Written questions by Collins.

Innovation and Technology, what recent progress his Department has made in encouraging a shift from animal testing towards greater use of synthetic analogues for human biological systems.

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. While it is not yet possible to replace all animal use due to the complexity of biological systems and regulatory requirements, we support the development and application of approaches that replace, reduce and refine animal use in research (the 3Rs), such as the use of synthetic analogues for human biological systems.The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of including air-to-air heat pumps in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not currently support air-to-air heat pumps, as heat pump installations must provide both space heating and hot water heating, using liquid as a medium for delivering that heat. In most cases, air-to-air systems only provide space heating, with many installations still reliant on burning fossil fuels for hot water. We want to target support at technologies that offer the greatest potential to decarbonise our buildings. However, the Government will keep its position on alternative electric heating technologies under review, and would consult industry and key stakeholders on any potential changes to the scheme before making any decisions.

What steps he has taken to develop the skills and workforce needed for the energy transition.

The Office for Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ) has been created to ensure that clean energy jobs are abundant, high quality, paid fairly, and have favourable terms and good working conditions. The OCEJ is engaging widely with industry, experts, and trade unions for a clear assessment of the skills opportunities and challenges. It is working closely with Skills England to ensure that skills systems reforms support the clean energy transition. The OCEJ will also set out targeted interventions to support specific skills needs in the clean energy workforce. It has recently launched the initial version of the Energy Skills Passport to support oil and gas workers into new roles in the clean energy sector.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential role of air-to-air heat pumps for making homes more climate resilient.

The department is currently developing the Warm Homes Plan to ensure that homes are fit for the future. The department has been carrying out research to respond to the relevant climate change adaptation risks identified by the third Climate Change Risk Assessment. This research is closing evidence gaps identifying the buildings most vulnerable to extreme heat and where these are located, as well as appropriate adaptation solutions. This includes considering the role of technologies, such as air-to-air heat pumps. This work is informing the development of the Warm Homes Plan.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the England and Wales Cricket Board on (a) financial fair play in County Cricket and (b) possible measures to provide a level playing field between counties of different financial standing.

As the governing body for cricket in England and Wales, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is independent from the Government and is responsible for the regulation of cricket, and for protecting and promoting the financial sustainability of the sport at all levels. It is for the ECB to answer for their approach.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect farmers from competition from countries with lower (a) farming and (b) food production standards.

The Government has set out its long-term vision to make farming more profitable and put more money back in the pockets of British farmers. We will work in partnership with the food and farming sectors to achieve our vision of a sector with food production at its core, where farm businesses can diversify their income to make a fair profit and remain viable in challenging times. All agri-food products must comply with our sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. Our Trade Strategy will set out how we can achieve long-term sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth through trade. It will reflect the Government’s commitment to uphold our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards, areas in which the UK is a world leader.

What strategies he he is considering for decarbonising hard-to-electrify industrial processes located in towns located away from industrial clusters.

Dispersed locations form a major part of UK industry’s pathway to Net Zero, accounting for approximately half of emissions. The £6 million Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans competition is funding 13 decarbonisation projects in local clusters, including in areas with hard-to-electrify industrial processes, supporting dispersed industrial manufacturers not located in the UK’s existing industrial clusters to start their journey towards Net Zero. Government is also providing decarbonisation support to dispersed sites through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF). In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government committed £163 million to continue delivery for all current projects of the IETF through to completion.

What recent discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential role of family hubs in moving healthcare from hospitals into communities.

We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer.Family hubs are a community-based way of improving access to healthcare, with Start for Life services for families from conception to the age of two years old at their heart. They offer joined-up support through access to local services, including maternity, perinatal mental health, parent-infant relationships, and infant feeding.Ministers and officials have engaged with stakeholders on the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in the context of community-based healthcare. The Neighbourhood Health model will build on existing good practice from across the country and on the feedback received from the 10-Year Health Plan engagement.

Whether her Department has plans for the strategic development of hydrogen storage facilities at a sufficient scale to support (a) inter-day and (b) inter-week energy storage.

The Government is committed to enabling the development of hydrogen storage infrastructure to meet the needs of the emerging hydrogen economy. This includes supporting the development of storage infrastructure that can operate over a range of durations and serve multiple end-users.The Government intends to design the first Hydrogen Storage Business Model (HSBM) procurement to contribute towards an ambition to support up to two storage projects at scale to be in operation or construction by 2030.We are continuing to develop our approach to the development of hydrogen storage infrastructure through strategic planning and the HSBM as a priority.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of modelling sector coupling between electricity and hydrogen for the UKs energy system.

The Department’s UK TIMES model captures interactions across the entire energy system, from fuel extraction to final energy demands, enabling comprehensive analysis of decarbonisation pathways and helping us explore the optimal future energy system. This model has been instrumental in developing departmental net zero strategy, including our understanding of the future power sector. Building on this, DESNZ recently invested in BID3, a new model designed to simulate a fully connected power and hydrogen market across the UK and EU. BID3 will model power generation, hydrogen production, transmission, gas transport, interconnectors, and storage, allowing comparison of whole-life system costs and cashflow, across future scenarios.

Innovation and Technology, what evidence his Department is gathering on the impact of social media interfaces on the mental wellbeing of users.

We recognise the need for more research and evidence to improve our understanding of people’s experiences online.In November 2024, DSIT announced a feasibility study to further understand the impact of social media on children.The study will review existing evidence and assess which research methods will be most effective in determining the causal effect of social media on children’s developmental outcomes. The study will conclude in May 2025.

What steps her Department is taking with industry to identify which workplace skills should be taught in the National Curriculum in the future.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.The review will seek to deliver a curriculum that readies young people for life and work, and builds the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to seize opportunity and thrive in the changing workplace.The review group ran a call for evidence, receiving over 7,000 responses, and held events over the autumn term to gather the views of stakeholders including employers. The feedback received will help the review group to consider its next steps and recommendations.The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and publish its final report with recommendations this autumn. We will take decisions on what changes to make in light of these recommendations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence his Department is gathering to inform future rainfall assumptions in flood prediction modelling.

The Environment Agency (EA) uses a range of future rainfall assumptions in their flood prediction modelling including consideration for how our weather patterns are changing. The EA operates a network of approximately 2,400 rain gauges across England, providing daily totals and high-resolution data. The data is shared with the Met Office, and we work closely with them and other partners, to maintain and improve our understanding of future rainfall scenarios. This, and other information, is used to inform how we issue flood warnings to the public. In the last month the EA has updated their maps showing current and future understanding of flood risk. For the first time this new National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA), includes the latest UK Climate Projections (UKCP18) sharing the potential impact of climate change on flood risk, and shows that the risk from rivers and the sea in England increases by 27% from 2036 to 2069.