We’re committed to helping pensioners with the cost of living and ensuring financial security in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of that support. At Autumn Budget 2025 we announced that, in line with the Government’s commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this parliament, over 12 million pensioners will benefit from a 4.8% increase to their basic or new State Pension in April 2026, increasing their income by up to £575 a year. This follows a substantial increase in 2025/26.

The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will increase by 4.8% in April 2026, from £227.10 to £238 a week for a single pensioner and from £346.60 to £363.25 a week for a couple, protecting the income of the poorest pensioners. Those in receipt of Pension Credit will also automatically receive the Cold Weather Payment alongside other benefits

The Winter Fuel Payment will benefit over three quarters of pensioners for the duration of this parliament, targeting help to those on lower and middle incomes while ensuring fairness for pensioners and taxpayers

To reduce cost of living pressures immediately, the Budget removed around £150 on average off household energy bills from April 2026 by ending the Energy Company Obligation and taking some of the expensive legacy levies off bills

The Government knows that more needs to be done to support vulnerable households struggling with their energy bills. That's why we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. From this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bill costs.

We are also providing support for low-income households through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. At the recent Budget, we announced £1.5 billion in new funding to support households facing fuel poverty.

The Government takes the security and resilience of UK energy infrastructure extremely seriously with the UK being one of the most reliable and safest energy systems, and one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world. Maintaining a secure energy supply is a key priority for the UK Government.

We have a range of effective measures in place which give the Government powers to balance an open investment environment to facilitate growth with protecting the areas of our economy that are the most sensitive to national security.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 November 2025 to the hon. Member for Witney, UIN 90065.

The purposes of a Special Administration Regime are set out in legislation. In the event of a SAR, it is for the special administrator to manage the affairs of the company so that the company continues to carry out its statutory duties pending rescue (via e.g. debt restructuring) or transfer (via a sale) to new owners.  The Government will always act in the national interest.

Nine in 10 military homes (over 40,000 houses) will be modernised or upgraded to new, higher standards, with 14,000 homes rebuilt or substantially refurbished, funded by the Government’s record uplift in Defence spending and the Strategic Defence Review’s £1.5 billion extra investment into military housing in this parliament.

The table below provides a breakdown of the number of complaints regarding gas, electric and water issues broken down by year from 2018.

The accuracy and reliability of data held before 2018 cannot be assured.

Single Living Accommodation

For RAF Shawbury and North Shropshire

For Shropshire:

Service Family Accommodation

For Service Family Accommodation the Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold data in the format requested.

In order to answer this Parliamentary Question, MOD’s Industry Partner would need to review every Stage 1 complaint, which could only be completed at a disproportionate cost.

As previously communicated to the Honourable Member, analysis of data from Street Manager has not indicated any widespread misuse of immediate permits. Since 2021, the proportion of immediate permits issued for emergency and urgent works has remained consistently within the range of 35% to 40%:

2021–22: 36.9%,

2022–23: 35.2%,

2023–24: 37.6%,

2024–25: 38.2%.

This year-on-year consistency suggests that immediate permits are being used appropriately and for legitimate operational needs. This conclusion is supported by engagement with both industry representatives and local authorities. The primary users of immediate permits across the periods were water companies, undertaking urgent repairs to leaks and restoring customer connections in accordance with regulatory requirements, and Highway Authorities, addressing hazardous potholes to ensure public safety. Details of Street Manager’s Open Data Overview is publicly accessible online.

Rural policy is a devolved matter. Defra regularly publishes statistics on a range of social and economic topics including rural population trends, and rural service provision in The Statistical Digest for Rural England.

Net internal migration within England tends to be towards rural authorities, and in 2023 the rate of this migration was higher than in 2013; the exception to this is 15- to- 19- year-olds for which there is net migration from rural authorities, reflecting the movement of students.

Despite this we know that people living in rural areas often have greater distances to travel to access essential services and can struggle to access other core utilities.

This Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural business and communities. We have made a commitment that all policy decision-making including the provision of utility infrastructure should be rural proofed to ensure that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.

In response to the Honourable Member’s question on 23 October 2025, the data, sourced from Street Manager, the Government’s digital platform for managing highway works, shows no evidence of widespread misuse of immediate permits. The Department for Transport will work with the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee to revise the Co-ordination Code of Practice, aiming to provide clearer guidance on the appropriate use of immediate permits.

In response to the Honourable Member’s question on 23 October 2025, the data, sourced from Street Manager, the Government’s digital platform for managing highway works, shows no evidence of widespread misuse of immediate permits. The Department for Transport will work with the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee to revise the Co-ordination Code of Practice, aiming to provide clearer guidance on the appropriate use of immediate permits.

The government’s number one priority is driving economic growth to boost living standards in every part of the country. The 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy confirmed we will fund at least £725 billion for infrastructure over the next decade. This includes significant investment in essential utility infrastructure. The government is changing the Green Book and how it is used to make sure that every region gets a fair hearing when it comes to investment.

I regularly engage with the Scottish Government on a variety of shared priorities, including critical infrastructure development in Scotland's rural areas.

My discussions also encompass clean energy transition and infrastructure investment, with a particular focus on projects in the Highlands. For example, we are working together to ensure that Project Gigabit, the UK Government’s programme to enable remote and rural communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband, benefits the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is the lead department for the energy sector only.

Regarding energy utility accounts, Ofgem is the energy regulator for Great Britain. Ofgem works to protect energy consumers and ensure they are treated fairly.

Ofgem has a specific counter fraud team who work to detect, prevent, deter, and take firm action where there is evidence of fraud.

Ofgem has also issued guidance to energy suppliers regarding identity checking of new customers. Due diligence on verifying the identity of a customer is important for energy suppliers, especially if they are extending credit on an energy account.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that street works, including emergency repairs by utilities companies, are managed efficiently and with minimal disruption. The current legislative framework provides highway authorities with effective powers to coordinate and oversee such works. We continue to review and strengthen these regulations to ensure charges remain proportionate and effective, and remain committed to working with local authorities, utilities, and stakeholders to deliver a modern and accountable street works regime.

We are also aware of concerns about the potential misuse of emergency permit rules by utilities companies. Available data shows no evidence of widespread abuse, with most immediate permits used for genuine emergencies or urgent repairs. The Department continues to monitor trends and engage with industry and local authorities and will update guidance to provide greater clarity on appropriate use. We remain committed to ensuring the system is effective, proportionate, and minimises disruption to local communities.

The Department for Transport keeps all statutory guidance under regular review, including the 2023 Code of Practice for Inspections. The performance-based sample inspection regime introduced in April 2023 is designed to ensure that undertakers are inspected proportionately to their performance at the local level. Inspection rates are calculated by each highway authority based on the undertaker’s failure rate in that specific area, and cannot be offset by performance elsewhere. This ensures that poor performance in one locality is not masked by better results nationally. The Code also includes provisions to incentivise prompt and effective defect rectification. These include financial penalties, non-compliant reinstatement inspections, and escalation procedures for unresolved defects. We remain committed to working with stakeholders to ensure the inspection regime continues to uphold high standards, promote accountability, and support the efficient maintenance of the highway network.

In April 2023, the Department for Transport introduced a performance-based inspections regime to improve the quality of reinstatements following street works. Under this system, utility companies with higher defect or failure rates are subject to increased inspection frequencies, while those with strong compliance records are inspected less frequently. This approach ensures that inspection resources are targeted where they are most needed and creates a financial incentive for companies to meet statutory standards, as they are required to cover the cost of inspections.

The regime is underpinned by the updated Code of Practice for Inspections and supported by data from the Street Manager platform, which enables authorities to monitor performance and adjust inspection rates quarterly based on inspection outcomes.

Given that the regime has only been in place for a short period, we believe it is appropriate to evaluate its effectiveness in delivering better quality reinstatements before considering further changes. While the existing two-cycle inspection cap was previously agreed with stakeholders as a balanced approach, we recognise that operational challenges may have evolved. We will undertake a formal review of the regime’s impact working closely with local authorities, utility companies, and the Highways Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC) to ensure that reinstatements meet the required standards and that poor quality work is addressed swiftly and fairly.

Utility companies already have a duty to maintain their apparatus in the street to the reasonable satisfaction of the highway authority. Where an authority becomes aware of defective apparatus they should notify the owner of the apparatus requiring the utility company to carry out remedial works. If the undertaker fails to act, the authority has powers to undertake the repairs and recover the costs.

We recognise that some defects and substandard reinstatements remain unresolved for extended periods. To drive improved performance and address poor compliance, we introduced a performance-based inspections regime in April 2023. This approach ensures that utility companies with higher failure rates are subject to more frequent inspections and incur proportionally higher inspection fees. The regime is underpinned by data from Street Manager, which enables quarterly adjustments to inspection rates based on reinstatement outcomes.

Given that this system has only recently been implemented, we believe it is appropriate to evaluate its effectiveness before considering any further legislative changes. We will review its impact on reinstatement quality and defect resolution in collaboration with stakeholders. This will include examining whether additional enforcement mechanisms such as fines for non-compliance would be proportionate, effective, and deliver improved outcomes. Any such proposals would be subject to consultation with stakeholders and assessment of their operational and financial implications.

Following a public consultation in 2024, the Government confirmed its intention to double the level of fixed penalty notices for certain street works offences including breaching permit conditions.

The necessary secondary legislation to enact these changes has been laid in Parliament and the new penalty levels will come into force on 05 January 2026 to provide the industry and local highway authorities with the necessary time to ensure they are adequately prepared and equipped to comply with the new measures.

We do know that some problems with the highway surface have been caused by utility reinstatements so to drive up the quality and durability of reinstatements following works the Department for Transport introduced a new performance-based inspections regime in April 2023 to ensure utility companies were incentivised to produce reinstatements that are fit for purpose. Each inspection carried out by an authority is paid for by the utility company and inspections are based on performance, with those that have a high rate of defects inspected more.

Highway authorities also have the power to direct utility companies to carry out remedial works at the utility company’s expense if they identify reinstatements that do not meet the required standards. If the utility company still fails to put things right, the authority can carry out the works and charge the utility company the costs for doing so. Reinstatements must also be guaranteed for two years for most works, and three for deeper excavations.

A period of implementation is necessary to assess the impact of the revised penalty regime and determine whether it achieves the intended improvements in compliance. The department will also evaluate the effectiveness of the updated inspection framework in delivering higher-quality reinstatements before considering any further changes to the level of fines or enforcement measures.

Following a public consultation in 2024, the Government confirmed its intention to double the level of fixed penalty notices for certain street works offences including breaching permit conditions.

The necessary secondary legislation to enact these changes has been laid in Parliament and the new penalty levels will come into force on 05 January 2026 to provide the industry and local highway authorities with the necessary time to ensure they are adequately prepared and equipped to comply with the new measures.

We do know that some problems with the highway surface have been caused by utility reinstatements so to drive up the quality and durability of reinstatements following works the Department for Transport introduced a new performance-based inspections regime in April 2023 to ensure utility companies were incentivised to produce reinstatements that are fit for purpose. Each inspection carried out by an authority is paid for by the utility company and inspections are based on performance, with those that have a high rate of defects inspected more.

Highway authorities also have the power to direct utility companies to carry out remedial works at the utility company’s expense if they identify reinstatements that do not meet the required standards. If the utility company still fails to put things right, the authority can carry out the works and charge the utility company the costs for doing so. Reinstatements must also be guaranteed for two years for most works, and three for deeper excavations.

A period of implementation is necessary to assess the impact of the revised penalty regime and determine whether it achieves the intended improvements in compliance. The department will also evaluate the effectiveness of the updated inspection framework in delivering higher-quality reinstatements before considering any further changes to the level of fines or enforcement measures.