The government has been clear that it will not look to make additional deregulatory changes to the adult gaming sector until further improvements are made on customer protections. Government officials meet regularly with the Gambling Commission and representatives from the sector and will continue to support operators with making progress in this area.

The Financial Services and Markets Bill simplifies how payment systems are regulated by abolishing the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and transferring its responsibilities to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In doing so, it gives the FCA objectives and powers generally equivalent to those currently held by the PSR, including the ability to make rules or give directions for the purpose of regulating payment system fees and charges. This ensures there is continuity in regulation and that the FCA can carry out its new responsibilities effectively.

The FCA’s power to regulate payment system fees and charges would be subject to challenge on judicial review principles. A challenge to equivalent powers held by the PSR is determined by judicial review principles, and the Bill maintains the same test when those functions transfer to the FCA. This is also consistent with the existing approach taken elsewhere in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

The Government recognises that regulators’ powers should be subject to appropriate safeguards. Powers to regulate payment system fees and charges must advance payment systems objectives. The Bill ensures before exercising those powers, the FCA must comply with procedural requirements, such as undertaking a consultation, which help to ensure decisions are transparent, evidence-based and proportionate.

Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL).

The Government has a commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years old. We ran a 12-week consultation on our proposals for the ban from 3 September 2025 to 26 November 2025. This included proposals on:

- the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks;

- the products and businesses in scope of the ban;

- how the ban will apply in vending machines;

- the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban; and

- how the ban would be enforced.

We are now carefully considering the consultation responses. We will publish the Government response in due course, setting out the consultation outcome and next steps.

The accompanying impact assessment published on 3 September 2025 estimates the impact of our proposals. The Department engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representatives for the vending sector and enforcement, to inform this. If additional information or evidence provided through the consultation or published online becomes available, we will update our final impact assessment.

The UK has a diverse and competitive retail payments ecosystem, with a significant number of entrants into the sector in recent years.

The UK nonetheless remains a heavily card-based market. The Government recognises that greater choice in how to make and receive payments is likely to increase innovation and downward competitive pressure on the cost of payments.

In the National Payments Vision the government set out its ambition for account-to-account payments to be developed as a ubiquitous payment method – enabling consumers to pay digitally for goods and services in shops and online, without using a card. A new Retail Payments Infrastructure Board, chaired by the Bank of England and with representation from across the payments ecosystem, is currently working to design the UK’s future retail payments infrastructure in line with the government’s vision.

HM Treasury works closely with the UK financial regulators to monitor evolving risks from new technologies, and ensure that the opportunities AI presents can be realised in a safe and responsible way.

The government is engaging closely with the FCA on AI, and we support the approach the FCA is taking to encourage the safe adoption of AI in financial services. This includes several initiatives to support the safe adoption of AI, including the supercharged sandbox which enables firms to safely experiment with AI innovations.

The financial services sector has also been developing AI tools which can be used to detect and prevent fraud. These include HSBC’s pilot with Google to use AI to support financial crime detection. and Mastercard’s use of AI to identify and flag APP scams.

The UK has and will continue to hold a ‘NATO First’ approach. While it is disappointing that we were not able to positively conclude discussions on UK participation in the first round of SAFE, the UK continues to step up on European security in the face of rising threats, including through Foreign and Defence Secretary engagements at NATO ministerial meetings in October and December. Our Security and Defence Partnership with the EU will complement and reinforce NATO’s role as the cornerstone of Euro Atlantic Security and our defence firms will continue to be a vital part of defence supply chains across the continent; in the last year alone, we have struck significant deals with Norway, Türkiye, and Germany.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 30 October 2025 to PQ UIN 85107.

The Government recognises that action on financial inclusion requires a joined-up approach and will work collaboratively across local, central, and devolved governments, as well as regulators, industry, and civil society to deliver the recently published Financial Inclusion Strategy.

The Strategy sets out the Government’s plans to improve financial inclusion and resilience for underserved groups across the UK. It outlines action to address a range of barriers individuals face in accessing financial products, with a key focus on access to banking services and recognition of the important links with the National Payments Vision and the opportunities this presents to embed and support financial inclusion

To deliver the Strategy effectively, the Government will monitor levels of financial inclusion. There are a number of useful resources which were used in the development of the Strategy and which the Government will continue to monitor as the Strategy is delivered, including the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Financial Lives Survey and research carried out by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).

The Strategy’s implementation will be reviewed in two years’ time to provide an update on progress and relevant outcomes-based metrics, which will reflect on the progress made across the sector.

The Terms of Reference for the Payments Vision Delivery Committee set out the Payments Forward Plan will be published by the end of this year. This will set out a sequenced plan of initiatives across the wider UK payments ecosystem.

While the ongoing trend in payments in the UK has been away from cash and towards card and digital payment methods, the Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those in vulnerable groups, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed regulatory responsibility for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules ensure cash continues to be a viable method of payment for the millions of people who depend on it by providing reasonable access to cash withdrawal and deposit facilities for personal accounts.

There is no legal requirement for businesses to accept specific forms of payment, and the Government has no plans to mandate cash acceptance. It is for each business to decide on the forms of payment it chooses to accept, based on a variety of factors, including cost and customer preferences. However, the FCA’s access to cash regime will ensure that businesses have reasonable access to cash deposit facilities, which supports their ability to accept cash.

More widely, the Government has committed to publish a National Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year to tackle a range of barriers individuals face in accessing the financial products they need, including a focus on access to banking and digital inclusion.

Central Government does not collect this information.

In accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, the government has recently consulted on its proposals for a new code of practice for private parking operators to follow.

The government is aware that predominantly elderly and disabled motorists are the most likely to experience challenges when using mobile phones to pay for parking.

As part of the consultation, the government sought views on the impact its proposals would have on protected groups, as defined by the 2010 Equality Act.

The consultation closed on 26 September and the government will respond in due course.

Direct use of debit cards and credit cards is currently prohibited on all gaming machines in Great Britain. The previous Government’s 2023 gambling white paper proposed removing the prohibition on the direct use of debit cards on gaming machines, subject to the introduction of certain player protections. While this proposal was not implemented under the previous administration, this government is considering the best available evidence from a wide range of stakeholders to inform any decisions on this proposal, which would require new legislation to implement.

In addition, the Gambling Commission recently consulted on proposals to introduce a number of new player protections for gaming machines in Great Britain, designed to support and empower customers to use gaming machines safely. The Government will take account of the progress and outcome of this consultation when considering regulations on payment methods for gaming machines.

No such discussions have taken place. Car parking charges for publicly-owned car parks are primarily a matter for local authorities.

At the Mansion House event in July 2025, the Payments Vision Delivery Committee set out a new model for the design and delivery of the next generation of retail payments infrastructure in the UK. The Committee’s publication can be found here: Payments Vision Delivery Committee Update - GOV.UK

Under the new model, the Committee will set the strategy for retail payments infrastructure in line with the ambitions of the government’s National Payments Vision, and this strategy will be translated into design by the new Retail Payments Infrastructure Board. The Board will be chaired by the Bank of England and will have broad representation from across the ecosystem. A new industry-owned and industry-led Delivery Company will be responsible for procuring and funding the new infrastructure, overseen by the Board.

The Committee will publish its strategy this autumn and the Bank of England is working at pace to establish the new Board with a view to its first meeting taking place in October.

The Committee will also publish the Payments Forward Plan by end-2025, including a sequenced plan of future initiatives and a recommended monitoring approach.

Television licences are issued on an annual basis and households can choose a variety of payment plans to spread the cost of the licence, including monthly and quarterly payment plans.

New joiners to TV Licensing’s monthly direct debit scheme pay for their first licence over 6 months. This front-loading of payments is a requirement set out in legislation. After the initial 6 months of joining the scheme, households pay towards their next licence through payments spread over 12 months. This is intended to reduce the BBC’s exposure to unexpected changes in its income that could result from households stopping their fee payments part-way through the year, and which could impact the BBC’s ability to deliver its services for the public.

The Government recognises the financial difficulties faced by some households. This is why we announced a significant extension to the Simple Payment Plan to support more households by enabling them to split up the annual licence fee payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments. This payment plan does not require front-loading. The changes, which came into effect in February 2025, make a greater number of households eligible for the Plan.

The Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that the BBC must be funded by a model that is sustainable and fair to all those that are paying it. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity for the Government to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.

Television licences are issued on an annual basis and households can choose a variety of payment plans to spread the cost of the licence, including monthly and quarterly payment plans.

New joiners to TV Licensing’s monthly direct debit scheme pay for their first licence over 6 months. This front-loading of payments is a requirement set out in legislation. After the initial 6 months of joining the scheme, households pay towards their next licence through payments spread over 12 months. This is intended to reduce the BBC’s exposure to unexpected changes in its income that could result from households stopping their fee payments part-way through the year, and which could impact the BBC’s ability to deliver its services for the public.

The Government recognises the financial difficulties faced by some households. This is why we announced a significant extension to the Simple Payment Plan to support more households by enabling them to split up the annual licence fee payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments. This payment plan does not require front-loading. The changes, which came into effect in February 2025, make a greater number of households eligible for the Plan.

The Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that the BBC must be funded by a model that is sustainable and fair to all those that are paying it. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity for the Government to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.