Written questions by McMurdock.

What plans she has to improve the safety of retail workers from (a) violence and (b) abuse.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of levels of (a) violence and (b) abuse faced by retail workers.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of PenSim3 for supporting public (a) awareness and (b) understanding of pensions.

Pensim3 is a computerised long-term model designed to look around 80 years ahead to compare pensioner outcomes under various possible policy scenarios for a modelled British population. It is used for policy development/evaluation, aiding long-term expenditure forecasting and in analysis of future pensioner incomes. It does not simulate the actions of specific individuals, so its output is not suitable for a person planning their own pension provision. Pensim3 is the main government source for estimating future pensioner incomes (latest publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/analysis-of-future-pension-incomes/analysis-of-future-pension-incomes). These statistics estimate the number and proportion of working age individuals, aged 22 to State Pension age, who are under saving for their retirement.

What steps she is taking to support retailers to improve security measures in their stores to prevent crime.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

What proportion of reported retail crime cases resulted in prosecution in each of the last three years.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of shoplifting offences, and their investigative outcomes (including those resulting in charged/summons), on a quarterly basis. The latest information, to the year ending September 2024, were on published Thursday 30 January 2025 and can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesProsecutions are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. Statistics on prosecutions at court are published by the MoJ and can be accessed via their outcomes by offence data tool, available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2024

What plans she has to help raise awareness of the risks of under-saving in pensions for retirement.

Ensuring current and future pensioners have an adequate retirement income is a key priority for this Government and a focus of our landmark pensions review.Automatic enrolment has already succeeded in transforming retirement saving with over 11 million employees having been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension since 2012. Over 22m employees in Great Britain are benefiting from participating in a workplace pension, with over £131bn saved for eligible individuals in 2023.The first phase of our pensions review – focused on investment and growth – published its interim report in November 2024. Two consultations on unlocking the UK pensions market for growth and reforming the Local Government Pension Scheme closed in January and we expect to provide our response in Spring 2025.The second phase of our review will follow in due course – focussing on pension outcomes and retirement adequacy.Alongside this, the Pension Schemes Bill, announced in the King’s Speech includes measures which could boost pension pots by over £11, 000 for average earners saving over their lifetime in a defined contribution scheme.

What steps she is taking to help ensure that workers contribute sufficiently into their pensions to achieve an adequate standard of living in retirement.

Ensuring current and future pensioners have an adequate retirement income is a key priority for this Government and a focus of our landmark pensions review.Automatic enrolment has already succeeded in transforming retirement saving with over 11 million employees having been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension since 2012. Over 22m employees in Great Britain are benefiting from participating in a workplace pension, with over £131bn saved for eligible individuals in 2023.The first phase of our pensions review – focused on investment and growth – published its interim report in November 2024. Two consultations on unlocking the UK pensions market for growth and reforming the Local Government Pension Scheme closed in January and we expect to provide our response in Spring 2025.The second phase of our review will follow in due course – focussing on pension outcomes and retirement adequacy.Alongside this, the Pension Schemes Bill, announced in the King’s Speech includes measures which could boost pension pots by over £11, 000 for average earners saving over their lifetime in a defined contribution scheme.

What plans she has to help reduce financial loss to retailers caused by customer theft.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to support low-income households with water bills.

Under the Conservatives, our sewage system crumbled. They irresponsibly let water companies divert customers’ money to line the pockets of their bosses and shareholders. The public are right to be angry after they have been left to pay the price of Conservative failure. This Government has ringfenced money earmarked for investment so it can never be diverted for bonuses and shareholder payouts. We will clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good The Government is committed to taking action to address water poverty and help vulnerable customers. All water companies have measures in place for people who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, including measures such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support. We expect all companies to make sure households are aware of the measures available to them and do everything they can to support all customers who are vulnerable. The Government is also improving protections for customers, with new and increased compensation for water companies to pay to customers and businesses in the event of issues like water supply outages, sewer flooding or low water pressure. Furthermore, we expect companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure appropriate measures are taken to deliver this.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of changes in the level of annual water bills for households in England and Wales.

Under the Conservatives, our sewage system crumbled. They irresponsibly let water companies divert customers’ money to line the pockets of their bosses and shareholders. The public are right to be angry after they have been left to pay the price of Conservative failure. As the independent economic regulator, Ofwat independently scrutinises water company business plans and ensure the prices water companies charge their customers are fair and proportionate. Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030. The Government is committed to taking action to address water poverty and help vulnerable customers with their water bills. All water companies have measures in place for customers who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, including measures such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support. Furthermore, we expect companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure appropriate measures are taken to this end.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) transparency of private companies that provide public services for her department and (b) protection of their commercially sensitive data.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of the Government’s transparency obligations on public spending and routinely publishes relevant information in accordance with the legal and policy framework that governs public sector procurement. This includes publication of a contract award notice and a copy of the redacted contract (where appropriate), where the Ministry of Justice has awarded a contract to a private company to provide public services. There are specific thresholds and timescales in place which determine the publication obligations to be applied.In complying with these transparency obligations, the Ministry of Justice ensures it also follows the requirements set out under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR), to establish whether there are any permitted exemptions or redactions on commercial sensitivity grounds.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the cost-effectiveness of her Department's Arm's Length Bodies.

The Ministry of Justice’s Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) play a critical role in the delivery of the Department’s priorities and statutory responsibilities. ALB budgets are agreed through the Department’s spending review and allocations process. Their efficiency, effectiveness and performance are scrutinised through regular, robust oversight and assurance activities, in line with the ALB Sponsorship Code of Good Practice, and through their inclusion in the Cabinet Office’s Public Bodies Review Programme.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to ensuring the transparency of private companies that deliver public services.

The Government is committed to Freedom of Information and will keep the coverage of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 under consideration.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of food bank dependency on people who (a) are disabled and (b) live in social housing.

The Family Resources Survey that measures whether a household has used a food bank in the past 30 days or 12 months can be accessed here Family Resources Survey - GOV.UK Individual level statistics on food banks can be found in the annual Households Below Average Income statistics publication: Households below average income (HBAI) statistics – GOV.UK

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the root causes of dependency on food banks.

We are committed to tackling poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty so this will be the foundation of our approach. The Get Britain Working White Paper has set out how the Government will seek to grow the economy through using work as a route out of poverty and to improve living standards in turn. Our joint ministerial taskforce, jointly chaired by Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has begun work on an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, to reduce child poverty, tackle the root causes, and give every child the best start in life.The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, create 3,000 additional nurseries, as well as deliver our plan to make work pay to turn the minimum wage into a real living wage. Alongside this, we are committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to do. To further support struggling families, £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year until 31 March 2026, on top of the six months already announced, and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Lower Thames Crossing on residents of (a) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and (b) other surrounding areas.

The deadline for the decision on the application for a Development Consent Order by National Highways for the Lower Thames Crossing is 23 May 2025. The impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing, including the concerns of local residents, will be fully considered before a decision on the Development Consent Order is made. Given this is a live planning application to be determined by my Department, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the cost-effectiveness of her Department's Arm's Length Bodies.

The Chancellor recently launched Phase 2 of HM Treasury’s departmental Spending Review covering 2026/27 to 2028/29. The conditions of the Review require a zero-based, line-by-line review of all departmental spending to assess whether it is a priority for this government and represents value for money for the taxpayer. This approach extends to the department’s Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs). The Spending Review will conclude on 11 June 2025.

What assessment she has made of the level of the frequent use of food banks.

The Family Resources Survey that measures whether a household has used a food bank in the past 30 days or 12 months can be accessed here Family Resources Survey - GOV.UK Individual level statistics on food banks can be found in the annual Households Below Average Income statistics publication: Households below average income (HBAI) statistics – GOV.UK

How much and what proportion of the Lower Thames Crossing is expected to be funded using public money.

Officials and National Highways are exploring all funding options for the Lower Thames Crossing, including private finance. As with all capital projects, spending decisions will be subject to the upcoming spending review and business case process. The assured cost estimate in line with the 2023 baseline for the project is £8.95bn, but it is important to recognise that there is a normal level of uncertainty at this early stage of the development of a project of the size and complexity of the Lower Thames Crossing. Over £800m has been spent on the project to date. This includes the technical surveys and investigations, land purchasing costs, as well as the Development Consent Order application and the three contracts to deliver the project. Following the announcement of the preferred route in April 2017, the subsequent statutory consultation in 2018 reported that the cost of developing and constructing the project was between £5.3-£6.8 billion. Prolongation and inflationary costs along with continued development of the project have resulted in the updated estimate. There is a robust framework to ensure that projects such as the Lower Thames Crossing continue to be assessed at all stages of the project. The project adheres to the Departmental governance framework as a Tier 1 project – this represents the Department’s projects that are either one or a combination of the largest, highest risk, novel and/or contentious. The project is assessed against several factors, including the scheme objectives and value for money.It also continues to follow the HM Treasury approval process for programmes and projects, as well as the Green Book and the Department for Transport’s Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG).

What recent estimate she has made of the total cost of the Lower Thames Crossing; and what the cost for the project was originally projected to be.

Officials and National Highways are exploring all funding options for the Lower Thames Crossing, including private finance. As with all capital projects, spending decisions will be subject to the upcoming spending review and business case process. The assured cost estimate in line with the 2023 baseline for the project is £8.95bn, but it is important to recognise that there is a normal level of uncertainty at this early stage of the development of a project of the size and complexity of the Lower Thames Crossing. Over £800m has been spent on the project to date. This includes the technical surveys and investigations, land purchasing costs, as well as the Development Consent Order application and the three contracts to deliver the project. Following the announcement of the preferred route in April 2017, the subsequent statutory consultation in 2018 reported that the cost of developing and constructing the project was between £5.3-£6.8 billion. Prolongation and inflationary costs along with continued development of the project have resulted in the updated estimate. There is a robust framework to ensure that projects such as the Lower Thames Crossing continue to be assessed at all stages of the project. The project adheres to the Departmental governance framework as a Tier 1 project – this represents the Department’s projects that are either one or a combination of the largest, highest risk, novel and/or contentious. The project is assessed against several factors, including the scheme objectives and value for money.It also continues to follow the HM Treasury approval process for programmes and projects, as well as the Green Book and the Department for Transport’s Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG).