Written questions by Glen.

What information her Department holds on the market costs of specialist assessments given under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund; and whether applicants applying for an assessment of need will also receive therapy under that fund.

The department took a range of factors into account when setting the new £3,000 fair access limit for the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF). In the 2024/25 financial year, the average cost per ASGSF recipient was £3,170 for therapy and £2,399 for specialist assessments (£3,090 overall). In addition, since July 2024, the department has collected detailed data on the costs of applications for therapeutic interventions and specialist assessments funded by the ASGSF. Using this information, the department assessed that £3,000 could fund an average of 19-20 hours of therapy, on the basis of median hourly rates for contact time and allowing for additional costs.Where ASGSF funding has been used for a specialist assessment, remaining funding up to the £3,000 fair access limit may be used for therapy, where this is assessed as being needed. If appropriate, local authorities and regional adoption agencies may use their own funding to offer extra therapy.

What data her Department holds on the average amount of funding allocated per child awarded via the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial years.

The table below provides the data requested on the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF). 2023/24 financial year2024/25 financial yearAverage amount of ASGSF funding awarded per recipient (total covers therapy and specialist assessments combined) £3,044£3,090Allocated departmental budget£48,000,000£49,000,000Overspend£639,996.35£11,355,181.91Surrendered funds £11,268,383.37£13,894,781.10 All surrendered funding from 2023/24 and 2024/25 was repurposed for other ASGSF applications and added to the total spend.

What the (a) allocated Departmental budget, (b) amount of overspend, (c) amount of surrendered funds not used by local authorities and (d) amount of surrendered funds repurposed for other applications for the adoption and special guardianship support fund was in (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25.

The table below provides the data requested on the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF). 2023/24 financial year2024/25 financial yearAverage amount of ASGSF funding awarded per recipient (total covers therapy and specialist assessments combined) £3,044£3,090Allocated departmental budget£48,000,000£49,000,000Overspend£639,996.35£11,355,181.91Surrendered funds £11,268,383.37£13,894,781.10 All surrendered funding from 2023/24 and 2024/25 was repurposed for other ASGSF applications and added to the total spend.

What estimate her Department has made of the market cost of therapeutic support interventions delivered via the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, and what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the new reduced Fair Access Limit of £3000 per application to cover the support required, based on those costs.

The department took a range of factors into account when setting the new £3,000 fair access limit for the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF). In the 2024/25 financial year, the average cost per ASGSF recipient was £3,170 for therapy and £2,399 for specialist assessments (£3,090 overall). In addition, since July 2024, the department has collected detailed data on the costs of applications for therapeutic interventions and specialist assessments funded by the ASGSF. Using this information, the department assessed that £3,000 could fund an average of 19-20 hours of therapy, on the basis of median hourly rates for contact time and allowing for additional costs.Where ASGSF funding has been used for a specialist assessment, remaining funding up to the £3,000 fair access limit may be used for therapy, where this is assessed as being needed. If appropriate, local authorities and regional adoption agencies may use their own funding to offer extra therapy.

Media and Sport, with reference to the press notice entitled Government outlines ambitious plans to level up activities for young people, published on 1 February 2022, whether it remains her Department's policy to maintain the level of spending on young people to that of the National Youth Guarantee.

This government recognises the transformative role that youth services play in young people’s lives. That is why we are co-producing a new National Youth Strategy with young people and the sectors that support them.We committed to maintaining or increasing funding for our other youth programmes, following the closure of NCS. DCMS will invest £145 million in youth programmes in 2025-26, which is consistent with funding in 24/25, taking into consideration the planned tapering of the Youth Investment Fund. This investment will provide stability to the youth sector and ensure young people can access opportunities, as we transition to the National Youth Strategy. This includes over £28 million to increase access to more and better enriching activities, over £3 million to increase sector and workforce capacity, £8.2 million to improve local youth offers, and over £107 million to invest in ensuring safe, welcoming, fit-for purpose youth centres.Additionally, on 2nd June we announced £132.5 million of Dormant Assets Funding will be allocated to support the provision of services, facilities or opportunities to meet the needs of young people. This will increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of (a) freedom of religion or belief and (b) rights for people to engage in peaceful religious expression; and what steps she is taking to balance those rights with other (i) legal and (ii) public interest considerations.

Freedom of religion or belief expression is a fundamental human right. The Government believes that everyone in Britain has the right to feel safe and at ease in the place where they live. Any individual or group is free to express views and beliefs, but they have a duty to behave responsibly and to respect other people’s rights.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43043 on Environment Protection: Finance, if she will make it her policy to remove the provisions in the (a) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and (b) UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks on the requirements affecting UK weapons manufacturers.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answers given to his questions in PQ UIN 48396 on 1 May 2025, PQ UIN 43043 and 43449 on 9 April 2025, PQ UIN 47194 on 28 April, and PQ 47196 on 30 April 2025.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of EU green finance regulations on levels of investment from Europe into UK defence (a) firms and (b) shares.

This Government does not see a conflict in green and sustainable investment contributing to our world-leading defence sector. There is considerable work to support the sector ongoing across government, including through the Chancellor’s growth mission and in the development of a new Defence Industrial Strategy. In a time of increasing geopolitical instability, maintaining a robust and thriving defence sector is essential to our national security. The government is committed to supporting the defence sector and supporting investment opportunities in it. Private investment in the defence sector is crucial for fostering innovation, boosting economic growth and enhancing national security.

Pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33375 on Environment Protection: Finance, whether the defence sector will be included in the UK Green Taxonomy.

The government has set out its ambition for the UK to be the world leader in sustainable finance. This includes delivering a regulatory framework to support sustainable growth and enable the private sector to realise the opportunities of the transition. Through the consultation, the government was keen to explore whether a UK Green Taxonomy can be a useful tool in contributing to this ambition. The government is reviewing and analysing the consultation responses, this includes considering the potential costs and how it fits in with existing regulation and regimes. We will publish a formal consultation response in due course which will set out next steps. At this stage in the consultation process, the government was not seeking feedback on the detail of the sectors for inclusion. Instead, the government are focused on the bigger picture of whether and how this can be a useful tool for companies and investors. Therefore, at this stage issues around activities and sectors, such as defence, are out of scope.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43449 on Trident Submarines: Procurement, if she will make it her policy to amend assimilated EU law under the UK Benchmarks Regulation to remove the EU legacy law references to controversial weapons; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on levels of investment by companies which provide (a) goods and (b) services relating to Trident renewal.

As set out in the recent Call for Evidence on the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, having an effective regulatory environment is key to maintaining and enhancing our position as a global financial centre so that it can support growth across the wider UK economy. That includes regulations inherited from the European Union, such as the Benchmarks regulation. The government remains open to views from industry on how we can continue to progress reforms to assimilated law as part of this work creating an effective regulatory environment. More broadly, the government does not see a conflict between sustainable investment and investment in the defence sector.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive on (a) Northern Ireland, (b) UK firms trading with the EU and (c) levels of divestment in the UK defence industry.

Responsibility for assessing the impact of EU legislation ultimately lies with the European Commission, who have published their own impact assessment of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).CSDDD will apply to UK companies generating over €450 million in turnover within the EU. The Government has noted the recent Omnibus proposal updating CSDDD, which was published on 26 February.We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK’s existing measures, alongside the impacts of emerging policy tools, including in the EU, to ensure we can best promote responsible business practices and take action where appropriate.

Which Department is responsible for the (a) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and (b) UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks.

HM Treasury is responsible for financial services policy, including financial benchmarks.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33375 on Environment Protection: Finance, whether the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures rules for listed companies to refer to the new International Sustainability Standards Board standards will allow for investments in (a) defence companies and (b) companies supporting Trident nuclear deterrent renewal.

The new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards, so called S1 and S2, are designed to replace the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) framework. These are disclosure standards that ask firms to disclose financially material climate related risks to their business. The objective of these is to provide investors with consistent, comparable and reliable information about companies' sustainability-related risks and opportunities. These standards are designed to enhance transparency and do not dictate how a company should invest. They do not prevent or impose restrictions on investment in specific sectors, including defence or the Trident nuclear deterrent. The previous government committed to establishing a framework to assess the suitability of ISSB Standards for endorsement in the UK. A Technical Advisory Committee of external experts have conducted a detailed assessment of the ISSB’s inaugural standards, and this process has now concluded. The government aims to consult on the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) shortly, after which point they will be made available for use later in 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33375 on Environment Protection: Finance, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) divestment and (b) the UK green finance framework on (i) the economic viability of the UK defence industry and (ii) defence procurement costs.

This Government is clear that we see no conflict between sustainable investment and investment in our world-leading defence sector. The new Defence Industrial Strategy will align the UK’s economic and security priorities and unlock the potential of every region and nation across the UK. This will include creating the conditions needed for the private sector to invest more, and pro-actively, in the defence sector. The Trade Association ADS’s first Defence Environment, Social and Governance Charter Report highlighted the positive contribution that the defence industry is making to supporting our environment and our communities.

With reference to her Department's consultation on the UK Green Taxonomy, published in November 2024, what assessment she has made of (a) the potential regulatory costs of a UK Green Taxonomy and (b) the duplication with other regimes.

The government has set out its ambition for the UK to be the world leader in sustainable finance. This includes delivering a regulatory framework to support sustainable growth and enable the private sector to realise the opportunities of the transition. Through the consultation, the government was keen to explore whether a UK Green Taxonomy can be a useful tool in contributing to this ambition. The government is reviewing and analysing the consultation responses, this includes considering the potential costs and how it fits in with existing regulation and regimes. We will publish a formal consultation response in due course which will set out next steps.

What estimate she has made of the cost of the 2024-25 civil service pay settlements.

Pay for civil servants outside of the Senior Civil Service is not set centrally; rather, departments and bodies have freedom to make decisions on pay within the parameters of the Pay Remit Guidance published annually by the Cabinet Office. The Pay Remit Guidance for 2024/5 can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025/civil-service-pay-remit-guidance-2024-to-2025.

With reference to paragraph 2.45 of the Spring Statement 2025, 26 March 2025, CP1298, what the monetary value is of the baseline spending on administrative budgets on which the 15% saving will be based; what the baseline spending on back-office functions is on which the £2.2 billion savings in 2029-30 will be based; and whether the £2.2 billion is a cumulative saving over the period.

The 15% saving on administration budgets will be made against the counterfactual assumption that these budgets would have remained flat in real terms over the period 2025-26 to 2029-30. The £2.2 billion represents the value of this 15% saving in the final year only rather than being a cumulative total.Further details will be published as part of the Spending Review later this year.

Whether he plans to reduce spending on (a) civil service communications staff, (b) external marketing and (c) external advertising.

The Government regularly evaluates the effectiveness of all communication activities to ensure they are delivering and providing the best value for money for taxpayers. An example of this is the recent comprehensive communications Spending Review that delivered savings of £85 million in 2024-25 and up to £96 million in 2025-26.

With reference to Annex 2 of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1816, whether Trident renewal is classified as a controversial weapon for the purposes of (a) environmental, social, and governance and (b) ethical investments.

The UK Benchmarks Regulation sets out the requirements for UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitor and supervise benchmark administrators according to the Benchmarks Regulation to ensure that benchmarks are produced robustly and with due transparency. The FCA published a statement regarding their position on sustainability regulations and UK defence investment on 11 March 2025. It is for benchmark administrators to decide if they wish to provide UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned benchmarks under the Benchmarks Regulation, including by paying due regard to the relevant FCA guidance, and which companies to include in their benchmarks. It is then up to firms and investors to choose whether to use these benchmarks. This Government does not see a conflict between sustainable investment and investment in our world-leading defence sector.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of divestment in the UK defence industry as a consequence of (a) the Paris Climate Agreement and (b) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks.

We have not carried out an assessment into the impacts of divestment in the UK’s Defence Industry due to (a) the Paris Climate Agreement and (b) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks. This is because we see no conflict between investment in Defence and sustainable investment. The Defence Industrial Strategy - Statement of Intent, published in December 2024, identified the mobilisation of additional private sector investment as essential to the Government’s agenda to strengthen our nation’s defences and grow our economy.Reducing the carbon footprint of Defence is not differentiated from this investment. Accelerating the development and adoption of dual use energy and circular economy technologies can deliver operational advantage and resilience while reducing emissions. For example, trials integrating alternative fuel sources and renewable energy technology can further unlock an ability to operate for longer periods without resupply and at greater reach across a dispersed battlefield.Our ambition is for a better, more integrated, more innovative and more resilient defence industry and we will be publishing a Defence Industrial Strategy aligned to this ambition.