Rebecca Paul

Alongside Bridget Phillipson as Secretary of State with responsibility for Women and Equalities, my department has responsibility for the Government’s equality policy, including on LGBT+ issues.

Conversion practices are acts that aim to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Such practices are abuse. They have no place in society and must be stopped. Through the development of the Conversion Practices Bill, this Government will deliver our manifesto commitment to bring forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on these harmful practices.

We will also modernise, simplify, and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process. We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance; whilst retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor, enabling access to the healthcare pathway.

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is a Scottish Member's Bill. Therefore, there has been no involvement from the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel who is responsible for drafting UK government Bills.

The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill from both 2023 and 2024 are Scottish bills. Therefore, there has been no involvement from the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel draft Government legislation for Westminster.

The current model Gender Reassignment HR policy and guidance was issued in 2019. A review to update it was started in 2023 under the previous administration and this is ongoing. A revised version will be shared with departments in due course.

Pubs, including those in Reigate, are at the heart of our communities and vital for economic growth. That is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses from 2026-27 and extending the current relief for 1 year at 40%.

The government is also reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products, representing an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year.

We will transform the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible growth and skills levy to better support business and boost opportunity for people to work in Pubs.

Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is primarily designed to support property owners to replace fossil fuel heating systems in existing properties (retrofits). New builds (with the exception of self-builds) are therefore excluded from the scheme.

However, new standards will be brought in that ensure new homes and buildings are fit for a net zero future. Gas boilers will not meet the proposed standard for new homes, meaning low-carbon heating like heat pumps will become the new default. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will publish specifications in due course.

An independent review into online pornography regulation was tasked with understanding the impact of pornography on viewers’ attitudes towards violence against women and girls. The review has just concluded and the government is assessing its findings. The final report will be published in due course.

The Online Safety Act introduces safeguards against harmful content and targets illegal content which includes violence against women and girls. The Act also prevents children from accessing pornography and requiring in-scope services to protect users from illegal pornographic content.

An independent review into online pornography regulation was tasked with understanding the impact of pornography on viewers’ attitudes towards violence against women and girls. The review has just concluded and the government is assessing its findings. The final report will be published in due course.

The Online Safety Act introduces safeguards against harmful content and targets illegal content which includes violence against women and girls. The Act also prevents children from accessing pornography and requiring in-scope services to protect users from illegal pornographic content.

The Online Safety Act will place strict safety duties on user-to-user online platforms, including pornography-sharing sites, to proactively tackle any child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) content on their services. These sites need to start assessing for CSEA and other illegal content risks now. Their duties to tackle this content are scheduled to fully take effect this spring.

An independent review into online pornography regulation was tasked with understanding the impact of pornography on viewers’ attitudes towards violence against women and girls. The review has just concluded and the government is assessing its findings. The final report will be published in due course.

The Online Safety Act introduces safeguards against harmful content and targets illegal content which includes violence against women and girls. The Act also prevents children from accessing pornography and requiring in-scope services to protect users from illegal pornographic content.

The Government is committed to keeping children safe online. Our priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act so that children benefit from its wide-reaching protections.

The Act requires that all in scope services that allow pornography use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from accessing it, including services that host user-generated content, and services which publish pornography. Ofcom has robust enforcement powers available against companies who fail to fulfil their duties.

Sport England and UK Sport's Code for Sports Governance ensures bodies in receipt of substantial public funding have ambitious diversity and inclusion action plans. This includes a drive for greater diversity on boards, which has helped female representation on the boards of partners complying with the Code rise to 44% since its introduction in 2016.

The government response to the Culture, Media and Sport select committee report on grassroots music venues, sets out the steps the government is taking, working closely with industry, to support a sustainable grassroots music sector. In particular, we are calling on the music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets to support grassroots music venues, artists and promoters.

The government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties from 2026-27, such as grassroots music venues. This reform, on which a Discussion Paper was published at Autumn Budget 2024, will provide certainty for businesses regarding their bills. It is incorrect to state that business rate relief has been removed. In fact, to provide further support, the government has extended RHL relief at 40% for 2025-26.

In addition, at the 2024 Autumn Budget, this government has extended support for the Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music investment programme for 2025-26, ensuring sustained support for musicians, venues, and industry professionals.

The Inclusion 2024 programme is available to all schools in the country, including Reigate. It provides both expert support and free resources, and can help schools enhance opportunities for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to engage in P.E. and school sports.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including children, young people, and those with disabilities, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.

The Culture Secretary recently attended the launch of ParalympicGB’s Equal Play Campaign where she expressed her determination to put sport at the heart of the school curriculum. This includes opening up opportunities for all young people, including those with disabilities, to be able to access sport and physical activity at school.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on bringing the health and sport sectors together at community level and to champion physical activity with local leaders to develop interventions tailored to communities. Since 2020, Sport England has invested over £548,525 in Reigate for grassroots sport & physical activity.

Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.

The assessment only (AO) route to qualified teacher status (QTS) has been designed to allow experienced unqualified teachers to be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards and awarded QTS if they meet them all at the appropriate level.

The AO criteria sets out the entry requirements for the AO route. Applicants must have taught in at least two schools and must be able to demonstrate that they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards without the need for any further training. Typically, applicants with fewer than two years of teaching experience would be unsuitable for the AO route. The AO criteria can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64edf4006bc96d00104ed206/Assessment_only_route_to_QTS_-_criteria_and_supporting_advice.pdf.

The department continuously considers whether the criteria we have in place meets the needs of schools and teachers, as well as ensuring the high quality teaching that pupils and parents would expect.

The department is continuing to support and challenge Surrey to improve the delivery of its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, following the most recent local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in September 2023.

This inspection found that the local area partnership’s arrangements led to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people. In response, the Surrey partnership has developed a strategic plan with specific actions to address the areas for improvement that were identified in the inspection report.

The four areas for improvement identified were:

• The partnership board should further develop their strategic evaluation of all partnership projects and interventions, in order to improve their ability to monitor at a systemic level the impact of these projects and interventions and their outcomes on children and young people.
• Leaders across the partnership should improve communication from special educational needs case officers and practitioners to parents and carers, so that all stakeholders are supported to understand the system and decision-making, and feel fully involved in the journey with their child or young person.
• Leaders across health, social care and education should ensure that improvements continue in line with their recovery plan in respect of:
• reducing waiting times for health assessments;
• increasing timeliness and quality of needs assessments; and,
• increasing timeliness and quality of education, health and care plans and annual reviews.
• Leaders in education should continue to review the breadth and offer of alternative provision (AP), in order to inform commissioning so that AP meets children and young people’s needs and improves their outcomes.

The department, working alongside NHS England, has put into place systems to track the progress that the Surrey partnership is making against these areas for improvement and to offer support where appropriate. For example, the department has put in place a SEND advisor who will continue to provide support and advice to the local authority.

Furthermore, Surrey County Council entered into a Safety Valve agreement with the department in March 2022, with a view to addressing the effectiveness and financial sustainability of the local high needs system.

The department does not hold this data

Statutory guidance for local authorities, such as ‘Working together to safeguard children’ and the ‘Children’s social care national framework’, encourages local authorities to consider family group decision making, such as family group conferences, from the earliest point of a family’s involvement in children’s social care and to repeat them, as considered appropriate, throughout the system.

In line with research from the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies, the government does not anticipate the ending of the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy to prompt notable movement into the state sector, and any movement is expected to take place over several years. This research can be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending.

There is significant spare capacity in existing state schools. The department collects pupil forecasts and school capacity data from local authorities annually through the school capacity survey and this data shows that in May 2023, 11.7% of primary capacity and 11.5% of secondary capacity was unfilled nationally, meaning school places are available in many parts of the country. The department will monitor demand and capacity using its normal processes and continue to work with local authorities to meet any pressures.

In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.

The Government has been engaging extensively with stakeholders from various sectors, including the hospitality sector, to continue to develop our understanding of the impacts of this policy. Feedback has been factored into the work on setting illustrative base fees as well as in considering where the legislation could be amended, both in a planned amending SI and for any future changes.

The Government will continue to monitor the impact of implementing the pEPR scheme on the packaging market.

Professional dog walkers must comply with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and other relevant legislation. The Canine and Feline Sector Group has published best practice guidance to assist dog walkers which can be found here: https://www.cfsg.org.uk/. Some local authorities have introduced licensing schemes for professional dog walkers and often apply CFSG’s guidance or produce their own.

The guidance published to support the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) 2018 Regulations places limitations on dog walking undertaken as part of the dog breeding or dog boarding activities. The guidance limits the number of dogs walked in these circumstances to six. The guidance also requires licensees secure the owner’s consent to their dog being walked in a group, and to ensure that dogs are familiarised with each other beforehand. The Government has no current plans to issue additional guidance.

The Government will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal that ensures fairness in the supply chain across all sectors, including the fresh produce supply chain. Farmers should always receive a fair price for their products and the Government is committed to tackling contractual unfairness wherever it exists.

We will soon share proposals building on the consultation with industry, and will continue to work closely with stakeholders from the fresh produce sector on the best way to achieve this.

National Highways expect the appraisal to be completed in January 2026 and the TA501 assessment will be made available from National Highways, upon request, after a decision has been made on the future of the lighting in this location.

The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in Kingswood and villages right across England.

In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Surrey County Council has been allocated over £12 million of this funding. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.

The Reigate 12 car scheme was closed by the previous Government following Spending Review 2021. No development work has taken place on the project since this point.

Officials in my Department are in regular discussions with Network Rail on opportunities to improve services across the Brighton Main Line, including the Reigate area. In preparing for Spending Review 2025 we are assessing potential transport investments, ensuring every penny spent supports our missions and the plan for growth.

The Department meets monthly with National Highways to discuss its performance and delivery. This includes discussions on the company’s actions to meet its Key Performance Indicator targets, one of which is Corporate Carbon reduction. Electricity used to light the strategic road network is by far the biggest contributor to National Highways’ overall carbon emissions. To meet the reduction target, National Highways has been trialling turning off some sections of lighting, where it has been assessed safe to do so, alongside its LED replacement programme.

The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent highways monitor, also meets the Department monthly to provide advice on National Highways’ plans and ongoing performance, also covering the Company’s actions to reduce its carbon emissions.

This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme and will announce the next steps after completion of the Spending Review.

This Government is committed to pensioners. Everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement.

Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control.

Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households that need it most, that is, those receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. These are, Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80. This approach retains support for pensioners on low incomes.

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we are urging pensioners to come forward and check their eligibility for Pension Credit to ensure as many people in need as possible have access to this support. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them.

Other measures to support pensioners include the State Pension, which is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so, protecting 12 million pensioners through the Triple Lock. Based on current forecasts, the full rate of the new state pension is set to increase by around £1,700 over the course of this Parliament.

The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.

The Pension Credit data that is used is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024, in order to be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payments statistics. It is estimated that around 17,000 people in Reigate constituency will be affected by the change to the eligibility criteria for Winter Fuel Payments. This is based on Feb-24 Pension Credit statistics and 22-23 Winter Fuel Payments statistics (sources below).

This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of Pension Credit recipients for Reigate constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients for Reigate constituency. This is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients pre-policy change not claiming Pension Credit, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive Winter Fuel Payment.

Also, the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or local authorities.

Furthermore, the published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individuals will be higher (i.e., taking account of households where it is a couple claiming Pension Credit).

In addition to that, Pension Credit claimants are the majority of those that will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments, not all. There are other pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments (as they claim other means tested benefits) but they are not considered in these figures as it is not possible to do so.

Source:

The Winter Fuel Payments statistics are published here:

Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Pension Credit data is published here: Pension Credit – Data from May 2018

General practice (GP) contractors are responsible for securing the premises from which to deliver their contracted services. Should practice premises be deemed too small, GPs may make an application to integrated care boards for capital funding grants for repurposing existing underutilised space, or expansion of the existing site, or seek agreement for the GP practice to relocate to a different building.

One of the core objectives of the 10-Year Health Plan is enabling people to access care closer to home and in the community. In autumn 2024, we announced £102 million of additional capital funding for GP estates upgrades in 2025/26. This will support improved use of existing buildings and space, boosting productivity and enabling practices to deliver more patient appointments.

There may be revenue solutions to premises needs, dependent on the budgetary capacity of the local commissioner. Commissioners can work closely with local authorities, other system providers, and the One Public Estate Programme to identify existing premises for the potential delivery of healthcare services.

Local authorities in England, including East Sussex County Council which covers Reigate, are funded through a ring-fenced Public Health Grant to commission comprehensive, open access sexual health services. Therefore, it is the responsibility of local authorities to decide on spending priorities, such as drop-in clinics and general services, based on the blend of services that best suits the needs of their population.

For 2025/26, we are increasing funding through the grant to £3.858 billion. This is a cash increase of £198 million compared to 2024/25, providing local authorities with an average 5.4% cash increase and 3.0% real terms increase. This represents a significant turning point for local public health services, marking the biggest real-terms increase after a period of reduced spending between 2016 and 2024.

The policy proposals, consultation, and response were published under the previous administration. Following the General Election, the Government has reviewed the proposals. The Department is working towards introducing legislation to enable hub and spoke dispensing between different legal entities this year. This change will be enabled via amendments to both primary and secondary legislation, and is subject to the usual Parliamentary processes.

NHS England published its updated Commercial Framework for New Medicines on 29 January 2025. The publication can be found here: NHS England » NHS commercial framework for new medicines

The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

The Department does not hold data on AEDs installed in train stations or whether those AEDs are registered on The Circuit, a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation in collaboration with the National Health Service.

However, AEDs procured through the Department’s AED fund, once installed, are required to be registered on The Circuit. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian or guardians who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or SMS text message notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check. The Circuit records the potential use of each registered defibrillator. The registered guardian of the defibrillator will automatically be contacted if their AED is potentially used, and may therefore require replacement pads. In addition, The Circuit will also send out an automatic notification to the guardian approximately three months before the AED battery or pads expire.