Written questions by Ranger.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable individuals from the potential harms caused by frequent charity advertising.

The Government is clear that it is never acceptable to use undue pressure in order to solicit a donation and that the public should be treated with respect at all times. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media (print, radio, TV) and online and is independent of the Government. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations to the ASA, are responsible for codifying the standards for advertising to the marketing industry as part of their Broadcast Advertising Code (BCAP Code) and UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (CAP Code). The CAP and BCAP Codes contain specific rules specifying that advertising must not cause serious or widespread harm or offence. In addition, the BCAP Code has a dedicated section on charities, with rules intended to prevent the abuse of people’s charitable impulses. Charities must comply with all relevant sections of the Codes when advertising. A complaint can be made to the ASA if someone believes an advert breaks these rules. The public can also make a complaint to the charity and to the Fundraising Regulator if they believe a charity has made misleading or excessive requests for donations.

Whether the Government is considering proposals to replace Vehicle Excise Duty with a pay-per-mile road pricing system.

The Government has no plans to abolish Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). VED applies to vehicles used or kept on public roads, which does not vary by miles driven. However, fuel duty applies to the petrol or diesel used by motorists driving internal combustion engine vehicles; the greater the miles driven, the more fuel duty incurred.

Whether his Department plans to introduce a national screening programme for prostate cancer; and what steps his Department is taking to improve outcomes for people affected by the disease.

The Department is guided on screening policy by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC does not currently recommend a national screening programme for prostate cancer, as the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen test, lacks the necessary accuracy. It can lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, as well as false reassurance for some men. This is particularly important given that many prostate cancers are slow-growing and may not cause harm during a man's lifetime.However, the UK NSC has commissioned a university to carry out a high-quality review and cost effectiveness model of the evidence for a national prostate cancer screening programme. This includes targeted approaches to high-risk groups and an offer to all men defined by age. The UK NSC expects to receive the report later this year.In addition, the Government has invested £16 million in the £42 million United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, led by Prostate Cancer UK, which aims to identify new ways of detecting prostate cancer at an earlier stage, including in men without symptoms. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of participants are Black men, reflecting their higher risk and the importance of ensuring new tests are effective across all groups.The National Cancer Plan will include details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including for those living with prostate cancer.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve (a) safety and (b) regulation in the non-surgical cosmetics sector.

The Government is committed to taking action to address longstanding concerns about the safety of the cosmetics sector, and is exploring options for further regulation in this area. We will set out the details of our approach in our response to the consultation on the licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England, which we will publish as soon as possible.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reducing the rate of VAT for the hospitality sector.

VAT is the UK’s third largest tax. It is forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26, which funds public services. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations. HMRC estimates that the cost of a 12.5 per cent reduced rate for accommodation, hospitality and tourist attractions would be around £6.5 billion this financial year, or £8 billion if it were to include alcoholic beverages.

What steps her Department is taking to support women affected by changes to the State Pension age.

This Government remains absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.The State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. In 2025-26 we will spend £174.9 billion on benefits for pensioners in GB, 5.8% of GDP. This includes spending on the State Pension which is forecast to be £145.6 billion in 2025-26.Our commitment to the Triple Lock also means that the annual spend on State Pensions is forecast to rise by around £31 billion this Parliament.The basic and new State Pensions recently increased by 4.1%, benefitting 12 million pensioners by up to £470 this year. That’s up to £275 more than if pensions had been up rated by inflation.There is also supplementary support for those on low incomes. This includes direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount and (in England & Wales) Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments.Finally, support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work or are on a low income but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the sale of (a) unlicensed band merchandise and (b) other counterfeit goods on (i) TikTok and (ii) other social media platforms.

The Government is committed to protecting IP rights for our businesses and protecting unsuspecting consumers from those who seek to profit from all forms of intellectual property infringement. Trading Standards are primarily responsible for enforcing Intellectual Property Rights and are working with platforms of all sizes to remove counterfeits from their online stores. The Intellectual Property Office also regularly meets many of the major social media and e-commerce trading platforms in the UK and overseas to help ensure they have policies in place to remove goods identified as counterfeit, advertisements of counterfeit goods, and persistent sellers of counterfeit goods.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure greater compatibility between electric vehicle (EV) chargers, EV models, and electricity providers’ smart tariffs; and whether the Government plans to introduce regulations to prevent anti-competitive practices in the EV charging market that limit consumer access to cheaper overnight electricity rates.

The Government is committed to ensuring consumers can access any electricity tariff for use with their smart electric vehicle (EV) charger, enabling all consumers to benefit from cheaper off-peak electricity. In April 2025, the Government confirmed that it will require electricity suppliers to share tariff data with the consumer’s load controller in a standardised format to facilitate this. In addition, the Government has committed to working with industry to develop and introduce interoperability standards that ensure that all EV chargepoints are operable by any load controller on behalf of the consumer Further detail can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/delivering-a-smart-and-secure-electricity-system-implementation.

Whether the Government is taking steps to mark Social Mobility Day on 12 June 2025.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people of all backgrounds can thrive, with breaking down barriers to opportunity as one of our driving missions. Our Opportunity Mission plays a vital role in helping to create a country where the circumstances of someone's birth do not determine their outcomes in life. We will mark relevant awareness moments in line with policy developments.

Media and Sport, when guidance will be released for cites wanting to bid for the 2029 city of culture competition.

The Government’s approach to a future UK City of Culture competition will be announced in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of bank holiday weekend closures of Euston Station on passengers; and what steps she is taking to ensure the accessibility of major rail hubs during periods of high demand.

Network Rail advises that London Euston will be closed over the early May Bank Holiday over Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May and with a reduced service on Saturday 3 May whilst work takes place to upgrade track and drainage and carry out maintenance work to help improve performance for passengers and freight for future journeys. Bank Holidays are chosen to carry out work as it allows more time for work to take place whilst fewer passengers are travelling. Trains will start and finish at Milton Keynes where bus replacement services will run to and from Bedford for onward travel to London St Pancras. Passengers are being encouraged to check before they travel at National Rail Enquiries. An advertising campaign has taken place across ticket booking sites, a press release has been issued, stakeholders have been updated and there have been frequent social media posts to ensure passengers had awareness of the changes to journeys.

What progress he has made on achieving clean power by 2030.

Since the election, we have turbocharged progress towards a clean power system, changing the planning rules, reforming the grid, lifting the onshore wind ban and consenting 3 times more solar power in 10 months than the last government did in 14 years. Just this month we approved the Rampion offshore wind farm delivering power to 1.3 million homes as well as creating thousands of jobs. Our mission is all about jobs, growth and energy security, and that’s what we’re delivering.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure equal access to affordable housing for families from lower-income backgrounds.

Social housing goes to those who need it most. Where someone is eligible for social housing, they will have their housing needs considered in accordance with the relevant local authority’s housing allocation scheme.

What steps his Department is tacking to help tackle the socio-economic factors which contribute to ill health.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Poole on 5 March 2025, to Question 33818.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help improve social mobility.

We are committed to delivering better life chances for all - breaking the link between background and success. Through the Opportunity Mission, this Government is working to ensure all children and young people can access opportunities and that every child thrives in education and achieves their ambitions in work and later life, no matter their background. Work is underway to deliver our manifesto commitment to commence the socio-economic duty in England. The duty will require specified public bodies to actively consider how their strategic decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

What steps she is taking to (a) reduce income inequality and (b) improve social mobility for people from lower-income backgrounds.

Distributional analysis shows that the expected impacts of government decisions from Autumn Budget 2024 onwards are progressive and benefit households in the lowest income deciles the most, on average, as a percentage of income in 2028-29.The Government is committed to making sure the wealthiest in our society pay their fair share of tax. That is why the Chancellor announced a series of reforms at Autumn Budget 2024 to help fix the public finances in as fair a way as possible. The increases in tax are concentrated on the highest income households. Overall, on average, all but the richest 10% of households will benefit from policy decisions in 2028-29.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure equal access to digital skills training and technology.

The government is taking action in both these areas. The Digital Inclusion Action Plan sets out how we have, for example, launched a device donation pilot scheme in partnership with The Digital Poverty Alliance to refurbish end-of-life government laptops from three departments and get them to those that need them most.The government is also supporting digital upskilling, for example through Essential Digital Skills (EDS) provisions funded by the Department for Education’s Adult Skills Fund. We will also be enhancing support for the EDS framework, which supports businesses and individuals to get the digital skills they need.

What steps he is taking to help increase the number of civil servants who come from low income backgrounds.

We are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service that delivers high quality public services.There are a range of policies to support those from low socio-economic backgrounds wishing to join the Civil Service, this includes internships and apprenticeships which support people to gain valuable paid work experience in the Civil Service, as well as extensive outreach events to raise awareness of the Civil Service as an inclusive employer. The Civil Service also provides entry routes through the Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) recruitment schemes across government. GFiE uses innovative approaches, working in partnership including with local government and the voluntary sector, to recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service who may not otherwise have considered a Civil Service job, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds.

What steps she has taken to support people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds in accessing employment opportunities.

The Get Britain Working White Paper focuses on building a thriving labour market, reducing economic inactivity and increasing the number of people in work, which is central to growing the economy. We will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity, create an inclusive labour market in which everybody can participate and progress in work, and meet the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. We are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access good, meaningful work, and support them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. The new service will be available for anyone who wants to look for work, to increase their earnings or to change their career or retrain. It will be responsive to local employers, inclusive for all customers and will work closely in partnership with local services to tackle the challenges associated with local labour markets. Additionally, our Youth Guarantee will ensure that all young people aged 18-21 in England can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship, or employment support, helping to bridge the gap for those who might otherwise struggle to find employment due to their socio-economic status. We are committed to breaking down barriers and fostering greater social mobility across the UK, our plans as set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper Get Britain Working White Paper - GOV.UK set us on a path to achieving this.

What steps she is taking to help improve access to (a) higher education opportunities and (b) apprenticeships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Too many people across our country do not get the chance to succeed. This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university or pursue an apprenticeship, regardless of their background, where they live and their personal circumstances.All English higher education (HE) providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees are required to have an Access and Participation Plan approved by the OfS. These plans articulate how providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups. In creating their plans, providers should consider the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register which details 12 key sector risks across the student lifecycle and the student groups most likely to experience these, including students from disadvantaged backgrounds.Whilst many HE providers have demonstrated positive examples of widening access, including targeted outreach and bursaries, we want to see the sector go further.In the summer the department will set out our plan for HE reform and we expect providers to play an even stronger role in improving access and outcomes for all disadvantaged students.The department also wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships. We are introducing foundation apprenticeships for young people, a work-based offer providing high-quality progression pathways into further work-based training and employment, including occupationally specific apprenticeships. The department is continuing to provide employers and providers with additional funding to support more apprenticeship opportunities for young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We provide £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan or who have been in local authority care. These payments can be used to support costs such as work equipment, uniforms or travel.