Patrick Hurley

The message we are getting from businesses is clear: they are facing more barriers and increased costs as a result of how we left the EU. For example, in a survey published by the British Chambers of Commerce in December 2025, more than half of its exporting members disagreed that the Trade and Cooperation Agreement was enabling their business to grow or increase sales.

The deals we are striking with the EU will bring down barriers that stop businesses trading and investing with our closest partner and biggest market. The food and drink deal and emissions trading agreements alone will add up to £9 billion a year to the UK economy by 2040.

The Government recognises that coastal and visitor economies often rely on seasonal employment and trade‑exposed sectors such as food production and hospitality, which require businesses to adapt to a changing economy, and that those trading with the EU may face additional administrative burdens.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement underpins the UK-EU trading relationship. We engage closely with businesses to understand its impacts, including on regionally significant sectors. We also maintain dialogues with business representatives through the EU Files Forum where they can give views on key EU regulations.

The Government provides guidance to businesses on how to navigate EU requirements through business.gov.uk.

The Government remains committed to strengthening recognition of professional qualifications with the EU.

We continue to seek UK-EU recognition agreements for priority regulated professions via the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. We do so by Ministers raising it regularly with European counterparts, via the UK-EU dedicated dialogue on the recognition of professional qualifications which took place in April 2026, and by encouraging and supporting UK regulators to work with their EU counterparts, including through guidance and funding.

Under Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006, directors have a fiduciary duty to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of employees, customers and suppliers, and to the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment. Section 172 enshrines in law the principle of “enlightened shareholder value”, which recognises the relevance of stakeholder interests to the long-term success of a company. This contrasts with the “shareholder maximisation” model adopted in other jurisdictions, in which directors’ sole duty is to maximise returns to shareholders. The Government has no plans to amend Section 172.

As part of the Autumn Budget announcements, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) launched a Call for Evidence on Business Support for Co-operatives and Mutuals. This will be open across Great Britain for 12 weeks.

DBT ensured that for Financial Year 25/26 Growth Hubs in England offer support to businesses with alternative business models – including Co-operatives and Mutuals, as a condition of funding, and included more information on Co-operatives and Mutuals through the highly successful Help to Grow Management programme.

DBT is looking at how to integrate support for Co-operatives and Non-Financial Mutuals within the government’s overall approach for supporting SMEs, including via the Business Growth Service.

DBT continues to work closely with the sector, including the new Mutual and Co-operative Business Sector Council.

Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 requires company directors to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of their employees, customers and suppliers, and also to the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment. Large companies must report annually on how their directors have met this duty. Section 172 also enables companies to amend their articles of association to adopt a purpose of their own choosing, which may include placing particular weight on environmental, stakeholder or other interests.

The United Kingdom Government is an active member of the OECD Corporate Governance Committee which regularly discusses and shares good practice on corporate governance.

The Department has regular discussions with energy suppliers on a range of issues.

The Government is unable to comment on individual tariffs offered by energy suppliers, and we recommend that consumers contact their energy supplier directly to discuss their tariff.

The only way to accurately reflect the individual usage of each tenant in a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) would be if they each had a submeter. This would mean that their energy usage would be reflected in how much they pay the landlord for their energy. If an individual wishes to have this implemented, they should speak to their landlord to see if this is an option for them.

In order to protect consumers in HMOs, there is legislation which sets a maximum price that can be charged for electricity and gas which has already been bought from a licensed supplier. The maximum resale price guidance is available on Ofgem’s website and if a tenant upon reviewing this guidance believes their landlord to be in contravention of it, they should raise it with them.

Ofgem is exploring options for easier routes to access support where non-compliance with the guidance has taken place. Ofgem continues to work to have vulnerable consumers added to the Priority Services Register in order that they can more easily access support where needed.

We will continue to engage with stakeholders and consider whether any further actions are required.

The UK has strong partnerships in European research, development and innovation, including through programmes such as Horizon Europe and Copernicus, which directly support economic growth through job creation and enables researchers and businesses to access collaborative funding, cutting-edge infrastructure and world-leading networks. In 2024, UK applicants received €994 million in funding from Horizon Europe, which aims to create 300,000 new jobs across Europe by 2040. We also estimate that for every £1 public spend on R&D it generates £8 of economic benefit to the UK in the long term.

We continue to pursue partnerships that maximise economic benefit for the UK.

Cancer research is a critical priority for the Government. The Government is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients across the UK have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research Institute (UKRI) have made research inclusion a condition of its funding. Applicants to domestic research programmes are required to demonstrate how inclusion and health inequalities are being built into their research. NIHR’s Be Part of Research service on the NHS App, will provide patients with access to life-changing clinical trials and innovative therapies across the UK.

Under the Communications Act 2003, as amended by the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, public telecoms providers are required to identify and mitigate risks to the security and resilience of their networks and services. This includes risks to physical infrastructure, such as telegraph poles and other above-ground infrastructure. Ofcom monitors and enforces public telecoms providers’ compliance with their obligations in the Act.

As the independent regulator for telecommunications operators, Ofcom is able to take enforcement action and have stated that they would investigate any complaints from local planning authorities about telegraph poles sited in a way which is not consistent with the requirements and guidelines in place, including where they block residents’ drives or where operators systematically fail to engage with local planning authorities’ suggestions. Ofcom has opened two investigations in the past 12 months into whether specific operators have failed to comply with their obligations when installing apparatus. These can be found on Ofcom’s enforcement page here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement

Permitted development rights enable telegraph poles to be deployed without case-by-case approval from the local planning authority. However, local authorities can raise complaints with Ofcom where poles are not sited consistently with the requirements set out in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 and the relevant guidelines, including the new best practice recommendations published by the industry’s Telecommunications Poles Working Group. My Department is monitoring the impact of this new guidance before considering taking any further steps. I have made it clear that disregarding the views of local communities is counterproductive for the industry and that we reserve the right to change regulations if there is continued significant non-compliance.

This government published Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy in December, following extensive research through qualitative data collection and wider evidence collation, and direct engagement with young people to understand their needs. It sets out the importance of high quality education as a foundation for improving young people’s lives.

We recognise young people’s educational outcomes are bolstered by access to positive activities, opportunities to develop skills, and spaces where they feel heard and connected to their community. Youth Matters committed to over £60 million to improve access to enriching activities and youth work, £350 million to refurbish or build up to 250 youth facilities, and £132.5 million of dormant assets into enriching opportunities through Every Child Can. In addition, the £22.5 million Enrichment Expansion Programme will support up to 400 schools in the most deprived areas of England, helping them to better connect with their local community to improve the enrichment offer to their pupils.

The British Council plays a vital role in promoting the UK’s values, language, and culture around the world, and is central to projecting the UK's soft power. My Department values the British Council’s work supporting the UK’s cultural and creative industries, helping organisations and artists to build networks, collaborate and develop markets across the world.

As the international partner for Bradford UK City of Culture 2025, the British Council elevated the city’s global profile by spotlighting its vibrant cultural diversity, creative energy and warm, welcoming spirit. This included facilitating collaboration with partners from 11 countries and delegations from 23 nations across four continents.

British Council funding and structure are a matter for the FCDO as the British Council’s sponsoring Department. On 19 March 2026, as part of the FCDO’s allocation of Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding for the next three years, it was announced that ODA funding for the British Council would be protected at its current levels up to the end of 2028/29, while non-ODA funding will be increased by £40 million over the same period.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That’s why the Government is investing £98 million into the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme throughout 2025/26 to build and upgrade pitches and facilities UK wide.

On top of this, we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, and will then set out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK, including in Southport.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sports and health club facilities in England, through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

The Football Association (FA) is the governing body for football and futsal in England and is responsible for the sport's strategic direction and development, including grassroots participation, coaching, and elite pathways.

The FA is an autonomous member of both FIFA and UEFA. Its relationships and level of influence within these international governing bodies are primarily a matter for the FA itself.

The department will strengthen media literacy education and skills for young people to critically engage with and assess information from a range of sources in the national curriculum, following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report. This will help pupils learn how to spot misinformation and disinformation, including AI-generated content, and to develop critical thinking skills.

The department is engaging with sector experts to determine how to reflect this in the updated curriculum and training requirements for teachers. Following public consultation from September, the new curriculum will be taught from September 2028.

Updated relationships, sex and health education guidance, to be implemented from September 2026, includes strengthened content on staying safe online and online wellbeing. Secondary pupils will learn how advertising and information is targeted at them and how to be a discerning consumer of information online, understanding the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation online, including conspiracy theories.

The department will strengthen media literacy education and skills for young people to critically engage with and assess information from a range of sources in the national curriculum, following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report. This will help pupils learn how to spot misinformation and disinformation, including AI-generated content, and to develop critical thinking skills.

The department is engaging with sector experts to determine how to reflect this in the updated curriculum and training requirements for teachers. Following public consultation from September, the new curriculum will be taught from September 2028.

Updated relationships, sex and health education guidance, to be implemented from September 2026, includes strengthened content on staying safe online and online wellbeing. Secondary pupils will learn how advertising and information is targeted at them and how to be a discerning consumer of information online, understanding the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation online, including conspiracy theories.

The government is determined to remove barriers to opportunity and raise the healthiest generation of children ever. Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies are central to that ambition, bringing together childcare, health, parenting support and early years services in one place.

The Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies programme guidance makes clear that Hubs should act as neighbourhood anchors, supporting families through a connected local network of parenting support, early years education, health and wider community services. We are investing over £900 million in Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies to create up to 1,000 hubs and 2,000 network sites across England by the end of 2028.

The Hubs will connect families to wider services including housing and cost-of-living support across the 0 to 19 age range (25 for children with special educational needs and disabilities). Network sites will extend into places families already use, including early years settings, schools, libraries and community venues, helping families access support close to home.

The department is investing over £1 billion more in the early years entitlements this year compared to 2025/26 and an above inflation increase to entitlements funding rates. In 2026/27, we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements. In addition to funding increases, we will consult on changes to how early years funding is allocated and distributed as part of the ongoing review of childcare provision and regulation.

Local authorities must, so far as is reasonably practicable, secure sufficient childcare for working parents in their area. The department’s statutory guidance states that they should assess the childcare needs of parents and ensure there is provision that supports participation in work and training. When assessing sufficiency, local authorities should consider families who may have difficulty accessing childcare, including those working outside standard hours or with changing work patterns.

By allowing funded hours to be stretched across the year, deducting closures from calculations, and enabling mixed‑provider models, the system is designed to work alongside all‑year childcare businesses, managing funding and fees transparently and within national limits, broadening parental choice.

We continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places; the key measure being the supply of available places is sufficient to meet requirements.

Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006 states that local authorities are responsible for ensuring the provision of childcare is sufficient in their area.

The department welcomes the findings of the Inquiry and, as stated in the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper, intends to build on its work to develop better insights into issues specific to white working-class children, families and their relationships with schools.

We are already taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform, including strengthening early family support, introducing free breakfast clubs, revitalising youth services, improving how disadvantage funding is targeted, and consulting on a new progress measure alongside Progress 8 to better recognise pupils who start secondary school behind their peers.

We are also launching and funding two place-based missions, Mission North East and Mission Coastal, to transform outcomes for young people locally and provide a blueprint for national change.

The department will continue to engage with the Inquiry as it enters its second phase focused on advancing further research.

Under the scheme, obligations are based on packaging placed on the market and statutory thresholds, rather than business model. Producers are exempt from disposal fee and recycling obligations where they have annual turnover below £2 million and place less than 50 tonnes of packaging on the market. Defra keeps the thresholds and wider operation of the scheme under review as it is implemented. We are not currently considering a change to the status of social enterprises within the scheme.

Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) shifts the cost of managing household packaging waste from taxpayers to the producers who place packaging on the market. It funds local authorities and incentivises producers to reduce packaging and use packaging that is easier to recycle.

Producer obligations are determined by turnover and packaging tonnage, rather than business model. Producers are exempt from disposal fee and recycling obligations where they have annual turnover below £2 million and place less than 50 tonnes of packaging on the market.

Defra keeps the thresholds and wider impacts of the scheme under review as it is implemented.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead for coastal communities across Government. Many coastal communities are also rural, and Defra is the lead department for rural communities. Rural areas contributed over £259 billion (12%) to the economy in England in 2023. Further information and analysis on the contribution of rural areas to the economy can be found in the Statistical Digest of Rural England - GOV.UK.

Ports are essential to economic growth for the United Kingdom as a trading nation, over 85% of whose international trade moves by sea. They are instrumental in promoting the skills necessary for modern logistics, with support from the sector's Port Skills & Safety body. They generate and sustain employment directly and indirectly, on-port and in their hinterland, with a high proportion of workers resident in coastal communities.

The Department for Transport has not made any such assessment. UK tourism is the policy remit of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.