Steve Witherden

The Infected Blood Inquiry Report highlights many ethical failings that happened as part of the Infected Blood Scandal. The impact of these ethical failings on infected people has been recognised in the compensation scheme's core autonomy award.

In his summer 2024 report Sir Robert Francis recommended that an additional autonomy award be made available specifically to infected people subjected to unethical research. The Government accepted this recommendation, which led to the development of the Unethical Research Practices award as part of the Compensation Scheme's supplementary route. The award focuses specifically on research that has failed to meet established ethical standards.

Specifically, the eligibility for the award is determined by the presence of documented unethical research. This includes a lack of informed consent, inadequate oversight, and other breaches of ethical obligations in research settings.

In December last year, the Government engaged with key representatives and organisations in the community on the particular eligibility criteria for the Unethical Research Practices Award. The Government was grateful for the submissions and feedback it received from key stakeholders and considered the evidence provided in each one carefully. The Regulations which became law on 31 March 2025, detailed, specifically the criteria and centres that will be covered as part of this award. The Government is able, through further secondary legislation, to add additional centres or studies to the list if new evidence is presented. The Government wants to ensure that those who were subject to unethical research are provided with the additional autonomy award.

Due to the nature of the Infected Blood scandal there is uncertainty over the number of people who might be eligible for compensation. The final number of eligible people will ultimately depend on the number of victims who come forward. While there is no way of knowing exactly how many people were infected as a result of this scandal, the findings of the Statistical Expert Group, established by the Infected Blood Inquiry, has provided valuable insight into the numbers of infections from blood and blood products in the UK between 1970 and 1991. The central estimates approximately total 30,000, which includes both living and deceased victims. This information is not available on a constituency basis.

As recommended by the Inquiry, the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme has been designed as a tariff-based framework. The proposed tariffs were developed on the advice of the Infected Blood Inquiry Response Expert Group, which included clinical and legal advisors assisted by social care specialists. You can find more information about the work of the Infected Blood Inquiry Response Expert Group on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infected-blood-inquiry-response-expert-group-summary-report

In March, Parliament approved the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025, which established the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme in full and gave the Infected Blood Compensation Authority the powers it needs to begin making payments to all people eligible for compensation under the Scheme.

In line with the recommendations from the Infected Blood Inquiry’s second interim report and Sir Robert’s compensation framework study, the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme takes a tariff based approach to compensation based on infection severity bands. The Government sought advice on the infection severity bandings and consequent tariffs from the Infected Blood Inquiry Response Expert Group.

In regards to an additional award for haemophiliacs, the scope of the scheme’s supplementary route is in line with the recommendations Sir Robert Francis KC made to the Government in August 2024. The Government accepted Sir Robert’s recommendation that, with the exception of autonomy awards to victims of unethical research, supplementary route awards should only be available for care and financial loss.

The Government recognises that local energy will play an important role in achieving our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030, and some suppliers are already working with community energy groups to support local supply.

The Secretary of State recently commissioned Ofgem to explore some of the policy and regulatory barriers to local supply, including route to market challenges. An industry working group is currently considering proposals to make a code modification (P441) to Balancing and Settlement Code, which may be beneficial for certain community energy projects. A final decision on modification will be made by Ofgem.

The industry regulator Ofgem is directly accountable to Parliament. However, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State and DESNZ Ministers have regular meetings with Ofgem on a range of issues.

In December, the Government launched its first comprehensive review of Ofgem. The review will establish Ofgem as a strong consumer champion, driving up standards for household and business consumers both now, and as energy use evolves with smarter and greener technology. It will also consider Ofgem’s duties and mandate, including how it delivers on its existing set of duties such as net zero.

The path to Net Zero and supporting growth in the renewable energy sector are both at the heart of this Government’s mission to deliver clean power by 2030.

ECO4 does not award funding to households, it is an obligation set by Government on large energy suppliers to install energy efficiency measures.

To the end of September 2024 (the latest available data by parliamentary constituency and nation), ECO4 has supported: (i) 1,140 households in the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency, (ii) 18,729 households in Wales, and (iii) 166,258 households in England.

The Department does not hold data on how many listed buildings have received ECO4 measures.

The latest assessments by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that the pathway to 1.5°C remains open, but only if urgent action is taken. The UK is a global leader in the fight against climate change, which is why at COP29, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s 1.5°C aligned 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. This target is estimated to reduce emissions by more than 60% between 2019 and 2035, aligning with the reductions in the IPCC’s global pathways which limit warming to 1.5°C with low or no overshoot. The UK’s commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 is also consistent with these pathways, as confirmed by the UK’s Climate Change Committee in advice provided in June 2019 and December 2020.

The Government will consult on the implementation of its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields in due course. It does not intend to revoke existing licences.

The Government has announced it will introduce new legislation to restrict the future licensing of new coal mines in Great Britain. The last coal fired power station closed in October 2024.

The Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan paves the way to decarbonising the wider economy by 2050 as it pursues the electrification of heat in buildings, transport, and industry.

As part of the Shared Rural Network, we have recently upgraded and activated two government-funded masts in the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency, delivering a 4G coverage boost to local businesses and community organisations, with more to come.

Through Project Gigabit, around 70,000 homes and businesses across Wales, including thousands in the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency, are currently set to benefit from a contract being delivered by Openreach that will deliver gigabit-capable broadband to premises that would otherwise miss out.

This Government is committed to an independent and free media, one that is completely separate from the Government and politicians. An independent self-regulatory regime is important to ensure the press adheres to clear and high standards. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility, and newspapers must operate within the bounds of the law. This includes ensuring access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress. The Government currently has no plans to change the current system.

The press have a responsibility to behave ethically and they must also operate within the bounds of the law. Any illegal conduct such as phone hacking would be a matter for the police.

The Government does not intervene in or oversee the work of the UK’s independent press regulators. If a member of the public objects to practices of the press they can complain directly to the publication, or the relevant independent regulator, including Impress or the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).

These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including discrimination, accuracy, privacy, and harassment. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections. Both regulators also offer arbitration schemes for legal claims relating to defamation, privacy and harassment.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), which is independent of Government, publishes annual reports on their website that include details on the number of complaints and enquiries received and their outcomes: https://www.ipso.co.uk/what-we-do/transparency-accountability/.

We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other Government departments and key stakeholders, and further information will be available in due course. In addition, we are already delivering key initiatives aimed at improving people’s access to nature, including:

• Completing the King Charles III England Coast Path, which will become the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world. With over 2,400 miles of the route now approved and 1,430 miles already open, this will also create 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin.
• Designating Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route as a National Trail across the north of England.
• Delivering the £16 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which is designed to make our protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible to all.

Information about the Carbon footprint for the UK is published here : Carbon footprint for the UK and England to 2021 - GOV.UK

Data are available up to 2021.

The total carbon footprint now includes the seven main Greenhouse Gases comprising: CO₂, Methane (CH₄), Nitrous oxide (N₂O), Hydro-flourocarbons (HFC), Perflurocarbons (PFC), Nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆).

We do not hold information on total UK emissions but can provide those associated with consumption. UK consumption emission figures, including those from imported goods, are provided in the table below.

Table 1: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with UK consumption, million tonnes CO2 equivalent, UK, 2010-2021

The Government's flagship road safety campaign, THINK!, aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. The THINK! Campaign plays an important role in raising awareness of, and encouraging compliance with, new road safety legislation. This has included changes made to The Highway Code in 2022, which aimed to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and horse riding – including advice on safely passing horse riders in Rule 215.

Over £2.4 million has been spent on media to raise awareness of and encourage compliance with the changes, utilising channels such as radio, digital audio, video on demand and social media advertising.

Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police who will decide on the evidence of each individual case, whether an offence has been committed and the appropriate action to take.

I regret we are not yet able to comment on next steps regarding Access for All projects at specific stations including at Ruabon railway station. However, please be assured that we are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Once we can confirm our approach to the Access for All programme, we will of course ensure that MPs and other stakeholders are informed.

The causes of homelessness are multi-faceted and often complex, they interact dynamically making it very difficult to isolate the relative importance of individual factors. Responsibility for housing and homelessness is devolved to the Welsh Government, while social security is reserved to the UK Government.

At last year’s Autumn Budget, the Secretary of State’s decision to maintain Local Housing Allowance (LHA) at current levels for 2025/26 was taken after a range of factors were considered, including rental data, the impacts of LHA rates, the fact that rates were increased in April 2024, and the wider fiscal context. The April 2024 one-year LHA increase cost an additional £1.2bn in 2024/25, and approximately £7bn over 5 years.

Any future decisions on LHA policy will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, goals on housing, and the fiscal context.

For those who need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. DHPs can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs

The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the Welsh Government specifically about the Removal Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS) and homelessness in Wales. Housing is devolved to the Welsh Government and social security is reserved to the UK Government.

The causes of homelessness are multi-faceted and often complex, they interact dynamically making it very difficult to isolate the relative importance of individual factors.

The RSRS policy applies to claims for housing support where the household living in a social rented property with more bedrooms than their household’s bedroom entitlement.

Easements are available allowing an additional bedroom to support disabled people and carers, the families of disabled children, foster carers, parents who adopt, parents of service personnel and people who have suffered a bereavement. The deduction does not apply to pensioners in receipt of Housing Benefit.

Further, those unable to meet the shortfall in their rent can seek a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) from their local authority. DHPs can be paid to those in receipt of qualifying housing support who face a shortfall in meeting their rental housing costs.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

The Government recognises the important contribution cooperatives have made in serving local communities around the world. Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, that can enable citizens and producers to access services or markets and strengthen their voice in local processes. Cooperatives can enable sustainable and inclusive development centred on self-help, democratic ownership, and concern for the community. The UK has supported cooperatives and producer organisations in developing countries, including, for example in agriculture through funding to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), which supports producer organisations, and the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme (CASA), which partners with cooperatives and small agribusinesses in low-income countries to improve smallholder farmers' access to markets.

The Government recognises the important contribution cooperatives have made in serving local communities around the world. Cooperatives are a tried-and-tested model in international development, that can enable citizens and producers to access services or markets and strengthen their voice in local processes. Cooperatives can enable sustainable and inclusive development centred on self-help, democratic ownership, and concern for the community. The UK has supported cooperatives and producer organisations in developing countries, including, for example in agriculture through funding to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), which supports producer organisations, and the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme (CASA), which partners with cooperatives and small agribusinesses in low-income countries to improve smallholder farmers' access to markets. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the spending review.

The UK remains opposed to anti-United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Knesset legislation which came into force on 30 January, and unequivocally rejects attempts to undermine or degrade UNRWA. UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza and enabling the broader international response through its logistics and distribution network. We reiterated this position in our E3 joint Foreign Ministers' statement of 31 January, alongside France and Germany. The Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories also raised this with the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs on 23 January.

The UK has committed £41 million for UNRWA this financial year, to deliver essential services for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. This funding has now been released to United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to spend before the end of the financial year. We remain opposed to Israeli legislation against UNRWA, which plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza and enabling the broader international response through its logistics and distribution network.

The UK unequivocally condemns all alleged violations and abuses, including sexual violence, and calls for all reports to be fully investigated to ensure justice for victims and survivors. We are deeply concerned by allegations of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces. We believe it is critical that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is given regular access to detainees to carry out its independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Currently, the ICRC cannot fully investigate these reports, as Israel continues to deny it access to places of detention. The UK calls on all parties to the conflict to comply with international law and grant immediate and unfettered access for the ICRC.

Illustrative analysis in the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2024 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report suggests that UK GDP could be around 3% lower by 2074 under a below 2°C warming scenario and around 5% lower under a below 3°C warming scenario. The publicly available report contains further analysis of the fiscal impact of climate change as well as impacts affecting businesses and individuals such as labour productivity and health.

This Government is committed to mitigating the negative impacts of climate change. The transition to net zero will support the creation of jobs across the UK, protect the economy from future price shocks and deliver a range of social and health benefits.

Illustrative analysis in the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2024 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report suggests that UK GDP could be around 3% lower by 2074 under a below 2°C warming scenario and around 5% lower under a below 3°C warming scenario. The publicly available report contains further analysis of the fiscal impact of climate change as well as impacts affecting businesses and individuals such as labour productivity and health.

This Government is committed to mitigating the negative impacts of climate change. The transition to net zero will support the creation of jobs across the UK, protect the economy from future price shocks and deliver a range of social and health benefits.

We remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the Fiscal Framework, which sets out their borrowing arrangements, continues to deliver value for money while upholding our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility. Discussions regarding the Welsh Government’s request to amend the budget management tools outlined in the Framework are ongoing.  
 
As set out in the Welsh Government Fiscal Framework agreed in 2016, a full review is triggered if the Welsh Government’s relative funding falls below 115% of equivalent UK Government spending per head in the rest of the UK.

The Welsh Government is currently receiving at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK. That translates into over £8.5 billion more in 2025-26.

It is for the Welsh Government to allocate its funding in devolved areas, including social housing, as it sees fit. It can therefore take its own decisions on managing and investing available resources, reflecting its own priorities and local circumstances, and it is accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.

The government will introduce the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on 1 January 2027.

The UK CBAM will ensure highly traded, carbon intensive products from overseas face a comparable carbon price to those produced here so that UK decarbonisation efforts lead to a true reduction in global emissions rather than simply displacing carbon emissions overseas.

The CBAM will apply to all imports of relevant goods into the UK, and will have indirect differential regional impacts due to the location of impacted sectors. Both nationally and in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, the CBAM will give industry confidence to invest in decarbonising knowing their efforts will not be undermined by carbon leakage. An assessment of CBAM impacts on the economy and businesses will be provided when the policy is final or near final, in the form of a tax information and impact note.

The Government currently provides VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators. For example, when an AED is purchased with funds provided by a charity and then donated to an eligible body, no VAT is charged. Furthermore, all state schools in England have been fitted with AEDs.

A key consideration for any potential VAT relief is whether savings would be passed on to the consumer. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates.

The enforcement of the law is an operational matter for the police. It is for them to decide whether a particular action warrants police involvement, based on their operational expertise and the circumstances of the case.

All hate crimes, including those targeting the LGBT+ community, are completely unacceptable. This Government is determined to tackle these appalling crimes, and we back the police in taking strong action against the perpetrators of these offences.

We have already committed to ensuring parity of protection for LGBT+ and disabled people under the aggravated offences and will implement this change in an appropriate legislative vehicle in due course.

The Government funds an online hate crime reporting portal, True Vision, designed so victims of all types of hate crime - including transgender hate crime - do not have to visit a police station to report. We are also continuing to fund the National Online Hate Crime Hub, which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime, providing expert advice to police to support them in investigating these abhorrent offences.

All hate crimes, including those targeting the LGBT+ community, are completely unacceptable. This Government is determined to tackle these appalling crimes, and we back the police in taking strong action against the perpetrators of these offences.

We have already committed to ensuring parity of protection for LGBT+ and disabled people under the aggravated offences and will implement this change in an appropriate legislative vehicle in due course.

The Government funds an online hate crime reporting portal, True Vision, designed so victims of all types of hate crime - including transgender hate crime - do not have to visit a police station to report. We are also continuing to fund the National Online Hate Crime Hub, which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime, providing expert advice to police to support them in investigating these abhorrent offences.

On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. This gave effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto.

A full impact assessment was published alongside the Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 2025, the Statutory Instrument that brought the new fees into effect. The impact assessment set out that the Government’s preferred option was to increase fees to achieve full-cost recovery based on 2024 costs to the police, rather than the other options set out, which were to increase fees in line with inflation since 2014. This was to ensure that the objective of increasing licensing fees to secure full cost recovery was achieved.

The impact assessment also covers the impact of increased fees on farmers and rural communities.

It is essential for both public safety and police efficiency that full cost recovery fees were introduced. I have written to all Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to make clear that the income from increased fees must be invested into their firearms licensing operations, in the interests of both public safety and to support improvements in the service provided by their firearms licensing teams.

On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. This gave effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto.

A full impact assessment was published alongside the Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 2025, the Statutory Instrument that brought the new fees into effect. The impact assessment set out that the Government’s preferred option was to increase fees to achieve full-cost recovery based on 2024 costs to the police, rather than the other options set out, which were to increase fees in line with inflation since 2014. This was to ensure that the objective of increasing licensing fees to secure full cost recovery was achieved.

The impact assessment also covers the impact of increased fees on farmers and rural communities.

It is essential for both public safety and police efficiency that full cost recovery fees were introduced. I have written to all Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to make clear that the income from increased fees must be invested into their firearms licensing operations, in the interests of both public safety and to support improvements in the service provided by their firearms licensing teams.

We understand that Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) applicants often face difficult circumstances where it is not always easy to request a review of a decision finding their application ineligible within 90 days of receiving an outcome letter. Where an individual has compelling circumstances that prevented them from meeting this deadline, a late review request may be considered. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific circumstances of each individual.

This policy remains unchanged following the announcement of the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP), which will draw Afghan resettlement into a single delivery pipeline whilst retaining the current eligibility criteria of individual schemes such as ARAP.

The full policy and process regarding ARAP reviews is published online and can be found on Government web pages.

The Department has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders during the development of our reforms to the private rented sector, and we have sought to learn from the experience of the devolved nations.

However, housing within Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective devolved government. Respect for devolution and collaboration with the devolved governments is central to this government’s approach to rebuilding the country.

The Department has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders during the development of our reforms to the private rented sector, and we have sought to learn from the experience of the devolved nations.

However, housing within Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective devolved government. Respect for devolution and collaboration with the devolved governments is central to this government’s approach to rebuilding the country.