Jerome Mayhew

Public procurement is a key lever for enabling delivery of the Government’s missions by using procurement policy to drive economic growth, raise employment standards in business, and achieve additional social value through the life of a contract. The Government’s ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’ sets out an ambitious programme to value organisations that create local jobs, skills and wealth and treat their workers well and equally. Ministers are considering how to take these plans forward.

The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK collaborates with Government, automotive industry, and academia to produce quarterly forecasts. The latest insights show, based on nameplate capacity, European cell production is projected to surpass demand in 2027.

While EU trade remains vital to the sector, it is critical for UK economic resilience and competitiveness that we build domestic battery production capacity and diverse supply chains.

This Government is supporting our domestic battery ecosystem through Industrial Strategy commitments, where we announced the UK's largest single commitment to battery R&D in the Battery Innovation Programme, and significant capital support through DRIVE35 funding.

The Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) is not able to provide an estimated annual cost for the Sustainability Taskforce for 2025/26 before its accounts for the financial year are finalised. Its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26 will be laid before Parliament in the normal way.

The CMA does not allocate specific multi-year funding to individual workstreams such as the Sustainability Taskforce, which remain subject to wider prioritisation decisions. Budgets for 2026/27 and 2027/28 have not yet been formally delegated by HM Treasury or approved through the Main Estimate process. Estimated costs for these future years are therefore not available.

For financial year 2024-25 the annual cost of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Sustainability Taskforce was £342,983.19. This includes £342,306.01 in staff costs and £677.18 in other programme expenditure covering travel and subsistence.

Of the additional funding set out in the Autumn Budget 2024 for financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26, over £150m will be used to administer the various compensation schemes. Over £100m has been set aside to continue to fund DBT and Post Office’s participation in the public inquiry.

The Budget also set out that around £1.8 billion has been set aside for redress costs for the victims of the Horizon IT Scandal from 2024-25.

As part of the Spending Review 2021 Government provided Post Office with a total of £185m of funding to support investment activities, which included the ongoing maintenance and replacement of the Horizon IT system. In 2023 Government provided a further £103m to support with the costs of Horizon maintenance and replacement. Post Office is currently assessing the future costs of replacing the Horizon IT system. Further funding is to be allocated subject to the Spending Review process.

Neither the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) nor its EU equivalent applies to maritime emissions, and this instrument does not introduce any CBAM obligations for maritime operators.

The Common Understanding, published in May 2025 sets out the parameters for a linking agreement between the UK and EU emissions trading schemes, including that the link should apply in respect of domestic and international maritime.

Linking will facilitate an exemption from the EU CBAM, removing a major barrier to trade and lowering costs for UK businesses.

The department publishes statistics on the cost of domestic electricity and gas.

Annual domestic energy bills - GOV.UK

This includes tables (2.2.4 for electricity and 2.3.4 for gas) outlining the average unit price in £/kWh and average fixed cost (standing charge) in £/year for the United Kingdom and by region.

This also includes tables (2.2.3 for electricity and 2.3.3 for gas) outlining the average unit cost in p/kWh inclusive of fixed costs for the United Kingdom and by region.

These are calculated using data supplied directly to the department by a sample of domestic energy suppliers.

The Emissions Trading Scheme is a cap-and-trade system with a declining cap that ensures emissions from the traded sector, including the domestic maritime sector, fall in line with the United Kingdom’s statutory net zero commitments.

The scheme limits total emissions and enables reductions to occur where they are most cost effective, without prescribing specific technologies in any sector.

For maritime operators, the scheme provides a clear price signal that supports investment in cleaner vessels, operational efficiency and emerging low carbon fuels.

The Government will continue to work with industry to support the development of infrastructure and technologies needed to facilitate decarbonisation.

In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee energy security and protect billpayers is to reduce our exposure to volatile international markets. Great British Energy is driving the deployment of the clean, homegrown energy. It will ensure UK taxpayers, billpayers, and communities reap the benefits of this.

Great British Nuclear was established in 2023 as an expert nuclear delivery. It is currently running a small modular reactor technology selection process. This is a live procurement and is ongoing; the window for submitting tenders has now closed and Great British Nuclear is now evaluating bids, with further updates to follow in due course.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is a new capital fund announced on 22 January 2026. This will have an annual budget of £23m starting in 2026/27. This is providing certainty for the remaining years of the Spending Review until 2029/30, providing £92m over the period. Support will be targeted at places of most need. Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process, will be published in due course. The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will award grants for projects to cover capital works, rather than just the VAT element of a project, as is the case with the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. In some cases the amount granted could be greater than just the VAT element currently funded.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund, a new capital fund announced on 22 January 2026, will have an annual budget of £23m starting in 2026/27. This is providing certainty for the remaining years of the Spending Review until 2029/30, providing £92m over the period.

Heritage funding is a devolved matter. However, listed places of worship in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have benefitted from VAT rebate grants from the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which ran from 2001 to 2026.

At Spending Reviews, the Devolved Governments receive Barnett consequentials as a proportion of overall departmental settlements, not specific funding lines or programmes. In last year’s Spending Review, Barnett consequentials were confirmed for Devolved Governments in the usual way, taking into account the overall DCMS allocation, which includes capital funding for the England only Places of Worship Renewal Fund. Decisions on how this funding is spent are for the Devolved Governments to take.

We are working closely with other funders in the sector to ensure that opportunities for funding places of worship throughout the UK are maximised. The NLHF already offers grants for places of worship across all the UK and is currently investing £100m over 3 years through National Lottery Heritage Grants and a strategic initiative designed to provide targeted support to build capacity.

Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will be published in due course.

This government is launching a new capital fund to support listed places of worship, the Places of Worship Renewal Fund. This will have an annual budget of £23m starting in 2026/27. This is providing certainty for the remaining years of the Spending Review until 2029/30, providing £92m over the period. Support will be targeted at places of most need. Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process, will be published in due course.

The Department for Transport provides all capital funding and a small amount of resource funding.

Defra is working on a review of the Government Buying Standards which set out how Government procurement can take account of environmental and social impacts whilst ensuring value for money. This review considers the lifecycle impacts of fleet vehicles, including measures to reduce waste and raw material consumption associated with vehicles parts such as tyres.

As part of this work, Defra has made no specific assessment of data from continental Europe and the United States on the potential benefits of mandating retread tyres in public procurement fleet contracts.

We are making progress towards the statutory target to reach 16.5% tree and woodland cover in England by 2050. The Government has pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration over the current and next financial year. As part of that we will create new woodland including national forests to bring communities and woodlands closer together and to create new green jobs. The Government has launched a Tree Planting Taskforce to support our plans to plant millions more trees.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government is introducing legislation to enact the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants and food and feed before the end of March.

The European Commission has published a proposal that is similar in aim to the Precision Breeding Act. The department is monitoring progress on the EU’s regulatory proposal closely and engaging with the European Commission when appropriate.

Officials have met with EU counterparts several times to discuss England’s approach to precision breeding and the EU’s proposal on new genomic techniques, including through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee and through the UK-EU Joint Consultative Working Group Agri-food structured group.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government is introducing legislation to enact the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants and food and feed before the end of March.

The European Commission has published a proposal that is similar in aim to the Precision Breeding Act. The department is monitoring progress on the EU’s regulatory proposal closely and engaging with the European Commission when appropriate.

Officials have met with EU counterparts several times to discuss England’s approach to precision breeding and the EU’s proposal on new genomic techniques, including through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee and through the UK-EU Joint Consultative Working Group Agri-food structured group.

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) reported a net deficit of £8.8m in its accounts for the 2024/25 financial year. Potential fee increases, if implemented would support the managing down of the deficit, with any remaining deficits are expected to be covered by efficiencies and additional income in other areas.

A consultation on the proposed fee increases has recently been completed, and the outputs are currently being evaluated.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) advertises all driving examiner vacancies on Civil Service Jobs (opens in a new tab) on GOV.UK. Over the last 12 months, DVSA has used the following online job sites to reach a wider pool of applicants:

• DfT Careers [careers.dft.gov.uk] – Driving Examiner role page
  The page explains role duties, skills, and recruitment process.
• GOV.UK [gov.uk] – Working for DVSA recruitment area
• DVSA professions page on DfT Careers
  Lists Driving Examiner roles and links users to the appropriate recruitment routes; used during active campaigns.

The agency also displays posters in driving test centres as part of a wider mix of recruitment activity. All driving test centres have access to a centrally produced recruitment campaign poster to be displayed in their waiting rooms. However, posters are displayed only if DVSA is actively recruiting in the area.

For campaigns up to November 2025, DVSA used the data available from the Civil Service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information is limited and does not give 100% coverage.

In December 2025, the agency introduced a DVSA specific survey. This is sent to everyone who is offered an interview. This is then followed by another survey sent to anyone who successfully moves onto training. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently has data for only one complete and one ongoing campaign. This survey might contain some data about how effective posters are in generating applications for driving examiner roles, but it is too early to say.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) advertises all driving examiner vacancies on Civil Service Jobs (opens in a new tab) on GOV.UK. Over the last 12 months, DVSA has used the following online job sites to reach a wider pool of applicants:

• DfT Careers [careers.dft.gov.uk] – Driving Examiner role page
  The page explains role duties, skills, and recruitment process.
• GOV.UK [gov.uk] – Working for DVSA recruitment area
• DVSA professions page on DfT Careers
  Lists Driving Examiner roles and links users to the appropriate recruitment routes; used during active campaigns.

The agency also displays posters in driving test centres as part of a wider mix of recruitment activity. All driving test centres have access to a centrally produced recruitment campaign poster to be displayed in their waiting rooms. However, posters are displayed only if DVSA is actively recruiting in the area.

For campaigns up to November 2025, DVSA used the data available from the Civil Service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information is limited and does not give 100% coverage.

In December 2025, the agency introduced a DVSA specific survey. This is sent to everyone who is offered an interview. This is then followed by another survey sent to anyone who successfully moves onto training. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently has data for only one complete and one ongoing campaign. This survey might contain some data about how effective posters are in generating applications for driving examiner roles, but it is too early to say.

The Government Recruitment Service does not hold information on whether an applicant was successful as a result of a referral, as such the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has had no discussions regarding this.

The table below shows the number of applicants who successfully passed training, to become a driving examiner conducting tests, in each of the last three years:

The above is the total number for the calendar year, and does not necessarily represent when applicants entered the recruitment process. For example, an applicant might have been recruited onto a training course in 2022 but did not pass the training course until 2023.

The Government Recruitment Service does not hold information on whether an applicant was successful as a result of a referral, as such the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has had no discussions regarding this.

The table below shows the number of applicants who successfully passed training, to become a driving examiner conducting tests, in each of the last three years:

The above is the total number for the calendar year, and does not necessarily represent when applicants entered the recruitment process. For example, an applicant might have been recruited onto a training course in 2022 but did not pass the training course until 2023.