Gary Streeter

I refer the hon Member to the statement I made in the House on 15 December where I announced that the moral case for compensation was formally accepted. I also set out the work being carried out across government in consideration of the compensation framework study - which included specific reference to those groups who were not able to claim interim compensation.

This work is intended to ensure that the Government is prepared to act swiftly in response to Sir Brian Langstaff’s final report when it is delivered.

While publicly owned, the Post Office operates at arm’s length from Government. Government sets the high-level parameters for the Post Office, but it is the Post Office Chief Executive, together with the Board of Directors, who are responsible for running Post Office day-to-day and the company has the commercial freedom to deliver the branch network within the parameters set by Government.

Government continues to protect the branch network by setting minimum access criteria, and protects services by setting minimum services to be provided at post offices across the country. Decisions about individual branches are made by Post Office Limited.

I have not had any discussions with Ofcom on the resumption of Royal Mail’s international delivery services, however the Government welcomes Royal Mail’s recent announcement that it has resumed international export services to all destinations.

Analysis conducted by Government suggests it would be technically feasible to install a heat pump in around 90% of British homes, based on analysis of homes’ current energy efficiency and internal electrical limit. Practical considerations, like space availability or compliance with planning regulations, may limit where heat pumps can be installed, but we are supporting innovation to develop solutions to these challenges.

The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament towards clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings, including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which support the installation of heat pumps.

The Department plans to publish the Biomass Strategy before summer recess.

The Government meets regularly with the energy sector to monitor levels of global production and supply of renewable liquid fuels.

The Government expects heat pumps will be the primary technology for decarbonising off-grid buildings. The Government recognises that not all off-grid properties will be suitable for a heat pump and there will be a role for alternative low carbon technologies where heat pumps cannot be used.

The Government is currently investigating what role renewable liquid fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil could play in the future low carbon heating mix. As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government believes that the use of biofuels in heating is likely to be limited to properties where heat pumps cannot be used. The Government will prioritise its use in sectors that offer the greatest opportunity to reduce emissions, and where there are fewest options to decarbonise through alternative low carbon technologies.

Electrolytic (‘green’) hydrogen is essential to meeting the UK's net zero target. Government analysis suggests that by 2030 the sector could support over 12,000 jobs and unlock over £9 billion in private investment. The UK is aiming to develop up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen generation by 2030, with at least half from electrolytic hydrogen, subject to affordability and value for money.

The Government has set out a comprehensive package of support, combining upfront capital funding with a long-term business model, to instigate electrolytic hydrogen projects. The Government aims to run yearly electrolytic allocation rounds for the Hydrogen Business Model.

The UK Hydrogen Strategy sets out government’s ambition to support a variety of low carbon hydrogen production methods, including electrolytic and CCUS-enabled hydrogen, alongside innovative hydrogen production methods.

The Government welcomes UK innovation towards this ambition. As part of the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, the Government is providing £60m in funding for innovation work on the supply of hydrogen and £55m for fuel switching which includes switching processes to hydrogen power. The Government is committed to working with industry to identify, support and then develop credible innovative hydrogen production technologies.

Since publishing the UK Hydrogen Strategy, the Government has doubled its ambition from 5GW to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 - subject to affordability and value for money.

The first electrolytic allocation round opened in July, offering support from our Net Zero Hydrogen Fund and the Hydrogen Business Model. In August, four CCUS-enabled hydrogen projects were selected to proceed to due diligence as part of the Government’s plan for industrial clusters.

The “Hydrogen Strategy Update to the Market” was published in July and summarises government policy development and delivery since the publication of the strategy.

Support will be provided for non-domestic customers, including schools, that use alternative fuels, such as heating oil, instead of gas for heating. Further details will be announced shortly.

The Government has commissioned several comparative assessments of nuclear energy technologies over the last decade, many of which have included consideration of Molten Salt technologies.

The outputs of these assessments were considered, alongside other evidence sources, in the development of the “Advanced modular reactors (AMRs): technical assessment” published in July 2021 as part of the decision on the technology choice for the Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D) programme. This can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advanced-modular-reactors-amrs-technical-assessment.

Local authorities are responsible for the continuous professional development of their workforces, including social workers.

Social workers are critical to the functioning of the wider children’s social care system. They must meet the professional standards set by Social Work England to practise as a social worker. In relation to the altruism of those seeking to foster and adopt, the standards recognise the importance of family and community networks, requiring social workers to work in partnership with these.

To support child and family social workers to continuously improve their practice, the department funds professional development for around 4,000 social workers each year. The new Early Career Framework for child and family social workers will significantly extend the training and support they receive in the early stages of their career, helping to equip them with the knowledge skills they need to support children and families.

Local authorities are responsible for the continuous professional development of their workforces, including social workers.

Social workers are critical to the functioning of the wider children’s social care system. They must meet the professional standards set by Social Work England to practise as a social worker. In relation to the altruism of those seeking to foster and adopt, the standards recognise the importance of family and community networks, requiring social workers to work in partnership with these.

To support child and family social workers to continuously improve their practice, the department funds professional development for around 4,000 social workers each year. The new Early Career Framework for child and family social workers will significantly extend the training and support they receive in the early stages of their career, helping to equip them with the knowledge skills they need to support children and families.

Legislation was laid on 21 November to ensure householders do not face financial barriers to dispose of small-scale DIY waste at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). The legislation will come into force from 31 December 2023, subject to parliamentary procedure.

The Environment Agency is responsible for monitoring chemicals in the water environment in England. This includes drugs that are typically associated with discharges of treated waste water, including pharmaceuticals, substances used in personal care products and veterinary medicines. Data can be found at: Defra Data Services Platform.

Section 102 of the Environment Act 2021, the general duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity, came into force on 1st January 2023 and applies to National Park Authorities and to Local Authorities which host Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty partnerships.

We are considering a range of options to tackle the drain blockages and fatbergs caused by wet wipes and are working to assess the effects of wet wipes containing plastic on sewers to identify possible solutions. In general, we prefer to help people and companies make the right choice, rather than banning items outright. Alongside our upcoming consultation on single-use plastic items, we will be asking some questions about wet wipes to help us build our evidence base, inform our policy approach and take appropriate action.

The Defra guidance on making an environmental claim has been updated recently to include the Competition Markets Authority’s published guidance available here: Make an environmental claim for your product, service or organisation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). This guidance aims to help businesses understand and comply with their existing obligations under consumer protection law when making any environmental claims.

We will continue to encourage the water industry and wet wipe manufacturers to work together to raise consumer awareness about the appropriate disposal of wet wipes and other non-flushable products, and to ensure that the labelling is clear. This will be crucial for generating meaningful behavioural change with consumers.

We are considering a range of options to tackle the drain blockages and fatbergs caused by wet wipes and are working to assess the effects of wet wipes containing plastic on sewers to identify possible solutions. In general, we prefer to help people and companies make the right choice, rather than banning items outright. Alongside our upcoming consultation on single-use plastic items, we will be asking some questions about wet wipes to help us build our evidence base, inform our policy approach and take appropriate action.

The Defra guidance on making an environmental claim has been updated recently to include the Competition Markets Authority’s published guidance available here: Make an environmental claim for your product, service or organisation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). This guidance aims to help businesses understand and comply with their existing obligations under consumer protection law when making any environmental claims.

We will continue to encourage the water industry and wet wipe manufacturers to work together to raise consumer awareness about the appropriate disposal of wet wipes and other non-flushable products, and to ensure that the labelling is clear. This will be crucial for generating meaningful behavioural change with consumers.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency operates a 12-week booking window for approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 [driving ability] tests, and part 3 [instructional ability] tests. A ‘book to hold’ system is in place for people booking a test outside of that window. The book to hold list is assessed daily to monitor demand.

In Plymouth, as of 15 March 2023:

• there is availability for the ADI part 2 test within the booking window;
• no part 2 tests booked to hold; and
• one part 3 test booked to hold.

Highway England’s delivery plan to be published later this year will contain details of the schemes which will contribute to provision of a high quality dual carriageway link between the London and the South East and the South West.

There are no current plans to increase the flat rate of child maintenance payments. The child maintenance calculation was designed to be fair for the paying parent, while ensuring they contribute a significant proportion of their income to support their children.

A banding system ensures that the very lowest earners pay a flat rate of £7 per week, and those with no income pay nothing. Those that can afford to make a bigger contribution do so at a rate that reflects what they earn.

NHS England determines overall policy and strategy for integrated care boards (ICBs), including access to medication and treatments. ICBs are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met. Providers are required to ensure statutory responsibilities are met for the delivery of safe, effective, efficient, high quality services.

Local integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the implementation of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) recommendations. ICBs develop commissioning policies for clinicians to determine eligibility and clinicians must have regard to NICE’s guidance.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s data shows that to 3 November 2021 the average number of staff in National Health Service trusts absent due to sickness or self-isolation in the preceding week was 72,355 per day, of which 14,316 staff were absent for COVID-19 related reasons. This compares to a peak of over 155,000 absences per day in April 2020 and almost 100,000 absences per day in January 2021.

The Government wants people to remain fit and active at all times. The Chief Medical Officer is clear that being physically active is important to long-term health and crucial for keeping people healthy during the ongoing pandemic. Evidence suggests that regular physical activity can promote good physical health and help manage stress and anxiety.

Throughout the pandemic, parks and outdoor green spaces have remained open. People are able to go outdoors for a walk, run, cycle or any other independent way they normally get active. The Government has published detailed guidance for members of the public on how they can exercise outdoors and for outdoor facilities on re-opening.

Prevention of ill-health remains a top priority. In July 2020, Environment Secretary George Eustice announced a £4.27 million investment for a cross-government project aimed at preventing and tackling mental ill health through green social prescribing.

The Government will continue its focus on health improvement and preventing ill-health, with support from the expert teams who currently sit in PHE, who will continue with their excellent work. We will be consulting with staff and engaging with an external stakeholder advisory group on where PHE’s health improvement functions would be best placed in order to support the public health system in our aim to increase healthy life expectancy.

Where a property is available for short-term lets for 140 days or more in a year, it will be assessed for business rates, rather than council tax, and would not be liable for a council tax premium.

From April 2023, short term lets will need to be able to demonstrate 70 days of actual short-term letting activity, that they were available for 140 days in the previous year, and will be available for 140 days in the forthcoming year, in order to be liable for business rates.

Renewable energy, such as that generated from solar panels, is a key part of our strategy to get to net zero via a decarbonised electricity grid. We must therefore take the opportunity, where appropriate, to fit solar panels.

However, some homes may not be suitable for solar panels. For instance, due to shading, building orientation, roof shape/size, or visual amenity.

In December 2021 the Government introduced an uplift in energy efficiency standards, which came into force in June 2022. The uplift delivers a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions, with new homes now expected to produce around 30% less CO2 emissions compared to those built to the previous standards.

Our approach to achieving higher standards remains technology-neutral, to provide developers with the flexibility to choose the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions for their site. We expect, however, that in order to comply with the uplift, most developers will choose to install solar panels on new homes or use other low-carbon technology such as a heat pump.

As well as improving the energy efficiency of new buildings in the short term, the uplift will act as a stepping-stone to the Future Homes Standard, which will be implemented in 2025.  The Future Homes Standard will ensure all new homes are net zero ready, meaning they will become zero carbon when the electricity grid decarbonises without the need for any retrofit work.

Under the current system, local authorities are responsible for their borrowing and investment decisions as they are best able to understand local needs. Where an authority borrows from the Public Works Loan Board, they must satisfy themselves that all borrowing is affordable and is compliant with HM Treasury’s lending terms and conditions, which do not permit borrowing if the authority intends to make investments primarily for yield. The authority remains accountable to their electorate for individual investment decisions, including those for the purposes of regeneration.

Authorities may borrow without prior government consent, except for smaller authorities such as parish and town councils which require the government’s approval to borrow for capital purposes. The government reviews all applications before issuing approval. As part of this process, applicants must satisfy the Department’s assessment criteria, which includes providing evidence that the council has considered local support for the capital plans.

Under the current system, local authorities are responsible for their borrowing and investment decisions as they are best able to understand local needs. Where an authority borrows from the Public Works Loan Board, they must satisfy themselves that all borrowing is affordable and is compliant with HM Treasury’s lending terms and conditions, which do not permit borrowing if the authority intends to make investments primarily for yield. The authority remains accountable to their electorate for individual investment decisions, including those for the purposes of regeneration.

Authorities may borrow without prior government consent, except for smaller authorities such as parish and town councils which require the government’s approval to borrow for capital purposes. The government reviews all applications before issuing approval. As part of this process, applicants must satisfy the Department’s assessment criteria, which includes providing evidence that the council has considered local support for the capital plans.

The discount is not intended to replace the deposit on a home but will make it significantly cheaper. We expect mortgage companies to be able to offer high loan-to-value mortgages on the discounted price of a First Home which, combined with the reduced cost of the home itself, could mean deposits are thousands of pounds cheaper than purchasing the same home on the open market.

Whilst there are no plans to publish anything further on this, the ongoing improvements of the online property and affairs applications process at the Court of Protection are iterative and include ongoing development of the online applications process, user testing, reviewing and revising the court forms and supporting guidance and clearer information on Gov.UK. Forms required for paper applications are also under review and revision.

Initial improvements were rolled out for all court users in February 2023, resulting in application waiting times being reduced from 24 weeks to 8 weeks.

Cafcass’ domestic abuse practice guidance consists of a practice pathway and a guidance document that provides social work practitioners with a structured approach to risk assessment of domestic abuse in the family court. This was updated in May 2021 alongside a programme of training in its use for all practice staff. The materials can be accessed here: Resources for assessing domestic abuse - Cafcass - Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

The practice pathway guidance provides practitioners with a range of assessment tools to use when domestic abuse is part of a family’s circumstances. The aim of this guidance is to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of the child at the centre of proceedings; to promote the best interests of the child and offer a safe recommendation to the court; to work in a trauma focused, respectful and responsive manner; to assess the impact on the child of their lived experience of domestic abuse and to look for strengths in the family and community to promote safety.

The level of violence in prisons is high and any assault against our hardworking prison staff is unacceptable. We are addressing this by giving all staff the tools and training they need to help reduce violence.

While violence fell in 2012, the year after the Hutton report, this steadily rose until 2019, but has now begin to level off – with a decrease by 15% in the last four quarters.

The causes of violence are complicated. The increase in the use of psychoactive substances in prisons since 2013 has been a significant factor in the previous increase in violence.

We have made significant investment to boost staff numbers and recruited more than 4,000 additional prison officers between October 2016 and December 2019. This has given us the capacity to implement the key worker role, allowing staff dedicated time to provide support to individual prisoners, helping us to deal with emerging threats and improve safety.

We work closely with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to bring those guilty of assaulting staff to justice. Additionally, as outlined in our Sentencing White Paper we will double the maximum sentence for assaulting an emergency worker from 12 months to two years.

We are also giving officers PAVA pepper spray and body-worn cameras to make their jobs safer and are spending £100 million to bolster prison security, clamping down on the weapons, drugs and mobile phones that fuel violence and crime behind bars. This will fund tough new measures including x-ray body scanners, baggage scanners and phone-blocking technology.

We highly value our hardworking prison staff and offer access to medical professionals and an employee assistance programme to ensure continued physical and mental wellbeing. There are currently no plans to review the retirement age of prison officers.