theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the proportion of additional funding for community pharmacies that will be required from 1 April 2025 to cover the increase in (a) employer National Insurance contributions, (b) business rates and (c) the National Minimum Wage in (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26. \p Stephen Kinnock: We have taken the necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department, from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.

The Department considered the increase in the National Living Wage when consulting on the funding arrangements for community pharmacy. We have now agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion from April 2025. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 32576 on Fires: Air Pollution, whether the UK Health Security Agency and its predecessor has made an assessment of the impact of air pollution caused by backyard burning of domestic waste on public health. \p Ashley Dalton: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), formerly Public Health England, has published systematic reviews of the epidemiological studies on the health impacts associated with outdoor and indoor exposure to solid fuel burning. This included biomass and coal, and respiratory diseases in children and adults. The evidence suggests that burning solid fuels indoors could contribute to the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in adults, while the evidence for other respiratory effects is less clear. The results regarding outdoor exposure and the health effects were too limited to draw firm conclusions.

The evidence of links between exposure to air pollution and a wider range of health effects, such as adverse birth outcomes, diabetes, and increased dementia risk, also continues to build, with varying strengths of evidence. This was noted in the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report on air pollution 2022, which the UKHSA contributed to. This report is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officers-annual-report-2022-air-pollution
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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 15729 on Down's Syndrome, when the statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 will be published. \p Stephen Kinnock: Officials have been working to develop the Down Syndrome Act 2022’s statutory guidance as a priority, engaging with sector partners and relevant Government departments.

We expect to issue the draft guidance for public consultation by the summer. The guidance will be published at the earliest opportunity, following the consultation.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress each NHS Trust providing maternity services has made on implementing each of the immediate and essential actions set out in the Final report of the Ockenden review, published on 30 March 2022. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Emma Lewell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many families receive Healthy Start in South Shields. \p Ashley Dalton: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures on the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/

The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme for South Tyneside in March 2025 was 1,162. The following table shows the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme, broken down by all ward areas in South Tyneside, of which South Shields is a part, as the NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies:

Local authority

Ward

People on the digital scheme

South Tyneside

Beacon and Bents

44

South Tyneside

Bede

93

South Tyneside

Biddick and All Saints

160

South Tyneside

Boldon Colliery

65

South Tyneside

Cleadon and East Boldon

2

South Tyneside

Cleadon Park

50

South Tyneside

Fellgate and Hedworth

54

South Tyneside

Harton

59

South Tyneside

Hebburn North

79

South Tyneside

Hebburn South

65

South Tyneside

Horsley Hill

82

South Tyneside

Monkton

42

South Tyneside

Primrose

71

South Tyneside

Simonside and Rekendyke

121

South Tyneside

West Park

49

South Tyneside

Westoe

26

South Tyneside

Whitburn and Marsden

24

South Tyneside

Whiteleas

76
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what type of mental health support will patients who are prescribed antidepressants be able to receive from community pharmacies. \p Stephen Kinnock: The New Medicine Service (NMS) is an advanced service offered by community pharmacies, providing patients with advice to address any possible side effects, issues, or questions that patients who are prescribed a new medicine may have. The service focuses on treatments for long-term conditions, including asthma and hypertension.

Early interventions of this type can improve medication adherence, patient outcomes, and can reduce pressure on the wider National Health Service. From October 2025, the NMS will expand to introduce depression as a further therapeutic area for which patients can receive support.
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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme claims on Covid-19 vaccinations which have been accepted following mandatory reversal based upon (a) additional evidence provided and (b) existing evidence. \p Ashley Dalton: Claimants to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) can ask for a reassessment, known as a mandatory reversal, if they disagree with the  decision on the eligibility of their claim. Additional evidence can be added before it is reassessed, and this can include medical records.

Between 1 November 2021, when the NHS Business Services Authority took over administration of the VDPS, and 20 March 2025, 25 claims have been awarded a Vaccine Damage Payment following a mandatory reversal. Additional evidence was provided for all of these claims.

Claims without additional evidence are received and reassessed through the mandatory reversal process. However, no claims without additional evidence have been awarded a Vaccine Damage Payment.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned changes to the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme on listed places of worship. \p Chris Bryant: DCMS Ministers received advice on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, including consideration of the potential impacts of various options to scale the scheme.

The changes announced were necessary given the tight fiscal challenges we inherited from the previous government and considering competing financial demands in other parts of the heritage and cultural sector.Will continue the widest distribution of the scheme’s benefits within the available means. Based on previous scheme data, we expect 94% of claims to be unaffected by this change.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with media production companies on producing more content to promote positive male role models. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises the important positive contribution made by our creative industries, including our public service broadcasters, in informing, educating, and entertaining audiences. However, editorial decisions are ultimately a matter for individual production companies.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what elite-level training facilities are used by British Cycling to support (a) road cycling and (b) cyclocross. \p Stephanie Peacock: British Cycling has a dedicated elite training facility at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.

Whilst not all disciplines use centralised facilities, all riders on the Olympic and Paralympic world class programme are supported by world-class coaching and support staff according to their specific needs.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will help fund the (a) repair and (b) reopening of Deepings Leisure Centre in Deeping St James. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level. We share your ambition to ensure that people in Deeping St James can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with Ofcom on encouraging competition in broadcast news media. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Department regularly engages with Ofcom on a range of issues including the importance of a competitive and diverse broadcasting sector.

Ofcom has a statutory duty under the Communication Act 2003 to secure and maintain a sufficient plurality of providers of different TV and radio services. Ofcom also has a duty to review the operation of media ownership rules across TV, radio and press every three years. Ofcom published their latest review on 15 November 2024.
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Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to outdoor sports facilities during school holidays. \p Stephanie Peacock: Everyone, including children and young people, should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. The Government has committed to continued funding for grassroots facilities which will ensure that communities have access to high-quality, inclusive facilities, no matter where they live.

The Government recently announced £100 million additional funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme which funds new and upgraded pitches, facilities, and equipment, so that sites can provide a more inclusive and sustainable offer throughout the year, including the school holidays.

More widely, the Government has confirmed more than £200 million of funding for the Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) programme over the 2025/26 financial year. The HAF programme provides healthy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families over the school holidays, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase access to grassroots sports in local communities. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises the vital role that grassroots sports provide for people across the UK, including the physical and mental health benefits of participating in sport and how grassroots clubs can foster a sense of community cohesion and pride in place.

The Home Nation’s sports councils are responsible for the majority of investment in grassroots sport across the UK. However, DCMS is committed to improving the provision of high-quality grassroots sports facilities across the whole of the UK to enable as many people as possible to get active.

On 21 March, we announced an additional £100 million to be invested through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. £3 million of this additional funding is to be invested in Northern Ireland through the Irish Football Association. This funding is designed to benefit the areas most in need, with 50% of investment going to the 30% most deprived areas in the UK. There will also be a strong focus on increasing provision for under represented groups, such as women and girls, ethnic minorities groups and disabled players. At least 40% of funded projects will also have a multi-sport offer, ensuring more can participate and get active across a variety of sports.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the BBC on ensuring that the programmes it commissions reflect the views of people from across the UK. \p Stephanie Peacock: As a public service broadcaster that matters hugely to public life, the BBC must be responsive to viewers and listeners and tell inclusive stories about the lives of all people, in all parts of the UK. Under the current Charter, the BBC has an obligation to ‘reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions’. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government in determining how it meets that obligation, and it is for the independent regulator Ofcom to hold the BBC to account.

As part of the next Charter Review, the Government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade and beyond. This will include discussions on a range of important issues and will start a national conversation to make sure the BBC truly represents and delivers for every person in this country
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what advice her Department provides to creative industries considering the use of legal recourse when artificial intelligence has been used in breach of copyright. \p Chris Bryant: It would be inappropriate for the Government to provide direct legal advice to individual creators or organisations, but we fully recognise the serious and evolving challenges posed by the use of copyrighted material in AI development.

The current UK Copyright Framework enables creative rights holders to prevent the unauthorised use of protected works, but this can be very difficult to implement in the context of AI, especially for individual firms and creators. We encourage rights holders who believe their work has been used unlawfully to seek independent legal advice.

More broadly, the Government is working to ensure that copyright and intellectual property frameworks remain robust and fit for purpose in the age of AI. We have received over 11,500 responses to our consultation, principally from creators. It is only right that we take the time to read and understand those responses and use them to shape our approach. We have been clear that AI developers must be more transparent about the content they use to train their models and that rights holders should have effective control of their works.

Addressing this is an urgent priority for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, but no decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers for the creative industries.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on (a) the long-term sustainability of Welsh National Opera’s full-time orchestra and (b) ensuring the continuation of its touring programme across England and Wales. \p Chris Bryant: On behalf of the Secretary of State, last year I held a series of productive meetings with the Wales Office, Welsh Government, Arts Council England, and Welsh National Opera (WNO) to understand the issues in more detail and to see how, within the parameters of the arm’s length principle, DCMS can best help ensure a strong and secure future for the WNO.

Across all these meetings there was a recognition of the value of the WNO and its work - both for the people of Wales, and for people elsewhere in the UK. It was clear that all partners were keen to achieve a positive long-term future for the organisation.

Everyone wants to sustain the WNO, and so I was pleased to see additional funding of £755,000 allocated by the Arts Council of Wales to WNO last December. Funding decisions are of course for the Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council England, however, I welcome the tenure of the new joint CEOs and General Directors at WNO, and I am confident that they are now in a strong place to succeed.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support British musicians touring in the EU. \p Chris Bryant: We are working closely with the music industry to tackle the challenges facing UK musicians and their support staff when touring in the EU. We remain in open and constructive dialogue with the EU, with a view to improve arrangements across the European continent without seeing a return to free movement. Most recently, on 7 April, I attended the Informal Meeting for EU Culture Ministers in Warsaw as a guest of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This is the first time a UK minister has been invited since Brexit. Our aim is to identify practical solutions to ensure that UK artists can continue to perform across Europe with minimal barriers while respecting the regulatory frameworks on both sides.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 35700 on Tower of London, whether the Government has had discussions with UNESCO on the potential impact of the planning application for a new Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint on the Tower of London World Heritage site. \p Chris Bryant: On 25 February 2025, DCMS submitted a ‘paragraph 172 notification’ letter to the World Heritage Centre that included updated information on a range of developments relating to the Tower of London World Heritage Site.

The letter included an update on the planning process for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court, noting that Historic England does not disagree with the conclusions of the Heritage Impact Assessment that any impacts on the Tower of London World Heritage Site from the proposed development would be minimal.

As the Heritage Impact Assessment has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and since the Public Inquiry has closed, DCMS as State Party has not requested further specific advice from ICOMOS (the advisors to UNESCO).
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it his policy to consult on any changes to (a) actors' and (b) performers' employment rights within the cultural sector. \p Chris Bryant: We are committed to giving British creators increased security at work, and providing the creative industries with a regulatory and fiscal environment where imagination and innovation can flourish. To support this aim, DCMS is working closely with the sector to understand the implications of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay on the Creative Industries.

The Plan to Make Work Pay will represent the biggest upgrade in employment rights in a generation, bringing the UK back into line internationally. It tackles poor working conditions and job security, and by making work more flexible and more family-friendly, will support our wider programme across employment, health and skills policy to get Britain working.

This includes a commitment to consult on a simpler, two-part framework for employment status. Some reforms in The Plan to Make Work Pay will take longer to undertake and implement, and we see this consultation as a longer-term goal.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times her Department has used (a) section 71 and (b) section 71ZE of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 to recover assets from people found to have committed fraud in each of the last five years. \p Andrew Western: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Mel Stride:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's proposed reforms to eligibility for Personal Independence Payment on employment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total (a) value and (b) number of payments made by her Department to Motability in each year since 2010. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions retains financial information for 7 years in compliance with the fifth principle of the Data Protection Act, therefore we are unable to provide historic data back to 2010. We can provide the requested estimated total Motability values data for the previous three calendar years, DWP has paid:

2022 - c£607 million

2023 - c£600 million

2024 - c£600 million

We are unable to provide volumes data, and value data for earlier years within the timescales required for this request, due to the time required to interrogate our systems to obtain this level of information.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will undertake a health impact assessment of proposed changes to health and disability benefits in her Department's Green Paper entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, published on 18 March 2025. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, with some information published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
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Mel Stride:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of new style Employment and Support Allowance claims have been in payment for at least (a) three, (b) six, (c) 12, and (d) 18 months for (i) the Work Related Activity Group and (ii) the Support Group. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The following table shows the volume of new style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) and Support Group (SG) claims that have been in payment for at least three, six, 12 and 18 months.

Volumes of ESA claims that have been in payment for at least three, six, 12 and 18 months

In payment for at least:

Work-related Activity Group

Support Group

3 months

6,000

708,000

6 months

5,000

701,000

12 months

1,000

677,000

18 months

-

653,000

Source: DWP administrative data for Employment and Support Allowance

Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve employment capacity in local job centres. \p Alison McGovern: We have interpreted your question to refer to the functionality of Jobcentre Plus and the role they play in increasing employment.

The Government has set a long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate, building on our plan for growth. The Get Britain Working White Plan sets out the fundamental reforms needed to realise our ambitions, including the vision to reform Jobcentres - to a new Jobs and Careers Service to meet the needs of local labour markets, people and employers.

Across Great Britain, the new service will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. Central to the new service will be our use of technology, enabling us to reinvest time in supporting people more effectively.

We are starting a test and learn approach to develop the new service. We are currently running two large-scale tests testing reducing the frequency of engagement with customers and the mode of mandatory engagement for Universal Credit claimants that are looking for work or are in lower paid jobs. These will help us to better understand what will work best for the individual.
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Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what estimate she has made of the number of people who will enter the workforce in the (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28 and (c) 2028-29 financial years as a result of the reforms set out in that paper. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the “Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper” will be published in due course, with some information already published alongside the Spring Statement.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

We will continue to work with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to estimate the potential labour market impacts of these proposals.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on best practice in joined up systems supporting people with long term health issues to (a) find work and (b) achieve long term employment. \p Alison McGovern: Regular cross government collaboration takes place at both Ministerial and official level. Examples of this can be seen through the publication of the Get Britain Working White Paper and the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits, Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, the Industrial strategy, the Joint Health and Work Directorate and the Make work pay legislation.
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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Code of Practice in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill in protecting the (a) rights and (b) privacy of (i) vulnerable people and (ii) people living in poverty. \p Andrew Western: As outlined in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill, DWP will publish three Codes of Practice to sit alongside its Information Gathering, Debt Recovery and Eligibility Verification measures. These are in development and we are already engaging with key stakeholders on the principles of the Codes. There will be public consultations to provide an opportunity for all interested parties to review and respond.

It is important to note these Codes of Practice are not legislation and so will not contain statutory provision themselves. They offer guidance and guidelines on how the Bill’s measures will be operationalised and detail the Bill’s practical application including the application of safeguards included in the Bill itself.

The Department is confident the Bill’s powers are compliant with the government’s duties under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), including the right to private life under Article 8. The measures are justified, lawful and proportionate and the Departments’ detailed analysis on ECHR is set out in the published ECHR Memorandum, available here.

The Impact Assessment which accompanies this Bill can be found here.

The Bill includes safeguards to provide assurance the new powers are used proportionately and effectively, and in a way that protects vulnerable people and people living in poverty. More information can be found here: Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill 2025: factsheets - GOV.UK
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what changes her Department plans to make to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessments for claimants suffering from longer-term degenerative conditions. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Award reviews are an important feature of Personal Independence Payment to ensure people receive the correct level of benefit, both for those whose needs will increase and those whose needs may decrease. People who receive the highest level of PIP and whose needs will not improve, receive a PIP award for a continuous period with a light touch review at the 10-year point.

In the Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working published on 18 March we outline plans to consider changes to improve the experience for people who receive these ongoing awards in PIP. These include improving the information we provide when we write to people about ongoing PIP award decisions, what support is offered between ‘light touch’ reviews and reviewing the length of time between ‘light touch’ reviews.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_174

Antonia Bance:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who receive (a) enhanced daily living Personal Independence Payment awards and (b) standard daily living Personal Independence Payment awards did not score four or more points on any individual activity descriptor in 2024-25 in Tipton and Wednesbury constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The requested information is not readily available.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_175
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_175

John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of making access to work schemes the responsibility of employers on small and medium-sized businesses. \p Sir Stephen Timms: As outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published on 18 March, we need to get the balance right between supporting employers to understand and provide reasonable adjustments as part of their legal duties, and interventions that go beyond this this to enable employment. There are no plans to require employers to provide measures beyond a reasonable adjustment.

We will assess any new intervention through evaluation, ensuring its impact and value for money.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_176
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_176

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the welfare reforms proposed in her Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, last updated 28 March 2025, on (a) reducing levels of and (b) preventing homelessness among disabled people. \p Sir Stephen Timms: No assessment has yet been made.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_177
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_177

John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to introduce a substantial risk element into the PIP assessment process. \p Sir Stephen Timms: In our Green Paper, Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, we announced our plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment and use the single Personal Independence Payment assessment to assess entitlement for the Universal Credit health element. We are considering how change of this kind could affect individuals who currently meet limited capability for work and work-related activity criteria due to non-functional special circumstances; including those currently classed as having substantial risk.

We also announced plans to launch a process to review the PIP assessment. We will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. Any changes to the PIP assessment will need to work alongside the reforms set out in the Green Paper.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_178
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_178

Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Fifty-seventh Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2022-23 on AEA Technology Pension Case, HC 1005, published on 14 June 2023, and to Questions 329 and 330 of the oral evidence given by the Minister for Pensions to the Work and Pensions select committee on 10 January 2024, HC 144, what steps she is taking to implement a redress scheme. \p Torsten Bell: In its response to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the AEA Technology case, the department agreed to consider the PAC recommendation to ‘ensure that people have an adequate route of appeal when considering complaints about their occupational and personal pensions, through a review of the Ombudsman’. Progress on the PAC and subsequent WPC recommendations were paused due to the General Election. The department remains committed to providing the PAC with an update once the Cabinet Office has considered how it would like departments to scope and schedule a new series of reviews for public bodies.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_179
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_179

Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to effectively communicate to eligible people over State Pension age that they may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is constantly working to improve the way it communicates information and is committed to encouraging older people to claim Carer’s Allowance where they are entitled to it.

Information and advice about entitlement to Carer’s Allowance may be available from a range of outlets including DWP and other helplines, gov.uk and other internet sites, local authorities, Citizens Advice and welfare benefit offices, Social Services, voluntary organisations, such as, Age UK, Carers UK and Carers Trust and MacMillan, public libraries, health clinics, doctors' surgeries and health visitors.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_180
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_180

Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the RNIB on its report entitled Access to Work - Cost benefit analysis, published on 5 September 2015, in the context of her Department's consultation on its Green Paper on Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 26 March 2025. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Since 2015, the style, scope and cost of support that disabled people require has changed significantly, as has the labour market, yet Access to Work has stayed broadly the same. We believe there is a strong case for looking at the future role and purpose of Access to Work, given the significant operational challenges it faces, its limited reach (it only supports around 1% of the working disabled population) and rising costs. We want to improve accessibility and support more disabled people into work and think Access to Work has a significant role in this.

In March 2025, the Pathways to Work Green paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work, and we are keen to hear the views and voices of disabled people and representative organisations, such as RNIB. We will consider all evidence during the review of Access to Work.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_181
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_181

Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of simplifying application forms for social security entitlements. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department continues to review the experience of users of its services, and seeks to balance application simplicity with obtaining the information needed for an accurate award. A key objective of DWP’s Service Modernisation Programme, drawing on end user research, is to assess how applications should be made in the future, and consider the opportunities for more user friendly and easily accessible services.

DWP Agents and third-party organisations are available to support customers with applications. For those without third party support, DWP provides various support to assist with benefit applications. The Department’s Visiting Service offers the most vulnerable applicants help with form completion.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_182
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_182

John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of planned reforms to Personal Independence Payment on people that receive (a) housing allowances and (b) higher rate housing allowances. \p Sir Stephen Timms: No such assessment has yet been made.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_183
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_183

John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of under 22 year olds who will no longer receive limited capability to work payments. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the “Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper” will be published in due course, with some information already published alongside the Spring Statement.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_184
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_184

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Green Paper: Pathways to Work, published on 18 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to (a) health and (b) disability benefits on health inequalities. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain, to ensure people can live well for longer, and spend less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances. We are working with the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that health is built into our policies, including those outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, with some information published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_185
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_185

Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has considered changes to the benefits system to reflect increases in costs for (a) building and contents insurance, (b) home maintenance, (c) boiler servicing and (d) other homeowner-related costs, in the context of those costs not usually applying to renters. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department has not recently considered changes to the benefit system to reflect increases in costs for (a) building and contents insurance, (b) home maintenance, (c) boiler servicing and (d) other homeowner-related costs.
wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_186
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-08 conversation_186

Iqbal Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to publish an assessment of the potential impact of the decision to means test the winter fuel payment on the number of excess deaths in winter 2024-25. \p Torsten Bell: Targeting Winter Fuel Payments was a difficult decision, but the right decision given the challenging public finances. The Government is, however, protecting pensioners on the lowest incomes. Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or other qualifying means-tested benefits or tax credits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 or over.

A very wide range of factors impact changes in mortality. Details of excess winter deaths in England and Wales can be found at: Winter mortality in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)