Written questions by Naismith.

Media and Sport, when the Government intends to begin the review of the statutory duty on local authorities to provide a sufficient youth offer, and whether this review will consider strengthening statutory protections to ensure equal access to high quality youth services nationwide.

In September 2023 DCMS published updated statutory guidance to support local authorities’ understanding of the existing duty and how to deliver it. In the longer-term, we will explore reviewing the current local authorities’ statutory duty for youth services to empower them to better deliver on their responsibilities for youth services. The timeline for this review is not yet finalised.

Media and Sport, what mechanisms her Department will put in place to ensure transparent and ongoing accountability for the delivery of the National Youth Strategy, including how progress against its commitments will be reported to Parliament and to the public.

Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy, will put young people from all backgrounds in the driving seat when it comes to decisions that affect their own lives. We are committed to being accountable to young people, their parents/carers, sector partners, and the wider public to deliver this strategy. Every year, our department will invite a diverse group of young people to run a national hearing on the delivery of the strategy. This process will be co-designed with young people. We will also publish an interim delivery progress report in 2027.

What steps his Department is taking to identify and close remaining loopholes in the UK’s sanctions and maritime regulatory regime that allow UK linked shipping companies or insurers to support the transport of Russian liquefied natural gas, whether directly or indirectly.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 5 February 2026 to Question 109565. Since then, the UK has sanctioned a further 6 targets in Russia’s Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) industry including ships, traders and Russia’s Portovaya and Vysotsk terminals responsible for exporting Russian LNG, as part of our most recent sanctions package announced on 24 February 2026.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of investment‑market volatility on retirees using income drawdown arrangements; and if she will conduct a review of (a) pension provider fee structures, particularly charging full management fees during periods of negative fund performance and (b) the adequacy of safeguards for retirees who are reliant on drawdown income.

Individuals do face both investment and longevity risk in today’s Defined Contribution pension landscape, That can include investment risk during retirement. The government is acting to help savers manage these risk, including via the introduction of default pensions through the Pension Schemes Bill. This will ensure that savers in workplace defined contribution schemes have a default solution in place for retirement, helping secure a sustainable income in later life. Trustees and providers will need to consider how the solution they put in place help protect individuals from investment and longevity risks. FCA rules already require drawdown providers to provide annual statements to consumers which contain enough information for them to review their position. This ensures that consumers can make choices regarding their drawdown arrangements on an informed basis.

What plans his Department has to regulate the domestic heating‑oil industry; and what steps he is taking to ensure that households, particularly off‑grid rural households, are protected from price surges.

The Government intends to strengthen consumer protections in the domestic heating‑oil market, informed by the Competition and Markets Authority’s ongoing examination of the sector, which it announced on 20 March. The CMA also announced on 11 March that it is moving quickly to get to the bottom of troubling reports from heating oil customers about cancelled orders and sudden price increases. In parallel, the Government has made available £53M to support low-income families who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the allocation process for newly qualified doctors in the Foundation Programme is accessible for applicants with disabilities and long‑term health conditions; and whether he is taking steps to review how reasonable adjustments are assessed and applied within that process.

NHS England recognises the specific challenges that some applicants face, and the UK Foundation Programme runs a process to accommodate the needs of applicants with exceptional circumstances.The pre-allocation process allows applicants with a health condition or disability who have an absolute requirement to continue receiving specialist healthcare treatment and ongoing follow-up for the condition in a specific location to apply for a foundation school in that area. All pre-allocation requests are reviewed so that the process is as fair and transparent as possible.All applicants for the Foundation Programme must also complete a Transfer of Information Guidance form which helps foundation schools identify any support or adjustments needed for doctors with health conditions or disabilities.If necessary, doctors with a health condition or disability may additionally apply for a transfer to a specific foundation school once allocated, as part of the Inter-foundation School Transfer process.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential combined impact of the 2025 Budget announcement introducing pay per mile charges on electric vehicles, particularly its effect on consumer demand for EVs, and the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate on manufacturers; and what steps her Department is taking to balancing these measures to support businesses in the automotive supply chain.

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, to create a fair tax system whilst also taking steps to ensure that driving an electric vehicle (EV) remains an attractive choice for consumers. The rate of eVED for EVs will be half of the equivalent fuel duty rate paid by the average petrol/diesel driver, ensuring that EVs are cheaper to own and run for the majority of EV drivers. Alongside eVED, the Government also announced at Budget 2025 generous additional support to incentivise the use of electric vehicles, including £1.3 billion of additional funding for the Electric Car Grant (ECG), £200 million for chargepoint rollout, and increasing the VED Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) threshold to £50,000 for EVs. To support manufacturers and the automotive sector supply chain, the Government announced an extension of funding for the Drive 35 (Driving Research & Investment in Vehicle Electrification) programme and a delay to proposed changes to Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS) alongside transitional arrangements. As set out by the OBR, the estimated net impact of eVED and other Budget measures, including the ECG and ECS, is 120,000 fewer new EV sales across the forecast period. This is against a baseline which assumes EV sales more than triple from 2025-26 levels by 2030-31, which means the net impact of eVED represents only 2% of total new EV sales in the period. The Government has set out expected impacts from eVED and other Budget measures in the Budget 2025 Policy Costings document at GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf

What steps the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is taking to reduce the time taken to process driving licence renewal applications referred to its medical department.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26. To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

What steps she is taking to help mitigate changes in construction costs and land prices linked to anticipated HS2 development in Crewe; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those changes on local public projects.

As part of the Northern Growth Strategy, the government set out its intention to ultimately deliver a North-South new line between Birmingham and Manchester. This is not a reinstatement of HS2 and the government is yet to determine exactly what will be delivered and to what specification. Significant further work is required to develop plans before such decisions are made. We will engage with stakeholders, including Local Authorities, as this work takes place.

What assessment she has made of the affordability of HMRC’s policy requiring people with Self-Assessment liabilities above £3,000 to enter into time to pay arrangements subject to interest; and whether she has considered reviewing the interest rate applied to those arrangements to ensure that individuals experiencing loss of income or financial hardship are not disproportionately affected.

HMRC provides support to taxpayers who are unable to pay their tax liabilities in full through time to pay arrangements. Taxpayers should contact HMRC as soon as possible so we can support them by working to negotiate time to pay what they owe based on their income and expenditure, designed to help customers pay what they owe in smaller, sustainable instalments. They are a longstanding option available to businesses and individuals who are in temporary financial difficulty and can be amended if the customers’ circumstances change.Late payment interest is charged whenever tax is paid late and continues to accrue on amounts not paid on time, even if those amounts are included in a time to pay arrangement. HMRC’s interest rates are set by statutory instrument. It is open to us to alter the rates, and we keep this under review. The rate balances the need to encourage payment, ensure fairness for those who do pay on time, the cost to the public purse of delayed payment, and affordability. Time to pay, and the guidance offered by HMRC advisers, is the mechanism by which additional support is given where needed. If the rate of late payment interest is too low, HMRC may become the lender of first preference to some customers, impairing our ability to efficiently collect taxes and fund public services. HMRC’s debt balance grew significantly during the pandemic, and there is a risk of anything that encourages taxpayers to delay payment will further increase this. HMRC’s interest rate was linked to the Base of England base rate (BOE) in 2009 to introduce an element of independence in the rate setting. HMRC late payment rate is set in legislation as BOE +4% from April 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the decision to increase defence spending alongside a reduction in the international aid budget on spending priorities for global development objectives and international commitments.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 19 March outlining the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for the period up to 2028-29, and to the accompanying documents setting out the impact of those allocation decisions. I also refer him to the evidence provided by the Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State for Development at the International Development Committee on 24 March, where they addressed questions at length about the Government's ODA policies and allocation decisions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on reducing litter as part of delivering a circular economy; when her Department plans to publish the Circular Economy Strategy, including proposals for litter prevention and the reduction of litter related waste; and what steps her Department is taking through that Strategy to reduce reliance on overseas processing of waste.

Littering is a local issue. The role of central Government is to enable and support local action by providing a clear legal framework of rights and responsibilities and setting national standards. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against littering offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court. Alternatively, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500. To support local councils to make good use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences we have laid new Statutory Guidance, Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them, in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers, which is available at: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them - GOV.UKWe have also laid the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance in Parliament which outlines the standards expected of local authorities and other duty bodies (e.g. National Highways) with regards to their duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse. This guidance can be found on: Code of practice on litter and refuse - GOV.UKThis Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy.We intend to publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including: agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport.

What assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of youth inactivity; and what steps he is taking to increase participation in education, employment and training among young people.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000.  The latest figures show the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that are not in employment, education or training (NEET) is 12.8% (1 in 8), up 0.1% points on the quarter and down 0.4% points on the year. This Government has recently announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-old, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job. The Government will also prioritise prevention, building on measures announced in the Skills White Paper. The Government will improve support in schools, monitor attendance, increase access to work experience and work with local authorities to pilot auto-enrolling young people in further education, if needed. Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people.

Food and Rural Affairs, what additional powers, resources and funding her Department plans to provide to local authorities to support enforcement, prevention and community-led initiatives to reduce littering ahead of the implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme in 2027.

Local authorities already have powers to take enforcement action against littering offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, local authorities may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500. Local authorities also have powers to issue a civil penalty to the keeper of a vehicle from which litter has been thrown. This helps them respond to littering incidents when they cannot identify the specific individual who dropped litter from a vehicle. To support local authorities to make good use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences, which will reduce littering, we have laid new Statutory Guidance, Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them, in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers. The guidance is available: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them - GOV.UK The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be issuing a small grant payment to local authorities in England to support them to familiarise themselves with the Litter Enforcement Guidance. We have also laid the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance in parliament which outlines the standards expected of local authorities and other duty bodies (e.g. National Highways) with regards to their duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse. The guidance can be found on: Code of practice on litter and refuse - GOV.UK

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 77869 on Teachers: Disclosure of Information, whether her Department plans to consider the experiences of teachers subject to non‑disclosure agreements in settlement contracts when developing the conditions to be set out in forthcoming regulations.

School leaders are best placed to make staffing decisions to ensure the workforce reflects the needs of their pupils. That is why schools are provided the freedom to manage employment of all their staff. The department is not the employer of any school staff.Where school employers use settlement agreements, they are required to comply with employment law. Settlement agreements are entirely voluntary, and employees do not have to enter into them if they do not agree with the proposed content. Academy trusts must comply with the Academies Financial Handbook if they are considering making a settlement agreement. The handbook can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook.Settlement agreements often include a confidentiality clause, however, the law is clear that confidentiality clauses cannot be used to prevent someone from making a protected disclosure, such as whistleblowing. Further information about whistle blowing for employees can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/whistleblowing.In addition, the government has introduced a new measure, through the Employment Rights Act 2025, that will address the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by employers. The government will consult on the conditions under which NDAs can still be validly made, known in the legislation as an ‘excepted agreement’.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of introducing zonal electricity pricing on (a) consumer energy bills in regions with high renewable generation, such as those with significant offshore wind capacity, (b) the cost to the public purse of constraint payments to wind generators and (c) future private-sector investment in energy infrastructure in areas of high demand, including the South East.

In July 2025, we announced that we would not be implementing zonal pricing as part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) and had decided instead to retain a single Great Britain wide wholesale electricity market. We plan to set out the potential impact of zonal pricing − with respect to areas such as consumers, generators and investment, including South East England – in the REMA Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA), which will be published later this year.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a railcard for adults over the age of 30 who rely on regular rail travel for work in (a) the north and (b) other areas of England; and whether her Department plans to amend existing railcard schemes to support working age passengers.

Adults aged over 30 may be eligible for a number of national and regional railcards. Train operating companies also offer a range of products, such as season tickets, which can be used to support better value regular travel to work. The Government has no current plans to review existing concessionary discounts. However, the Railways Bill gives Great British Railways the flexibility to update and expand concessionary offers as passenger needs change.

What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on increasing economic growth in Wales.

This Government is investing to unlock growth, create jobs and improve the cost of living. We are creating thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales. This includes huge investment into new nuclear power in Wylfa, two new AI Growth Zones, a Defence Growth Deal, two Freeports, two Investment Zones, and investment into our semiconductor sector in South Wales.

Whether his Department has issued guidance that parking charges at NHS facilities are (a) equitable, (b) proportionate to the cost of (i) maintaining and (ii) improving parking facilities and (c) not to be used to subsidise clinical services.

Decisions on the provision of car parking are made locally by National Health Service organisations to be consistent with the national guidance provided by NHS England.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principlesThis guidance requires free parking to the four free groups: disabled people; frequent outpatient attenders; parents of sick children staying overnight; and staff working night shifts. In addition, parking charges are expected to be fair for the area. Where car parking income exceeds the costs of providing the parking, the excess income is invested into NHS services.Local charging for NHS parking will depend on a number of local factors including the availability and cost of parking, the demands for parking, for instance the pressure of parking from shopping, and the availability of alternative forms of transport such as public transport and NHS shuttle buses services.

What steps her Department is taking to help support self-employed micro businesses to comply with HMRC’s Make Tax Digital programme.

The government has published detailed guidance and offers help through webinars, online resources, and customer service channels to enable customers and agents to prepare for and use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax successfully. It is working with the software industry to ensure there is a wide range of MTD-compatible software to suit varying needs and budgets. That includes free software. Many products are aimed at unrepresented users. A communications campaign is underway, using radio and social media channels to raise customer awareness particularly among taxpayers without an agent.