Written questions by Evans.

What steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses.

The Government is committed to supporting small and medium sized businesses through the Small Business Plan - the most comprehensive package of support for SMEs in a generation.This includes the new Business Growth Service, accessed through business.gov.uk and the most significant legislative reforms in 25 years to tackle late payments; unlocking billions of pounds in finance to support start-ups; removing unnecessary red tape; revitalising High Streets, and boosting Digital and AI Adoption among small businesses.Business Wales provides free expert advice, including 1 to 1 support with a regional hub in Caerphilly supporting local entrepreneurship.

What steps his Department can take to communicate with businesses about rising operating costs in a clearer and more timely manner.

Ministers and their teams continue to work closely with SMEs and the trade associations that represent them, to ensure information on operating costs and Government’s support offer is clearly communicated through established business engagement channels. This includes providing key messages through our Backing your Business campaign.We are committed to reducing operating costs for all UK businesses, including reducing the annual administrative burden of regulation by £5.6 billion by the end of the Parliament. The government has also introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect businesses seeing their business rates bills increase.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) alcohol advertising and (b) alcoholic products are not directed at (i) children and (ii) young people.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating all advertising in the UK, including alcohol advertising, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA. The codes state that marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18. Specifically, alcohol advertising is prohibited in any medium where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 18, and where advertising is permitted, it should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18. If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the Codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory authority. Building on this backdrop, the Online Advertising Taskforce brings government and industry together to improve trust, transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. A key taskforce aim is to further reduce children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them. An Age Assurance working group focussed on this topic is building a more detailed understanding of the current landscape of age assurance online, and considering how it can be improved.

Media and Sport, what recent progress she has made on reducing exposure to alcohol advertising by (a) children and (b) young people.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating all advertising in the UK, including alcohol advertising, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA. The codes state that marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18. Specifically, alcohol advertising is prohibited in any medium where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 18, and where advertising is permitted, it should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18. If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the Codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory authority. Building on this backdrop, the Online Advertising Taskforce brings government and industry together to improve trust, transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. A key taskforce aim is to further reduce children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them. An Age Assurance working group focussed on this topic is building a more detailed understanding of the current landscape of age assurance online, and considering how it can be improved.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to limit the exposure of (a) children and (b) young people to alcohol advertising on popular (i) social media apps and (ii) streaming platforms.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating all advertising in the UK, including alcohol advertising, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA. The codes state that marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18. Specifically, alcohol advertising is prohibited in any medium where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 18, and where advertising is permitted, it should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18. If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the Codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory authority. Building on this backdrop, the Online Advertising Taskforce brings government and industry together to improve trust, transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. A key taskforce aim is to further reduce children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them. An Age Assurance working group focussed on this topic is building a more detailed understanding of the current landscape of age assurance online, and considering how it can be improved.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had on the need for an independent regulator of alcohol advertising.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating all advertising in the UK, including alcohol advertising, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA. The codes state that marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18. Specifically, alcohol advertising is prohibited in any medium where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 18, and where advertising is permitted, it should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18. If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the Codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory authority. Building on this backdrop, the Online Advertising Taskforce brings government and industry together to improve trust, transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. A key taskforce aim is to further reduce children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them. An Age Assurance working group focussed on this topic is building a more detailed understanding of the current landscape of age assurance online, and considering how it can be improved.

What steps his Department is taking to allow CQC-registered drug and alcohol treatment providers, including charities, to use the NHS Electronic Prescription Service in place of paper instalment prescriptions.

The Department is working with NHS England to extend the NHS Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) to include instalment dispensing for the FP10MDA, or controlled drugs, prescription type. This will allow eligible services, including drug and alcohol treatment providers and community pharmacies, to use EPS rather than paper prescriptions where this is appropriate.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of people needing treatment for alcohol use disorders.

The Government is committed to reducing the number of people in ill health, with the shift from treatment to prevention being a key priority.Action to prevent harms from alcohol feature in multiple current strategies and plans. The recently published National Cancer Plan reiterated the commitment made in Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages. The Men’s Health Strategy outlines the impact alcohol can have on men’s health, and several initiatives to address this, including piloting a new brief intervention to target the rise in cardiovascular disease deaths from combined alcohol and cocaine use among older men.Validated alcohol risk screening tools are being built into our new digital resources. The healthy choices quiz, launched in November, includes making health choices around alcohol and users receive tailored advice about reducing health risk from alcohol based on their input about their drinking. The healthy choices quiz and further information on its introduction is available, respectively, at the following two links:https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/healthy-choices-quiz/?WT.mc_ID=PaidSearch_Brand&wt.tsrc=paid_search&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22919087208&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpojBzKydkwMV4KRQBh2zgSZFEAAYASAAEgKe3PD_BwEhttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-to-benefit-from-new-health-and-wellbeing-quizIn addition, the NHS Health Check, designed to assess the top risk factors for cardiovascular disease, includes an alcohol assessment, and can refer people to further support for their alcohol use where appropriate.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of licensing regulations to protect people from alcohol-related harms.

The Licensing Act 2003, which is overseen by the Home Office, requires licensing authorities to promote objectives relating to the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the protection of children from harm, and the prevention of public nuisance, which together provide important safeguards against alcohol‑related harms.The Government is considering how best to take forward recommendations to develop a modern, proportionate, and enabling licensing system. This work is being led by the Department for Business and Trade and the Home Office with support from other departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care, to ensure public health is fully considered.We will continue to work across Government to consider what other measures might be needed to reduce the negative impact excessive alcohol consumption is having on health, crime, and the economy.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) alcohol advertising and (b) websites selling alcoholic products provide reference to addiction support platforms.

In the United Kingdom, the Advertising Standards Authority is responsible for regulating advertising through enforcing the codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice. There are rules about ensuring alcohol and drinking are portrayed in a responsible way, for instance adverts generally should not imply, condone, or encourage immoderate, irresponsible, or anti-social drinking. The codes do not currently require alcohol advertisements to signpost to addiction support services.Online sales of alcohol are regulated under the Licensing Act 2003. There is currently no statutory requirement for online retailers to signpost to addiction support platforms.The Department of Health and Social Care will continue to work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as the lead Government department responsible for advertising, and the Home Office, as the department responsible for licensing, to understand the evidence base and explore policy responses for addressing alcohol harms.

What steps his Department is taking to help support the routine use of digital consultations in community drug and alcohol treatment services.

As part of our shift from analogue to digital, the Department has provided guidance for alcohol and drug treatment services on maintaining a balance between digital, or remote, and in-person interventions. This guidance is available to view at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/substance-misuse-providing-remote-and-in-person-interventions.While the Department supports the use of digital consultations in community drug and alcohol treatment services, they should be considered alongside an assessment of risk and need, to determine whether they are suitable. There are circumstances in which there is no digital substitute for an in-person consultation.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Samaritan's media guidelines for reporting suicide; and if her Department will take steps to promote those guidelines.

The UK has a self-regulatory system for the press, which is independent from Government. This is vital to ensure the public has access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. The Government therefore does not intervene in the work of the press or independent press regulators.Within the self-regulatory system, the majority of traditional publishers are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Some publishers have joined the Independent Monitor for the Press (Impress), while others, including the Financial Times and the Guardian, have chosen to stay outside either regulator with their own detailed self-regulatory arrangements.These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, which include reporting on suicides. Both regulators also signpost to the Samaritans’ media guidelines for reporting on suicides and publish further advice for journalists and editors relating to reporting on suicide. Impress’ guidance is https://www.impressorg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Guidance-on-the-Impress-Standards-Code.pdf#page=65 and IPSO’s is https://www.ipso.co.uk/resources/reporting-suicide-guidance/.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to bring loot boxes under gambling regulation.

Prizes that can be won via loot boxes do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed-out, and are of value only within the context of the game. They are therefore not legally classified as gambling and do not fall under gambling regulation. There are currently no plans to change this.

What steps her Department is taking to mitigate risks posed to public transport workers who are lone working.

The Department wants everyone to feel and be safe on the public transport network, and we are working across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry, and local authorities to this end. On the railways, there are robust safety arrangements in place to support staff who are operating independently and alone, whether they be track workers, station staff, train guards, or signallers, among other roles. These arrangements are mandatory due to the strong statutory safety duties that apply to operators and employers on the railway. To mitigate the risks associated with lone working, the industry is implementing various measures to improve safety and security. The BTP are the dedicated police force responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales. Their officers patrol the network 24/7 to provide reassurance to passengers and staff and deter criminals from offending. BTP also work closely with the rail industry to encourage staff to report offences so they can take action against offenders. Reporting can be done by texting 61016, calling 0800 405040 or calling 999 in an emergency. As part of the Departmental transport commitments outlined in the recently published Action Plan of the Government's ‘Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy,’ the Department is currently exploring expanding the provision and use of CCTV on the bus network, to increase feelings of safety and reduce the length of investigations.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the statutory gambling levy takes a public health approach.

In our response to the consultation on the statutory levy, we set out the levy’s overarching principles to ensure that the lead commissioning bodies are supporting the government in delivering on our vision for the future system. This includes a coordinated approach to prevention at the local, regional and national level and providing investment to develop and deliver harm reduction activities across Great Britain.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities holds responsibilities for prevention programme design and commissioning in England, alongside appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales. We are collectively committed to ensuring the levy system is effective, evidence-based and aligned with wider public health principles.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to raise awareness of gambling-related harms and mitigate the impact of gambling advertisements.

All operators who advertise in the UK must comply with advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority independently of government. The codes include a wide range of provisions which are designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm and ensure that adverts are socially responsible. However, we recognise that more work needs to be done to ensure that gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm. We are working closely, across government and with industry, to ensure children and the most vulnerable are protected, and to tackle illegal gambling advertising. In addition, the new statutory gambling levy will raise around c.£100 million in funding every year. This funding will be ringfenced to deliver priority projects and services for the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm, further increasing awareness, understanding and treatment of gambling-related harms across Great Britain.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of Chapter One's report entitled Ten Point Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention.

The Government is acutely aware of the impact that gambling harm can have on individuals, families and communities and we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk. We consider a wide range of evidence when making policy and regulatory decisions. This includes consideration of the recommendations in Chapter One’s report “Ten Point Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention”.

Media and Sport, what steps she will take to support a) local newspapers and b) digitally excluded adults in the context of the proposed removal of the legal requirement for alcohol licensing notices.

The Government published a Call for Evidence on reforming the licensing system on 7 October. This invited views on the impact of licensing reforms, including in relation to Recommendation 4 of the Licensing Taskforce, that the requirement for printed statutory notices in local newspapers for alcohol licences should be removed. The reforms collectively aim to create a modern, proportionate, and enabling system that supports economic growth, revitalises high streets and fosters vibrant communities.The Government is also concerned about the sustainability of local journalism and DCMS is developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. We recognise that local press continues to play a central role in informing local communities, and that statutory notices, including alcohol licensing notices, can be an important way of keeping residents informed about decisions made by their council which may affect their quality of life, local services or amenities, or their property.As part of the Local Media Strategy, we will be conducting a statutory notices review, which will take forward final decisions on the future of alcohol notices. As part of this, we will consider the merits and risks of making changes to existing requirements to place statutory notices in print local newspapers, including the impact this has on digitally excluded adults and local newspapers. More will be announced on the Strategy and the review in due course.

What recent discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential for a direct rail link between South Wales and Heathrow Airport.

The Department regularly engages with stakeholders on transport to Heathrow, in line with the Statement of Approach to engagement during the ANPS review. The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway, including rail connectivity and mode share targets. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions. The Government has been clear that expansion must be affordable and delivered in the best interest of passengers. Scheme costs should be minimised and financed through private funding, including any surface transport costs. While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase the supply of one-bedroom social rented homes for young people facing homelessness.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 101227 on 7 January 2026 for Programmes in England and 104603 on 19 January 2026.