Written questions by Leadbitter.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 64258 on Companies House: Proof of Identity, what the cost to the public purse is for (a) the Government's verification service and (b) third-party verification services since the Companies House identity verification system was established.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State gave on 4th July 2025 to Question 64258.GOV.UK One Login’s total budget to onboard all central government services for the three years from 2022/23 to 2024/25 was £305.4 million, and is currently undergoing HMT approvals for a new Business Case which will run until 2027/28.GOV.UK One Login works with third-party providers to help verify a user’s identity. These costs are included in the programme budget.Companies House provides an alternative IDV route via Authorised Corporate Service Providers.

Whether her Department has produced an impact assessment on the potential impact of changing the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment on trends in levels of excess deaths.

In line with the obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Department has conducted an equality analysis on expanding eligibility of the Winter Fuel Payment in England and Wales and have considered the impacts of this policy. The Government will publish the equality analysis alongside the Winter Fuel Payment regulations. With respect to trends on levels of excess deaths, a very wide range of factors impact changes in mortality. Details of excess winter deaths in England and Wales can be found at: Excess mortality in England - GOV.UK

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the Access to Work system from applicants applying for each job role to a centralised system containing relevant pre-filled information.

As part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. Following the conclusion of the consultation, we are now considering our responses and will set out our plans in due course.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a public information campaign for drivers of vehicles fitted with daytime running lights of the need to manually switch on their rear lights when weather conditions necessitate.

Road vehicle lighting is governed by combination of national and international regulations. As per the advice in the Highway Code drivers must use appropriate vehicle lighting for the prevailing conditions and should ensure that they are familiar with the operation of all vehicle controls. No assessment has been made of the merits of a public information campaign to support the correct use of daytime running lamps.

How much (a) has been spent to date and (b) he expects to spend on measures to continue the operation of the Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery.

As I sent out in my Written Ministerial Statement on 1 July 2025, the Government is providing the Official Receiver with short-term funding to cover the essential operating costs of the refinery as a result of the unexpected insolvency of the company. The final operating cost will depend on market conditions and the strategy adopted by the Official Receiver, and this will be subject to close scrutiny and governance by the Government and the insolvency office holders. This funding is necessary to provide the Official Receiver with the necessary tools to fulfil their statutory duties and to avoid an immediate, unsafe shutdown of the refinery.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of the new Companies House identity verification system; who pays for the third-party ID verification service connected to that system; and what the annual cost is for that system.

The Companies House identity verification (IDV) system is provided by GOV.UK One Login (‘the service’) delivered by the Government Digital Service (GDS).Inclusivity and accessibility is a top priority. The service offers simple online content, in-person IDV at the Post Office where appropriate and contact centre assistance. Regular user research and testing with people from various backgrounds and needs ensures the service works for as many people as possible.Some parts of the service are provided by third-parties. The service is centrally funded to provide IDV across central government, including Companies House As an alternative, Companies House accepts IDV via Authorised Corporate Service Providers.

Whether Mildenhall-based KC-135s were deployed in support of the US Operation Midnight Hammer.

The Ministry of Defence does not comment on the operational activity of other nations, including third party use of UK bases. The UK was not involved in Operation Midnight Hammer.

Whether the £9.3 million community energy funding for devolved governments announced on 21 March 2025 is funding from GB Energy.

Great British Energy is committed to working with the Devolved Governments to help enhance community energy across the UK, whilst respecting the devolution settlements. £9.3 million is being provided to the devolved governments to support clean energy projects and may be combined with existing or new funding from the three governments to support specific clean energy projects in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This funding is part of the £100m announced in October 2024 to kick-start GBE’s work investing in clean energy project development.

How much GB Energy has invested in renewable energy projects in each of the nations of the UK.

Great British Energy (GBE) has announced £300 million to invest in offshore wind supply chains, and £700 million to help build manufacturing facilities in the UK. That totals £1 billion in funding, available across all four nations. GBE is also providing £4.85 million for Scotland, £2.88 million for Wales, and £1.62 million for Northern Ireland to support clean energy projects. This may be combined with existing or new funding from the three governments, which host their own community energy schemes. In England, GBE is providing £90 million for solar panels on schools and hospitals. A further £10 million is committed for the Mayor Renewables Fund.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the delay to HS2 on devolved capital budgets.

The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so. There is therefore no direct link between HS2 and the Welsh Government’s capital budgets. Conversely, heavy rail infrastructure is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland, so the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive receive Barnett consequentials for HS2 funding. Delays in delivery have no direct impact on the capital budgets of devolved governments as the Barnett formula applies only when department budgets formally change, not when departments announce how they are spending their budgets.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the proposed changes in the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, on health and social care recruitment in Scotland.

Health and Social Care are devolved. Regional partnerships are working with devolved administrations to support international care workers access vacancies in the devolved nations. In England, domestic recruitment is being boosted through Fair Pay Agreements, new career structures, and £12m for training. The SNP’s 2021 manifesto promised to have a National Care Service, instead their chaotic and damaging approach was condemned by stakeholders, and a stripped-down Bill has cost £30m and is still to pass through Holyrood.

Whether she met Sir Jim Radcliffe in April 2025.

Departments publish a quarterly register detailing Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations. These returns - including the Chancellor’s Quarter 2 return - will be made available on GOV.UK in line with the usual publication schedule.

What funding his Department plans to allocate to support people with long covid.

NHS England has invested £314 million since the start of the pandemic to provide care and support for people with long COVID. This includes establishing specialist clinics throughout England to assess children and young people who are experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. A further £86.7 million of funding was included in integrated care board (ICB) core allocations for 2024/25, and specific regional funding was also allocated for assurance and system support.As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional 10 children and young people’s hubs. Since April 2024, commissioning of long COVID services has been the responsibility of local ICBs following the closure of the national programme.The Government has also invested over £57 million into long COVID research. The projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, and to evaluate clinical care.

Media and Sport, what the current travel arrangements are for British professional golfers travelling to Europe.

Travel requirements can differ for British golfers and other professional sportspeople across Europe. For instance, as UK nationals, British golfers are able to travel visa-free to the Schengen Area for short-term visits (up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period) to compete in events. Professional golfers undertaking paid work in any country they are visiting should check the entry requirements and rules for that country, in case they need to apply for a visa, work permit, or provide other documentation.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) energy companies and (b) energy company contractors in Scotland replace household meters before the phase out of the Radio Teleswitch Service.

The Government is working closely with the RTS Taskforce, industry and Ofgem to ensure the phase out process of RTS is planned effectively and consumers are appropriately protected. The Government has made clear to industry that energy suppliers must fulfil their obligations to customers and must increase the rate of Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meter replacements. We expect suppliers to be taking measures, such as deploying roaming teams of installers, to ensure consumers receive replacement meters in a timely manner. I am meeting with Energy UK and Ofgem on a fortnightly basis to discuss progress.

Whether she has made an estimate of the number organisations not complying with (a) the Equality Act 2010, (b) the Disability Confident Scheme and (c) Access to Work.

The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK There is a Disability Confident complaints process in place that sets out the steps that should be taken to address and resolve any concerns raised that an employer is failing to comply with Disability Confident criteria. More information is available here: Disability Confident complaints process.We have worked with several employers who have been the subject of a complaint to improve their compliance with the scheme criteria.If an employer has failed to take adequate steps to resolve an issue, and there is unambiguous evidence the employer is not adhering to the principles and criteria of the Disability Confident scheme, DWP has the right to suspend the Disability Confident status of the employer until they have taken the necessary action.I have been discussing with stakeholders in Disability Confident ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and plan to bring forward proposals for this in due course.All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.The AtW evaluation conducted by IFF in 2018 provides qualitative evidence on where AtW is adding value: Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Department has not made an estimate of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme, and faces challenges to do so. Research conducted by NatCen in 2018 uncovered several challenges, including identifying an appropriate counterfactual and constructing a comparison group, meaning therefore it is difficult to conduct an impact evaluation of Access to Work. You can view the report here: Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programmeAccess to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. The grant is targeted towards individual, rather than employer needs, so we are unable to comment on employer’s compliance with the Scheme. We do encourage people to have conversations with their employer regarding reasonable adjustments in the first instance.

What steps she is taking to ensure that employers who are part of the Disability Confident Employer Scheme are (a) meeting the commitments they have made and (b) undertaking the actions they agreed to when they signed up to that scheme.

The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK There is a Disability Confident complaints process in place that sets out the steps that should be taken to address and resolve any concerns raised that an employer is failing to comply with Disability Confident criteria. More information is available here: Disability Confident complaints process.We have worked with several employers who have been the subject of a complaint to improve their compliance with the scheme criteria.If an employer has failed to take adequate steps to resolve an issue, and there is unambiguous evidence the employer is not adhering to the principles and criteria of the Disability Confident scheme, DWP has the right to suspend the Disability Confident status of the employer until they have taken the necessary action.I have been discussing with stakeholders in Disability Confident ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and plan to bring forward proposals for this in due course.All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.The AtW evaluation conducted by IFF in 2018 provides qualitative evidence on where AtW is adding value: Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Department has not made an estimate of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme, and faces challenges to do so. Research conducted by NatCen in 2018 uncovered several challenges, including identifying an appropriate counterfactual and constructing a comparison group, meaning therefore it is difficult to conduct an impact evaluation of Access to Work. You can view the report here: Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programmeAccess to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. The grant is targeted towards individual, rather than employer needs, so we are unable to comment on employer’s compliance with the Scheme. We do encourage people to have conversations with their employer regarding reasonable adjustments in the first instance.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Disability Confident Employer Scheme and (b) Access to Work.

The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK There is a Disability Confident complaints process in place that sets out the steps that should be taken to address and resolve any concerns raised that an employer is failing to comply with Disability Confident criteria. More information is available here: Disability Confident complaints process.We have worked with several employers who have been the subject of a complaint to improve their compliance with the scheme criteria.If an employer has failed to take adequate steps to resolve an issue, and there is unambiguous evidence the employer is not adhering to the principles and criteria of the Disability Confident scheme, DWP has the right to suspend the Disability Confident status of the employer until they have taken the necessary action.I have been discussing with stakeholders in Disability Confident ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and plan to bring forward proposals for this in due course.All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.The AtW evaluation conducted by IFF in 2018 provides qualitative evidence on where AtW is adding value: Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Department has not made an estimate of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme, and faces challenges to do so. Research conducted by NatCen in 2018 uncovered several challenges, including identifying an appropriate counterfactual and constructing a comparison group, meaning therefore it is difficult to conduct an impact evaluation of Access to Work. You can view the report here: Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programmeAccess to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. The grant is targeted towards individual, rather than employer needs, so we are unable to comment on employer’s compliance with the Scheme. We do encourage people to have conversations with their employer regarding reasonable adjustments in the first instance.

What steps she is taking to ensure that employers in the Disability Confident Employer Scheme are (a) making reasonable adjustments and (b) adhering to the Equality Act 2010.

The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK There is a Disability Confident complaints process in place that sets out the steps that should be taken to address and resolve any concerns raised that an employer is failing to comply with Disability Confident criteria. More information is available here: Disability Confident complaints process.We have worked with several employers who have been the subject of a complaint to improve their compliance with the scheme criteria.If an employer has failed to take adequate steps to resolve an issue, and there is unambiguous evidence the employer is not adhering to the principles and criteria of the Disability Confident scheme, DWP has the right to suspend the Disability Confident status of the employer until they have taken the necessary action.I have been discussing with stakeholders in Disability Confident ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and plan to bring forward proposals for this in due course.All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.The AtW evaluation conducted by IFF in 2018 provides qualitative evidence on where AtW is adding value: Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Department has not made an estimate of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme, and faces challenges to do so. Research conducted by NatCen in 2018 uncovered several challenges, including identifying an appropriate counterfactual and constructing a comparison group, meaning therefore it is difficult to conduct an impact evaluation of Access to Work. You can view the report here: Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programmeAccess to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. The grant is targeted towards individual, rather than employer needs, so we are unable to comment on employer’s compliance with the Scheme. We do encourage people to have conversations with their employer regarding reasonable adjustments in the first instance.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising upgrades to the National Grid at (a) major visitor attractions and (b) areas of high public footfall to support the expansion of (i) electric vehicle charging infrastructure and (ii) on-site renewables.

The electricity networks in Great Britain are owned and operated by private companies and regulated independently by Ofgem, who ensure the network companies are investing to operate, maintain and upgrade their infrastructure. To enable the Government’s Clean Energy Superpower and Growth missions, significant investment in new capacity ahead of need is required. This will be based on, among other considerations, strategic planning and projections of future demand across the network and will support the connection of new on-site renewable generation and demand projects, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure. As of 1 May 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 79,326 publicly available charging devices (including 15,856 rapid charging devices). This reflects a year-on-year percentage increase of 30%. Policy on charging infrastructure is devolved in Scotland.