Written questions by German.

Innovation and Technology, for what reason YouTube has not been included in the Government’s online safety and age assurance pilot programmes; and whether YouTube is expected to be included in any future iterations of those pilots.

The decision not to include YouTube as part of the Government’s child social media pilot study was due to the use of the platform by schools and youth organisations for teaching and other educational purposes. Next steps will be considered once the current studies have concluded.

What contingency plans are in place to protect fuel supply, heating oil availability, fertiliser supplies and food distribution in Wales in the event of prolonged disruption to global oil and gas supply routes, including through the Strait of Hormuz.

The UK benefits from a diverse and resilient fuel supply chain and remains well supplied across all fuel types. The Government works closely with industry to monitor supply, demand, and market conditions. Government’s long-standing contingency plans include the National Emergency Plan for Fuel. A summary of the plan is published on gov.uk and sets out measures to respond to supply and distribution disruption, ensuring that, in the unlikely event of a sustained disruption, fuel can be prioritised for essential services and critical supply chains. The Government does not assess that the current situation warrants, or is approaching, the threshold for the use of emergency powers.

For what reason wholesale electricity prices are set by gas‑fired generation under the marginal pricing system; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this pricing structure on household energy bills.

Our recent announcement on 21 April set out several measures that will help break the link between the price of gas and the price of electricity. These measures include voluntary long term fixed contracts and an updated Electricity Generators Levy. Marginal pricing is a description of how competitive commodity markets function. It is the foundation of all commodity markets across the OECD. Marginal pricing incentivises the cheapest sources of energy production to provide as much power as possible, more expensive producers are only used when it is necessary to meet demand. The issue is that we are too often relying on gas to provide our power. Accelerating the deployment of renewable generation, as we are through our Clean Power 2030 Mission, will reduce the amount of time when gas is setting the price and will help to rapidly decouple electricity from gas prices without the need for more complex arrangements. This will in turn reduce the exposure of consumer bills to volatile international prices.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of online safety protections for vulnerable adults, including neurodivergent adults such as those with autism and ADHD; and whether she plans to take steps to improve safeguarding and platform accountability.

The Online Safety Act places legal duties on platforms to make their services safer for all users, including vulnerable adults and those that are neurodivergent.Services are required to protect users from illegal content and activity online, which may impact vulnerable adults disproportionately. In addition, the largest services will also have additional duties put on them, to offer adults user empowerment tools. These will allow adults to have greater control over their online experience.Ofcom has robust enforcement powers and we have been clear that Ofcom has the government’s full backing to take enforcement action.We continue to build on the Act to keep users safe online, such as making content that promotes self-harm priority offences.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the scale of spoofing scams using UK telephone numbers; and whether she plans to strengthen obligations on network operators to prevent fraudulent number allocation and misuse.

The most recent Ofcom research on the scale of spoofing calls reveals that in February 2025, two in five phone users said they received a suspicious call in the last three months. Tackling fraud and pursuing the criminals behind it is a priority for the government. We are working closely with industry and regulators to reduce spoofing and other forms of telecoms-enabled fraud.In November 2025, the Government published the second Telecommunications Fraud Sector Charter, signed by major mobile network operators including BT EE, Virgin Media O2, and VodafoneThree. Through the Charter, signatories' committed to measures to tackle spoofing, including adopting common standards to reduce fraud and abuse across all network-originated messaging channels.As the independent regulator, Ofcom also consulted in 2025 on proposals to strengthen rules on overseas calls that falsely present UK numbers, including updates to its Calling Line Identification Guidance. The Government supports this work and continues to engage with Ofcom and industry to protect customers. More recently, on 9 March 2026, the Home Office also published its new Fraud Strategy which sets out how the Government will work with all partners, including law enforcement and industry, to make the UK a much harder place for criminals to operate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to identify, detain and seize vessels involved in transporting Russian oil in circumvention of international sanctions, including those operating as part of the so‑called shadow fleet; and what discussions his Department is holding with European partners on overcoming the legal and political barriers to the release of frozen Russian state assets held in Europe for use in support of Ukraine.

In response to the first question, I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 10 April in response to Question 123071, and on 28 January in response to Question 106997. In response to the second question, the UK and wider G7 countries have committed to ensuring that Russian sovereign assets remain immobilised across our jurisdictions until Russia ceases its war of aggression and pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine. We will continue to work with international partners to ensure Ukraine gets the support it needs.

What steps he is taking to improve UK-wide data collection on secondary breast cancer; and how such data is used to inform research, workforce planning, including specialist nurses, and assessments of treatment cost-effectiveness.

The Government recognises the importance of robust, comprehensive data on secondary, or metastatic, breast cancer to improve patient outcomes, inform research, and support effective workforce and service planning.Through the National Cancer Plan, for the first time, we have committed to delivering the systemic definition, identification, and counting of recurrent and metastatic cancers, starting with metastatic breast cancer, addressing longstanding gaps in national data on secondary disease.To improve data collection, the National Disease Registration Service’s Get Data Out programme is strengthening the scope, quality, and accessibility of cancer data. This includes expanding the data made available to the public, clinicians, and researchers on incidence, routes to diagnosis, treatments, and survival.This data is used to support cancer research and outcomes analysis, to inform service and workforce planning, including understanding demand for specialist roles such as breast cancer clinical nurse specialists, and to provide real‑world evidence to support assessments of clinical and cost effectiveness used in commissioning and appraisal processes. NHS England is also taking action to improve the completeness and consistency of data collected by National Health Service trusts. This includes funding national audits for primary and metastatic breast cancer using routinely collected NHS data. These audits assess diagnosis, treatment, and care pathways, identify variation in practice, and highlight areas where data quality or service delivery can be improved.On 11 September 2025, the second State of the Nation report for primary and metastatic breast cancer was published by the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre, and officials in the Department and NHS England are acting on the findings where appropriate, including to strengthen data quality across trusts.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of wholesale electricity prices being set by the marginal cost of gas generation on the extent to which consumer bills reflect lower-cost renewable generation.

Marginal pricing incentivises the cheapest sources of energy production to provide as much power as possible, more expensive producers are only used when it is necessary to meet demand. The real problem is that we rely too much on volatile fossil fuels – and the solution is our clean power mission: upgrading our grid while accelerating the rollout of clean, homegrown energy, so the price of electricity is instead set by clean power that we control. Every wind turbine we switch on and solar panel we deploy helps reduce our exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets.

What discussions he has had with the EU on the 90/180-day rule for UK nationals visiting the Schengen area; and whether it plans to seek changes to that rule.

HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the likelihood of children and young people migrating to alternative online services if age verification is introduced unevenly across service types, and what assessment she has made of the potential for app store or operating system level age assurance to mitigate such displacement.

Ofcom will publish a report on the effectiveness of age assurance in terms of compliance with the duties under the Online Safety Act by July 2026, and a separate report on the role of app stores in protecting children by January 2027. We are also seeking views on a range of measures, including how age assurance can support effective implementation, as part of the government’s consultation to ensure children’s experiences online are safe and enriching.We will not hesitate to take further action to protect children online whenever the evidence suggests we need to do so.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance is issued to Returning Officers on the latest date by which postal ballot packs for overseas electors must be dispatched; and what monitoring is undertaken to ensure compliance.

The Electoral Commission provides guidance to Returning Officers including on the issuing of postal votes to overseas addresses. The Electoral Commission is also responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of Returning Officers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of inaccurate or prolonged estimated energy billing on small and microbusinesses.

Billing issues, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator. Ofgem’s licence conditions require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to customers where these have been provided by a customer or obtained by the supplier. We are rolling out smart meters to smaller businesses, and our latest data shows that almost two thirds of meters in non-domestic premises are smart or advanced meters. Smart meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording energy use in every half-hour period, allowing bills based on actual rather than estimated usage.Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.

What data his Department holds on the frequency and duration of estimated billing for small business energy customers.

Billing issues, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator. Ofgem’s licence conditions require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to customers where these have been provided by a customer or obtained by the supplier. We are rolling out smart meters to smaller businesses, and our latest data shows that almost two thirds of meters in non-domestic premises are smart or advanced meters. Smart meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording energy use in every half-hour period, allowing bills based on actual rather than estimated usage.Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.

Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to help ensure that official child right’s impact assessments are undertaken to inform the evaluation of different policy options during the consultation, Driving action to improve children’s relationship with mobile phones and social media.

We will assess a range of impacts when deciding how we will act on social media, including children’s rights and their wellbeing. To inform those assessments, we will consult children and young people directly through the national conversation and consultation, because their views and voices must be heard.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory duty of care for children’s safety on Gen AI companies to ensure they are held accountable for the safety of children.

In the UK, AI systems are regulated at the point of use under existing frameworks such as data protection law, competition law, equality law, and other forms of sectoral and cross-sectoral regulation.Generative AI services that allow users to share content with one another, search live website to provide search results, or publish pornographic content are regulated under the Online Safety Act. These services must protect users from illegal content and children from harmful and age-inappropriate content. The Technology Secretary has confirmed that the government is considering how the Online Safety Act applies to AI chatbots and whether more is needed to protect users.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the monthly visits required under regulation 26(2)(c) of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 are carried out by individuals who are independent of the care provider.

The Care Homes Regulations 2001/3965 were revoked by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Commencement No.16, Transitory and Transitional Provisions) Order 2010/807 on 1 October 2010. Regulation 26(2)(c) of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 is no longer in force, and the requirements of this provision have not been replicated in the subsequent regulations, the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, the CQC monitors, inspects, and regulates adult social care services, including care homes, to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. Inspection reports on individual providers are made publicly available.Where concerns on quality or safety are identified, the CQC uses its regulatory and enforcement powers available and will take action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of of surveys by More in Common for the Campaign to End Gambling Advertising showing 70% support tougher curbs on gambling advertising and 27% saying gambling companies should not promote themselves at all; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 9pm watershed and other gambling advertising restrictions in protecting children and vulnerable people on television, social media, and digital platforms, in this context; and whether she plans to introduce statutory watershed protections or other measures to reduce exposure and harm.

We note that More in Common’s recent report “Ending a Losing Streak” provides an overview of the British public’s views regarding gambling advertising, particularly for children and young people. We also note that statistics from the 2025 Young People and Gambling survey demonstrates that the overall proportion of young people who recalled having seen gambling adverts or promotion weekly was consistent with 2024. We consider evidence from a wide range of sources, including the statistics in both reports, when considering the impact of gambling advertising on children and young people.We are not considering the introduction of a statutory watershed at this time. However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue and keep all areas of gambling policy under review. We will redouble our efforts to work cross-government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and vulnerable people.

How many people will receive the increased National Minimum Wage.

From 1 April 2026, around 2.7m low-paid workers are expected to benefit from the uplifts to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that switchovers of legacy technology, such as digital terrestrial television, support uptake and inclusion amongst digitally excluded citizens.

Digital inclusion is a priority for this Government. It is foundational to delivering on our five Missions and essential to unlocking economic growth.The Department is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution and we are committed to maintaining access for all, regardless of how audiences receive their television. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is protected until at least 2034, safeguarding access for millions of households.The project is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to ensure that any opportunities to support digital inclusion is at the heart of policy development.

Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's planned timetable is for implementing the reintroduction of pet passports for travel between the UK and the EU; and what guidance her Department plans to issue to pet owners to help them plan trips in 2026.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, which will mean taking pets on holiday into the EU will become easier and cheaper. Instead of getting an animal health certificate each time you travel, owners will be able to get a multiuse pet passport valid for travel to the EU. The UK stands ready to start talks on the SPS agreement, now the EU mandate has been agreed. We will provide further details in due course. In the meantime, owners will still need an Animal Health Certificate for their dog, cat or ferret if they are travelling from Great Britain to an EU country.