Written questions by Collins.

What plans his Department has to accelerate grid upgrades to support the connection of AI and data centre infrastructure.

The Government is implementing a comprehensive package to accelerate grid upgrades, addressing decades of underinvestment to deliver clean and affordable electricity and support timely grid connections. As announced in November, the Government will use powers taken in the Planning and Infrastructure Act to reserve and reallocate future capacity for strategic projects, including AI Growth Zones. All designated AI Growth Zones will benefit from dedicated optioneering support through the Connections Accelerator Service. Furthermore, we will develop plans alongside Ofgem to enable AI Growth Zones developers to build their own high voltage grid infrastructure.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) revaluation of pubs’ rateable values and (b) ending of the 40% business rates relief on (i) the financial viability of pubs and breweries and (iii) the wider economic and social contribution of those businesses; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a targeted, pub-specific relief.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The Government is paying for this tax cut through higher rates on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. Large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants, will pay around £100m more in 2026/27, with this going directly to lower bills for in-person retail. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. The Call for Evidence, published at Budget, focuses on how reform of the business rates system can be used to incentivise and secure more investment by Britain’s businesses. This Call for Evidence builds on the findings of the Transforming Business Rates: Discussion Paper and asks stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions.

Whether her Department has had discussions with the Valuation Office Agency on mitigating business rates increases for pubs and breweries; and what steps she is taking to prevent sudden increases in bills for those businesses.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. Without this support, pubs would have faced a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. However, because of the support the Government has put in place, this has fallen to just 4%. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties. The Government is paying for this tax cut through higher rates on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. Large distribution warehouses, such as those used by online giants, will pay around £100m more in 2026/27, with this going directly to lower bills for in-person retail. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. The Call for Evidence, published at Budget, focuses on how reform of the business rates system can be used to incentivise and secure more investment by Britain’s businesses. This Call for Evidence builds on the findings of the Transforming Business Rates: Discussion Paper and asks stakeholders for more detailed evidence on how the business rates system influences investment decisions.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to the consultation on changes to the Water Efficiency Standard in the Building Regulations 2010, Part G; and whether she plans to implement new water-use standards for new homes in water-stressed areas.

Defra is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to explore whether Building Regulations could be amended to tighten water efficiency standards and enable consumers to use less water and save on their water and energy bills. Policy options on amendments to the Building Regulations have been tested with the public through a consultation that was published on 23 September 2025, this included proposed amendments to water efficiency standards in water stressed areas. This consultation closed on 16 December 2025.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI on digital exclusion; and what steps her Department are taking to ensure that (a) people without access to devices or data, (b) disabled people, and (c) those with limited digital literacy are not left behind as AI becomes integrated into essential services.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world — from saving on everyday bills to finding better jobs and accessing vital services like the NHS. AI has the potential to transform the economy, how public services are delivered and people's lives, and the government is committed to ensuring people understand and benefit from this. Last February we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, setting out the government's first steps to ensure everyone in the UK – no matter their background – can fully participate in our digital society. Since then, we have launched the £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. This supported a number of projects specifically focused on older and disabled people, and AI training and awareness. We recognise that some people, including older or disabled people, may face barriers to building AI skills. DSIT is working with DfE and Skills England to assess the AI skills gap and map pathways to fill it. Last year we announced a joint commitment with industry to upskill 7.5 million workers with vital AI skills. We also announced the TechFirst programme, a £187m initiative to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities to train people of all ages and backgrounds for future tech careers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on giving Water Resource Management Plans and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans formal weight in local plan-making and major planning decisions.

Government is currently consulting a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making, designed to make planning policy easier to use and underpin the delivery of faster and simpler local plans. The consultation includes a new chapter on securing clean energy and water, and a proposed plan-making policy requiring that engagement on development plans should take into account relevant infrastructure plans, including Water Resources Management Plans and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring water and sewerage companies to provide capacity assessments for water supply and wastewater infrastructure before large developments are approved in areas where existing networks and receiving water bodies are under pressure.

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 consultation includes policies that will support the development and operation of energy and water infrastructure that meets the needs of existing and future development. The policies in question emphasise the need for early engagement between relevant plan-making authorities, utility providers, regulators, and network operators. This will ensure that development plans align with the capacity and future requirements of water infrastructure, and support the delivery of water supply, drainage, and wastewater infrastructure. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here. In addition, the Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture has established a Water Delivery Taskforce to hold water companies to account on the deliveryof their Price Review (PR24) plans, including in relation to their planned investments to provide water and wastewater capacity.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of household insurance policies ceded to the Flood Re scheme; and what safeguards are in place to ensure that properties with no material flood risk are not ceded to Flood Re.

Flood Re monitors exposure trends closely, including the volume and characteristics of policies ceded to the scheme. Officials routinely meet Flood Re to discuss these topics. Minister Hardy also engaged industry leaders at an insurance roundtable last year as part of ongoing dialogue with the sector. The Scheme’s designed to ensure policies are ceded appropriately. Flood Re undertakes audit and compliance checks on participating insurers, and insurers remain responsible for accurate risk assessment when ceding policies. Flood Re premiums for ceded policies are regulated under Part 4 of the Flood Reinsurance (Scheme Funding and Administration) Regulations 2015. Flood Re set these inward premiums at a level that aims to ensure only properties at higher flood risk, or with flooding history, are ceded to the scheme.

Innovation and Technology, what plans she has to fund (a) digital inclusion organisations and (b) community-based AI literacy programmes to support people who lack the skills or confidence to use AI-powered services; and what plans her Department has for funding lifelong learning programmes to support transitions towards increased AI use across workplaces.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world — from saving on everyday bills to finding better jobs and accessing vital services like the NHS. That is why – as part of the First Steps confirmed in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan – we launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to help more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. This included 85 community led projects in England. Numerous projects are supporting people to build AI skills, such as the Age UK Westminster project improving AI literacy for older people, and Aston University and FutureDotNow delivering projects that support youth employability through digital inclusion.This Fund will conclude by 31 March 2026.More broadly, reducing the AI skills gap is critical for increasing the UK’s productivity and delivering long-term growth. That is why we are working with DfE and Skills England to assess the AI skills gap and map pathways to fill it, and last year announced a joint commitment with industry to upskill 7.5 million workers with vital AI skills. Alongside this, DSIT is delivering the £187 million TechFirst programme that will support over 4,000 domestic graduates, researchers and innovators and engage 1 million students in digital skills and AI learning. Lastly, following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report last year, national curriculum will be updated to prepare young people for life and work in a changing world. The Government will embed digital, media and AI literacy across the curriculum, introduce a refreshed, broader computing GCSE, and integrate digital content into other subjects.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce a Mandatory Water Efficiency Label under the Environment Act 2021.

Defra is committed to introducing a Mandatory Water Efficiency Label scheme under the Environment Act 2021. This label could a save total of 23 billion litres of water over 10 years and save £57 million on water bills and £71 million on energy bills over the same timeframe.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve planning and permitting processes for strategic water-resource schemes approved within Water Resource Management Plans, particularly to enable abstraction reductions from chalk streams.

The Government is working towards improving soil health across England by measuring and monitoring the national condition of soil. Establishing a baseline is essential for evaluating change and identifying improvements or declines in soil health. National soil monitoring began in October 2023 under the England Ecosystem Survey (EES), part of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme. This five-year survey will provide a baseline of soil health in England, with Analysis Ready Data from earlier years published in December 2025: https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5610689568440320. This data will feed into a Soil Health Indicator being developed by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. A national soil health baseline will be published by 2030.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage UK pension funds to invest in domestic scale-up companies.

In May 2025, 17 of the largest workplace pension providers signed the Mansion House Accord and voluntarily committed to invest at least 10 per cent of their defined contribution default funds in private markets by 2030, with at least half of that invested in the UK. This is expected to unlock £25 billion of pension fund investment in the UK, including into high growth companies. The British Business Bank has a key role in helping smaller businesses get the finance they need to start, scale and stay in the UK. The government has given the British Business Bank a new objective to mobilise institutional capital, including domestic pension capital. The BBB has already created one entry point through the British Growth Partnership. This is an investment vehicle designed specifically to encourage more UK pension fund and other institutional investment into the UK’s fastest growing, most innovative companies.

Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the role that industry standards can play in ensuring that generative AI has a positive impact on children.

Industry standards are essential to ensure generative AI systems are developed and deployed responsibly. They set clear expectations for safety, transparency, and accountability, helping to protect children from harmful content and promote positive educational outcomes.The Government is supporting these standards through the Trusted Third-Party AI Assurance Roadmap, which outlines steps to build a robust assurance ecosystem. This includes developing common frameworks, promoting interoperability, and fostering a market where independent assurance services can verify that AI systems meet agreed standards. Backed by £11 million investment, this approach will give businesses confidence that the AI systems they use operate as intended, safeguarding users—including children.Additionally, this year, the Government will be supporting a summit at Wilton Park on the impact of AI on childhood. This will bring together experts, technology companies, civil society and young people to explore how AI can benefit children without exposing them to harm.

Innovation and Technology, how she will support children, parents and carers to understand the safe use and risks of generative AI tools.

Protecting children from harm online is a top priority for this government. This year, the government will be supporting a NSPCC summit at Wilton Park on the impact of AI on childhood. This will bring together experts, technology companies, civil society and young people to explore how AI can benefit children without exposing them to harm. Media literacy is also a key part of our approach, helping children and adults develop critical thinking skills to navigate the growing presence of AI-generated content. DSIT is working with the Department for Education to develop an online ‘parent hub’ providing guidance on media literacy and online safety.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she plans to take to include children’s perspectives in the policymaking process for generative AI.

This year, the government will be supporting a summit at Wilton Park on the impact of AI on childhood. This will bring together experts, technology companies, civil society and young people to explore how AI can benefit children without exposing them to harm.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential role of app store age verification in improving online safety.

Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has a duty to publish a report on the role of app stores in children accessing harmful content on the apps of regulated services. The report will also assess the use and effectiveness of age assurance on app stores. This report is due by January 2027.Following consideration of Ofcom’s report, the Secretary of State has a delegated power to apply duties on app stores, which may include greater use of age assurance.Ofcom’s call for evidence to inform this report closed on 1 December. The government will consider next steps in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of enabling children waiting over 26 weeks for a paediatric appointment to be seen by alternative NHS-commissioned providers.

Patients in England have a right to request their local integrated care board (ICB) find an alternative provider when they have been waiting, or expect to wait, over 18 weeks to begin treatment for consultant-led care.ICBs are required to take all reasonable steps to ensure the patient is offered an appointment with a clinically appropriate alternative provider with whom an ICB or NHS England has an NHS Standard Contract for the relevant service, who can start their treatment more quickly. Further information is available on the NHS Choice Framework at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework/

What funding is available to local authorities to improve street lighting in residential areas where safety guidance is not met; and what criteria are used to allocate that funding.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it. The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting. The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.

How many children have waited more than (a) 26 and (b) 40 weeks for an initial paediatric referral triage in the most recent 12-month period for which data is available.

We do not hold data on how many children have waited more than 26 and 40 weeks for an initial paediatric referral triage in the most recent 12-month period.Published referral to treatment data covers the period on waiting time from referral to first definitive treatment.

What guidance her Department provides to local authorities on minimum lighting levels required on residential roads.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities, who have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Authorities do not have a duty to light their networks but, where lighting has been provided, the authority has a duty to maintain it. The Government encourages local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks and to work closely with emergency services and other key partners when considering the street lighting needs of local communities. Advice is available in the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Code of Practice for Well Managed Highway Infrastructure, which references British Standards for road lighting. The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment for local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This funding is provided to local authorities to maintain all parts of the highway network, including lighting columns, bridges, cycleways and footways. In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This will help them to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. The Department allocates funding to local highway authorities based on a formula, which takes account of road lengths in each authority area, as well as the number of bridges and lighting columns.