to support the delivery of industry placements.

The department also actively engages stakeholders via our T Level Ambassador Network which advocates for T Levels and plays a key role in bringing industry and education together across a range of sectors. The network has expanded to over 900 members, including large businesses, small and medium enterprises, colleges and schools, universities and students. Over 120 representatives from the engineering and manufacturing sector are part of this network.