Ian Byrne

The Government is clear that equality and opportunity for all are at the heart of our programme of national renewal. This includes actively considering the needs of older women and ensuring that they are not discriminated against. The Government recognises the challenges some older women can face and is committed to ensuring that support systems are in place. These include improving older people’s participation online through the new Digital Inclusion Action plan, employment support through Jobcentres, and addressing healthcare inequality in the 10 Year Health Plan, to ensure the NHS is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it.

The Government set out clear priorities for the reset with the EU in the manifesto. There are no plans for a Youth Mobility Scheme.

Hospitality businesses, including pubs, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth. We've launched a licensing taskforce aimed at cutting red tape and removing barriers that hinder progress. The Government also plans to permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000.

Additionally, we've introduced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects aligned with Department for Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council priorities. This includes helping those furthest from the job market into employment and boosting productivity across the sector.

Our Plan to Make Work Pay will modernise the UK labour market and address challenges thrown up by new trends and technologies. The Employment Rights Bill is the first phase of delivery, and will provide a new baseline of security for workers. Once implemented, it will raise the minimum floor of employment rights, raise living standards across the country and level the playing field for businesses engaged in good practices.

We have also committed to consult on a simpler employment status framework, distinguishing between workers and the genuinely self-employed, ensuring that all workers have the comfort of protection at work.

On 1 January 2025 the Government implemented the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The Competition and Markets Authority now has new bespoke tools to address the market power of a small number of the largest technology firms and increase competition in digital markets. This will create opportunities for new entrants, allow existing firms to grow, encourage continued investment and innovation and lead to better outcomes for consumers.

The Government has no plan to negotiate a new trade deal with Colombia.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognises that bioenergy can play a significant role in decarbonising economies provided policies mitigate the use of unsustainable biomass. The low carbon dispatchable CfD mechanism will result in Drax generating more flexibly, displacing higher-emissions unabated gas plants, helping to reduce power system carbon emissions.

The Government is commissioning an independent review to consider how greenhouse gas removal technologies, including power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, can assist with UK Net Zero targets, whilst maintaining security of supply. Further details will be shared in due course.

Accelerating deployment of rooftop solar panels is key to the Government’s Clean Energy mission.

New building standards will be introduced to ensure that all newly built houses and commercial buildings are fit for a net zero future. These standards are expected to encourage the installation of solar panels. A call for evidence about solar canopies in car parks will be published shortly. The Solar Roadmap will also contain further recommendations for industry and government to support the increased installation of rooftop solar panels.

Details of other relevant policies, including the Warm Homes Plan and the work of Great British Energy, will be announced in due course.

Although standing charges are a commercial matter for suppliers and are regulated by Ofgem under the price cap, the Government knows that too much of the burden of the bill is placed on them. Ofgem’s recently published update regarding reforming standing charges outlines 3 broad options it will take forward:

• Consulting on introducing a zero standing charge price cap tariff in the new year;
• Consulting on lowering standing charges by around £10 through a review of operating costs;
• Reviewing whether regional standing charge price differences should remain or not as part of a review of how system costs are recovered.

Ofgem’s review of standing charges considered the distributional impacts of potential changes to standing charges, and it can be found here:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/standing-charges-update-our-review.

The changes Ofgem are seeking to introduce are aimed at giving consumers, including those who may be struggling with their bills, more control over their energy costs. Consumers will be able to choose the right tariff to suit their consumption pattern.

As highlighted in the Climate Change Committee's CB6 report, CCUS enabled technologies, including Power, will be essential to achieving net zero. By capturing and storing carbon dioxide, CCUS significantly reduces overall emissions. Emissions from the production of natural gas must reduce significantly both in the UK and globally. Through the North Sea Transition Deal DESNZ is working with industry to cut emissions from upstream production by 50% from 2018 levels by 2030. Internationally, the UK is a member of the Global Methane Pledge to collectively reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media and takes environmental issues into account. The ASA operates independently of Government, and I would encourage the Hon. Member to reach out to the ASA to discuss this issue further.

The vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at point of use and our expert regulators are best placed to do this. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to identifying capability needs for regulators to mitigate AI risks and drive growth.

The most advanced AI systems pose distinct opportunities and risks, and the Government is therefore developing legislative proposals to allow us to safely and securely realise the benefits of these systems. We are refining our proposals and will launch a public consultation in due course.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) apply to all online services that use personal data and require organisations to process personal data lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely, unless certain limited exemptions apply. The legislation already gives consumers important rights in relation to their personal data, such as the right to seek access to it, object to its processing or seek its erasure. Consumers can also bring complaints about the handling of their personal data to the independent regulator for data protection, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Measures in the Data (Use and Access) Bill include revamping the ICO with a new governance structure and powers of enforcement – ensuring people’s personal data will continue to be protected to high standards. Under the new digital markets regime, the Competition and Markets Authority could also introduce targeted remedies that strengthen consumer choice and control.

We are always happy to meet - as the Government has met several times - with organisations representing older people several times to discuss the impact of the industry-led analogue to digital migration on older and vulnerable people.

Following engagement with multiple organisations representing older people across the UK, the Government in November 2024 published a definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support during the migration. This definition includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landlines. Any customer, including the elderly, can also self-identify as requiring additional support.

Copying protected material in the UK infringes copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.

The Government recently consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI).

This consultation closed on 25^th February. The Government is reviewing the responses to the consultation, it will continue to engage extensively on this issue and its proposals will be set out in due course.

In November 2024 DSIT announced a feasibility study to further understand the impact of smartphones and social media on children.

The study will review existing evidence on the topic and assess which research methods will be most effective in determining the causal effect of social media and smartphones on children’s developmental outcomes. The study will conclude in May 2025.

In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press and the Government therefore does not intervene in or oversee the work of press regulators. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility, and newspapers must operate within the bounds of the law. This includes ensuring access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.

Having a press that is completely separate from the Government is important for press freedom and to ensure the public have access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. An independent self-regulatory regime is important to ensure the press adheres to clear and high standards and the Government currently has no plans to change the present system of press regulation.

In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press and the Government therefore does not intervene in or oversee the work of press regulators. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility, and newspapers must operate within the bounds of the law. This includes ensuring access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.

Having a press that is completely separate from the Government is important for press freedom and to ensure the public have access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. An independent self-regulatory regime is important to ensure the press adheres to clear and high standards and the Government currently has no plans to change the present system of press regulation.

Local authorities hold the statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. Local Authorities fund youth services from their Local Government Settlement in line with local need, and this was increased to more than £69 billion in 2025/26 - a 6.8% increase in cash terms compared to 2024/25.

We will be launching the Local Youth Transformation pilot this year, which will support select local authorities to build back capability to improve local youth offers. We will share more information in due course.

There is a range of support available via DCMS and the Department’s Arm’s-Length Bodies for listed places of worship. These include the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme; the National Lottery Heritage Fund's £15m Heritage in Need: Places of Worship initiative, funded through the National Lottery between 2023 and 2026; the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), which funds repairs and maintenance of over 350 churches in the CCT portfolio; and Historic England's Heritage At Risk grants, which support certain religious buildings such as cathedrals on the Heritage at Risk register.

Following the Autumn Budget, we are continuing to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) successful Supporting Grassroots Music Fund which provides grants to grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals across England. ACE has provided funding to grassroots music venues in Liverpool, such as the multi-purpose venue District for the District Live Music Programme, to help support 6 months of accessible live music performances. There are also a number of ACE’s National Portfolio Organisations that support grassroots music in Liverpool, such as Liverpool Sound City, an annual music festival and industry conference, and Future Yard, a community music venue which provides training and artist development services alongside live music space.