theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of banning silica. \p Sir Stephen Timms: There are no plans to discuss the merits of banning silica as it is a naturally occurring material found in sand, glass, and many rocks and minerals.

Great Britain has a well-established regulatory framework under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 (as amended), which already requires employers to prevent exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) to protect workers’ health.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any sanctions will apply to young people who decline a work placement under the Youth Guarantee scheme. \p Dame Diana Johnson: DWP is committed to supporting young people to earn and learn. The department provides an extensive range of support for young people, tailored to individual needs.

As part of this the Chancellor has announced that DWP will offer a guaranteed job to young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. Our aim is to stop long-term unemployment for young people by subsidising a paid work placement so that they can develop their skills and gain valuable work experience. More details on this will be announced at the budget, including whether young people who turn down a suitable job offer could be subject to a sanction.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff working days have been lost to sick leave in the Child Maintenance Service in each of the last 10 years. \p Andrew Western: The information is not available for the whole period requested. The data is only available from October 2023. This is due to changes in departmental reporting hierarchies.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time was that staff had been employed in the Child Maintenance Service in each of the last 10 years. \p Andrew Western: The information requested for the average length of time in service is not held at Child Maintenance Service level. It is only available at Department for Work and Pension level.
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Linsey Farnsworth:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve Child Maintenance Service (a) communication with service users, (b) maintenance calculations and (c) handling of arrears. \p Andrew Western: Communications & Our Digital Service

Through the Service Modernisation Programme, the CMS are ensuring customers have a greater choice of how they communicate access our service. The CMS has made improvements to customer communications, through more use of SMS text and email, and a full review of its letters making them easier for customer to understand. The online digital service 'Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance' through GOV.UK is open to any parent who needs unbiased advice and support to make an arrangement. My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) offers customers the ability to update their information and request changes, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For those customers who need to contact the CMS by telephone, steps have been taken to update the service through efficient call routing. The CMS telephony opening hours are regularly reviewed based on the demand requirements. CMS have extended their telephony service to 6pm on weekdays to meet this demand.

The CMS has also recently introduced online messaging functionality to enable customers to respond to requests for information at a time that suits them. This is currently only available on a limited number of processes, but plans are in place to roll it out to all key processes.

Maintenance Calculation Review

The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends.

Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

Arrears & Compliance

The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their responsibilities to provide their children with financial support and the Child Maintenance Service will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. The Service is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

The CMS has a low percentage of unpaid maintenance with 7% (£734.3 million) of the total maintenance due to be paid since the CMS began in 2012, still to be collected through Collect & Pay. This has steadily fallen since the 17% due to be paid in March 2015.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the removal of the Direct Pay option and (b) other changes to the Child Maintenance service on the affordability of the system for both parents. \p Andrew Western: The proposed reforms to remove Direct Pay could result in around 20,000 fewer children in poverty. The reforms will help ensure children receive the financial support they are entitled to by addressing issues with hidden non-compliance within Direct Pay. We know from Direct Pay Research that only 60% of receiving parents reported getting all their money, and only 40% report always getting it on time. Under these reforms, the CMS will manage payments between parents, enabling them to respond quicker where payments breakdown.

As part of these changes, we also plan to modify the fee structure making them more affordable for parents already in the current Collect and Pay service. Our published liability data shows that paying parents in the Collect and Pay service tend on average to be on lower incomes that those in Direct Pay. Fees will reduce from 4% to 2% for receiving parents, and from 20% to 2% for compliant paying parents. Non-compliant paying parents will continue to pay a fee of 20%.

The Government is also conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose, balancing affordability concerns for both parents with the best outcomes for children and ensuring the calculation is reflective of the costs of raising children today.

Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation resulting from this review will be subject to extensive public consultation, which we plan to publish late this year, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing the adequacy of statutory (a) maternity and (b) paternity pay. \p Andrew Western: The Government has committed to review the parental leave and pay system. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements are in scope of the Parental Leave and Pay Review.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce financial hardship experienced by new parents. \p Andrew Western: The government provides a range of state-funded support for new parents depending on individual circumstances. Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave and pay is available to working parents through their employers, and pregnant working women who do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay may be eligible for Maternity Allowance. Parents also have access to Child Benefit. Families who are not working or who are on low incomes can claim Universal Credit and may also be eligible for Sure Start Maternity Grant (a lump sum payment of £500) and Healthy Start vouchers for food and milk. More information about benefits and financial support available to new parents can be found on www.gov.uk via the Childcare and Parenting link on the home page.

More broadly, the government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and we are considering all available levers. We will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The Government has also committed to review the parental leave and pay system.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the total amount of child maintenance arrears owed to date in Wiltshire; and how this compares to the national average. \p Andrew Western: The information requested on the total amount of child maintenance arrears owed in Wiltshire is not readily available and would incur disproportionate cost to obtain.

The Department publishes Child Maintenance Service (CMS) statistics regularly and the relevant information for Great Britain can be accessed from Table 5 of the supplementary tables in the latest release.

Table 5 counts how much child maintenance due has accumulated since the CMS began, in 2012. At the end of June 2025 this was £734.3m. This figure does not include arrears incurred with the Child Support Agency pre-2012.

The CMS collected 93% of all maintenance owed since it was established in 2012. The CMS has a low percentage of unpaid maintenance with 7% (£734.3 million) of the total maintenance due to be paid since the CMS began in 2012, still to be collected through Collect & Pay. This has steadily fallen since the 17% due to be paid in March 2015.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve the enforcement of child maintenance payments. \p Andrew Western: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to making the most effective use of its strong enforcement powers and have made a number of improvements to its processes to drive case compliance and challenge non-compliant behaviours.

The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and the latest statistics are currently available to June 2025. Table 6 in the latest National tables provides information on all enforcement actions used by the CMS from quarter ending June 2015 to quarter ending June 2025 to collect both the maintenance arranged by the CMS, and Child Support Agency arrears that have been transitioned to CMS systems. This may include actions taken against parents for whom no ongoing maintenance has been arranged under the CMS.

The table shows that between April 2017 and June 2025, the CMS has collected a total of £95.9m from Paying Parents via civil enforcement actions.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of apprenticeships on increasing the environmental health workforce. \p Andrew Western: Employers operating in environmental health have developed the environmental health practitioner level 6 degree apprenticeship to help them develop their workforces. Further detail about the apprenticeship can be found on the Skills England website at: https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0714-v1-0.

The government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners in England and support the industrial strategy. In August the department introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.

Skills England is working closely with employers to identify priority skills gaps, helping ensure that the levy-funded growth and skills offer delivers value for money, meets the needs of business and helps kick-start economic growth.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of apprenticeship (a) uptake and (b) completion rates among businesses in Eastleigh constituency. \p Andrew Western: The latest data on apprenticeship starts and achievements in the Eastleigh parliamentary constituency are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication and can be found here:

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/20473790-6c7d-416e-f87c-08de0724494a

​

This has been available since 17 July 2025. Finalised figures for the 2024/25 academic year will be published in the Apprenticeships: November 2025 statistics publication.

​

Achievement rates are not available for individual parliamentary constituencies, but nationally (England) they can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2024-25#content-7
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Claire Hazelgrove:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of whether company directors are able to disguise personal income as business revenue to reduce child support obligations under the Child Maintenance Service 2012 Scheme. \p Andrew Western: Where a paying parent is the Director of their limited liability company, they are legally an employee of that company for child maintenance purposes. They are also legally required to provide details of unearned income such as dividends in their Self-Assessment Tax Return.

Real time income information direct from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is key to the child maintenance calculation which also includes a wide range of income types, including income from property, savings and investments (including dividends) and other miscellaneous income. This makes it difficult for most parents to misstate their income.

People working in certain positions can influence how they are paid and the amount of pay they get. These people are known as ‘complex earners’ and include company directors who can affect their level of pay or dividends they receive.

Where it is reported there is additional unearned income that has not been captured in the maintenance calculation either parent can apply to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) for an ‘additional income variation.’

The CMS has robust processes in place to investigate any misrepresentation of income and where there is credible information that fraud has been committed, or incorrect income declared the case is referred to the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This specialist team request and validate information from financial institutions (such as banks, investment and mortgage companies) to check the accuracy of the information used in the maintenance calculation to ensure financial correctness and can make assessment changes if they discover undeclared income that is effectively being used as income.
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Nigel Huddleston:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Injury Prevention Consultancy entitled Impact of Injury ’24 report, published in March 2025, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure the safety of performers and crew in their place of work. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated regulations provide a framework for securing the health, safety and welfare of those working in the sector. Employers and the self-employed are required to comply with this law. A further duty is placed on them by Regulation 3 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which requires every employer to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the risks to those employees and non-employees in relation to risks arising from conduct of their undertaking and share the significant findings.

To help the industry comply with their duties under health and safety law, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides a wide range of guidance on common risks which may be applicable to activities within film, television and theatrical production. HSE also provides a range of guidance specific to film and television industry, describing the various roles and responsibilities of those within the production process (INDG360 - Health and safety in audio-visual production. Your legal duties) and guidance and information sheets for specific production activities and risks, e.g. stunts, use of firearms and filming while using vehicles. All guidance is freely available on the HSE website, a section of which is dedicated to health and safety in the film, theatre and broadcasting industries. Industry specific guidance is also available from a range of industry bodies and stakeholders.

HSE facilitates and chairs the Joint Advisory Committee for Entertainment (JACE). Membership is drawn from industry trade bodies, trades unions, large event facilities and the major national broadcasting organisations. It is a forum to consider problems in the industry, is a route for raising industry concerns with government, enforcing authorities, manufacturers, suppliers etc, and promotes improved health and safety standards within the industry, as encouraged in the report.
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Kerry McCarthy:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adding specific information on Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy to (a) guidance and (b) training for PIP assessors. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Personal Independence Payment assessments assess the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition or impairment on their ability to carry out daily living activities, and to understand how a condition affects day-to-day functioning.

All health professionals (HPs) conducting these assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis and receive comprehensive training on assessing the effects of both physical and mental health conditions. Given the wide range of health conditions, many of which are rare and present with varying degrees of functional impact, it is not feasible to provide specific training on every individual condition. The Orphanet directory, for example, lists over 23,000 rare diseases.

While there is no condition-specific training on Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), HPs have access to a broad suite of Core Training and Guidance Materials. These include Condition Insight Reports and Continuing Professional Development guides, which provide detailed, quality-assured information on symptoms commonly associated with CADASIL, such as migraines and strokes.
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Tony Vaughan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that child maintenance calculations reflect the needs of children in the paying parent's home. \p Andrew Western: Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the latest tax year available. This allows maintenance calculations to be made quickly and accurately.

The amount of maintenance a paying parent must pay can be reduced if they have other children they provide care for. If the paying parent or their partner gets Child Benefit for children for whom they have financial responsibility, we can take them into account. We call these relevant other children. The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will reduce the paying parent’s weekly income by a percentage depending on the number of children they or their partner has responsibility for before the primary calculation rates are applied. If the Paying Parent’s liability is based on the basic or basic rate plus, their gross weekly income is reduced by 11% for one child, 14% for two children and 3 or more children by 16%.

This ensures the Child Maintenance Service fulfils its responsibility to consider the welfare of all children connected to a case. The Government is also conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the eligibility for the Youth Guarantee to include all 16–24-year-olds. \p Dame Diana Johnson: As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee to ensure young people can access high-quality training, apprenticeships, or personalised support to find work.

As a first step, we are working with eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers across England which are testing innovative, locally led approaches to improve support for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET. This includes strengthening local coordination, through local leadership, and outreach to better connect young people with opportunities.

The Youth Guarantee Trailblazers have been extended for a further year, to continue supporting young people in 2026/27. The insights gained from the Trailblazers will inform the future design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee.

The government is committed to supporting young people to earn and learn. That is why we have announced that we will offer a guaranteed job to young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months.

In parallel, we continue to deliver targeted support through the Youth Offer, which provides tailored assistance to young people aged 16-24 who are claiming Universal Credit. This includes a range of interventions designed to help young people move closer to employment, such as dedicated support from Youth Employability Coaches, access to Youth Hubs, and intensive guidance from Jobcentre Work Coaches during the first 13 weeks of a Universal Credit claim.

For those with more complex needs, specialist Youth Employability Coaches provide intensive, tailored support. These coaches work closely with Disability Employment Advisors, to ensure that interventions meet the specific needs of each young person.
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Tracy Gilbert:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has issued guidance to work coaches on (a) suggesting and (b) requiring job seekers to become Only Fans creators. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Department has issued no such guidance.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of Local Housing Allowance for residents in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are reviewed annually in the Autumn and as part of that decision, the impact of local rental market is considered.

In April 2024, LHA was increased to the 30th percentile of local market rents, including in the Surrey Heath constituency, costing an additional £1.2bn in 2024/25 and approximately £7bn over 5 years.

For those who face shortfalls in meeting their housing costs, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities.
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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring all operatives entering a UK home to undertake gas work to display their Gas Safe Register accreditation and ID. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Gas Safe Register (GSR) operates under an agreement with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to maintain the register of businesses and operatives who are competent to undertake gas work in the UK. It is a requirement under GSR’s Rules of Registration for engineers to carry an in-date, valid ID card which displays who the holder is, and what gas work they are competent to perform. HSE continues to advise consumers to always verify the identity and credentials of engineers or persons entering their property.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (1998) requires gas-fuelled appliances to be installed by a competent and Gas Safe Registered engineer. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no power to restrict online or physical sale of gas appliances or parts. HSE strongly advises that gas appliances, flues and pipework are installed, regularly maintained and serviced at least annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) homeless people, (b) people in temporary accommodation and (c) other people who are eligible for, but are not in receipt of, the housing element of Universal Credit are able to confirm their entitlement to those benefits when (i) undertaking affordability checks and (ii) signing a tenancy agreement. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that vulnerable adults and those with temporary accommodation are adequately supported in securing and managing their benefit. We offer a variety of support for these customers, much of which is tailored to customer’s individual needs.

As part of the process of claiming Universal Credit, we ask the claimant to provide details of the type of accommodation they currently live in, and will either:

.

In addition to above, we offer a holistic case management approach where our agents are expected to offer advice and support on a case-by-case basis. We continue to review and iterate our services to optimise the claimant experience.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Personal Independence Payment claimants received vehicles through the Motability Scheme in each month since July 2024. \p Sir Stephen Timms: DWP holds no data on the number of PIP claimants that have an active Motability Scheme contract at a given time. Vehicle receipt is handled by Motability Operations Ltd.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Carer's Allowance claimants received an (a) underpayment and (b) overpayment of their Allowance in each of the last three years. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department published estimates of the proportion of Carer’s Allowance claims overpaid and the proportion of Carer’s Allowance claims underpaid for the financial year 2024-2025, in its annual national statistics: Fraud and error in the benefit system, Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2025 - GOV.UK.

However, Carer’s Allowance was not measured for the National Statistics publication in 2022/23 or 2023/24 and so that information is not available.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hospice and End of Life Care’s report entitled Inquiry into the financial impact of a terminal diagnosis, published on 9 September 2025; and what steps he will take in response to those recommendations. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods, and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.

The Universal Credit Act 2025, ensures that all Special Rules for End of Life claimants will receive the higher LCWRA rate, no matter when they make their claim.

The Department values the insights and perspectives provided by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hospice and End of Life Care and has noted the recommendations made in the report.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help improve the financial security of people with a terminal diagnosis. \p Sir Stephen Timms: This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it.

The primary way the Department supports people nearing the end of life is through special benefit rules which are known as the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who have 12 months or less to live to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods and, in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit. The Special Rules apply across Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit. The rules are also used elsewhere, for example the Early Access to Financial Assistance Scheme, administered by the Pension Protection Fund.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish the decision making process behind the proposal to restrict access to the Universal Credit Health Element for under-22s. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The reasoning for this proposal, set out in the Pathways to Work green paper published in March, is the removal of a potential disincentive to work and the possibility that resources may be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities available to young people through the Youth Guarantee. We welcomed views on raising the age someone can access the Universal Credit health element to 22 as part of our Green Paper consultation, which closed on 30 June. We are considering responses and will set out our plans in due course.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the social return on investment of the Access to Work programme. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Following the close of the Pathways to Work Green Paper Consultation at the end of June we are reviewing the Scheme. Its social value lies in supporting people who have a disability or health condition to move into or sustain paid employment. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Solicitor General, when the Attorney General informed the Prime Minister of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ intention not to proceed with the prosecution of Mr Christopher Cash and Mr Christopher Berry. \p Ellie Reeves: As you are aware, I was appointed to the role of Solicitor General on 6 September. The Security Minister gave a statement to the House on 15 September stating that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had taken the decision to not proceed with the prosecutions of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.

Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the CPS. Once consent is granted, the CPS is responsible for conducting the case.

I had no input into or knowledge of the case being dropped until it became public knowledge.

The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, including by the Attorney General and me, as the CPS has already confirmed several times.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will publish a list of inquests that could be reopened as a result of repealing the Northern Ireland Legacy Act 2023 and replacing it with the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill 2025. \p Hilary Benn: Under the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill those inquests that had started and were halted by the Legacy Act, of which there are 9, will be able to resume.

All other cases which were in the coronial system but had not commenced (24 in total) will be subject to a decision by the Solicitor General having regard to the statutory criteria as to whether they progress via the coronial system or within the Commission.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of civil cases expected to be reopened as a result of repealing the Northern Ireland Legacy Act 2023 and replacing it with the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill 2025. \p Hilary Benn: The 2023 Legacy Act did not prohibit Troubles-related civil cases from proceeding, meaning that over 700 cases remain in the judicial system. The Legacy Act’s retrospective bar on new civil cases was found to be incompatible with our human rights obligations, and is being removed via a Remedial Order under the Human Rights Act. It is impossible to predict future proceedings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Oral Statement of 14 October 2025 on Northern Ireland Troubles, Official Report, column 247 and his Department's press release entitled Northern Ireland Troubles Bill to repeal and replace Legacy Act, published on 14 October 2025, if he will confirm that the proposed protections for veterans in (a) that Bill and (b) forthcoming protocols will not extend to alleged paramilitaries. \p Hilary Benn: The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill includes new protections and safeguards for veterans that were not included in the 2023 Act, and that respond directly to the views expressed by veterans during engagements that the Government has undertaken. The Government is also taking forward some measures on a non-legislative basis. All of the protections that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.

Some measures will apply only to veterans, including the protection from cold calling and the new safeguard that ensures veterans do not have to give unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.

Other measures, including the right to give evidence remotely and having regard to the welfare of witnesses, will necessarily apply to others. This will ensure, for example, that former police officers are able to avail of these measures.

The Commission will be under a duty to avoid duplication unless it is considered essential which will apply to all of its investigations. This will ensure that the Commission’s investigations are effective, efficient, and focused on getting answers for families, whilst also protecting veterans from needlessly having to provide information previously covered.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department will publish an impact assessment for the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2025. \p Hilary Benn: The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Making Legislation makes clear that “Impact Assessments are generally required for all UK government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector and/or civil society organisation or public services”.

As the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial Order) 2025 does not regulate the private sector, civil society organisations or public services, no Impact Assessment has been produced. Parliament will have the ability to debate the impact of the Remedial Order in the usual way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of potential claims against former UK armed forces personnel that could be eligible for judicial consideration under the proposals in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. \p Hilary Benn: Existing civil cases were not barred from proceeding by the Legacy Act. The Government is, by way of a Remedial Order, repealing the retrospective bar on new civil cases and the bar on future civil cases, which has been found to be incompatible with our legal obligations. It is not possible to predict potential future proceedings.

As is currently the case with the ICRIR, the Legacy Commission will be able to investigate, on request, Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries that occurred between 1 January 1966 and 10 April 1998. While it is not possible to predict its future caseload, the vast majority of the Troubles-related deaths, some 90%, were at the hands of paramilitaries.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Fair Work Charter provisions will be statutory. \p Chris McDonald: Further details on the potential implementation of a Fair Work Charter will be included in the government’s response to the consultation on reforms to the Clean Industry Bonus ahead of Allocation Round 8. The Clean Energy Superpower Mission will create opportunities for good, secure, skilled jobs. Government has recently published its full approach to delivering good quality jobs in the Clean Energy Jobs Plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to reduce the energy price cap. \p Martin McCluskey: The level of the price cap is calculated based on factors including the costs of buying gas, of transporting energy to homes and businesses across the country, and suppliers’ day-to-day costs. The single largest component is the wholesale cost of energy driven by the price of gas. The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. On 19 June we announced that we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bills.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish the research commissioned on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes. \p Martin McCluskey: The Government commissioned research to gather data on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes, including the use of alternative low-carbon heating solutions where appropriate.

The results of this research are expected to be received by the end of the year, and we aim to publish findings by Spring/Summer 2026. This research supports the Warm Homes Plan which will be published by the end of the year. We are working across government on a comprehensive plan which aims to upgrade up to five million homes by accelerating the installation of efficient new heat technologies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether charities paying non-commercial rates will pay the Nuclear regulated asset base charges. \p Michael Shanks: The Nuclear Regulated Asset Base (RAB) Model (Revenue Collection) Regulations 2023 set out how RAB levies for nuclear projects will be implemented; electricity suppliers are levied for the RAB allowed revenue, which we expect to be passed on to non-exempt domestic and non-domestic consumers.  By allowing revenue from the start of the project’s construction, we expect to bring down project cost of capital and avoid the roll up of interest, the cost of which could otherwise be passed on to consumers.  Once operational, analysis shows Sizewell C could create savings of £2 billion a year across the future low-carbon electricity system, leading to cheaper power for consumers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_462

Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of improved energy efficiency in buildings on (a) energy security, (b) consumer bills and (c) carbon budgets. \p Martin McCluskey: Decarbonising buildings is the only certain way to permanently lower bills, protect the UK against price shocks, reduce demands and preserve energy security by helping the UK become energy independent.

Government schemes are already delivering improvements to home energy efficiency through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF), the new Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and the continuation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) supporting thousands of households to upgrade their heating systems and reduce carbon emissions.

The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. We will publish more details soon.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_463

Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to support nurseries with energy bills. \p Martin McCluskey: The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

In the short-term, the Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. Last year, the Government launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers.

The consultation has now closed, and a Government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-21 conversation_464

Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of extending minimum EPC C requirements to include self-catering holiday lets on (a) rural tourism, (b) small businesses and (c) local economies; and if he will review his Department's decision to apply these regulations to short-term holiday accommodation. \p Martin McCluskey: Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030. We have sought views on whether short-term lets should be included in the scope of our changes, to help ensure a consistent standard across all private rented properties. We received a significant number of responses and have engaged widely with stakeholders on our proposals. A government response will be published in due course.