Written questions by Collins.

Whether she plans to update the Cash Access Policy Statement issued on 18 August 2023, in the context of the role of Banking Hubs and the provision of in-person services linked to current accounts.

Banking is changing, with many customers benefitting from the convenience and flexibility of managing their finances remotely. However, Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and is committed to supporting sufficient access for customers. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities, including free facilities for personal current accounts. It also requires HMT to produce a Cash Access Policy Statement concerning cash deposit and withdrawal services, which the FCA must have regard to when designing its rules for access to cash. In line with its legal obligation to do so, HMT keeps the Cash Access policy statement under review. Under the FCA’s rules, an assessment is triggered upon the closure or material alteration of a cash access facility or upon a community request. When carrying out a cash access assessment, LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network and designated operator of cash access co-ordination arrangements, takes into consideration a wide range of criteria, including those unique to each location. These include whether a bank branch remains, existing cash access points, population size and vulnerability, the number of shops in the area, and the practicality of travelling to nearby facilities, including public transport links, travel times, and local demographics. Where LINK determines that a community requires additional cash services, Cash Access UK (CAUK) will provide the appropriate shared solution, such as a deposit service or a banking hub, for cash users in that community. In addition to traditional bank branches, the financial services industry is committed to rolling out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. Over 240 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 200 are already open. Government is working closely with industry on this commitment, including through regular ministerial engagement. Banking hubs offer everyday counter services provided by Post Office staff, enabling people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services. The Government continues to work with the banking industry to improve the breadth and availability of services available in banking hubs and I recently chaired a roundtable with banks, CAUK and UK Finance to discuss services provided in banking hubs. CAUK member banks have already made significant progress in bringing the services offered by community bankers in hubs closer to those available in a traditional bank branch. For example, over the past year, all original CAUK member banks have ensured that customers can use hub services even if they do not have access to a personal digital device, such as a mobile phone or tablet. A full list of services provided by each bank for both personal and business customers is publicly available to view via CAUK’s website. The Government keeps the effectiveness of these arrangements under review through regular engagement with industry, LINK and the FCA to ensure they meet the needs of local communities.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of services provided within Banking Hubs; and what steps she is taking to develop minimum standards for those Hubs.

Banking is changing, with many customers benefitting from the convenience and flexibility of managing their finances remotely. However, Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and is committed to supporting sufficient access for customers. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities, including free facilities for personal current accounts. It also requires HMT to produce a Cash Access Policy Statement concerning cash deposit and withdrawal services, which the FCA must have regard to when designing its rules for access to cash. In line with its legal obligation to do so, HMT keeps the Cash Access policy statement under review. Under the FCA’s rules, an assessment is triggered upon the closure or material alteration of a cash access facility or upon a community request. When carrying out a cash access assessment, LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network and designated operator of cash access co-ordination arrangements, takes into consideration a wide range of criteria, including those unique to each location. These include whether a bank branch remains, existing cash access points, population size and vulnerability, the number of shops in the area, and the practicality of travelling to nearby facilities, including public transport links, travel times, and local demographics. Where LINK determines that a community requires additional cash services, Cash Access UK (CAUK) will provide the appropriate shared solution, such as a deposit service or a banking hub, for cash users in that community. In addition to traditional bank branches, the financial services industry is committed to rolling out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. Over 240 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 200 are already open. Government is working closely with industry on this commitment, including through regular ministerial engagement. Banking hubs offer everyday counter services provided by Post Office staff, enabling people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services. The Government continues to work with the banking industry to improve the breadth and availability of services available in banking hubs and I recently chaired a roundtable with banks, CAUK and UK Finance to discuss services provided in banking hubs. CAUK member banks have already made significant progress in bringing the services offered by community bankers in hubs closer to those available in a traditional bank branch. For example, over the past year, all original CAUK member banks have ensured that customers can use hub services even if they do not have access to a personal digital device, such as a mobile phone or tablet. A full list of services provided by each bank for both personal and business customers is publicly available to view via CAUK’s website. The Government keeps the effectiveness of these arrangements under review through regular engagement with industry, LINK and the FCA to ensure they meet the needs of local communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce water bills for households in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

It is important that customers get value for money from their water bills and that support is available for those who need it. I meet water companies frequently to discuss a range of issues, including customer bills. As the independent economic regulator, it is Ofwat’s responsibility to scrutinise water company business plans and ensure the prices water companies charge their customers are fair and proportionate. It does this through its Price Review, every five years. Ofwat published the results of the 2024 Price Review in December 2024, this sets out company expenditure and customer bills for the next five years, up to 2030. These price controls came into effect on 01 April 2025. Price Review 2024 will deliver substantial improvements for customers and the environment through a £104 billion upgrade for the water sector - the highest level of investment in the water sector since privatisation. The average annual bill rise over the next 5 years will be £31 (or 36%). This will vary across households depending on their circumstances. Information on bills for each water company is available on Ofwat’s website. All water companies have measures in place for customers who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support. Moreover, Government expects industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers are supported. The Government has committed to reforming the WaterSure support scheme which supports low-income households with high essential water use due to having a medical condition or three or more children living at home and has consulted on extending the list of qualifying benefits to include non-means tested disability benefits. This proposal is designed to provide better support for low-income households where a medical condition leads to high essential water use. The proposed reforms would also increase support for existing households and update the regulations to reflect best practice adopted across the water sector. The department will publish the response to the consultation in the coming months. Bill increases are necessary to make up for years of under-investment and make sure water companies can deliver a good service to customers and protect the environment. The Government is also bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for billpayers and restore trust and accountability. This includes the creation of a powerful new consolidated regulator, which will work to ensure water company bills are fair and affordable for customers. These reforms are detailed in the Government’s Water White Paper.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the criteria applied by LINK when recommending Banking Hub locations on towns where a single provider remains; and whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of those criteria for community need, business cash usage and consumer choice.

Banking is changing, with many customers benefitting from the convenience and flexibility of managing their finances remotely. However, Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and is committed to supporting sufficient access for customers. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities, including free facilities for personal current accounts. It also requires HMT to produce a Cash Access Policy Statement concerning cash deposit and withdrawal services, which the FCA must have regard to when designing its rules for access to cash. In line with its legal obligation to do so, HMT keeps the Cash Access policy statement under review. Under the FCA’s rules, an assessment is triggered upon the closure or material alteration of a cash access facility or upon a community request. When carrying out a cash access assessment, LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network and designated operator of cash access co-ordination arrangements, takes into consideration a wide range of criteria, including those unique to each location. These include whether a bank branch remains, existing cash access points, population size and vulnerability, the number of shops in the area, and the practicality of travelling to nearby facilities, including public transport links, travel times, and local demographics. Where LINK determines that a community requires additional cash services, Cash Access UK (CAUK) will provide the appropriate shared solution, such as a deposit service or a banking hub, for cash users in that community. In addition to traditional bank branches, the financial services industry is committed to rolling out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. Over 240 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 200 are already open. Government is working closely with industry on this commitment, including through regular ministerial engagement. Banking hubs offer everyday counter services provided by Post Office staff, enabling people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services. The Government continues to work with the banking industry to improve the breadth and availability of services available in banking hubs and I recently chaired a roundtable with banks, CAUK and UK Finance to discuss services provided in banking hubs. CAUK member banks have already made significant progress in bringing the services offered by community bankers in hubs closer to those available in a traditional bank branch. For example, over the past year, all original CAUK member banks have ensured that customers can use hub services even if they do not have access to a personal digital device, such as a mobile phone or tablet. A full list of services provided by each bank for both personal and business customers is publicly available to view via CAUK’s website. The Government keeps the effectiveness of these arrangements under review through regular engagement with industry, LINK and the FCA to ensure they meet the needs of local communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce annual increases in household water bills in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

It is important that customers get value for money from their water bills and that support is available for those who need it. I meet water companies frequently to discuss a range of issues, including customer bills. As the independent economic regulator, it is Ofwat’s responsibility to scrutinise water company business plans and ensure the prices water companies charge their customers are fair and proportionate. It does this through its Price Review, every five years. Ofwat published the results of the 2024 Price Review in December 2024, this sets out company expenditure and customer bills for the next five years, up to 2030. These price controls came into effect on 01 April 2025. Price Review 2024 will deliver substantial improvements for customers and the environment through a £104 billion upgrade for the water sector - the highest level of investment in the water sector since privatisation. The average annual bill rise over the next 5 years will be £31 (or 36%). This will vary across households depending on their circumstances. Information on bills for each water company is available on Ofwat’s website. All water companies have measures in place for customers who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support. Moreover, Government expects industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers are supported. The Government has committed to reforming the WaterSure support scheme which supports low-income households with high essential water use due to having a medical condition or three or more children living at home and has consulted on extending the list of qualifying benefits to include non-means tested disability benefits. This proposal is designed to provide better support for low-income households where a medical condition leads to high essential water use. The proposed reforms would also increase support for existing households and update the regulations to reflect best practice adopted across the water sector. The department will publish the response to the consultation in the coming months. Bill increases are necessary to make up for years of under-investment and make sure water companies can deliver a good service to customers and protect the environment. The Government is also bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for billpayers and restore trust and accountability. This includes the creation of a powerful new consolidated regulator, which will work to ensure water company bills are fair and affordable for customers. These reforms are detailed in the Government’s Water White Paper.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of joining Digital Europe on the UK’s digital economy.

DSIT assesses any participation in Digital Europe against delivery of UK objectives and value for money for citizens and UK businesses. We are keeping decisions around participation in Digital Europe under review.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Agenda for Change mileage reimbursement rates, including the change to the rate for travelling over 3,500 miles annually, on the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of community-based NHS staff.

This specific assessment has not been made. As set out in the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, which is maintained by the NHS Staff Council, mileage reimbursement rates are reviewed twice a year in April and November.The outcome of the November 2025 review resulted in reimbursement rates reducing due to sustained decreases in fuel prices for the 12-month period ending in October 2025. Reimbursement rates dropped to 56 pence per mile for the first 3,500 miles claimed before dropping to 21 pence per mile thereafter. The revised rates apply to mileage incurred from 1 January 2026 onwards.These changes apply to all staff directly employed in England under Agenda for Change terms and conditions and Resident Doctors. There are no specific rates for community staff.

What discussions her Department has had with small and medium-sized enterprises on (a) the employer National Insurance Contributions increase and (b) business rates since the Autumn Budget 2026.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Junior Ministers and HM Treasury officials regularly meet with a wide range of businesses and business representation organisations, including with small and medium-sized enterprises. These meetings include discussions on a wide range of policies.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for the Access to Work scheme; and whether he plans to increase that funding.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of the scheme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation. We have recently concluded (November) the Access to Work Collaboration Committees, in which we engaged with a range of stakeholders, including disabled people’s organisation representatives and lived experience users, to provide discussion, experience, and challenge to the design of the future Access to Work Scheme.

What estimate he has made of the number of unpaid carers living in fuel poverty.

The Government has made no such estimate. The information requested is not held. The Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty and recently published a new fuel poverty strategy for England outlining our plan to lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of joining Euroclusters.

The Euroclusters initiative is an online hub funded by the EU and targeted at industry stakeholders across Europe and globally. There are currently 145 UK organisations in the Euroclusters directory. UK companies and cluster organisations are free to make their own assessments of the benefits of joining the platform.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the National Planning Policy Framework's Grey Belt Policy on the development of village infrastructure including (a) schools, (b) GP services, (c) transport and (d) wastewater; and what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of securing infrastructure before developments in village areas begin.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 90834 on the 21 November 2025, Question UIN 67812 on the 21 July 2025, and Question UIN 26106 on the 5 February 2025. The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The proposed Green Belt policy is set out in Chapter 13 of the consultation which can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the implementation of (a) the national standards for sustainable drainage systems and (b) updated planning policy, including what data it will collect on (i) compliance and (ii) adoption and maintenance arrangements.

The government is committed to securing the delivery of high-quality sustainable drainage systems to help manage flood risk and adapt to the effects of climate change. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that developments of all sizes are expected to make use of sustainable drainage techniques where the development could have drainage impacts. National Planning Guidance indicates that local planning authorities should be satisfied that all Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) have clear maintenance and adoption arrangements in place for the lifetime of a development. We are currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more ‘rules-based’ policies for decision-making. The consultation includes a proposed new requirement for SuDS to be designed in accordance with the National Standards for SuDS published last year. It will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here. Responsibility for the implementation of national planning policy lies with local planning authorities, as does the monitoring of compliance with planning permissions. We are also exploring how to improve the adoption of public amenities, including SuDS, on freehold estates. For further details, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

What plans his Department has to introduce targeted energy‑bill support for households with high energy consumption due to caring responsibilities.

The affordability crisis is the biggest issue facing this country, that is why the Autumn Budget acted to take an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills. This support comes on top of the £150 off energy bills provided for around 6 million families under the Warm Home Discount this winter, cutting fuel poverty. The Government is also driving forward with home upgrades, through the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan.

Whether she plans to establish a national registration scheme for tradespeople’s power tools; and whether she has had discussions with manufacturers, retailers, insurers and the police on this matter.

We recognise the negative impact theft has on victims who rely on the tools of their trade to earn a living.We are partnering with tradespeople’s representatives, policing and other partners, including retailers and manufacturers, to co-design actions Government and industry can take to encourage the prevention of tool theft.We are also providing £2m funding for the National Business Crime Centre over the next three financial years to help tackle the crimes most affecting businesses today.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of Ofcom’s capacity to effectively implement the Online Safety Act 2023 in the context of the recent creation and publication of illegal explicit images and child sexual abuse material on X by xAI’s chatbot, Grok.

The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of these horrendous images online. There are no excuses not to act, and services must deal with this.Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety and is responsible for scrutinising platforms’ risk assessments, requiring safety mitigations, and enforcing safety duties.Ofcom has confirmed that they have opened an investigation into X and have our full backing to take necessary enforcement action.Government meets Ofcom regularly to discuss online safety, and we continue to monitor outcomes through our joint evaluation programme.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of agentic AI systems on high street businesses and retail employment levels.

AI is transforming the world of work. The UK must act now to ensure this transformation boosts growth, productivity and opportunity—rather than deepening inequality or eroding job quality. The government is not standing still: we’re investing in skills, monitoring impacts, and working with employers and experts to make sure AI benefits everyone—not just a few.AI can help give local businesses better insights and improve business efficiency. This government has introduced the Small Business Plan to help all businesses with new tools to unlock access to finance, action to address late payments and regulatory costs, improve digital adoption and create easier pathways to business support through the Business Growth Service regardless of their AI capability.

What steps his Department is taking to facilitate data centre and digital infrastructure access to renewable energy sources.

Data centres can be located where there is surplus renewable power, so they can use that generation, helping to balance supply and demand and reducing network constraints. As part of the AI Growth Zone package, the proposed AI Growth Zone Energy Support Scheme will provide energy price discounts for data centres located in Scotland, North-East England and Cumbria, where they can help to reduce the overall costs of running the electricity system. This will incentivise location in regions where there is a surplus of renewable generation, maximising the use of this power by data centres and minimising use of gas.

What plans his Department has to expand apprenticeship and training programmes for engineering roles supporting digital and energy infrastructure development.

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, backed by £725 million of additional investment, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers and learners and support the industrial strategy.In August 2025 we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. The first foundation apprenticeships are focussed on industrial strategy and priority areas, they include engineering and manufacturing, software and data, and hardware, network and infrastructure. Additionally, from April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units, and they will be available in critical skills areas such as engineering and digital. Following commitments made in the Industrial Strategy, the Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper announced an £182 million engineering skills package, with the aim of helping to address the engineering skills needed in priority sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and digital and technology.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has recently assessed the impact of Grey Belt policy criteria that focus on towns and large built-up areas on village-edge Green Belt land, and his Department's assessment of the potential impact of this policy on rural settlements in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, such as Redbourn.

In assessing whether Green Belt land is grey belt, local planning authorities should consider the contribution the land in question makes to the Green Belt purposes of restricting the sprawl of large built up areas, preventing the merging of neighbouring towns, and safeguarding the setting and special character of historic towns.Relevant Green Belt guidance makes clear that when assessing contribution to these purposes, “large built-up areas” and “towns” do not include villages.Considering whether any particular settlement constitutes a village is a matter for the given local planning authority to judge, which may be informed by the adopted local settlement hierarchy.