The department is committed to safeguarding all children from harm, including those attending extracurricular activities. ​

Last year, we launched a Call for Evidence on Safeguarding in Out-of-School Settings to better understand current practice and invite views on approaches to strengthen safeguards further. To supplement analysis of the Call for Evidence, we have continued to engage with key stakeholders, including British Dancesport Association, to help inform next steps.

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. In March 2026 the Government published a new Fraud Strategy, setting out a comprehensive approach to cutting fraud by disrupting criminal infrastructure, safeguarding vulnerable people and improving the system wide response to harm.

To protect consumers, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams taking place over the Faster Payment system. This came into force on 7 October 2024. The PSR has publicly committed to reviewing the impact and effectiveness of its APP reimbursement regime and has commissioned an independent review of its rules. APP scams which take place over the CHAPS payment system are also in scope of reimbursement.

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Where unauthorised fraud takes place involving a card, consumers are protected by the Payment Services Regulations 2017, which require payment service providers to refund unauthorised transactions unless the firm can show the customer acted fraudulently or with gross negligence.

Commercial card scheme rules allow both debit and credit cardholders to request a refund through their card issuer (e.g., their bank or credit card provider) in certain circumstances as provided for in the scheme rules, which may include, for example, cases of fraud.

My department keeps the consumer protection framework under review to ensure that it is effective in protecting consumers. Locksmiths must comply with consumer legislation.

Where traders do not comply with the law, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has strengthened enforcement powers, including by giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) new administrative powers, and empowering the CMA and courts to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover. The CMA recently used the fining powers for the first time.

The Government encourages consumers to use providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme, such as the Master Locksmiths Association, which has a Police Crime Prevention-approved licensing scheme in place to ensure approved locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified.

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. To protect consumers, under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams taking place over the Faster Payment system. This came into force on 7 October 2024.

The details of the APP reimbursement regime are a matter for the independent PSR. The PSR monitors compliance with the reimbursement regime closely and has powers to take action where firms fall short of their obligations.

The Government is committed to tackling fraud and protecting victims from this appalling crime. The Government has committed to introduce a new and expanded fraud strategy to create a unified and co-ordinated response from government, law enforcement and industry to better protect the public and businesses from fraud.

In October 2024, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for authorised push payment (APP) scams which take place over the Faster Payments system. This requires payment service providers to reimburse victims for losses up to £85,000. The details of the reimbursement regime are a matter for the independent PSR, but it has committed to carry out an independent evaluation of the reimbursement requirement after the rules have been in place after 12 months.

The Government has also introduced legislation to allow payment service providers more time to investigate payments where there are reasonable grounds to suspect APP fraud. This gives firms more time to engage potential victims and break the spell of fraudsters.

The Government also recognises the importance of working with the technology and telecommunications sectors to prevent fraudsters abusing their platforms and networks. In November 2024, the Chancellor wrote to leading companies in these sectors to challenge them to go further and faster to reduce the scale of incidents and losses from fraud taking place on their platforms and networks. The Government will continue to work with these sectors as part of its upcoming fraud strategy.

We committed in our manifesto to introduce an expanded Fraud Strategy. Development of the Strategy has begun and details of the government’s approach to tackling fraud will be set out in due course.

Work continues to ensure that the public are better equipped to spot and avoid frauds, through our Stop! Think Fraud campaign. Furthermore, as of March 2025, the Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties are now enforceable by Ofcom. This will cut off key online vectors by which criminals are able to identify and communicate with potential victims, such as fraudulent advertising. We are also banning SIM farms, technical devices that allow criminals to send thousands of scam texts and calls at once, as part of the ongoing passage of the Crime and Policing Bill.

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, 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.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We want to send a strong message to offenders and would-be offenders that violence against retail workers will not be tolerated. This Government and the retail sector have long championed the new offence.

Assaults against delivery drivers are already an offence (common assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Our definition of a ‘retail worker’ is intentionally narrow given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job. Those workers whose roles are not included within the definition are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those working in retail and other public-facing roles.

We will use the parliamentary process to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and will consider carefully amendments tabled as well as evidence put forward in support of such amendments.

The UK’s Online Safety Act will make the UK the safest place to be a child online. The strongest protections in the Online Safety Act are for children. Providers which have age restrictions need to specify in their terms of service what measures they use to prevent underage access and apply these terms consistently The Online Safety Act will require user-to-user and search services to implement robust processes to tackle illegal content and safeguard children on their platforms.

Under the Act, where an in-scope provider makes significant changes to their service, they will be required to update their illegal content and children’s risk assessment. Ofcom will have strong investigatory powers to determine the impact of changes that particular providers make. Where Ofcom finds that a functionality is a risk factor for illegal content or harm to children on particular services, then it is empowered to set out steps providers should take to mitigate this. Ofcom have robust enforcement powers available to use against companies who fail to fulfil their duties, including imposing substantial fines.

Under existing legislation employees taking part in official protected industrial action lasting up to 12 weeks are protected from dismissal. The question of what other disciplinary action an employer can take in these circumstances was recently considered by the Supreme Court in the case of Mercer v Alternative Futures Group Ltd. The Government is carefully looking at the judgment in that case and will respond in due course.

The UK continues to pursue all diplomatic avenues to help bring about a permanent ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access, to protect civilians and to commit the warring parties to a sustained and meaningful peace process. The UK has highlighted and condemned human rights abuses in statements and resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council, and directly with the Sudanese authorities. We continue to call for an end to the violence, and for those responsible for human rights violations to be held to account.

The Department recognises the importance of supporting vulnerable customers. All staff working with customers undertake comprehensive training to equip them with the skills to be able to support those who express an intention of suicide or self-harm.

The Department has an established Six Point Plan for staff to follow when they identify a customer who may be at risk of harming themselves. This toolkit ensures that appropriate support is provided and this may involve notifying emergency services in the event where the customer is at immediate risk.

The Six Point Plan is under continuous review to ensure it aligns with current thinking on mental health. We also have Advanced Customer Support Senior Leaders whose role is to reach across local communities to underpin our relationships with other organisations that provide support to our customers.

The Work and Pensions Select Committee announced an inquiry into ‘Safeguarding vulnerable claimants’ on 21 July 2023 and will examine this with emphasis on whether the Department’s approach to safeguarding needs to change.

The UK is proud of its diverse communities, and British Sikhs contribute immensely to the strength of our society.

We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK seriously.

The UK is proud of its diverse communities, and British Sikhs contribute immensely to the strength of our society.

We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK seriously.

The UK is proud of its diverse communities, and British Sikhs contribute immensely to the strength of our society.

We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK seriously.

We keep potential threats in the UK under constant review, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.

The Home Office works closely with departments across Whitehall and with devolved administrations to ensure that the public are free to engage in our democratic society without fear of the regimes that they have tried to leave behind. As part of their work, Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK’s approach to transnational repression to ensure we have a robust and joined up response across government and law enforcement.

The National Security Bill, now in its final stages, represents the biggest overhaul of state threats legislation in a generation, and will drastically improve our tools to deal with the full range of state threat activity. The Bill contains provisions that will leave those seeking to coerce, for, or with the intention to benefit, a foreign state liable to prosecution in a way that they currently are not. Those convicted could face up to 14 years in prison.

Any attempts by foreign states to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm individuals or communities here in the UK will not be tolerated.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 currently ensures consumers have strong protections against builders who charge for work that they do not complete.

The government has also introduced the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill this session. The legislation includes measures to introduce tougher court-based penalties for Trading Standards enforcement against rogue builders and others. Details of the measures can be found in Part 3 [Enforcement of Consumer Protection Law] of the Bill.

The DMCC Bill includes a delegated power to amend the list of unfair practices in the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. This power will keep consumer protections up-to-date and responsive to emerging harms from rogue traders that impact consumers.

The first intended use of this power is to tackle fake and misleading reviews which will be consulted on during Bill passage.

Through the Consumer Protection Partnership, we will be delivering two campaigns this year that will focus on how consumers can protect themselves against scams and how to report a scam to help protect others.

Regular school attendance is vital for pupils’ educational attainment, wellbeing, and wider development. For those pupils most at risk of harm, it is also an important safeguarding factor.

Most absence from school is accounted for by illness. Pupils who miss more than 50% of possible school sessions in a school year are considered to be severely absent. In the 2021/22 academic year, the severe absence rate was 1.7%.

As part of the drive to improve school attendance, the Department published the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance last year, which makes clear the importance of addressing the barriers to attendance through strong, multi agency working at school, multi academy trust, and Local Authority level. This includes a specific focus on identifying and supporting those pupils most at risk of persistent and severe absence from school to tackle absence early and put plans in place to improve attendance.

Schools and Local Authorities should agree a joint approach to supporting severely absent pupils, recognising that their needs are often more complex, and they are more likely to need support from a number of agencies locally.

The statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)’ emphasises that safeguarding is the responsibility of all professionals who work with children. Where a professional has concerns about a child, they should make an immediate referral to Local Authority children’s social care. It is the responsibility of Local Authority children’s services to assess children’s risk of harm. The latest data from 2021/22, shows that domestic abuse remains one of the most common factors identified in Children's Social Care Assessments.

While there have been no specific discussions with my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on severe absence, the Home Office and the Department for Education have regular discussions on areas of joint interest. This includes the Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed (SAFE) taskforces in mainstream schools and the Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces, which involve specialist support for children disengaged from education to improve their attendance and reduce their involvement in serious violence. The Secretary of State for Education chairs an Attendance Action Alliance of leaders of key frontline services that support families. Members from education, health, justice, the third sector, and parent organisations meet regularly and have collectively committed to use their roles and organisations to undertake activities to improve attendance and tackle persistent absence from school.

Regular school attendance is vital for pupils’ educational attainment, wellbeing, and wider development. For those pupils most at risk of harm, it is also an important safeguarding factor.

Most absence from school is accounted for by illness. Pupils who miss more than 50% of possible school sessions in a school year are considered to be severely absent. In the 2021/22 academic year, the severe absence rate was 1.7%.

As part of the drive to improve school attendance, the Department published the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance last year, which makes clear the importance of addressing the barriers to attendance through strong, multi agency working at school, multi academy trust, and Local Authority level. This includes a specific focus on identifying and supporting those pupils most at risk of persistent and severe absence from school to tackle absence early and put plans in place to improve attendance.

Schools and Local Authorities should agree a joint approach to supporting severely absent pupils, recognising that their needs are often more complex, and they are more likely to need support from a number of agencies locally.

The statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)’ emphasises that safeguarding is the responsibility of all professionals who work with children. Where a professional has concerns about a child, they should make an immediate referral to Local Authority children’s social care. It is the responsibility of Local Authority children’s services to assess children’s risk of harm. The latest data from 2021/22, shows that domestic abuse remains one of the most common factors identified in Children's Social Care Assessments.

While there have been no specific discussions with my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on severe absence, the Home Office and the Department for Education have regular discussions on areas of joint interest. This includes the Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed (SAFE) taskforces in mainstream schools and the Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces, which involve specialist support for children disengaged from education to improve their attendance and reduce their involvement in serious violence. The Secretary of State for Education chairs an Attendance Action Alliance of leaders of key frontline services that support families. Members from education, health, justice, the third sector, and parent organisations meet regularly and have collectively committed to use their roles and organisations to undertake activities to improve attendance and tackle persistent absence from school.

NHS England has been working with the trusts where gas and air supplies have been affected due to differing and localised issues. Guidance has been published to support Trusts in responding to issues raised in relation to gas and air usage and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/guidance-on-minimising-time-weighted-exposure-to-nitrous-oxide-in-healthcare-settings-in-england/

Some trusts have taken a decision to temporarily suspend the use of gas and air within their maternity units due to concerns of over exposure of gas and air for staff. Once a trust takes the decision to suspend the use of gas and air it is expected that they implement locally agreed solutions that enable them to continue to provide safe and personalised care to women. Trusts are expected to undertake a full risk assessment in line with guidance to demonstrate the rationale for suspension of use and mitigations to address this.