Written questions by Logan.

Whether he plans to publish a fuller equalities impact assessment of the Child Poverty Strategy, including its impact on groups at highest risk of poverty.

A full summary Equalities Analysis was published alongside the Strategy and is available at: Child Poverty Strategy: Summary Equalities Analysis - GOV.UK.The impacts of policies contributing to the Child Poverty Strategy will be kept under review and monitored on an ongoing basis by departments using their own established approaches to considerations made under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). The ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation of the Child Poverty Strategy will also continue to assess the poverty risk and prevalence for groups with protected characteristics, as far as the data and evidence gathering allow. The Monitoring and Evaluation framework published alongside the Strategy set out that a baseline report will be published in Summer 2026, with annual reporting on progress thereafter, this can be found here: Child Poverty Strategy: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework - GOV.UK.

Whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that measures outlined in the Child Poverty Strategy designed to support families with newborn babies, including voucher schemes, are accessible to families seeking asylum.

The government is committed to ensuring that vulnerable migrant children receive the support to which they are entitled. Asylum seekers and their dependents who would otherwise be destitute can obtain support under Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. In addition, asylum seeking families can access some of the support set out in the Child Poverty Strategy. This will include Best Start Family Hubs in England, which will be open to all families with children aged 0–19 (or up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities). The hubs will connect families to a wide range of support, including housing, employment, debt and welfare advice. Asylum-seeking families are eligible for the 15 hour early education entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds, and may be eligible for the 15 hour entitlement for 2-year-olds receiving additional forms of support.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing the pension age of prison officers on levels of staff retention.

We have seen an improving picture on retention nationally – with resignation rates at their lowest level for four years for Band 3-5 prison officers.We recognise that pension age is an important issue for frontline staff and our recognised trade unions. Ministers regularly engage with the POA and the Deputy Prime Minister is due to meet with the POA early in the new year.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 92670, whether a scientifically satisfactory method or testing strategy requires validation.

Where a novel method is devised, it is expected to undergo evaluation in studies that describe its performance in its capacity to predict outcomes of testing of chemicals of a known profile. Such studies will be a forerunner to formal validation of the method which will likely involve comparative testing in many different laboratories, to ensure the method’s performance is robust.In terms of what constitutes acceptable validation, the OECD also published a guidance document on validation of methods (see https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/guidance-document-on-the-validation-and-international-acceptance-of-new-or-updated-test-methods-for-hazard-assessment_e1f1244b-en.html).In the strategy, we committed to establishing a UK Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (UKCVAM).

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of retaining the freeze on Local Housing Allowance on older private renters in Scotland who are living in poverty.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirmed in his Written Statement (HCWS1101) that Local Housing Allowance rates will not be increased for 2026/27. He considered a range of factors, such as rental levels and impacts across Great Britain, including in Scotland, the wider fiscal context and UK government social security priorities.For private renters who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. DHPs have been fully devolved to Scotland who are responsible for the allocation and payment to Scottish local authorities.

What steps he is taking to increase the take-up of Pension Credit amongst older households in Scotland; and what consideration he has given to the potential merits of an all entitlements take-up strategy.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners receive the support to which they are entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit taken-up campaign across the whole of Greater Britain, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends through adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press. The latest burst of the campaign began in September, and further promotional activity is planned until the end of the financial year. We are also focusing on a range of other actions to increase the take-up of Pension Credit, including targeted communications and partnership working as well as engaging with all councils, both directly and through the Local Authority Welfare Direct bulletins. In Scotland, 19 councils have actively supported the Pension Credit campaign by promoting it on social media and distributing promotional materials, including posters and leaflets. We are also making better use of data to reach potentially eligible households. For example, since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit and we are testing whether it is possible to identify potentially eligible households using HMRC and DWP data.

What recent discussions the Government has had with Anas Sarwar MSP on the formulation of public policy.

Cabinet Office ministers have had no official government meetings on the formulation of policy with the leader of Labour in Scotland, Anas Sarwar MSP. Ministers listen to a wide range of representations on policymaking, including those from Scottish Labour.

How much revenue the UK Government anticipates it will obtain from the Sprits Excise Duty on Scotch Whisky, Energy Profits Levy and Agricultural Property Relief from Scotland by the end of this Parliament.

The ONS publish “Country and regional public sector finances revenue tables” which includes estimated breakdowns of revenue raised in Scotland from alcohol duty and Energy Profits Levy. HMRC also publishes Inheritance Tax Liabilities statistics. Tables 12.8 and 12.9 break down the estimated number of taxpaying estates and tax paid by UK nation and region, as well as UK Parliamentary Constituency.The OBR does not produce forecasts for tax receipts split by individual nations within the UK. Data is not collected on spirits duty paid on Scotch Whisky specifically. Information from estates making claims for Agricultural Property Relief from Inheritance Tax is not recorded to enable regional or national breakdowns.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 92495 on Civil Servants: Disclosure of Information, what is the evidence basis for the Government’s view that an independent Office for the Whistleblower would (a) be duplicative and (b) what would this be duplicative of.

There are well established whistleblowing processes in place across government. Individual government departments are responsible for determining and setting their whistleblowing arrangements and procedures. In addition, the Civil Service Commission is an independent body that can hear and determine concerns by civil servants that relate to the Civil Service Code, where it has already been raised formally under the Code with the relevant Department.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, if the £75 million funding announced to bring forward new testing methods is (i) additional funding or (ii) funded through reallocation from existing budgets.

The Government has committed to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods with £60 million of new funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology that has not been derived from reallocation of existing budgets. This includes £30 million to set up a translational hub and £30 million for the UK centre for the validation of alternative methods.£11.4m has also been committed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK’s core budgets as part of routine prioritisation activities, and £4.5m from the Wellcome Trust which is non-Government funding, to advance human in vitro model development.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 906344 on Animal Experiments, whether she plans to enshrine the strategy targets into law.

The Government’s new strategy sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances, achieved by creating a research and innovation system that drives the development and validation of alternative methods to using animals in science. The legal framework in the UK already requires that animals are only ever used in science where there are no validated alternatives available, and we are speeding up the development of alternative methods.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, if the preclinical translational models hub will be a physical institute; and what is the timetable to establish the translational models hub.

The Government’s strategy commits to create a preclinical translational models hub, supported by £30m of government funding, by the end of 2026. This will bring together data, AI, cell engineering, genomic technology and cutting-edge disease modelling capabilities to generate collaborative research at scale. This will create a pipeline of novel translational medicine models, with opportunities for partnerships across academia and industry. The hub is being developed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in consultation with stakeholders and more details will be announced at a later date.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, when the alternative method priorities list will be published; and if she will consult with animal welfare organisations in developing the alternative method priorities list.

The Government’s strategy to support replacing animals in science commits to publish biennially from 2026 a list of alternative-methods research and development priorities, coalescing UK scientists around these areas and incentivising partnerships between research organisations, CROs and industry. These priority areas will be developed collaboratively between academic institutions, industry trade associations, learned societies, the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research’s (NC3Rs) Regulatory Sciences Forum, the New Approaches to Chemical Risk Assessment in the Regulatory Space (NACRARs) Cross Government group and international partners.

With reference to the contribution by the Minister of 12 November 2025, col 285, on the Nolan Principles, what the evidence basis was for stating that the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee did not recommend the creation of an independent Office for the Whistleblower due to the risk of duplication.

The National Audit Office made four recommendations in the report following its investigation into whistleblowing in the Civil Service and the Public Accounts Committee made five recommendations in its subsequent report. Neither report recommended setting up an independent Office of the Whistleblower, and I have since corrected Hansard to clarify that the reports themselves did not refer to a risk of duplication. It is the Government’s position that an independent Office of the Whistleblower would be duplicative. The full text of the reports are available online. https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/investigation-whistleblowing-civil-service.pdf https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmpubacc/457/report.html

What progress he has made on the carbon capture and storage project at St Fergus.

The government has announced its support for Acorn and is providing the development funding to advance its delivery. A final investment decision will be taken later this Parliament, subject to project readiness and affordability. Since the Spending Review, we have worked closely with Acorn to understand what they need to keep them progressing towards FID and are confident we can continue collaborating on that. We have also established a ministerial led forum, where government, regulators and industry representatives come together on a regular basis to drive forward momentum for the Scottish cluster.

What progress has been made on the Fuel Finder scheme; whether the launch date of late 2025 is still applicable; and what further work is being done by the Government to help reduce fuel prices.

This Government is committed to ensuring drivers get a fair deal which is why we are implementing Fuel Finder as quickly as possible. Subject to parliamentary passage, we aim to launch Fuel Finder by the end of 2025. In the meantime, a voluntary scheme is in place where fuel retailers are encouraged to share fuel prices until Fuel Finder gains a statutory footing. This is an important first step in increasing competitive pressure on retailers while legislation is finalised. In addition, we have introduced statutory powers for the Competition and Markets Authority to monitor the market and identify the need further intervention

Innovation and Technology, what recent progress he has made in phasing out animal testing.

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal.On 11th November 2025 the government published “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods” which outlines the steps we will take to achieve this. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methods

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to correspondence of 5 September 2025 from the Hon Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, case reference SL03537, on water quality in Scotland.

A reply to the hon. Member is being prepared and will be issued as soon as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the letter entitled Statements on Water Quality issued by Professor Dame Carol Propper, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, published on 28 October 2025.

Defra policies are based on the best available analysis and evidence, including official statistics. All Official Statistics in Defra are produced in line with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics. Defra acknowledges the statement from the OSR and its findings.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the UK Statistics Authority publication entitled Letter from Professor Dame Carol Propper to Seamus Logan MP – statements on water quality published on 28 October 2025, and the Secretary of State's oral contribution of 4 September 2025, Official Report column 422, what the evidential basis is for his statement that water pollution levels in Scotland are worse than those in England.

The former Secretary of State’s statement on the quality of water in Scotland compared to England was based on statistics from Scottish Water, Water Industry Commission for Scotland, Ofwat, and the Environment Agency.