Steff Aquarone

The Emergency Alert system is a UK Government capability that allows time critical life saving information to be broadcast to phones within a certain area.

This was introduced in April 2023, and has now been used five times. Emergency Alerts are instantaneous and the Government can send alerts directly to all compatible mobile phones within a geo-targeted area. A list of compatible mobile phones can be found on https://www.gov.uk/alerts/how-alerts-work. A second national test of the Emergency Alerts system will take place on Sunday 7 September around 3pm in the afternoon.

This is just one of many capabilities available to first responders in order to warn and inform the public of a risk to life. Broadcast media including local radio and online news websites disseminate important information, and specifically for adverse weather, warning methods include flood alerts via the Flood Warning Service, Met Office weather warnings and knocking door-to-door when safe.

In the UK, we have a number of public warning and informing mechanisms that can be used in different situations when there is a risk to life. This includes the Emergency Alert system, introduced in April 2023, which has been used five times. Emergency Alerts are instantaneous and the Government can send alerts directly to all mobile phones within a geo-targeted area. A second national test of the emergency alerts system will take place on Sunday 7 September around 3pm in the afternoon.

Other warning methods include flood alerts via the Flood Warning Service, Met Office weather warnings and knocking door-to-door when safe.

Emergency Alerts are broadcast through mobile phone masts, and will be received by phones connected to the targeted masts. 95% of the UK landmass has 4G/5G coverage.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is continuing to work with the UK telecommunications industry to deliver 4G and 5G mobile connectivity to places where there is limited or no coverage.

Emergency alerts are part of a collection of warning and informing systems that we use in the UK for emergency response scenarios. Other methods include local sirens and knocking door-to-door when safe, as well as providing advice through media such as TV and radio.

As part of the EU Reset we are working with the EU to identify areas to strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit including on energy. We are aligned with the EU ambition to support industry to deploy CCUS at scale and we both see CCUS as essential to meeting our respective net zero emissions.

We see a strong opportunity to collaborate with the EU on CCUS; our global early mover status, comparative regulatory regimes such as similar CO2 storage licensing and safety standards and our extensive offshore experience mean we can be a valuable partner to the EU. This includes establishing cross-border CO2 transport and storage networks across the continent.

Lower layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) have been used to identify Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) Income Decile 1-2 eligible postcodes for the Warm Homes: Local Grant.

The IMD Income Deprivation domain measures the proportion of the population experiencing deprivation relating to low income. Income Decile 1 represents the most economically deprived areas of the country and 10 the least.

I am therefore confident that use of IMD Income Deciles 1-2 to establish income eligibility for Warm Homes: Local Grant maintains a focus on low-income households. It will also support area-based delivery by Local Authorities – who have welcomed this eligibility route.

The Government is planning to publish updated community benefits guidance for onshore wind in England in due course.

Yes, the Government engages regularly with communication providers and network operators to ensure that the industry-led transition from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) proceeds safely.

I have written to all telecare suppliers with Stephen Kinnock MP (Minister for Care, DHSC) urging them to stop selling analogue telecare devices that are reliant on the PSTN and do not function over fibre-to-the-premises broadband. On November 18th I hosted a roundtable specifically to discuss the protection of telecare users during the PSTN migration. At this meeting major communication providers agreed to extra safeguards to protect telecare users ahead of restarting non-voluntary migrations.

Under the licensing objectives of the Gambling Act 2005, the Gambling Commission requires operators to prevent gambling being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime and disorder, or being used to support crime.

The Home Office has introduced legislation in the Crime and Policing Bill to make improvements to the confiscation regime, including to ensure that a confiscation order more accurately reflects the benefit from crime. The draft bill contains no specific provisions for certain sectors, including the gambling sector. However, the Home Office will engage the gambling sector on how the legislative changes will be implemented in their sector in due course.

The introduction of a statutory levy on gambling operators will, however, represent a generational change to funding arrangements and a renewed commitment to improving efforts to further understand, tackle and treat harmful gambling. As set out in our public consultation, the prevention stream could see investment directed for projects to build capacity and expertise in frontline settings to increase responsiveness to gambling harm, including criminal justice settings.

The Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's report on grassroots music venues sets out our commitment to working across the music sector to support the sustainability of grassroots music. In particular, the Government is urging the live music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to help safeguard the future of the grassroots music sector. As part of our support for the sector, we are continuing to fund Arts Council England’s successful Supporting Grassroots Music Fund which provides grants to grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals of live and electronic music in England.

As set out in the Government response, we have no plans to introduce a cut to VAT based on venue capacity or to undertake a bespoke economic analysis of the impact of a VAT cut to 10% on tickets.

In July 2024 the Government published an audit of public spending. This set out £22 billion of in-year pressures. These pressures were not limited to 2024–25, with the vast majority recurring in future years.

The Government is now fixing the foundations by delivering economic and fiscal stability, supporting public services, boosting investment, and setting the public finances on a sustainable path. These are essential foundations for long-run economic growth, and require tough decisions on tax, spending and welfare.

The Law Commission’s review of disabled children’s social care law included a full public consultation on their proposals between 8 October 2024 and 31 January 2025, inviting written responses. In addition, both before and during the consultation, they met with around 1,000 stakeholders, including disabled children and young people, parents and carers, at approximately 150 meetings and events.

The department is now considering the 40 recommendations made in the Law Commission’s final report. In line with the protocol agreed between the Lord Chancellor and the Law Commission, we will provide an initial response to these recommendations within six months of publication and a full response within one year. We will have regard to the views outlined in the report and we will engage relevant stakeholders at appropriate points as we consider our response.

The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the sparsity factor provides eligible primary schools up to £57,400, and all other eligible schools up to £83,400. In addition to this, all small and rural schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26, including the NFF lump sum set at £145,100. The lump sum provides a fixed amount of funding that is particularly beneficial to small schools, as it is not affected by pupil numbers.

The department's Qualification Achievement Rates (QARs) include official statistics on levels of achievement for a range of qualifications, including vocational learning. Latest published statistics show overall achievement rates within the 19+ education and training cohort have increased from 86.8% in 2022/23 to 87.4% in 2023/24, an increase of 0.6 percentage points. Compared with 2021/22, they are up by 1.2 percentage points. Links to QAR data from current and previous years is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/introduction-to-qualification-achievement-rates-qars.

Retention rates are also improving at ages 16 to 18. The retained and assessed rate for students who finished their T Level across 16 subjects in summer 2024 was up five percentage points from the previous year in over 10 subjects. The rate for large Vocational Technical Qualifications was up three percentage points. Further details on provisional T Level results for the 2023/24 academic year are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/provisional-t-level-results/2023-24.

Alongside T Levels, the department continues to develop and improve qualifications to ensure that they meet the needs of learners. Newly reformed qualifications will become available for delivery at levels 2 and 3 at the start of the next academic year, and we are in the process of approving new level 3 qualifications for delivery from August 2026. These are high-quality, aligned to occupational standards in technical routes, and offer learners clear routes to higher education or skilled employment.

The department continues to make available education and training opportunities in electrical and plumbing sectors, including:

• A range of apprenticeships, including the level 3 plumbing and domestic heating technician standard and the level 3 domestic electrician standard. We are also developing foundation apprenticeships in priority sectors, including construction from August.

• A T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction provides students with the core knowledge and skills needed for entry to a range of occupations in the electrical and plumbing sectors.

• Investment of an additional £625 million in a construction skills package, expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, including in electrical and plumbing, this Parliament. This includes establishing ten technical excellence colleges specialising in construction skills, opening in September 2025.

The department continues to raise awareness amongst young people of the vocational training that is available. Secondary schools have legal requirements to provide independent careers guidance, including at least six opportunities for providers of technical education or apprenticeships to speak to all pupils. Our government-funded network of Careers Hubs, coordinated by the Careers and Enterprise Company, supports schools and colleges to maximise these opportunities.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision, sits with local authorities.

The department has now published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, to support local authorities to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.

The funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible for children with SEND, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

Norfolk County Council has been allocated just over £13 million for 2025/26 and it is up to the local authority to make decisions about the places they create and to prioritise this funding to meet local needs.

This Government is investing at least a record £10.5 billion until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history which is projected to benefit nearly 900,000 properties.

On 14 October, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. Under the new rules the benefits of heritage, natural environment, tourism, and recreation are included as part of project appraisal.

The new funding policy will optimise funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defences and will ensure that deprived communities continue to receive vital investment. We will use government funding to unlock investment from public, private and charitable sources, making every £1 of Government investment go further. We will also invest at least £300 million in natural flood management over ten years – the highest figure to date for the floods programme.

American signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) are listed as Species of Special Concern and actions such as their commercial use, release into the environment and transport are banned under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019.

Signal crayfish are also subject to management measures aimed at containing and controlling their populations where possible. This means that in England this species is more closely regulated through a system of Exclusion and Containment zones to prevent further spread.

Crayfish trapping in the ‘exclusion zones’ is only allowed for conservation, scientific, or fisheries management purposes, and no commercial use of any kind is permitted.

Trapping of signal crayfish is allowed in the containment zones (where an authorisation has been granted), but sale of live Signal crayfish is not permitted. Crayfish must be dispatched at the place of capture or taken to a licensed processing facility. Facilities are not licensed to obtain or receive crayfish taken from exclusion zones. To reduce the threat of this species being spread further, there is a total ban on the movement of live crayfish outside of licenced activity.

More information about the public consultation which led to this policy can be found here.

We are working closely with local authorities and other key stakeholders across the waste sector to support implementation of food waste collections under Simpler Recycling in England. We are aware of concerns about delivery timelines, pressure on supply chains for vehicles and containers, and the need to upgrade waste and recycling infrastructure. Defra is working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) on interventions to address bottlenecks in supply chains, including recently published guidance by WRAP to support local authorities procuring food waste services: Weekly food waste implementation supplementary procurement guidance | WRAP.

Public authorities (such as waste collection authorities) are expected to comply with their statutory duties. If they do not comply, they are at risk of judicial review. Local authorities are independent bodies and are accountable to their electorate rather than to Ministers or Government departments.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is committed to supporting coastal communities and providing a strategic plan to manage flood and coastal erosion risks including the use of Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs).

The new £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will provide investment in our coastal communities to help revitalise communities and support tourism. We will be engaging with local authorities, coastal community groups and local industry associations to understand how we can best target this funding to where it matters most.

Mandatory Housing combined with stringent biosecurity measures provides greater risk reduction and together these measures have been key in mitigating the risk of spread of avian influenza and keeping the case rate down in the face of extensive wild bird infection during the recent higher risk winter periods.

The need for Avian Influenza Prevention Zones (AIPZ) is kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza. Any decisions on introduction or amendment of AIPZs, including on addition or removal of mandatory housing measures, are based on risk assessments that take full account of the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.

The Department for Transport sets the legislation governing the Blue Badge scheme in England and provides non-statutory guidance to local authorities to help share good practice in administering the scheme. However, it is the local authority who is responsible for determining and implementing the administrative, assessment, and enforcement procedures which they believe are in accordance with the governing legislation.

The Government is committed to working with and supporting authorities to help them align with national guidance on Blue Badge eligibility and operates a continuous improvement programme to the online application process, utilising customer feedback to inform its research to help ensure the service is consistently applied and works in the best possible way for all who need to use it.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) vision testing supplier, Specsavers, currently has 360 stores across England that provide visual field testing for DVLA purposes. In Norfolk six stores offer this service with the closest stores to North Norfolk constituency in Norwich or Wisbech.

Specsavers is contractually required to ensure that an optometrist is available within a 25-mile radius of a customer applying for a licence. Where this is not possible Specsavers engages with local independent stores to provide the necessary services (typically this has only been in the Highlands of Scotland)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not require driving licence holders or applicants to be tested for glaucoma. However, drivers are legally required to inform the DVLA if they have been diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes, or if they have been advised by their optician or optometrist that they do not meet the eyesight standards for driving.

When the DVLA is notified of a glaucoma diagnosis, the driver will be referred for a visual field test. The results of this test will be used to determine whether the individual concerned meets the required eyesight standards for driving.

Rail interoperability is not a focus area for the UK-EU Summit on 19 May and the Secretary of State has not had discussions on this topic with colleagues attending.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offers a range of payment options, including direct debits, cheques and debit and credit cards.

The DVLA keeps its range of payment options under review, taking into account the associated costs and benefits of potential new options.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) adheres to the DWP Quality Framework, which deploys a three-line defence model for all decisions affecting the calculation and payment of maintenance.

The Debt Steer provides a policy-based framework for arrears negotiation. Its purpose is to ensure arrears are collected as promptly and reliably as possible, taking into account all relevant circumstances and financial situation.

Operational instructions and the Child Maintenance Decision Makers’ Guide are the tools used by caseworkers in applying a discretionary decision to negotiate an arrangement that extends beyond a two-year period, to ensure a reliable and sustainable plan for the payment of arrears by the paying parent in the shortest possible period of time. When the CMS makes a discretionary decision, caseworkers must consider the welfare of any child affected by that decision.

To qualify for maintenance payments a child must meet the Child Maintenance Service's criteria. They must be:

• under 20 years of age and
• in full time non-advanced education or approved training, and
• eligible for Child Benefit.

They must also be habitually resident in the UK and usually living in the same household as the receiving parent. Child maintenance defines a child the same way as Child Benefit does to offer consistency across rules. Child benefit is not used as a blunt tool in determining who may be considered a receiving parent and the CMS can consider multiple different forms of evidence when determining who is the primary carer.

If a paying parent believes that the Child Maintenance (CM) liability should cease because a qualifying child (QC) no longer meets the statutory definition of a qualifying young person but checks with His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) disagree, the CM caseworker can ask the receiving parent to provide;

1. verbal confirmation of the QCs status if they agree that the paying parent’s statement is correct, or

2. where they disagree with the paying parent, a letter from the school or college confirming the QCs status, or

3. written confirmation from an employer that the QC has started work.

Where the paying parent believes that Child Benefit is claimed fraudulently, the paying parent will be signposted to report the fraud to HMRC at Gov.UK.

Child Maintenance Service make automated monthly requests to HMRC asking for all children aged 16 to 19 who are included in its caseload, to establish whether Child Benefit is still in payment.

The CMS has a Financial Investigations Unit (FIU), that can investigate complex cases. This is a specialist team which can investigate the accuracy of information the CMS is given by either parent.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in.

When a paying parent does not make maintenance payments on time or in full, the CMS will initially negotiate a payment that is feasible for the parent to pay, taking into account the individual circumstances of each case.

The Debt Steer provides a policy-based framework for arrears negotiation. Its purpose is to ensure arrears are collected as promptly and reliably as possible, taking into account all relevant circumstances i.e. full arrears payment by one lump sum, partial lump sum payment and a schedule of on-going payments to recover any remaining arrears within a maximum of two years, and a schedule of on-going payments to recover the full arrears within two years.

After investigating the paying parent’s circumstances and financial situation, discretion can be applied to negotiate an arrangement that extends beyond a two-year period, providing it is a reliable and consistent plan for the recovery of arrears.

If this is unsuccessful and the paying parent is employed, the CMS can request that ongoing child maintenance payments be deducted directly from their salary by issuing what we call a Deductions from Earnings Order (DEO). A DEO instructs an employer to make deductions from the paying parent’s earnings and pay the amounts to the CMS who will pass this onto the receiving parent. The CMS also has powers to deduct maintenance from a wide range of bank accounts including joint and business accounts.

If this is unsuccessful, the CMS will use further measures, including order for sale, where it can apply to the courts for the sale of the paying parent’s assets or property, removal of driving licences, disqualification of passports, and committal to prison.

The Department will be considering the issue of rent charging years with 53 Mondays as part of its wider Universal Credit Review.

The Department is committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to and meeting our objectives of making work pay and tackling poverty. We have already begun this work with the introduction of the new fair repayment rate announced in the Budget. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders as the review progresses to seek views on proposed areas of focus and untapped opportunities in UC. Parliament will be updated on progress and future changes accordingly.

The information requested is not held by the Department.

For both the legacy Personal Independence Payment contracts (that completed on 6 September 2024) and the new Functional Assessment Service contracts, providers do not/did not split their costs by service channel.

Under the new Functional Assessment Service contracts, the costs provided by the Suppliers are not split between the individual service elements (ie Personal Independence payments, Work Capability Assessments and Specialist Benefits).