Written questions by Blackman.

When Scottish industries will be able to decarbonise operations using the Scottish Cluster.

We are committed to supporting UK industry to decarbonise, enabling the country to take advantage of new opportunities that can promote growth and wealth creation, and protecting thousands of jobs in regions and industries across the UK. The Scottish Cluster Acorn has received £40 million in development funding in recent years, and officials continue to engage with the cluster to understand their plans. Following the announcement in October 2024 of funding for the initial Track 1 cluster configurations, further decisions for continued CCUS deployment, including for Track 2 clusters, will be taken in due course.

With reference to the transparency data entitled Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers in 2023, published on 23 May 2024, how his Department obtained the raw data on correspondence received from MPs by Government (a) Department and (b) agency.

The Cabinet Office commissions each Government department and agency individually to request data to be included in the reports titled ‘Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers’ that are published on GOV.UK.

With reference to his Department's guidance entitled Guide to Handling Correspondence, updated on 6 September 2024, and with reference to his Department's transparency data entitled Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers, 2023, updated on 23 May 2024, whether his Department (a) produces and (b) publishes correspondence performance data on responses to correspondence from Members of devolved (i) Parliaments and (ii) Assemblies.

The Department for Work and Pensions complies with correspondence reporting and data requests from the Cabinet Office. The data on responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers 2023 includes performance when responding to correspondence from members of devolved Parliaments and Assemblies. This information has not been separated out in this or previous reports. Correspondence performance data for 2024 will be published in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 22905 on State Retirement Pensions: Women and with reference to page 11 of his Department's guidance entitled Guide to Handling Correspondence, updated on 6 September 2024, whether the Department for Work and Pensions complies with reporting and data requests from his Department.

The Department for Work and Pensions complies with correspondence reporting and data requests from the Cabinet Office. The data on responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers 2023 includes performance when responding to correspondence from members of devolved Parliaments and Assemblies. This information has not been separated out in this or previous reports. Correspondence performance data for 2024 will be published in due course.

With reference to his Department's guidance entitled Guide to Handling Correspondence, updated on 6 September 2024, and with reference to his Department's transparency data entitled Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers, 2023, updated on 23 May 2024, when correspondence performance data will be published for 2024.

The Department for Work and Pensions complies with correspondence reporting and data requests from the Cabinet Office. The data on responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers 2023 includes performance when responding to correspondence from members of devolved Parliaments and Assemblies. This information has not been separated out in this or previous reports. Correspondence performance data for 2024 will be published in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 21320 on written representations to the Department of Work and Pensions, whether there have been changes to the directions to Government departments on the logging of enquiries from (a) MPs and (b) Members of the devolved Parliaments and Assemblies.

The Guide to Handling Correspondence, owned by the Cabinet Office and published on GOV.UK, sets out the guidance for Government departments to follow when handling correspondence from MPs and Members of the devolved Parliaments and Assemblies. The guidance was last updated in 2021.

Whether her Department records the number of enquiries received from (a) hon. Members and (b) Members of Devolved (i) Parliaments and (ii) Assemblies on a quarterly basis.

The department receives and responds to enquiries from Members of Parliament and Members of devolved Parliaments or Assemblies but does not collate, report or produce statistics on this.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating socioeconomic background reporting for all employers with over 250 employees.

The Department has not undertaken any such assessment. Companies are already required to disclose employee matters and can choose to include socioeconomic aspects where relevant to their business. For example, all large companies in the UK must include information on employees as part of their Annual Report’s Section 172(1) Statement. This should detail how employees are consulted, and their views considered, in decision making, ensuring employees of all backgrounds feel involved in how the company is run. It is a matter of good practice to collect data on employee background that the company can choose to communicate its workforce inclusivity.

Whether her Department will have responsibility for safety on trains following passage of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership Bill).

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 makes no changes to existing roles and responsibilities regarding safety or tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. Tackling crime is the responsibility of the British Transport Police, who will continue to police the rail network following the transition of passenger services into public ownership. Safety regulation will remain the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

Whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill on safety on trains.

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 makes no changes to existing roles and responsibilities regarding safety or tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. As such, there is no reason to expect any adverse impacts. The Government expects publicly owned train operators to focus relentlessly on the interests of passengers rather than shareholders, resulting in better outcomes for passengers across a range of areas, which will include personal security on trains.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of lighting on trains on the levels of violence against women and girls travelling on the network.

The National Travel Attitudes Survey on perceptions of safety when walking, cycling and using public transport, found that a ‘poorly lit vehicle or carriage’ was the joint seventh most popular reason for feeling unsafe when travelling on a public transport vehicle. The Rail Safety and Standards Board sets requirements around lighting for new rolling stock. We continue to work with the rail industry including the Rail Delivery Group and the British Transport Police to ensure the rail network remains a safe environment for the travelling public.

Whether her Department has a strategy for tackling violence against women and girls on trains after the passage of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for the Government. We have set the ambitious target to halve this figure in the next decade using every lever available to us. The Department is working closely with the central mission delivery unit in the Cabinet Office to achieve the aims set out in the Government’s Safer Streets mission. The British Transport Police will continue to police the rail network following the transition of passenger services into public ownership to prevent and investigate crime, and in particular to tackle violence against women and girls.

What steps her Department is taking to measure links between differences in pay and the socioeconomic background of employees.

We are committed to delivering better life chances for all - breaking the link between background and success.At the Budget, the Chancellor announced increases to both the National Minimum Wage (16.3% for those aged 18-20) and the National Living Wage (6.7% for those 21 and over), as well as a £240 million Get Britain Working package to improve support for people who want to develop their careers (as well as for those who are economically inactive or unemployed).Through our Mission-driven Government, we will build the skills people need for opportunity and growth.The Government will continue to draw on the work of the Office for National Statistics and others, such as the independent Social Mobility Commission, to understand the links between pay and socio-economic background.

How many written representations on compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age she has received from Labour (a) hon. Members representing Scottish constituencies and (b) Members

The Department does not keep this information centrally and therefore it is not readily available. Providing the information that the Department does hold would incur disproportionate costs.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the sales Finasteride medications through telehealth companies on an increase in the level of cases of Post-Finasteride Syndrome in the

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) role is to continually monitor the safety of medicines during their use. We have robust, safety monitoring and surveillance systems in place for all healthcare products, including finasterid...

If she will make an estimate of the number of women born in the 1950s affected by State Pension age changes in each constituency in (a) Scotland and (b) Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, as of the 2022 census there were the following numbers of 1950s-born women in each Scottish constituency: ConstituencyFemales aged 63 to 72 in 2022East Renfrewshire6,086Na h-Eileanan an Iar1,914Midlothian5,569North Ayrshire and Arran6,866Orkn...

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to standardise the term alcohol-free at 0.5% ABV for no and low-alcohol alternatives.

A consultation published in 2023 considered options for updating labelling guidance for no and low alcohol alternative drinks.We will continue to consider how alcohol labelling can be improved to support consumers to make informed decisions about the prod...

With reference to the consultation entitled Updating labelling guidance for no and low-alcohol alternatives, published on 28 September 2023, whether his Department plans to take steps to update lab

A consultation published in 2023 considered options for updating labelling guidance for no and low alcohol alternative drinks.We will continue to consider how alcohol labelling can be improved to support consumers to make informed decisions about the prod...