Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 2198 on District Heating, when his Department plans to bring forward regulations to implement the Heat Network Market Framework.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The first part of the Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025 was signed into law on the 2nd of March 2025. The remaining parts of this regulatory framework will be laid in Parliament later this year, and Ofgem will assume its role as heat network market regulator on the 27th of January 2026.
On the 1st of April, the redress, advice and advocacy functions of the Heat Networks Market Framework came into force. Under these schemes, the Energy Ombudsman, Citizens Advice, and Consumer Scotland will monitor the market and have powers to take enforcement action against operators that break the rules on metering and billing.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeships the Construction Industry Training Board supported in (a) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (b) Scotland in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) supported 36 registered employers in 2023, and 47 registered employers in 2024. A CITB registered employer may access more than one grant or fund, and the cumulative count of support for registered employers within the constituency was 58 and 113 respectively.
Across Scotland, the CITB supported 2,864 registered employers in 2023, and 3414 registered employers in 2024, with 6,683 and 9,076 cumulative counts of support respectively.
The number of apprentices supported is not routinely captured at constituency level, so the CITB is unable to provide this figure from currently available data.
Through the CITB’s contract with Skills Development Scotland, it supported an average of 4,440 apprentices per month in 2023, and an average of 4,500 apprentices per month in 2024.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many businesses the Construction Industry Training Board supported in (a) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (b) Scotland in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) supported 36 registered employers in 2023, and 47 registered employers in 2024. A CITB registered employer may access more than one grant or fund, and the cumulative count of support for registered employers within the constituency was 58 and 113 respectively.
Across Scotland, the CITB supported 2,864 registered employers in 2023, and 3414 registered employers in 2024, with 6,683 and 9,076 cumulative counts of support respectively.
The number of apprentices supported is not routinely captured at constituency level, so the CITB is unable to provide this figure from currently available data.
Through the CITB’s contract with Skills Development Scotland, it supported an average of 4,440 apprentices per month in 2023, and an average of 4,500 apprentices per month in 2024.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much financial assistance his Department is providing to Myanmar following the earthquake that hit on 28 March 2025.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar. This includes up to £5 million to match the British public's generous donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.
The UK supports the people of Myanmar by funding local actors on the ground who can directly access affected populations. Immediately after the earthquake our partners assessed needs and mobilised an initial humanitarian response. UK-funded food, water, healthcare and shelter supplies are already reaching affected areas, helping over 86,000 people so far.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the (a) right to access legal advice and (b) wellbeing of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I remain deeply disturbed by the ongoing detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and other medical staff from Gaza, and I have raised his case with the Government of Israel. We continue to urge Israel to clarify the reasons for the detention of Dr Abu Safiya and other medical personnel, and to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the report entitled Independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, published on 19 March 2025, what steps he plans to take to ensure reliable sources for sex data are used for the proposed digital verification service.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises the importance of accurate data and statistics on sex and gender, and has shared the independent review’s recommendations with departments for consideration in ongoing policy work. The Government Digital Service is also developing data standards for attributes of a person with input from across the public sector. Digital verification services, and public authorities processing personal data which may be used by such services during the verification process, are subject to data protection legislation which requires the personal data they’re processing to be relevant and accurate for the purpose for which it is being used.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she plans to take to ensure the availability of single-sex services for women.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
This Government is steadfast in its dedication to protecting women and fostering a society in which they feel respected and empowered. We will uphold the Equality Act and continue to support the use of its single-sex exceptions. We will explore the best ways in which we can give service providers assurance about the rights afforded by the Act and how to lawfully apply its single-sex exceptions.
It is vitally important that service providers have clear guidance about the Equality Act 2010 and its single-sex service exceptions. We will bring forward guidance in due course that will give service providers assurance about the rights afforded by the Act and how to lawfully apply its single-sex exceptions.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) aid and (b) health workers detained by Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that at least 330 health care workers from Gaza had been detained by the Israeli authorities as of December 2024, but we do not have current figures for the number of aid or health workers detained by Israel. The UK urges the Government of Israel to clarify the reasons for the detention of aid or health workers, to respect the rights of detainees, and to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) immediate and unfettered access to detention facilities.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing zonal pricing on private investment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is considering reforms to the electricity market through our Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA). This includes consideration of whether to move to a zonal electricity market, where prices vary depending on local conditions, or to continue with a reformed version of our national pricing arrangements.
Zonal pricing could have significant benefits, including through reducing the cost of energy to businesses. However, it also creates potential new risks to generators that need to be carefully considered.
Any decisions on market reform will be based on a robust analysis of the costs and benefits.
The Government plans to conclude the policy development phase of the REMA programme by mid-2025.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will remove corporate crown immunity from the Scottish Prison Service.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The Lord Chancellor has received a letter from the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs seeking to discuss a number of issues across the justice system and will respond in due course.
Crown Immunity within the Scottish Prison Service is a complex issue, and any change would interact with both devolved and reserved competencies. It is right therefore that the UK Government fully considers its next steps accordingly.