theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that patients are aware that they will continue to have the option to arrange GP appointments by (a) telephone and (b) visiting a practice in-person. \p Stephen Kinnock: General practices are independent business that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public. The GP contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person. Practice receptions should be open so that patients have a choice in access and so that patients who struggle to access telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

As a part of this contract, we also require general practices to provide an online consultation tool as an option for patients to contact their general practice throughout core hours. We are clear that all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practitioner.
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken with the British Dental Association to make changes to the dental contract. \p Stephen Kinnock: We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability.

Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, dentistry. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.

We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for National Health Service dental patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients in (a) Stockton West constituency and (b) the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees who are unable to access NHS dentistry services. \p Stephen Kinnock: Dental Statistics - England 2024-25, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 28 August 2025, is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425

The data for North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes Stockton West and Stockton-on-Tees, shows that 44% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, compared to 40% in England; and that 60% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025, compared to 58% in England.

Additionally, GP Patient Survey results data for the dentistry specific questions, published 24 July 2025, is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/gp-patient-survey-dental-statistics-january-to-march-2025-england/

This data shows that 24% of respondents who had tried to make an NHS dentist appointment in the last two years in North East and North Cumbria ICB did not get an appointment, compared to 21% for the whole of England.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to (a) services and (b) support for people affected by Functional Neurological Disorder. \p Ashley Dalton: The majority of services for people with neurological conditions, including functional neurological disorder (FND), are commissioned locally. Integrated care board (ICB) commissioners are best placed to configure services for their populations, supported by clinical guidance.

NHS England’s Neuroscience Transformation Programme is supporting ICBs to deliver the right services, at the right time for all neurology patients, which includes providing care closer to home.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and RightCare Toolkits, including the Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, the Headache and Migraine Toolkit, and the Epilepsy Toolkit, aim to improve care for patients with neurological conditions by reducing variation.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in October 2025. The guideline covers rehabilitation in all settings for children, young people, and adults with a chronic neurological disorder, neurological impairment, or disabling neurological symptoms resulting from acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury or peripheral nerve disorder, progressive neurological disease, or FND. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times his Department has attended Motability board meetings over the past two years. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department has attended every Motability Board meeting which are held quarterly each year for the last two years.
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Catherine Fookes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help support Universal Credit claimants to become self-employed. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Universal Credit supports self-employment where it is the best route for customers to become financially independent.

Work Coaches can signpost customers to national and local support where available, such as business advice, mentoring or training. Depending on the customers circumstances, this may also include connecting them with other government support including:
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) PIP and (b) DLA claimants who are members of the Motability scheme, had a psychiatric disorder as their main disabling condition in each of the last five years. \p Sir Stephen Timms: 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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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding his Department has provided to the Motability Scheme in 2025. \p Sir Stephen Timms: 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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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: 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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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) PIP and (b) DLA claimants who are members of the Motability scheme had any type of depressive disorder as their main disabling condition in each of the last five years. \p Sir Stephen Timms: 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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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) PIP and (b) DLA claimants who are members of the Motability scheme had ADHD as their main disabling condition in each of the past 5 years. \p Sir Stephen Timms: 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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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he will subject Motability to competitive tendering for the right to run the scheme. \p Sir Stephen Timms: 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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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to support paying parents with intermittent long-term disabilities. \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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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 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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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that pensioners who retired before April 2016 do not fall into poverty. \p Torsten Bell: The Government is committed to supporting pensioners and ensuring they have financial security and dignity in retirement.

The State Pension remains the foundation of our support for pensioners. In April this year, both the basic and new State Pensions increased by 4.1%, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £470. And our commitment to maintain the Triple Lock – helping to protect the value of the State Pension – for the entirety of this Parliament will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rise significantly.

Pensioners who reached State Pension age before April 2016, and therefore receive the basic State Pension, may also receive an earnings-related additional State Pension (also known as the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) or from April 2002 the State Second Pension) and Graduated Retirement Benefit. This means that although the rate of the basic State Pension is set below the rate of the new State Pension, a person who retired before April 2016 may be receiving a larger amount of pension than just the basic rate – and in many cases above the level of the new State Pension.

Pension Credit continues to provide vital financial support for pensioners who, for whatever reason, have been unable to save for or contribute towards their retirement and find themselves on a low income. It was introduced by the last Labour Government specifically to help prevent pensioners falling into poverty and it does this by guaranteeing a minimum level of income, currently £227.10 week for a single pensioner or £346.40 week for a couple. For pensioners who reached State Pension age before April 2016, the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit also provides a tapered award for those with other income such as a modest private or occupational pension.

Receipt of Pension Credit opens the door to other financial support, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax support and help with NHS costs as well as help with fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75.

That is why we continue to promote Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends, with our ongoing campaign featuring adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure the compatibility of the Pathways to Work green paper with the UK's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We take our international obligations including those under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) very seriously.

The measures announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, and those implemented in the Universal Credit Act, are in accordance with this Government’s commitment to help disabled people fulfil their potential.

We remain committed to constructive engagement with disabled people and broader stakeholders as part of our efforts to develop and implement reforms that support disabled people. This is evidenced with the launch of collaboration committees which bring together groups of disabled people and other experts for specific work areas to collaborate and provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations. The Disability Advisory Panel is being established to convene and connect the expertise of deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions into our policy and strategy design and delivery. This will be chaired by Disability rights expert and consultant Zara Todd, taking a guiding role in the development and focus of the panel.

We are also engaging with disabled people and their representatives as part of the Timms Review, which aims to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence. We have committed to co-producing the Review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and other stakeholders.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Timms review on the Health Transformation Programme. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Health Transformation Programme is transforming the entire Personal Independence Payment (PIP) service to improve customer experience and efficiency, build trust in our decisions and support people to enter or remain in work. The Programme is working closely with the Timms review and will support the delivery of any service changes following its outcome, to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future.
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Emma Lewell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government has spent on litigations with the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign group in each year since 2015. \p Torsten Bell: We do not hold yearly breakdowns. Based on the information held, since 2015, the recorded legal costs on litigations with WASPI including disbursements and VAT are £82,700.84.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for the processing of Access to Work applications in the most recent period for which data is available. \p Sir Stephen Timms: From April 2025 to August 2025 the average waiting time for the processing of Access to Work applications was 94.9 days and it was 93.6 day for the most recent month of August 2025.

While we aim to make payments within 20 working days of receipt of all correctly completed claim forms and all required supporting evidence, unfortunately this is not always possible.

To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal.

To support our customers several measures have already been put in place, including streamlining our delivery processes and recruiting additional staff.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of claimants who receive payments (a) monthly, (b) weekly, (c) fortnightly and (d) at any other frequency for each benefit administered by his Department. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Kirsteen Sullivan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many investigations the Health and Safety Executive undertook into companies for failing to meet personal protective equipment legal standards in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he will ask the Pensions Commission to consider the potential merits of allowing people of working age living with a terminal illness to claim state pension. \p Torsten Bell: The government recognises the importance of ensuring that individuals who are terminally ill are treated with compassion and dignity. The Terms of Reference for the Pensions Commission, which set out the scope for the Commission, were published on the 21st July. The Commissioners will consider what is required in the long term to deliver financial security in retirement through a pensions framework that is stronger, fairer and more sustainable. The Commissioners will engage with a wide range of issues relevant to their terms of reference and will publish their findings in due course.
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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department’s review of Universal Credit will consider (a) the potential impact and effectiveness of the conditionality scheme and (b) the necessity of sanctions for lead carers of children. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The review of Universal Credit is exploring the policy design and structures of Universal Credit and is focused on three main areas:

We have already shown our ambition with the changes made to the Fair Repayment Rate, enabling 1.2m households to retain an average of £420 per year.

Conditionality and sanctions are not in scope of the review. We do, however, continuously review both the policy and how they are applied, as well as how they affect claimants and their outcomes.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 74705 on Social media, how much his Department has spent on promotion through social media influencers by influencer since July 2024. \p Andrew Western: The Department for Work and Pensions has spent a total of £120,023 on influencer marketing since July 2024. Please note this figure is inclusive of whole costs, including agency fees. It is not possible to release individual spend per influencer, as commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support the engineering and manufacturing industry to take on apprentices. \p Andrew Western: This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will give greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in Calder Valley, and support the industrial strategy.

We know that skills gaps are holding back business growth across the country and that is why the government is supporting employers to invest in skills training. Employers have long been calling for greater flexibility in the apprenticeships levy, and we are delivering this.

In August, we reduced the minimum duration of an apprenticeship to 8 months so that shorter apprenticeships are possible. All sectors will be able to make use of this flexibility where this is appropriate for the role or the apprentice. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.

Additionally, we have introduced new foundation apprenticeships, to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. The first foundation apprenticeships are focussed on industrial strategy and priority areas including engineering and manufacturing.

They will be underpinned by an employer incentive payment of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. This is in addition to the £1,000 we pay to employers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in care.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to review the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund in the South East, in the context of changes in food and housing costs. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In January 2025, the Department published an evaluation of the fourth Household Support Fund (HSF) scheme, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

We will use findings from delivery of the Household Support Fund to inform policy for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, starting from 1 April 2026.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of skills shortages in the hospitality sector. \p Andrew Western: The Employer Skills Survey provides robust estimates of skills shortages. In 2024, the Hotels and Restaurants sector in England had over 15,000 vacancies that were hard to fill due to a lack of skills, qualifications or experience. This was a decrease from 43,000 in 2022. 21% of all vacancies in this sector were due to a skill shortage, which is lower than the average of 27% across all sectors. The 2024 Employer Skills Survey can be found at: Employer Skills Survey , Calendar year 2024 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK
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Emma Lewell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) identify and (b) remove deteriorating asbestos in (i) schools and (ii) hospitals. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The safety of those using and working in buildings including schools and hospitals is extremely important.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) require all duty holders to assess whether asbestos is present, what condition it is in and whether it gives rise to a risk of exposure. They must then draw up a plan to manage the risk associated with asbestos, which must include removal if it cannot be safely managed where it is located. Asbestos must also be removed before any major refurbishment work and before demolition.

Responsibility for keeping schools and hospitals safe and well-maintained lies with the respective duty holders and they are expected to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos effectively, in line with their legal duties.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to work with other Government and Devolved Administrations to ensure that public sector duty holders are aware of and comply with their responsibilities for asbestos management, taking enforcement action where necessary.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the total (a) amount of child maintenance arrears owed and (b) number of children for whom maintenance was outstanding in Wiltshire in each of the past five years. \p Andrew Western: The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new applications have been made to the Child Maintenance Service in each of the last ten years. \p Andrew Western: The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and the latest statistics are currently available to June 2025. Table 1 of the latest National tables includes the information on the total applications received by CMS for each of the last five quarters, from quarter ending June 2024 to quarter ending June 2025.

Statistics from August 2016 to March 2024 are available in ‘Table 1’ in the ‘National tables’ of previous releases and the resulting annual data, from August 2016 to June 2025, has been provided in the table below.

Annual Applications to the Child Maintenance Service, Great Britain, August 2016 to June 2025
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on improving communication between his Department and HMRC on (a) cases involving voluntary National Insurance contributions paid while working abroad and (b) other matters. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We work closely with HMRC on Voluntary National Insurance Contributions, sharing information where appropriate and proactively identifying ways we can improve our working practices. This includes Voluntary National Insurance Contribution related work.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will issue guidance to the Child Maintenance Service on recognising up to six months of prior payments made by a paying parent to a receiving parent when calculating new payment plans. \p Andrew Western: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates through broad rules set out in child support legislation which aim to provide the best overall outcome for all parents who use the CMS. We have to allow for sensible decision-making across a large range of cases.

When a change happens that means the amount of money to be paid rises or falls, until a new maintenance calculation is completed and a replacement payment schedule issued, the Paying Parent is required to continue to make payments in accordance with the existing payment schedule. Once the calculation is finalised, any overpayments or underpayments will be adjusted for in the updated payment schedule.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) accuracy of Universal Credit assessments and (b) prevent overpayment errors for working single parents in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring the accuracy of Universal Credit (UC) assessments and minimising overpayment errors for all claimants.

Improving Accuracy of Assessments

We have strengthened internal quality assurance processes and agent performance monitoring to ensure UC assessments are completed accurately, including:

We also continue to refine our data-sharing arrangements with other government departments to ensure timely and accurate information is used in assessments.

Preventing Overpayment Errors

The Department has introduced several measures to reduce overpayments, including:

These efforts have contributed to a reduction in the UC overpayment rate from 12.4% in 2023/24 to 9.7% 2024/25. The Department remains committed to further reducing error rates and improving outcomes for all UC claimants.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review the Child Maintenance Service and Government Legal Department procedures so as to minimise (a) unlawful enforcement and (b) the wasting of court time. \p Andrew Western: Where a paying parent fails to pay on time or in full, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aims to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance. The CMS is committed to using its wide-ranging enforcement powers proportionally, and in the best interests of children and separated families. Enforcement actions taken by Child Maintenance Service (CMS) must comply with the Human Rights Act 1998.

A number of administrative enforcement powers are available to the CMS that do not require the use of court time, in order to re-establish payments to children eg: a deduction from earnings order. A parent who is unhappy with the exercise of such powers can either appeal to an independent tribunal to reconsider their calculation and therefore what they owe, or, in the case of the more intrusive powers, can appeal directly to a court.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of how the total value of child maintenance arrears owed in Wiltshire has changed since 2015; and what steps he is taking to reduce the level of arrears. \p Andrew Western: The statistical information requested for Wiltshire is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

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.
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Fred Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether staff in his Department receive trauma-informed training. \p Andrew Western: Trauma informed learning is available to all DWP staff.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Independent Review of Carer's Allowance overpayments will be published. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Government is carefully considering the recommendations of the Independent Review, conducted by Liz Sayce, into overpayments of Carer’s Allowance (CA). The review investigated how overpayments of CA related to earnings occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of these problems occurring in future.

We have already taken steps to improve the way CA operates and to support those who can combine their caring responsibilities with some paid work, including changing the weekly CA earnings limit to match 16 hours work at National Living Wage levels. This is the largest ever increase in the earnings limit since CA was introduced in 1976 and the highest percentage increase since 2001. Over 60,000 additional people will be able to receive CA between 2025/26 and 2029/30 as a result from investment worth around £500 million.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_232

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure employers provide reasonable adjustments for employees with epilepsy. \p Dame Diana Johnson: All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled employee, including employees with epilepsy, would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_233

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department are taking to encourage language learning in adults. \p Andrew Western: The Department for Work and Pensions supports adults aged 19+ in England who speak English as a second or additional language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision. ESOL is funded through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), subject to the eligibility requirements laid out in the ASF rules. The ASF fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3. ESOL allows learners to develop the English language skills they need for everyday life, work or further learning.

Currently, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF funded adult education for their residents and the allocation of the ASF to learning providers. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the needs of their communities.

In non-devolved areas, ASF funding is available for a range of languages for level 3 and below. These qualifications include, for example, the Level 1 Award in British Sign Language which allows learners to communicate in British Sign Language on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_234

Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that employers support those living with migraine. \p Dame Diana Johnson: We recognise that migraines are a serious neurological condition that can have a significant impact on people’s ability to work and live well. Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions, such as migraines, to thrive in the workforce. All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.

There are a range of existing initiatives that already provide support. The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. The scheme provides resources such as the Disability Confident Manager’s Guide, which includes guidance on flexible working and workplace adjustments. The Government also offers tailored guidance to employers on supporting disabled people and people with health conditions in the workplace, through its Support with Employee Health and Disability service. This includes guidance on disclosures and having conversations about health and disabilities, plus guidance on legal obligations and making reasonable adjustments. The WorkWell pilot which is live in 15 areas across England accepts referrals from employers and provides low intensity holistic work and health support for disabled people and those with health-related barriers to employment.

In our Get Britain Working White Paper, published November 2024, we committed support for employers to recruit, retain and develop staff. As part of that, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead ‘Keep Britain Working’, an independent review to consider how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie Mayfield will deliver a final report with recommendations later in the Autumn.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_235

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative data his Department holds on rates of (a) child poverty and (b) homelessness in (i) West Dorset, (ii) Dorset, (iii) the South West and (iv) England. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being  Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

In 2023/24, 2,307 (17.0%) children (under age 16) in West Dorset were in relative low income before housing costs. In Dorset, 9,886 (17.2%) children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs, as were 0.2 million (18.3%) children (under age 16) in the South West. In England, using a three-year average for 2021/22 to 2023/24, 2.4 million (21.9%) in children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs.

This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers as part of our strategy, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.

In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. We have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.

In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.

We do not hold data on rates of homelessness.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_236

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support parents financially in order to improve birth rates in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-20 conversation_237

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of people with epilepsy in the workplace. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

Disabled people and people with health conditions, including epilepsy, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including epilepsy, with their employment journey. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.

It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the DWP and DHSC Joint Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025.

Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.