The Government recognises the vital role that heritage assets play in driving tourism growth and supporting local economies. Across the country our cultural and historical landmarks are powerful catalysts for regional investment, visitor spending, and community pride. Our UNESCO World Heritage sites, including those associated with the former slate industry are an invaluable way of highlighting areas with an internationally recognised significance both to domestic and international visitors.

VisitBritain promotes Britain to international visitors, working with the devolved nations and English regions to act at the unified international marketing agency, driving inbound tourism. Tourism policy in Wales is devolved, therefore promotion and management of specific domestic sites, including those associated with the slate industry in Wales, and regional campaigns remain the responsibility of VisitWales and the Welsh Government.

To support these efforts, VisitBritain emphasises Britain's UNESCO sites as part of their 'things to do' section on their website, providing an interactive map, details of attractions and frequently asked questions about UNESCO. The site contains links to VisitWales, and the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s website which details the UK’s's UNESCO-designated sites, including the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage Site, amongst others.

Local authorities are primarily responsible for regulating contaminated land in England, while the Environment Agency (EA) regulates designated special sites. The EA has provided technical support for past and current local authority investigations into alleged Monsanto dumping sites, but none have been designated as special sites to date.

Medical radioisotopes used for cancer diagnostics and treatments rely on diverse supply chains from domestic and international suppliers. The United Kingdom has a comprehensive network of cyclotrons used for diagnostics. These cyclotrons tend to be based close to where the medical radioisotopes will be used due to the very short half-life of these products. Other medical radioisotopes are manufactured in reactors, and the UK does not have a suitable reactor for this manufacture, therefore we import these from a number of international suppliers.

The reliable supply of medical radioisotopes for diagnosing and treating cancer and other conditions remains a priority for the Government and when there are shortages, the Department works with suppliers and clinical leads to support the return of supplies and to limit the impact on patients during the shortage.

We have already delivered an ambitious set of ongoing reforms to boost the UK’s capital markets to ensure the UK is the best place for firms to start, scale, list and stay.

Our stock markets are showing signs of renewed momentum, with over £26.8 billion raised since the start of 2025 through IPOs and follow-on issuances.

The government has also established the Listings Taskforce to ensure the UK attracts the best and brightest businesses from the UK and around the world, to list on UK markets.

The Government recognises that the current parental leave and pay system could do more to support dads and partners who want to be more actively involved in supporting their partner and children.

We have already taken steps to make this easier. Through the Employment Rights Act, dads and partners are now eligible for Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave from their first day of employment.

We are also undertaking a Review of the Parental Leave and Pay system. All existing parental leave and pay entitlements are within scope, including paternity leave and pay. The Review will conclude in early 2027.

Official data on business vulnerability is not published by the Department.

Growth is this government’s number one mission and our plan is to make the UK the best place to start and grow a business, with a culture that supports entrepreneurship in every community and high street. The Small Business Plan was launched in July 2025 and contains 200 targeted actions which will make a real difference to the operations of small businesses and help them grow. With a £4bn finance boost to increase access to finance for entrepreneurs, the British Business Bank promotes the provision of better access-to-finance information for UK SMEs. The Growth Guarantee Scheme helps businesses access loans up to £2 million per business group to be used for any business purpose, including growth and investment or working capital.

On 14th July 2026, the Chancellor announced access-to-finance measures through supporting:

• SMEs through the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS)
• Communities through Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs)
• Building societies to lend more
• SMEs looking to export
• Lending to high-tech scale ups

HMRC publish information on enforcement activity through the Annual Outputs for tackling tobacco smuggling publication. The 25/26 publication shows Trading Standards seized over 35 million illicit cigarettes and more than 8,000kg of illicit hand-rolling tobacco in 2025/26, preventing revenue losses of over £25m. HMRC intend to continue publishing this information annually and previous publications also contain information on Trading Standards activity.

The Government has held discussions with the Welsh Government on police reform in Wales, including options for police governance and accountability following the planned abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners.

These discussions have taken place through ministerial and official-level engagement, Police Governance Reform working groups, and established forums such as the Policing Partnership Board for Wales. The Government will continue to engage with the Welsh Government as proposals are developed and taken forward through the Police Reform Bill.

The total value of payments for clinical negligence claims in 2025/26, as reported in NHS Resolution annual Report and accounts: 2025 to 2026, published on 9 July 2026, was £3.2 billion, for all clinical schemes. This includes payments for damages, National Health Service legal costs, and claimant legal costs on both open and settled claims.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, works with DEFRA, the Environment Agency and others to ensure that AI-enabled data infrastructure does not compromise public water supply resilience. Water resource planning in England is undertaken through statutory Water Resources Management Plans prepared by water companies, regional water resources plans, and the Environment Agency's National Framework for Water Resources.

The Government supports the adoption of efficient cooling technologies (closed-loop systems) and alternative sources like rainwater harvesting. National planning policy embeds consideration of sustainable water use and resource efficiency in decision making. In 2025, a techUK–Environment Agency survey found that 51% of surveyed sites use closed loop cooling systems, and 64% use less than 10,000m³ of water per year. This is small compared to other sectors.

The Government’s arm’s length body for grassroots sport, Sport England, has a process for recognising activities. The objective of the recognition process is to identify sports that Sport England may wish to work with and the national bodies that govern them. The process is run jointly with the other three Home Country Sports Councils and UK Sport.

Recognition of a sport is subject to application and the most recent application for chess was made by the English Chess Federation (ECF) in 2008. When considering if activities can be recognised as sports, the Sports Councils refer to the definition of sport contained in the Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter (revised 2021). This states that;

“Sport means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.”

The ECF’s application was turned down at this time as Chess did not meet the Council of Europe’s definition. Any future application for the recognition of Chess would have to meet this definition.

Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine poses a direct threat to UK and European prosperity and security. We are proud to be a leading partner in providing vital support to Ukraine since the onset of the war in 2022, and we will continue to do so.

This calendar year, the UK has provided up to £5.6bn to date in support to Ukraine. We track support across a calendar year rather than the financial year to align with Ukrainian budget timescales. Ukrainians are defending their country against Russian aggression at immense personal cost, and their fight is in our national security interests. Supporting Ukraine helps to deter further Russian aggression across Europe, and protect the security and prosperity of the United Kingdom.

In total, the UK has committed up to £25bn for Ukraine since Russia’s illegal invasion: this includes £16bn in military support, £3.5bn cover limit in UK export finance and up to £5.6bn in non-military support including bilateral assistance, humanitarian and fiscal support.

This Government has pledged to sustain £3 billion a year in military aid to Ukraine until 2030 to 2031 and for as long as it takes until a just peace is achieved.

The Government has been working to deliver its manifesto commitment to support touring artists through sustained engagement with European partners and practical domestic action. This includes building on the commitment to cultural exchange made at the inaugural UK-EU Summit through the first UK-EU High-Level Meeting on Culture in March 2026 with Commissioner Glenn Micallef in Brussels. The UK also became one of the first countries to adopt digital ATA Carnets on 1 June, has increased resources to speed up the processing of A1 forms, and will shortly update relevant online guidance to the sector.

Our recently published report ‘The economic benefits of touring and impact of EU Exit’ also provides the strongest evidence to date on touring barriers across the UK and EU. This will help to inform the Government’s ongoing work with European partners to pursue practical improvements for touring in the EU, as well as support industry engagement with EU counterparts, led by the Cultural Exchange Coalition.

Workers who develop asbestos-related and dust-related diseases like mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis caused by their work can claim a one-off payment from the Government if they haven’t already secured compensation from their employer.

The Government has no plans to introduce a separate compensation scheme for workers who have suffered from silicosis by inhaling crystalline silica dust from cutting kitchen worktop stones.

Individuals with silicosis may be eligible for financial support through existing arrangements, including a lump-sum payment under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 where the relevant entitlement conditions are met.