Written questions by Cartlidge.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to include recommendations relating to Passive Infrastructure Access pricing structures in the next Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom.

We recognise competition is key to promote investment and will help ensure low prices and more choice for consumers in the long term. As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product. We are engaging with Ofcom on this issue. In July, we published a consultation on our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices. We are reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has considered recommending changes to Ofcom’s Passive Infrastructure Access pricing structure as part of the Telecoms Access Review.

We recognise competition is key to promote investment and will help ensure low prices and more choice for consumers in the long term. As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product. We are engaging with Ofcom on this issue. In July, we published a consultation on our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices. We are reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

What discussions his Department has had with Royal Mail to ensure that (a) the NHS barcode system is fully operational and that (b) NHS bodies understand how to implement it effectively.

The Government supports the measures being taken to ensure important communications from the NHS reach households on time and we encourage NHS bodies to make use of this service. I recently met Alistair Cochrane, CEO of Royal Mail, and Martin Seidenberg, CEO of International Distribution Services, and raised concerns about Royal Mail’s performance with them. They reported continued targeted action to improve reliability and to deliver further sustained improvements. The government will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if the company’s quality of service does not improve. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s obligations and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.

Communities and Local Government, when Category 1 claimants of the Firefighters pension, who moved from retained to wholetime service between April 2000 and April 2006, can expect a final decision on pension aggregation.

My department understands that the delays in addressing pension aggregation for some scheme members with both retained and wholetime service may be frustrating. The matter is currently subject to litigation, and we will provide an update on the position as soon as we are able.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support fair competition in the broadband market between national ISPs and alternative network operators in rural areas.

Under the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom’s principal duty is to further the interests of citizens and consumers, where appropriate by promoting competition.In July, we published a consultation on a draft updated Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom that sets out the government’s view on the importance of competition to promote investment in broadband deployment across the UK, including in rural areas. We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.Ofcom has powers to identify markets, determine whether a firm has significant market power (SMP) on those markets, and impose remedies as appropriate. Ofcom has not found any internet service provider to have SMP in the retail broadband market. However, in the wholesale fixed telecoms market, BT was found to have SMP and a range of pricing and non-pricing remedies were imposed on the company in order to promote network competition.

Innovation and Technology, whether she expects Ofcom to review Physical Infrastructure Access pricing in the Telecoms Access Review.

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.My officials are regularly engaging with Ofcom, including on PIA, to ensure that we have the right regulatory environment in place to promote competition and investment in the fibre roll-out across the UK, including in rural areas.Ofcom is finalising its Telecoms Access Review that will set PIA rental charges from 1 April 2026. In the Review, they will set out whether they will introduce changes following their consultation on their proposed TAR decisions.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of changes to Passive Infrastructure Access pricing models on private and public investment in rural broadband in South Suffolk.

We recognise competition is key to promote investment and will help ensure low prices and more choice for consumers in the long term. As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product. For this reason, while officials are engaging with Ofcom on this issue, the Department has not made any formal assessment of the impact of the current PIA rental charges on investment in rural areas, including in South Suffolk. We have also not made any formal assessment of the economic impact of introducing changes to PIA rental charges.

Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of using the Price Per Premise model rather than the Passive Infrastructure Access model with regard to rural broadband infrastructure pricing.

We recognise competition is key to promote investment and will help ensure low prices and more choice for consumers in the long term. As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product. We are engaging with Ofcom on this issue. In July, we published a consultation on our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices. We are reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to decrease levels of homelessness across the country.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 86837 on 10 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made in resolving the pension aggregation issue affecting firefighters who transferred from retained to wholetime service following the 2018 legal judgment.

My department understands that the delays in addressing pension aggregation for some scheme members with both retained and wholetime service may be frustrating. The matter is currently subject to litigation, and we will provide an update on the position as soon as we are able.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impact of delays in resolving the firefighters’ pension aggregation issue on constituents in South Suffolk.

My department understands that the delays in addressing pension aggregation for some scheme members with both retained and wholetime service may be frustrating. The matter is currently subject to litigation, and we will provide an update on the position as soon as we are able.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support investment in rural gigabit broadband networks in South Suffolk.

Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans.As part of Project Gigabit, CityFibre is delivering a contract across Suffolk. This contract currently includes approximately 5,800 premises in the South Suffolk constituency, predominantly in rural areas.We will aim to cover the remaining premises that are not currently included in Project Gigabit or suppliers’ commercial delivery plans as far as possible as funding becomes available, in line with the objective of achieving nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of the English countryside have been burnt by wildfires in the last twelve months; and what the cost was in terms of (a) fighting the fires, (b) loss of economic activity, (c) restoring the landscape and (d) NHS treatment of the effects of smoke pollution as a result of those wildfires.

Defra does not hold details on how many hectares of the English countryside have been burnt by wildfires in the last twelve months.MHCLG is responsible for fire policy and operations.

Whether her Department plans to review its consultation process on Volumetric Concrete Mixers.

The Department has no plans to review its consultation process on Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). The outcome of my department’s review into VCMs was published on 18 March 2025. This can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review

What steps his department is taking to help ensure that Royal Mail provide timely and reliable delivery of NHS appointment letters to patients in rural constituencies.

The government recognises the importance of timely delivery of NHS appointment letters, particularly for patients in rural areas. Royal Mail is required under the Universal Service Obligation to deliver priority letters six days a week to every UK address, and Ofcom monitors compliance with these standards. It is for Ofcom to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.

How regularly he meets with the Special Representative on AUKUS.

The Prime Minister's Special Representative, Sir Stephen Lovegrove regularly meets with the Defence Secretary to discuss key priorities for the AUKUS partnership. These discussions help ensure AUKUS is being pursued as a whole-of-Government effort in line with the Prime Minister's direction. I met him last week to discuss AUKUS also.

What assessment she has made of the impact of changes to employer National Insurance Contributions on pubs in South Suffolk.

The government published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which set out the impact of the changes, including for businesses, to employer NICs alongside the introduction of the Bill. The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. It means employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs.  Businesses will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices. At Budget 2025, the government asked licensing authorities in England and Wales to explicitly consider the need to promote growth and deliver economic benefits in their decisions and set this out in the first National Licensing Policy Framework.

With reference to the Prime Minister's press release entitled £4bn maritime deal with Indonesia set to boost British jobs and support Indo-Pacific security, published on 21 November 2025, what is the joint maritime capability that will be developed for Indonesia's navy.

The Partnership will enhance our shared commitment to stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, upholding freedom of navigation and supporting a rules-based international order. It will also pave the way for greater interoperability and joint training between both navies. Due to commercial sensitivities, at this stage we are unable to release further information beyond what was shared in the press release of 21 November 2025.

With reference to the Prime Minister's press release entitled £4bn maritime deal with Indonesia set to boost British jobs and support Indo-Pacific security, published on 21 November 2025, when the joint maritime capability that will be developed for Indonesia's navy will formally commence production.

The Partnership will enhance our shared commitment to stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, upholding freedom of navigation and supporting a rules-based international order. It will also pave the way for greater interoperability and joint training between both navies. Due to commercial sensitivities, at this stage we are unable to release further information beyond what was shared in the press release of 21 November 2025.

What proportion of his Department's equipment budget was spent on novel technologies in the last 12 months.

It is vital we utilise defence as an engine for innovation and growth, investing in novel technologies where it is possible to do so. We are committed to spend 10% of our equipment budget on novel technologies, such as autonomous, uncrewed and AI-assisted systems. What is in scope of this commitment and the pathway to achieving it are under consideration as part of the Defence Investment Plan, as such detail on what is included will be published in due course. Spending will be prioritised appropriately as part of the future Integrated Force and set out in the Defence Investment Plan to be published this year.