Written questions by Myer.

What estimate his Department has made of the amount and proportion of imported steel from (a) China and (b) other countries that will be used in the Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) project; whether he has had recent discussions with NZT Power on steel procurement; and what steps he is taking to maximise UK steel content in major infrastructure projects.

The Government knows how important the use of UK made steel is to communities across the country. We are ambitious about increasing the use of UK made steel in UK energy and infrastructure projects where possible. We will publish a steel strategy this year which will set out our vision for a bright and sustainable future for steel in the UK. UK company William Hare, alongside Chinese company Modern Heavy Industries, was awarded the contract for fabricated steel structures following a competitive procurement process by NZT Power’s Tier 1 contractor.The procurement is not public procurement. Specific contract information is a commercially sensitive matter for NZT Power and their Tier 1 contractor. I have met with the project developer to understand more about the use of UK made and non-UK made steel, as well as the wider use of UK local content, in the NZT project. They confirmed their voluntary commitment to achieve more than 50% UK content across the value chain, with around £1billion UK-based sub-contracts already awarded. My officials and I will continue to actively engage and work collaboratively with the CCUS industry to promote an industry-led voluntary ambition of 50% UK local content. We are also actively looking at ways to drive further investments into UK CCUS supply chains.

Whether she plans to review the sugar content of powdered milk based drinks and include those products within the scope of the soft drinks industry levy.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced her intention to review the Soft Drinks Industry levy (SDIL) to drive further product reformulation, whilst maintaining the fundamental design of the levy as a tax on pre-packaged soft drinks with added sugar. Following this review, between April and July 2025 the government consulted on proposed reforms to the SDIL. The outcomes of this consultation were confirmed at Budget 2025.As part of the consultation, the government considered responses on dissolvable powders. It also considered the significant redesign of the levy necessary to include them as beyond the remit of the SDIL review, as set out by the Chancellor at Autumn Budget 2024. More information on the outcome of the Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy consultation can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy/outcome/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy-summary-of-responsesThe government will not make any further changes to the design of the SDIL.

What guidance her Department has issued to (a) schools and (b) local authorities on food (i) procurement and (ii) supply chain transparency.

Schools are responsible for providing meals and meeting the School Food Standards. They may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty. Our guidance on the School Food Standards, available on GOV.UK, includes practical advice to support schools in areas such as menu planning and procurement. The department has published guidance for schools participating in the Early Adopter Breakfast Clubs Programme, which sets out what support is available in relation to food procurement, including the ‘buying for schools service’. The department’s ‘Get help buying for schools’ has a range of approved frameworks that can help schools to buy food with peace of mind that they are getting good value, in terms of cost, quality and time. These resources are accessible at: https://get-help-buying-for-schools.education.gov.uk/categories/catering.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 73868 on Boilers and Heat Pumps: Sales, whether he has made an assessment of the potential commercial sensitivities associated with the publication of sales figures collected for the purposes of the administration of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism.

The Department will receive independently verified sales data after the conclusion of the first scheme year, in summer 2026, and data on the full compliance cycle for that scheme year in late 2026. The government is continuing to assess the options for publishing certain Clean Heat Market Mechanism scheme data, for instance aggregate verified annual data, taking into account the commercial sensitivities of different approaches.

Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of recognising Deaflympic athletes as elite athletes eligible for (a) UK Sport and (b) National Lottery funding.

The Government is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone, including deaf people. Through our arm's length body, Sport England, we have provided £1.2 million to support the work of UK Deaf Sport.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks for tattoo artists as part of the local authority licensing process.

No assessment has been made by the Department of the potential merits of requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks for tattoo artists as part of existing local authority registration and licensing processes. On 7 August we announced our plans to introduce a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. There are no current plans to include tattooing as part of this scheme, as registration and licensing schemes already exist for tattooing under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.

Whether she plans to review (a) the age-65 write-off rule and (b) other terms of pre-2006 Plan 1 student loans to create consistency with later cohorts of borrowers whose loans are written off after 25 years.

Where a new plan type is introduced, the terms, including the length of the loan, are considered as a whole. The new terms are not applied retrospectively to borrowers who have signed up to previous plans in existence at the time of their study. They are then set in legislation to apply to that specific loan type.Although both pre-2006 and post-2006 Plan 1 loans retained the Plan 1 title, these are different plan types.Plan 1 post-2006 included a shorter loan term of 25 years, however, tuition fee increases resulted in higher loan balances on course completion than for pre-2006 borrowers. Pre-2006 borrowers, whose loan term ends aged 65, benefitted from lower tuition fee loans and a lower loan balance on completion of their course.There are no plans to review pre-2006 Plan 1 terms and conditions, including the age 65 write-off term.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks for tattoo artists as part of the licensing process.

The Home Office is not responsible for the licensing of tattoo artists so has not made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks as part of the licensing process.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what recent steps the Church of England has taken to implement safeguarding policies.

Significant progress has been made since I last answered a question on this subject. All major Safeguarding Policies have been completely revised, or are being revised, as Statutory Codes of Practice. These Codes are co-produced with victims, survivor groups and safeguarding professionals. The next step is to create an easily accessible resource for parishes and create guides to support the work of our safeguarding officers and volunteers, who are doing excellent work across the country at parish and diocesan levels.

Innovation and Technology, what assessments her Department has made of the potential contribution of AI Growth Zones to economic growth in Teesside.

As my Honourable Friend will know, AI Growth Zones a priority for this government and central to our plan for growth.The application process for AI Growth Zones opened in February. We received over 200 expressions of interest from across the country. And following the launch of formal applications in April, we have received 56 proposals to date.I understand the Honourable member is as ambitious and impatient to hear what this means for his constituency as I would be for mine.We’re going through the bids thoroughly now – and that process is not just locked up in Whitehall; we're talking to local authorities and potential investors, right across the country. So we’ll be able to say more soon.These zones will be the key to making sure that tech and AI are not just for a few people at the top – but for every person. For people who most need jobs, and most need growth.

Whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the commercial resale of practical driving test appointments by third parties for profit.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will continue to review and improve the driving test booking system to make sure that learner drivers can book their test easily and efficiently. On 28 May, DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. Views are being sought from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties on changes which aim to prevent learner drivers from being exploited by those who resell tests at a higher price. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 23 July.  In line with the consultation principles, DVSA will aim to publish a summary of responses, including the next steps, within 3 months of the consultation closing. While the selling of tests for profit is not illegal, DVSA deploys enhanced bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly, but these applications are constantly evolving and changing. DVSA continues looking for ways to ensure the safest and fairest way to book a driving test is for a legitimate candidate to use its services. DVSA has zero tolerance for those who exploit learner drivers and is committed to tackling the reselling of driving tests.

How many prisoners released through early release schemes in 2024 are resident in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.The Ministry of Justice does not hold this data and to provide it would result in a disproportionate cost.We have published SDS40 release data alongside the quarterly Offender Management Statistics, in line with the Lord Chancellor’s commitment to transparency: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the non-pipeline transport of CO₂ for offshore storage does not cause marine pollution.

The UK has an established environmental regulatory regime in place to protect human health and the environment, with the Environment Agency (EA), and Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), and Natural Resource Wales (NRW) for projects based in Wales, all evaluating the environmental impacts of CCUS projects. The Statutory Nature Conservations Bodies are also consulted as part of this process. The UK ETS Authority has also consulted on proposals to requiring ships transporting CO2 for offshore storage to monitor and report emissions.

What his Department's planned timetable is for the publication of its forthcoming delivery plan on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, final delivery plan will be published shortly. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.

What recent assessment she has made of the accessibility of (a) the Life in the UK Test and (b) naturalisation application costs for older spouses of British citizens on the route to settlement and citizenship; and what steps she is taking to ensure such applicants are not disadvantaged due to (i) age, (ii) language ability and (iii) financial circumstances.

All applicants currently applying for citizenship are required to demonstrate Knowledge of Language and Life (KoLL) in the UK unless they are either aged under 18, aged 65 or over, or have a medical condition that prevents them from doing so.Where someone cannot reasonably be expected to prepare for or pass the Life in the UK test on medical grounds, the requirement can be waived.If a candidate needs assistance to access the test or needs special adjustments at a test centre, candidates can contact the provider of the tests to make arrangements, at no extra cost.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of aligning Universal Credit rules with legacy social security provisions in cases where a single claimant dies, in the context of the final payment dates for those benefits.

No assessment has been made. Universal Credit is paid for the whole month based on the circumstances on the last day of a customer’s Assessment Period (AP). In the sad circumstances where a customer dies, and the death occurs before the last day of the Assessment Period, there is no entitlement to Universal Credit in that month.

What steps she is taking to help protect small businesses from bank account closures.

Banking services fulfil a vital role for businesses across the UK. I recently laid legislation before Parliament which will require banks and other providers to give customers a longer notice period of 90 days before closing accounts and to provide a sufficiently detailed and specific explanation. This will give people and businesses the time and information they need to challenge decisions or find an alternative provider.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to regulate the use of (a) algorithmic and (b) AI-driven decision-making tools in the private rental sector.

The Government is clear that tenants living in the private rented sector should be treated fairly and with respect. Landlords are responsible for any decision they make, including where they have used AI-driven tools to support their decision making process. In designing and implementing the digital aspects of our reforms, including the Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman and the Private Rented Sector Database, the Department will capitalise on the opportunities that AI offers to create modern and efficient services. These services will be built in line with the Government Digital Service Standard and the code of practice for cyber security of AI published by DSIT.

What steps his Department is taking to increase procurement from UK businesses.

Our new Defence Industrial Strategy will make sure national security and a high-growth economy are aligned to deliver the change we promised: cracking down on waste, building resilient supply chains and boosting Britain's defence industry. By strengthening our relationship with industry, innovators and investors we will make it easier and more attractive to do business in Defence than ever before.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve support for people in former industrial communities who have been diagnosed with (a) mesothelioma and (b) other asbestos-related diseases.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides a range of specific support for people with asbestos-related conditions. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) provides a non-contributory, “no-fault”, weekly benefit for disablement because of an accident at work, or because of one of over 70 prescribed diseases known to be a risk from certain jobs. DWP also provides one-off lump-sum compensation payments under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 (the ‘1979 Act scheme’) to individuals who suffer from one of the dust-related diseases covered by the scheme, subject to the wider eligibility criteria being satisfied. This scheme is designed to cover people who are unable to claim damages from any relevant employers because they have gone out of business. Asbestos-related diseases covered by IIDB and the 1979 Act scheme include pneumoconiosis (including asbestosis), diffuse mesothelioma, unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening and asbestos-related primary carcinoma of the lung.Eligible individuals with diffuse mesothelioma who are not entitled under the 1979 Act scheme, for example those whose exposure was not work-related, may instead be entitled to a one-off lump-sum compensation payment under Part 4 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (“the 2008 Act Scheme”).The value of weekly IIDB awards were uprated by 1.7 per cent from April this year. Awards under the 1979 and 2008 Act Schemes were also uprated by 1.7 per cent and new rates apply to those who first become entitled to a payment on or after 1 April 2025. The Department recognises the importance of providing support to customers with asbestos-related conditions and we continue to work with stakeholders to identify improvements where possible.