Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS has made an assessment of the level of the resilience of digital health records systems to prolonged power outages during electricity system stress events.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the event of a disruption, the National Health Service maintains business continuity and emergency preparedness arrangements, including fallback systems, and protocols to mitigate the impact on health and patient care.

The NHS has long standing measures in place to manage disruption which would be caused by a power outage. Electronic patient record systems usually have a back-up power source, and paper patient records and handwritten notes may also be used as a contingency.

All NHS-funded organisations must meet the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the NHS Act 2006, and the Health and Care Act 2022. These requirements are also supported by the NHS Standard Contract, the NHS Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPPR) Framework, NHS Core Standards for EPRR, and the NHS England Business Continuity Management Toolkit.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans he has to maintain pharmaceutical cold chain logistics in instances of loss of load events that exceed 12 hours.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department works across the health and care landscape to monitor, manage, and where possible, mitigate risks to medical supply chains.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has engaged with industry on disaster recovery plans in the event of disruption to energy supplies, including the impact on cold chain, and is confident that full line wholesalers have the necessary resilience to weather short to medium term failures of energy infrastructure and to ensure the continued integrity of medicines across all temperature limits.

Under the MHRA’s Rules and Guidance for Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, wholesalers are expected to have a full, demonstrable understanding of their equipment, its limitations, and its ability to operate in extreme conditions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has undertaken economic modelling on the potential impact of sustained high industrial electricity prices on the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector until 2035.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Competitiveness depends on a wide range of factors. The Government recognises that high industrial electricity costs negatively impact the competitiveness in UK manufacturing, in line with the academic literature.

The Government announced the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme in the Industrial Strategy to reduce industrial electricity prices by c. £35 - £40/MWh from 2027 for around 7000 businesses. In addition, we also announced an increase in support for our most energy-intensive industries eligible for the British Industry Supercharger package, with an uplift of the Network Charging Compensation (NCC) scheme from 60% to 90%.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of power outages on mental health (a) service delivery, (b) remote digital therapy and (c) crisis response platforms.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No such assessment has been made. Planning for power outages is a core function of business continuity arrangements for all National Health Service organisations, including mental health providers.

NHS England monitors such incidents to identify root causes, solutions, and learning to share across the system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward plans for hybrid backup power systems combining (a) diesel generators, (b) battery storage and (c) hydrogen fuel cells in NHS hospitals.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service trusts are responsible for ensuring adequate back-up power systems in line with national guidelines. This includes conducting risk assessments to determine which systems meet their specific needs. Health Technical Memorandum 06-01 provides technical guidance on the supply and distribution of electrical services.

We continue to support the NHS to increase its energy resilience, including by diversifying its power sources. Some trusts have already implemented Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and we are funding a number of the solar projects via our £100 million collaboration with Great British Energy, which also includes BESS.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a risk register outlining potential system stability risks under Clean Power 2030 decarbonisation scenarios.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

There are no current plans to publish a risk register. Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network. The National Energy System Operator has all the tools it needs to operate the electricity system reliably and can call on a range of technologies to balance electricity supply and demand, including gas-fired generation and flexible technologies such as batteries and demand side response.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of immigration officials that have been successfully prosecuted for committing (a) immigration and (b) bribery offences since 2020, broken down by nationality.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.

In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration officials have been dismissed for committing (a) immigration and (b) bribery offences in each year since 2020, broken down by nationality.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.

In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how he plans to improve the integration of (a) demand-side response and (b) distributed energy resources to help reduce risks of blackouts in the next five years.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network. The National Energy System Operator has all the tools it needs to operate the electricity system reliably and can call on a range of technologies to balance electricity supply and demand, including gas-fired generation and flexible technologies such as batteries and demand side response.

The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out measures to increase consumer led flexibility (also known as demand-side response). Further details will be set out in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap that Government committed in the Action Plan to publish this year.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the combined potential impact of multiple gas-fired plant retirements on (a) grid stability and (b) inertia levels.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Great Britain has a highly stable and resilient energy system with diverse supplies.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) continuously monitors the electricity system and ensures sufficient inertia and negative and positive reserves to manage large generation or demand losses, including through retirements of gas plant. In the transition to clean power, we are deploying the technologies needed to ensure the energy system remains resilient. In Great Britain, for example, NESO procure alternative technologies such as synchronous condensers and flywheels and use sub-second response services to manage frequency changes and maintain system stability.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on (a) what components used in the power grid were manufactured by Chinese companies and (b) whether (i) Chinese companies and (ii) the Chinese state can (A) access data from and (B) control those components remotely.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The protection and security of the energy sector is a priority of this Government.

HMRC publishes the value and mass of electrical machinery, equipment and parts imported, by country, on its data portal at www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table/.

Foreign investment in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest levels of scrutiny, and the government has powers to protect energy infrastructure and critical services through a broad range of mitigations, including legislative and regulatory powers. DESNZ works closely with industry and other government departments to maintain a detailed picture of ownership and foreign involvement in energy infrastructure

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Contracts for Difference liabilities if wholesale electricity prices remain elevated on levels of fiscal risk.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Scaling up homegrown renewables reduces the UK’s exposure to volatile global fossil fuel prices, which protects consumer energy bills against future price shocks. The CfD two-way payment mechanism protects consumers when electricity prices are high, as if the reference price is above the strike price, the generator must pay back the difference.

During the energy bill crisis over Winter 22/23, when wholesale electricity prices were higher, the CfD scheme reduced the amount needed to deliver our energy bill support schemes by around £18 per typical household. [1]

[1] This estimate is based on DESNZ analysis of the 2022/23 Ofgem price cap and wholesale cost allowance methodology for Q4 2022 and Q1 2023.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to allocate revenues from carbon pricing to help increase levels of (a) industrial resilience and (b) innovation in high energy-consuming sectors.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to maintaining an ambitious carbon pricing scheme to ensure that polluters continue to pay for their emissions. The UK’s lead carbon pricing policy is the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

The ETS raised c.£3.5 billion in the 2024-25 financial year, and the funds raised by the scheme are invested in the Government’s spending priorities, including public services and decarbonisation efforts. The Government is also providing support for industrial energy bills as set out in the Industrial Strategy.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of requiring private rental properties to have a C grade on their Energy Performance Certificate by 2030 on (a) landlords and (b) renters.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030, and was accompanied by the Department’s initial consultation-stage impact assessment.

The consultation has now closed, and we are currently analysing responses and reviewing evidence on the potential impact of these proposals. Following this, a government response and further impact assessment will be published.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether contingency planning is in place for potential macroeconomic disruption resulting from prolonged national electricity blackouts.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

HM Treasury has a comprehensive framework for assessing and managing potential risks to the economic outlook, including those posed by national power outages. This framework involves systematic monitoring through internal risk monitors, risk governance forums, and collaboration with other government departments such as the Cabinet Office and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

HM Treasury also engages with the Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the financial sector regulators, to ensure the sector is prepared to respond to a range of risks, including national power outages.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve breastfeeding support in (a) the east of England and (b) England.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and giving every child the best start in life. We know breastfeeding has significant health benefits for babies and for their mothers.

Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are investing £18.5 million in 2025/26 to improve infant feeding support across 75 local authorities in England, including Bedford, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough, and Thurrock in the East of England. We have also extended and expanded the National Breastfeeding Helpline so that more families across the United Kingdom can access breastfeeding support 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Most families will be receiving their breastfeeding support from midwives and health visitors. We are committed to strengthening these services and are already making progress.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has participated in cross-Government exercises simulating the potential impact of national blackouts on (a) health services, (b) emergency responders and (c) energy regulators used by healthcare services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has participated in a cross-Government exercise simulating the potential impacts of national power outages on health services and emergency responders. The Department has been working on the lessons identified from this exercise to improve the resilience of the health and social care sector against the risk of a national power outage. This includes developing response plans and participating in cross-sector exercises.

The Government, through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, works closely with industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure, networks, and assets, including those offshore.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number and proportion of foreign national offenders with indefinite leave to remain in the prison population by (a) nationality and (b) offence committed in each year since 2019.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The requested information is not available from published statistics.

Work is currently underway to improve the quality of information held by the department on FNOs. Further information can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with food manufacturers on the labelling of (a) phosphorus, (b) potassium and (c) other minerals that are potentially harmful for people on dialysis.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Labelling of packaged foods and drinks plays an important role in helping individuals access information they need to make informed choices about the food they buy and eat.

Where minerals are added to foods, these must be included by law in the list of ingredients. Having this information on-pack means that consumers will always know if a product contains an added micronutrient, such as potassium. It is also mandatory for food and drinks packaging to include a nutrition declaration which shows the quantities of energy and key nutrients contained within them. Information on energy plus amounts of fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt in required by law. When minerals are added to a packaged foods and drinks at a significant amount, as set out in legislation, it is mandatory to include them in the nutrition declaration.

Unpackaged foods, such as loose fruit and vegetables, are not required by law to carry a label, which we understand makes it difficult for consumers to know their mineral content. However, manufacturers may, supplement the nutrition label with the amounts of naturally occurring minerals in a product, such as phosphorus and potassium, provided they are present in at least a significant amount as defined in legislation, should they choose to do so.

The key nutrients that must be included in the nutrition declaration on a mandatory basis are the most relevant to current population level public health concerns in Great Britain. A standardised set of nutrients ensures consumers can easily compare products and requiring too many nutrients to be included on a mandatory basis may complicate labels and make comparisons harder.

The Department has not had discussions with manufacturers specifically on this topic, but we maintain forums to regularly engage industry and enforcement authorities on general labelling matters where these issues can be discussed.

For individuals with specific dietary needs, such as those on dialysis, personalised advice from a registered dietitian or healthcare professional is recommended to help manage mineral intake, including minerals from naturally occurring sources, while maintaining a healthy balanced diet.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on the timeline for the deployment of synchronous condensers that (a) have been contracted and (b) are planned; and what the scale of each deployment is.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department does not hold detailed information on the timeline or scale of synchronous condenser deployments. The responsibility for balancing the electricity system, including the contracting and deployment of synchronous condensers, lies with the National Energy System Operator (NESO). NESO is best placed to provide information on the status of contracted and planned deployments, as well as the associated technical specifications and timelines.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral contribution of Baron Wilson of Sedgefield in the House of Lords on 3 July 2025, Official Report, column 867, what plans he has to take up internationally fuel refining industry margins.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Refining margins differ from site to site and are driven by the prices of the crude oils each refinery buys and of the products that they produce. These prices are largely set by international traded markets.

The Government is determined to work with industry, workers and trade unions to ensure our UK refineries can compete in this international context. That is why, in less than 12 months in office, we have invested in carbon capture, usage and storage, which can help key refineries, such as Phillips 66 and Stanlow, through Viking and HyNet; and we are driving forward with the sustainable aviation fuel mandate, to help the refining sector maximise the opportunities created by the clean energy revolution.

We are also reviewing the methodology for the energy-intensive industries compensation scheme, to help assess whether sectors such as this should be covered in the future, and whether more can be done to help their competitiveness.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of foreign national offenders who have cited Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights as a reason not to be removed since 2019, broken down by (a) year, (b) nationality and (c) offence committed.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and could only be obtained for the purpose of answering this question through a manual search of case files, something that could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Work is underway to improve the quality of information held by the department on foreign national offenders (FNOs). Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of foreign nationals in prisons who are (a) illegal immigrants and (b) asylum seekers since 2019, broken down by (i) year, (ii) nationality and (iii) offence committed.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and could only be obtained for the purpose of answering this question through a manual search of case files, something that could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Work is underway to improve the quality of information held by the department on foreign national offenders (FNOs). Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64923 on Asylum: Housing, on what basis can (a) her Department, (b) Serco and (c) local authorities not inform Members of Parliament when sites are used for asylum dispersal in their constituency.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Answer he received on 8 July 2025 to UIN 64923.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number of foreign nationals in prisons who are on remand in the community since 2019, broken down by (a) year, (b) nationality and (c) offence committed.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

If a foreign national accused of a crime is held on remand, they are detained in custody ahead of trial and sentencing and will not be in the community. We are therefore not able to provide a response to this question as currently worded.

The Ministry of Justice does publish information on the number of Foreign National Offenders in prison which includes the number of Foreign Nationals in prison on remand. The latest available published data can be found at Table 1_Q_9 in the attached link: prison-population-31-Mar-2025.ods.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what (a) his Department’s and (b) NESO’s estimate of the magnitude in MWh and the aggregate cost of any constraints of embedded solar generation resulting from instructions at the distribution level by Distribution Network Operators in their emerging role as Distribution System Operators for all years in which such constraints and costs have occurred since 2020.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for operating Great Britain’s electricity system, which includes managing constraints. NESO publishes total balancing costs, which can be found here: Constraint Breakdown 2025-2026 | National Energy System Operator. Actions taken in the Balancing Mechanism, including bids taken by individual Balancing Mechanism Units, can be accessed here API documentation | Insights Solution.

Government is working to reduce constraints and improve energy security and resilience by accelerating the building of new electricity network infrastructure to increase capacity on the system.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what (a) his Department’s and (b) NESO’s projection of solar constraint costs is in (i) within and (ii) outwith the Balancing Mechanism up to 2030 and assuming that the Clean Power 2030 targets are met or exceeded.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for operating Great Britain’s electricity system, which includes managing constraints. NESO publishes forecast constraint volumes and costs, but data is not available on the split of costs between different types of generators. NESO's latest balancing costs report can be found here.

Government is working to reduce constraints and improve energy security and resilience by accelerating the building of new electricity network infrastructure to increase capacity on the system. NESO’s independent advice shows we can achieve clean power by 2030 with cheaper electricity, even factoring in constraint payments.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what (a) his Department’s and (b) NESO’s estimate is of the likely (i) scale and (ii) cost of constraints of embedded generation up to 2030 and assuming that the Clean Power 2030 targets are met or exceeded.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for operating Great Britain’s electricity system, which includes managing constraints. NESO publishes forecast constraint volumes and costs, but data is not available on the split of costs between different types of generators. NESO's latest balancing costs report can be found here.

Government is working to reduce constraints and improve energy security and resilience by accelerating the building of new electricity network infrastructure to increase capacity on the system. NESO’s independent advice shows we can achieve clean power by 2030 with cheaper electricity, even factoring in constraint payments.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has considered mandating market payments from intermittent renewable generators for costs associated with system inertia provision.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) continuously monitors the electricity system and ensures that there is sufficient inertia. In the transition to clean power, we are deploying the technologies needed for this. NESO is procuring technologies such as synchronous condensers and flywheels and use sub-second response services to manage frequency changes and maintain system stability.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate (a) his Department and (b) NESO has made of constraint payments and the prices of constraint payments per MWh constrained to solar generation in the Balancing Mechanism for all years in which such constraints have occurred.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for operating Great Britain’s electricity system, which includes managing constraints. NESO publishes total balancing costs, which can be found here: Constraint Breakdown 2025-2026 | National Energy System Operator. Actions taken in the Balancing Mechanism, including bids taken by individual Balancing Mechanism Units, can be accessed here API documentation | Insights Solution.

Government is working to reduce constraints and improve energy security and resilience by accelerating the building of new electricity network infrastructure to increase capacity on the system.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to raise awareness of road safety for drivers when overtaking cyclists.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022 introducing a hierarchy of road users, the department ran a THINK! campaign to raise awareness of the changes as they came into effect. This was followed by broader behaviour change campaigns in the summer of 2022 and 2023, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance.

We also promote cycle safety advice for cyclists and motorists via THINK!

social channels, education resources and run radio filler advertising encouraging motorists to maintain safe driving distances from cyclists and horse riders, and to use the Dutch Reach when opening car doors to help keep cyclists safe.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the consultation on the Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred Definition will take evidence from (a) the Muslim Council of Britain, and (b) other organisations with whom the Government has a policy of non-engagement.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Working Group is an independent, non-statutory body which will provide advice to ministers on a definition of anti-Muslim hatred/islamophobia. Ministers will consider the advice that the independent working group provides.

Any proposed definition by the independent Working Group should comprehensively reflect multiple perspectives and implications for different communities. The Working Group launched a Call for Evidence to build on the extensive consultation they’ve already undertaken. The Call for Evidence closed on Sunday 20 July. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was welcome to submit evidence.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has (a) received reports of technical problems with and (b) investigated the functionality of the online evidence submissions form for the Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred Definition Working Group.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Working Group launched a Call for Evidence to build on the extensive consultation they’ve already undertaken. The Call for Evidence closed on Sunday 20 July. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was welcome to submit evidence. There are no known technical issues with the functionality of the Call for Evidence submission form and an email inbox was available for individuals and organisations to report any technical issues.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the (a) transparency and (b) accuracy of the information provided to the Examining Authority by (i) Sunnica and (ii) its related UK registered companies during the trading period for the 12 months ending 30 April 2024.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The full reasons for the Secretary of State’ planning decision on the Sunnica project are set out in the Decision Letter. Given the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in taking such decisions it would not be appropriate to comment further.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to provide revenue support for privately led advanced nuclear technologies as set out in the Spending Review 2025.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As set out at the Spending Review, the government is providing a pathway for privately led advanced nuclear projects. Great British Energy - Nuclear (GBEN) has been tasked with a new role in assessing proposals within a new framework to be published shortly, the National Wealth Fund exploring potential investment opportunities, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero exploring revenue support for viable projects.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the deployment of advanced modular reactors in the UK on the (a) economy, (b) industry and (c) environment.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Advanced Modular Reactors could support energy-intensive industries by providing scalable, low-carbon energy to industrial consumers. These reactors could be well-suited for hard-to-decarbonise sectors, helping the UK achieve its growth mission and clean energy mission while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has plans to publish a timeline for introducing a (a) faster and (b) more efficient route to market for Advanced Modular Reactors.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government will be publishing a pathway for privately-led advanced nuclear technologies shortly. The government has also stood up the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce, which has been asked to identify ways to streamline regulatory processes and frameworks. The Taskforce’s report will be published in Autumn 2025.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of the UK’s supply chain’s readiness to support the (a) construction and (b) operation of advanced modular reactors; and what steps he is taking to improve domestic capabilities in this area.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government recently published its Modern Industrial Strategy. The policies announced will ensure that UK is well positioned to build upon existing strengths and seize opportunities provided by new technologies.

This includes providing a pathway for privately-led advanced nuclear technologies. Great British Energy - Nuclear has been tasked with assessing proposals within a new framework, to be published shortly, with the National Wealth Fund exploring potential investment opportunities and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero exploring revenue support for viable projects.

The Government will also collaborate with the supply chain to mitigate barriers to entry, develop policies that maximise domestic opportunities, and support access to international markets to drive exports.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with Sumando Ltd on the nine-month delay in submitting its 30 April 2023 financial statements to Companies House in relation to the development consent decision for Sunnica.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

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

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he sought further information from (a) Sunnica and (b) its UK registered companies on their finances before making the development consent decision for Sunnica.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The full reasons for the Secretary of State’ planning decision on the Sunnica project are set out in the Decision Letter. Given the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in taking such decisions it would not be appropriate to comment further.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether (a) he and (b) officials have had discussions with (i) Sumando Ltd and (ii) related stakeholders on Sumando Ltd's exclusion from the organogram of funding Statement No 3 when he made the development consent decision for Sunnica.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

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

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of passengers with a London Freedom Pass being able to travel for free in areas where the eligibility for free travel is set at an older age.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently 66. In London, the Older Person's Freedom Pass is eligible to all London residents over the age of 66, which is the statutory eligibility for the ENCTS as set out in legislation. This therefore means that there would be no instance where a passholder of London's Older Person Freedom Pass would be using their pass in an area where the eligibility for free travel is set at a higher age.

Residents who live in a London borough and are aged 60 or over are eligible for the 60+ London Oyster photocard. This concession enables passholders to travel for free on Transport for London (TfL) services and cannot be used to board services outside of London, with the exception of a small number of National Rail services connecting into London. This is an additional concession, funded and delivered at the discretion of TfL.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Secret Intelligence Service’s diversity and inclusion policies on the recruitment of White Britons to its Summer Intelligence Internship.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The intelligence agencies, as with any arm to the Civil Service, must take any decisions seeking to improve the diversity of their workforce in-line with UK law and in adherence with the relevant measures of the Equalities Act 2010. These measures permit employers to take specific actions to enable or encourage those with protected characteristics to apply for particular roles. Such action is considered lawful and includes both individuals from White minority backgrounds, those from socially or economically underrepresented groups and those from an ethnic minority background.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61313 on NHS: Fees and Charges, if he will publish the revenue raised by NHS penalty charges in each year since 2020, broken down by age group.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information on payments received from National Health Service penalty charges for Prescription Exemption Checking Service (PECS) and Dental Exemption Checking Service from 2020 to 2024, broken down by age group is shown in the attached tables. This data is based on the date the payment was received rather than when the penalty charge was issued. Please note, ‘unknown’ dates of birth in the PECS data set are cases where a date of birth is present but cannot be accurately read.