John Milne

The impact that the Horizon scandal has had on postmasters and their families is horrendous. This Government is determined to hold those responsible to account.

Fujitsu’s culpability needs to be assessed in light of the final report of Sir Wyn Williams’s Inquiry. Once it is published we will carefully consider whether to launch debarment investigations based on the findings in that report.

In January 2024, Fujitsu committed to withdraw from bidding for contracts with new Government customers until the Post Office Horizon inquiry concluded – it would only bid for work with existing Government customers where it already has a contract with them, or where there is an agreed need for Fujitsu’s capabilities. Fujitsu’s correspondence on this matter is deposited in Parliament.

The Cabinet Office is monitoring Fujitsu’s compliance with these bidding constraints and carries out regular reviews of Fujitsu’s performance across their Government contracts. The Crown Representative meets regularly with the UK CEO to discuss this and other issues.

The impact that the Horizon scandal has had on postmasters and their families is horrendous. This Government is determined to hold those responsible to account.

Fujitsu’s culpability needs to be assessed in light of the final report of Sir Wyn Williams’s Inquiry. Once it is published we will carefully consider whether to launch debarment investigations based on the findings in that report.

In January 2024, Fujitsu committed to withdraw from bidding for contracts with new Government customers until the Post Office Horizon inquiry concluded – it would only bid for work with existing Government customers where it already has a contract with them, or where there is an agreed need for Fujitsu’s capabilities. Fujitsu’s correspondence on this matter is deposited in Parliament.

The Cabinet Office is monitoring Fujitsu’s compliance with these bidding constraints and carries out regular reviews of Fujitsu’s performance across their Government contracts. The Crown Representative meets regularly with the UK CEO to discuss this and other issues.

The Department of Business and Trade has expertise committed to delivering economic growth in the agri-tech sector and helping to deliver the outcomes of the Industrial Strategy.

In the Industrial Strategy, Government set out an ambition to drive innovation in agriculture. We committed to invest at least £200 million in the Farming Innovation Programme by 2030, with £123 million available for competitions in 2026-27. To date, the programme has supported more than 300 projects, including innovations in fruit crop protection and dairy health in Horsham. Frontier industries are supported through a range of interventions tailored to their specific growth opportunities and barriers, rather than through directly comparable funding allocations. Progress is reported through our Quarterly Updates and recent one-year Industrial Strategy delivery update.

Watchkeeper unmanned aerial system (UAS) components are licensed from the UK to Israel solely for the purpose of supporting onward export to a Romanian UAS programme.

The Department has published extensive information on our export licences to Israel. This is available here: Israel export control licensing data: 31 July 2025 - GOV.UK.

As referenced in my answer to Question 117035, all five licences were for IDF/Israeli Government training. The equipment covered by those licences included non-lethal ammunition only used in training and not suitable for operational use, components for body armour, components for military training equipment, and various goods permitted to be exported under an Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL).

These exports are in line with the Government’s decision in September 2024 to suspend licences for exports to Israel of equipment that could be used in military operations in Gaza.

Three were not for military purposes in Israel. One was for commercial use, one for civilian use, and one for re-export to another country. The remaining two licences were for military training purposes, specifically non-lethal ammunition only used in training and not suitable for operational use.

Energy resilience is one of our top priorities. The Government is working with the industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of old and new energy infrastructure, networks and assets, including the ones in rural areas. This will reduce vulnerabilities and ensure an effective response to actual or potentially disruptive incidents.

The Government will also publish an Energy Resilience Strategy in 2026 to set long term priorities for maintaining a secure and resilient energy system.

Natural gas is used as an input for Power CCUS and CCUS-enabled hydrogen production. However, the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan (23 June 2025) did not include a specific estimate of imported LNG emissions for CCUS. We are clear that future emissions from the production of natural gas will need to reduce in the UK and across the world and we are working with the US, EU and others to develop a framework to better measure, monitor, and report methane emissions from imported gas.

The Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) recommendations are independent advice, not government policy. The Government is considering the CCC’s advice and will set the CB7 level by 30th June 2026.

Alongside reporting the UK’s territorial emissions, the Government publishes UK carbon footprint statistics, which includes imported emissions. In July 2025, we announced the Production and Consumption Transformation (PACT) Centre. PACT will conduct independent world class research to expand the evidence base on production and consumption, providing actionable insights on energy and material efficiency solutions, including assessing imported emissions. This will support effective analysis and policy making in this field.

Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) provides the UK with a flexible source of gas supply to meet gas demand – helping respond when demand peaks, for example over winter when gas demand rises for home heating.

However, we are aware of the emissions associated with its use and we are working with international partners to explore ways to minimise methane and CO2 emissions across the LNG supply chain. This includes considering enhanced measuring, monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions to improve accountability and progress toward lower-emission LNG production and transport.

The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan is a national, transmission-level plan covering Great Britain, and as such it will not prescribe or authorise individual projects at community level. Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) will undertake spatial planning at a more local level.

The government recognises that high quality digital connectivity is essential for businesses in the UK, including in rural areas. Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and we have a target to deliver nationwide (99%) gigabit broadband coverage by 2032.

By phasing out copper-based connections and rolling out gigabit-capable fibre broadband, we are enabling faster and more resilient connectivity. Through Project Gigabit, we are delivering fast, reliable broadband to UK homes and businesses not included in suppliers' commercial plans, complementing commercial market delivery. As of the end of December 2025, over 1.3 million homes and businesses in rural areas across the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes.

Standalone 5G has the potential to offer high speed, high capacity, reliable connectivity, allowing communities and businesses to thrive. Where reliable 4G is not available, the Government’s Shared Rural Network programme continues to deliver 4G coverage, thereby improving the reliability and resilience of mobile connectivity. The programme has already met its interim target ahead of schedule, extending 4G coverage to over 95% of the UK landmass, with delivery continuing to January 2027 to address remaining not‑spots. This is improving day‑to‑day connectivity for rural businesses.

We recognise that power cuts can affect services, especially in rural areas. Ofcom are completing a detailed regulatory review of the resilience of mobile networks to power cuts, and Government is supporting collaboration between the electricity and telecommunications sectors to further reduce the likelihood and duration of any loss to mobile services from power cuts.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. Any future funding allocations are subject to the outcome of the Spending Review.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are considering funding into alternatives for animal testing as part of the Spending Review, and cannot commit funding amounts in advance of this process.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Office for Life Sciences Officials have met with Dr Michaelis to discuss lobular breast cancer. The Government does not ringfence funding for specific cancer types. DSIT invests approximately £200 million into cancer research annually via UK Research and Innovation, and The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spent £121.8 million in 2022/23 on cancer research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. DHSC is currently developing a new National Cancer Plan which will outline the Government’s strategy to improve patient outcomes for all cancer types, including breast cancer.

The Government doesn’t ringfence funding for specific diseases but is committed to funding cancer research, including lobular breast cancer. The Department of Health and Social Care spent £121.8 million in 2022/23 on cancer research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology funds cancer research via UK Innovation and Research (UKRI). UKRI invests approximately £200 million annually into cancer research, of which £10m per year is for breast cancer research.

Office for Life Sciences’ Cancer Healthcare Goals programme funds innovations at the earlier stages of the research and development pipeline. Such innovations will have the potential to diagnose multiple tumour types, including breast cancer.

We have allocated £1.3 million of funding for a National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) project that will assess the effectiveness of a new form of MRI scan to detect breast cancers that have been missed by mammograms.

Further NIHR research infrastructure funding supports Biomedical Research Centres and the NIHR Research Delivery Network, which has enabled delivery of 10 lobular breast-cancer studies.

Local authorities already have statutory duties to identify, track and support young people, including those not in education, employment or training (NEET). They collect characteristic data such as sex, ethnicity, special educational needs and young carer status.

We are implementing measures to reduce the number of young people who become NEET, building on the existing guarantee of a post-16 education place. This includes working with local authorities, strategic authorities, schools and further education (FE) providers to improve the identification, tracking and sharing of information on young people, while strengthening local oversight and accountability.

To support earlier intervention, we are investing in better data sharing, introducing new Risk of NEET indicator tools, and enhancing attendance monitoring in FE settings. These measures are intended to help identify at-risk young people sooner and provide timely support.

These sections of the Act allow, alongside proposals for new academies, for local authorities to invite proposals for other types of school and to put forward their own proposals. Allowing additional routes to delivery helps to ensure that good schools are opened when they are needed, particularly where the right high-quality academy trust is not immediately available. As such, these changes support local authorities in fulfilling their place planning function.

We provide local authorities with capital funding through the Basic Need capital grant to support them to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts.

Developer contributions are also an important way of helping to meet demand for new school places when housing developments are driving pupil numbers. While Basic Need allocations can be used for new school places that are required due to housing development, we would expect the amount used to meet this demand to be the minimum necessary to maintain development viability.

The government’s position is that schools should remain open wherever it is safe, allowing as many pupils as possible to attend rather than applying a fixed maximum temperature for closure.

Responsible bodies must make decisions based on the suitability of their buildings and mitigations for the impact of heat, ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils and staff.

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) plays a vital role in safeguarding children by overseeing the management of allegations made against adults who work with children in any capacity.

The department is aware of proposals to introduce independent LADOs, including a recommendation from the Children’s Commissioner in September 2025.

To ensure this vital role is delivered consistently and effectively across all local authorities, we continue to work with key stakeholders across the sector including the Office of the Children’s Commissioner on key policy developments and to explore how the role of LADO can be strengthened. Evidence and intelligence gathered through this engagement will be considered alongside wider stakeholder input to inform future policy development.

​​The department wants to ensure that young carers have the best life chances by supporting them to access and thrive in education. We recognise that absence from school can be a symptom and indicator of wider needs within a family, and that the early identification of attendance issues is crucial.

​Young carers are now included in the school census, providing annual data to establish long-term trends and help schools develop identification and support strategies. The department continues to monitor the quality of data on young carers collected via school registers, informing consideration on whether to include young carers in the daily data collection in the future.

​The statutory ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, in place since 19 August 2024, specifically references young carers and promotes a ‘support first’ approach. The department has also provided local authorities with access to code level breakdowns of attendance data at pupil level, enabling local authorities to cross-reference real-time data sources to monitor the attendance of pupils identified as young carers. ​

In July 2026, Flood Re and Government announced a package of reforms to ensure the scheme remains sustainable, fair and focused on its original purpose of supporting those most in need while preparing the market for the future so that Flood Re can achieve its mission by 2039 as planned.

Flood Re will work with insurers and lenders to introduce Flood Performance Certificates, an essential part of this transition by 2039. These certificates will help households better understand their flood risk and ensure that if they take action to make their homes more resilient it is reflected in their insurance premiums as well as in lending decisions.

Flood Re is a reinsurance scheme for insurance companies, rather than a household-facing product. The Government and Flood Re will work closely with insurers as reforms are implemented to ensure clear communication to households.

In July 2026, Flood Re and Government announced a package of reforms to ensure the scheme remains sustainable, fair and focused on its original purpose of supporting those most in need while preparing the market for the future so that Flood Re can achieve its mission by 2039 as planned.

Flood Re will work with insurers and lenders to introduce Flood Performance Certificates, an essential part of this transition by 2039. These certificates will help households better understand their flood risk and ensure that if they take action to make their homes more resilient it is reflected in their insurance premiums as well as in lending decisions.

Flood Re is a reinsurance scheme for insurance companies, rather than a household-facing product. The Government and Flood Re will work closely with insurers as reforms are implemented to ensure clear communication to households.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

The National Planning Policy Framework requires developments to utilise SuDS where they could have drainage impacts.

Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Water Neutrality has only been applied in Sussex North and Defra has not run any credit schemes for water neutrality in Sussex North.

Natural England withdrew its position statement advising water neutrality for new development in the Sussex North region in October 2025 following close joint working with Southern Water, the Environment Agency, Defra and environmental partners. This work has delivered a robust package of measures that protects the Arun Valley’s internationally important wetlands while allowing sustainable housing growth to resume, unblocking around 21,000 homes. By ending a four‑year pause and restoring certainty to the planning system, the withdrawal supports small and medium‑sized developers by allowing stalled development to proceed again.

We recognise that some developers engaged with local water neutrality mitigation schemes, including the purchase of water credits, in good faith during the period in which the approach to water neutrality applied. Defra does not operate or hold a financial interest in these schemes, which have been developed and managed by local authorities or private providers. As such, questions relating to refunds or compensation are a matter for the relevant scheme operators, who are best placed to advise on their individual policies and arrangements.

The Government is open to considering all lawful means of achieving its ambition that half of all food purchased across the public sector should be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards. Approximately half the £4.9bn annual spend on public sector food and catering in England is attributable to education settings, which represents a significant opportunity to deliver healthy outcomes for the public, contribute to sustainability goals and support domestic growth.

Defra has published a new national procurement policy statement. It sets expectations for Government contracts to favour products certified to high environmental standards that we think high-quality British producers are well-placed to meet.

Further, the Government is currently assessing what food the public sector buys and where it comes from. This will help inform our future approach on public sector food procurement, including for state-funded education settings.