The Water Fittings Regulations protect human health by preventing fittings from being installed, connected, arranged or used in such a manner that it causes or is likely to cause contamination of drinking water supplies.  Defra would recommend that anyone making alterations to their plumbing should use a Watersafe plumber. The Watersafe website provides a free directory of competent, qualified plumbers.

The Water Fittings Regulations protect human health by preventing fittings from being installed, connected, arranged or used in such a manner that it causes or is likely to cause contamination of drinking water supplies.  Defra would recommend that anyone making alterations to their plumbing should use a Watersafe plumber. The Watersafe website provides a free directory of competent, qualified plumbers.

The government provides a range of financial support to help employers in all sectors to take on apprentices, including within the electrical and plumbing trades.

We are introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. It will apply to apprenticeship starts from October, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months. Employers hiring apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months will also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant from June 2026.

Additionally, from August 2026, we will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for eligible people aged 16-24. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.

The government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

The government provides a range of financial support to help employers in all sectors to take on apprentices, including within the electrical and plumbing trades.

We are introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. It will apply to apprenticeship starts from October, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months. Employers hiring apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months will also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant from June 2026.

Additionally, from August 2026, we will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for eligible people aged 16-24. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.

The government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

The Department does not hold up to date data on the numbers of (a) plumbers, (b) electricians, (c) joiners, (d) bricklayers and (e) plasterers leaving and joining the labour market. The CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) does produce the Construction Workforce Outlook for England which projects the growth in these occupations from 2024 to 2029 and is available here: https://www.citb.co.uk/cwo/reports/cwo_report_england.pdf.

The department continues to make available education and training opportunities in electrical and plumbing sectors, including:

• A range of apprenticeships, including the level 3 plumbing and domestic heating technician standard and the level 3 domestic electrician standard. We are also developing foundation apprenticeships in priority sectors, including construction from August.

• A T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction provides students with the core knowledge and skills needed for entry to a range of occupations in the electrical and plumbing sectors.

• Investment of an additional £625 million in a construction skills package, expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, including in electrical and plumbing, this Parliament. This includes establishing ten technical excellence colleges specialising in construction skills, opening in September 2025.

The department continues to raise awareness amongst young people of the vocational training that is available. Secondary schools have legal requirements to provide independent careers guidance, including at least six opportunities for providers of technical education or apprenticeships to speak to all pupils. Our government-funded network of Careers Hubs, coordinated by the Careers and Enterprise Company, supports schools and colleges to maximise these opportunities.

This government continues to make available education and training opportunities in electrical and plumbing sectors across the country, including in Erewash.

A range of apprenticeships are available, including the level 3 plumbing and domestic heating technician standard and the level 3 domestic electrician standard.

Higher Technical Qualifications across a range of occupational routes are also available, including qualifications such as HNC Electrical Systems Engineering, and HND Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Additionally, T Levels in Building Services Engineering for Construction provide students with the core knowledge and skills needed for entry to a range of occupations in the electrical and plumbing sectors.

The government has announced an additional £625 million to support construction skills training. This is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, including in electrical and plumbing, this Parliament.

Skills England will provide an authoritative assessment of national and regional skills needs in all sectors, now and in the future, which will include identifying skills gaps and ensuring a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications which are aligned with skills gaps and the needs of employers.

The Construction Industry Training Board states that plumbing and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are some of the occupations that will have the highest average growth (1.5%) to 2028. Electricians and electrical fitters also currently have one of the highest skill-shortage vacancy densities, with 46.5% of vacancies being linked to skills shortages.

Skills are crucial to this government’s mission to grow the economy under our Plan for Change and deliver our commitment to build 1.5 million homes across this Parliament.

On 23 March, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced measures to address skills shortages in the construction sector. This package commits over £600 million over the Parliament to deliver up to 60,000 skilled construction workers. This includes additional funding to deliver more construction courses, skills bootcamps, foundation apprenticeships, to support industry placements and to deliver 10 new Technical Excellence Colleges. The department will continue to work with post-16 skills providers on their plans to meet local, regional and national skills priorities in construction.

Furthermore, as part of the government’s devolution agenda, from August 2025 the East Midlands Combined Authority will be responsible for administering and delivering their Adult Skills Fund (ASF), allowing them to make best use of the ASF to meet their local needs, including in construction.

In the past three years a total of 11,182 plumbing incidents have been reported across the Parliamentary estate:

• 2021 – 2,345 incidents
• 2022 – 3,626 incidents
• 2023 – 5,211 incidents

We have had multiple issues with toilets in Portcullis House due to the quality of the water in the system. To address this, new equipment, including a filtration system, was installed in Autumn 2023. An initial fault with this system was rectified by mid-November. A longer-term solution to improve the water quality is being planned by the Strategic Estates team.

The Department does not provide guidance to NHS England in relation to the number of showers, or the number of clinical handwashing taps, that should be installed per hospital bed.

The guidance relating to the number of clinical handwashing taps that should be installed per hospital bed is provided by NHS England in Health Building Notification (HBN 00-09): Infection control in the built environment.

The Department does not provide guidance to NHS England in relation to the number of showers, or the number of clinical handwashing taps, that should be installed per hospital bed.

The guidance relating to the number of clinical handwashing taps that should be installed per hospital bed is provided by NHS England in Health Building Notification (HBN 00-09): Infection control in the built environment.

Given the wider economic impact of the global pandemic and the number of UK based workers facing uncertainty about their employment or the need to find a new job at this time, the Government believes it is right our global points-based systems encourages employers to look to domestic recruitment and skills training in the first instance, rather than immigration,

In March 2020, the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the composition of the Shortage Occupation Lists (SOL) in light of the expanded skills threshold of the new Skilled Worker route, which came into effect on 1 December.

The MAC published its findings and recommendations on 29 September. The Government welcomed the MAC’s comprehensive advice, which included a recommendation to add bricklayers and masons; however, we do not consider changes to the immigration rules or the SOLs should be made at this time, before assessing how the UK labour market develops post-Covid 19 and in response to the introduction of the new Points-Based Immigration System. Immigration policy should be considered alongside the strategies for the UK Labour Market not in isolation to them.

As published on 22 October, the Immigration Rules for the new Points-Based Immigration System include an Appendix Shortage Occupation Lists. This replaces the existing lists under Appendix K. The contents are the same.

Construction and utility workers play a crucial role in supporting our public services, maintaining the nation’s infrastructure and providing and maintaining safe, decent homes for people to live in. The Government has stated that construction and utilities work should continue where it can take place in line with the guidance provided by Public Health England.

The list of key workers published on the GOV.UK website includes those providing essential roles in the water sector (including sewerage).

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Guidance for tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance in people’s homes can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.