theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many video games studios have been supported by the UK Games Fund. \p Ian Murray: The UK Games Fund (UKGF) provides grant funding to small and medium-sized enterprises in the video games sector for development of new intellectual property, as well as development programmes for new graduate talent. As part of the recently published Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government announced the £30 million Games Growth Package, including an expansion of the UKGF over the next three years.

Since its inception in 2015, the UKGF has supported 440 companies with grant funding, and over 200 teams through talent development programmes Tranzfuser and DunDuv.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in the video games sector have also benefited from other support provided by DCMS and its arms-length bodies. This includes through the Create Growth Programme, which supports high-growth creative businesses to scale up and become investment ready.
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John Whitby:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the proposed short-term let registration scheme will ensure all properties are clean and safe. \p Stephanie Peacock: The registration scheme will make short-term let providers aware of their legal responsibilities, particularly around safety, helping to raise standards of accommodation, build consumer confidence, and support fair competition.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of hotels in West Dorset constituency on the local tourism economy. \p Stephanie Peacock: DCMS works closely with VisitEngland and local authorities to understand the contribution of tourism assets across England, including accommodation providers such as hotels. While we have not carried out a constituency-specific economic assessment for West Dorset, DCMS recognises that hotels provide direct employment and support local supply chains, and they enable visitor spending across the local economy, including restaurants, attractions, shops, and transport.

In Dorset, hotels play an important role in supporting domestic and international tourism, particularly linked to coastal and countryside destinations such as the Jurassic Coast, which help to sustain year-round economic activity in local communities. DCMS, in partnership with VisitEngland, works with Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (such as Visit Dorset) to promote destinations and develop initiatives to maximise the economic impact of tourism throughout the county.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) small and (b) independent hotels in West Dorset constituency during the off-peak season. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector as a valuable contributor to the UK economy and visitor offer. We are introducing permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000, alongside a new Licensing Taskforce to cut red tape. Targeted initiatives include a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme and the Zero Carbon Hospitality Trial, helping over 600 SMEs cut costs and emissions. Through ongoing collaboration with the Hospitality Sector Council, we are strengthening productivity and resilience across the sector.

DCMS works closely with VisitEngland, Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) and industry to support small and independent accommodation providers, including hotels in West Dorset. Targeted marketing campaigns encourage off-peak domestic breaks, while LVEPs like Visit Dorset improve local coordination and promote year-round tourism. These efforts, alongside the upcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy, help sustain the competitiveness of hotels and hospitality businesses throughout the year.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the hospitality industry in West Dorset constituency on staffing levels in the hotel sector. \p Stephanie Peacock: DCMS regularly engages with representatives of the hospitality industry, both nationally and regionally, to understand current challenges and opportunities in the sector, including staffing levels.

While we have not had discussions specifically with businesses in the West Dorset constituency, we work closely with industry bodies such as UKHospitality, which represent employers across the country (including those in West Dorset). Through these forums, the Government has listened to concerns about recruitment and retention, and continues to respond through a range of measures.

We will also set out our vision and ambition for the sector in our forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy later this year.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of national landscapes on levels of tourism in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) other rural constituencies. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises that our National Landscapes, such as the Dorset National Landscape, are among our nation's greatest assets and are significant drivers of domestic and international tourism for rural communities.

No assessment has been made on the impact of national landscapes on levels of tourism. The Office for National Statistics has published data sets on business activity including tourism, Enterprises in National Landscapes, Trails and Parks, which can be found at Enterprises in National Landscapes, Trails and Parks 2023 - Office for National Statistics

Details of tourism and visitor management undertaken by Dorset National Landscape in the West Dorset constituency can be found at Tourism and Visitor Management | Dorset National Landscape

We continue to work with VisitEngland to promote rural and coastal destinations and support the work of Local Visitor Economy Partnerships, such as the Visit Dorset Business Support Hub, in developing and marketing their local visitor offer, in which National Landscapes play a crucial role.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support disabled households with the cost of living in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Extra costs disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), are individual benefits paid to all qualifying members of a household. They provide a contribution towards the extra costs that may arise from a long-term disability or health condition. These benefits are non-contributory, non-means-tested, can be worth up to £9,747.40 a year, tax free and are paid in addition to any other benefits or income received. Receiving a qualifying rate of an extra costs disability benefit could also act as a ‘passport’ to extra money or higher amounts of other means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. It can also provide access to council tax reductions and a Disabled Person's Railcard.

We know for those who can, work is the best route out of poverty. The Government is investing in the biggest employment support package for disabled people and those with a health condition in a generation. Our Pathways to Work Guarantee will ensure there is an offer of work, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions claiming out of work benefits.

Disabled people may also benefit from the wide range of measures we have announced to support those in low-income families and households, including an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament, a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact), and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We have increased the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and introduced a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions, helping around 1.2 million UC households retain more of their award, 700,000 of these households include children. We are also expanding the Warm Home Discount Scheme to give more eligible households £150 off their winter energy bills. All households on a qualifying means tested benefit will be eligible for the Discount, bringing around 2.7 million households into the scheme and pushing the total number of households that will receive the discount this winter up to around 6 million.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to review how the Child Maintenance Service processes cases involving domestic abuse allegations. \p Andrew Western: We are committed to ensuring that victims and survivors of domestic abuse get the help and support they need to use the CMS safely.

CMS domestic abuse training has been reviewed to ensure it reflects the Home Office’s updated statutory guidance on coercive and controlling behaviour, published in April 2023, to ensure CMS staff are equipped to recognise this form of domestic abuse and signpost parents appropriately.

The CMS has access to a list of resources which helps caseworkers provide signposting to supporting organisations, and a Domestic Abuse plan which includes clear steps to follow in order to support customers who are experiencing abuse. The list of resources and Domestic Abuse Plan is regularly reviewed.

As well as the domestic abuse plan, the CMS responds to cases involving domestic abuse in several ways, including by acting as an intermediary in Direct Pay cases, and providing advice on how to set up bank accounts with a centralised sort code to limit the risk of a parent’s location being traced.

The Department has introduced a domestic abuse specialist caseworker team which provides a discrete and tactful service. The CMS determines which cases are referred to the team and offer, if required, a ‘named caseworker’ to prevent customers having to retell their story at each interaction.

The CMS reviews its domestic abuse training regularly to ensure caseworkers are equipped to support parents in vulnerable situations and the Department will continue to meet stakeholders regularly to maintain an open dialogue on how to improve the service.

We believe planned reforms to the direct pay service, where all payments are collected and transferred on behalf of parents will allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster, and better support victims and survivors of domestic abuse who use the CMS, reducing contact with the other parent and reducing the paying parent’s ability to financially control the receiving parent by paying too little or too late, as is currently the case on Direct Pay.
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Charlotte Nichols:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of welfare reforms on demand for independent advice services; and if he will make a statement. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The public consultation on the “Pathways to Work” Green Paper received over 47,500 responses before closing on the 30 June. We are now carefully reviewing responses as we develop further proposals, involving disabled people, including through the Timms review of PIP, collaboration committees and the department’s new Disability Advisory Panel.

We will continue to consider the potential impacts of reforms as part of our consideration of responses to the consultation, including any impacts on services.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned local government reorganisation in Surrey on the implementation of the Connect to Work programme in that county. \p Sir Stephen Timms: DWP has agreed a delivery plan and grant funding agreement with Surrey County Council to provide specialist Connect to Work employment support to up to 2500 disabled people, those with health conditions, and people with complex barriers until March 2030.

The planned local government reorganisation in Surrey is not expected to impact on the delivery of Connect to Work. Should there need to be a change to the Lead Authority (Accountable Body) for the Connect to Work programme in Surrey, DWP will work with the affected authorities to determine the best transition that maintains successful delivery of the programme.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the email from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot sent on 24 July 2025. \p Andrew Western: A reply was sent to the hon. Member by the Minister of State for Social Security and Disability, on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 17 September 2025.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to promote initiatives to help reskill older workers without IT skills. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Department for Work and Pensions currently offers support for those out of work, including older jobseekers, through its network of Jobcentres and through contracted employment programmes.

Where a work coach becomes aware that a customer lacks digital skills, they can refer them to suitable provision for example, Foundation Digital Skills, and then onto Essential Digital Skills. In addition, work coaches and employers are supported by 50PLUS Champions working across all 37 Jobcentre Districts. 50PLUS Champions act as enablers, working collaboratively to strengthen the support available to customers over the age of 50. Examples of personalised activities that Champions organise for older jobseekers include digital awareness sessions and confidence building. Through Midlife MOT reviews, delivered in Jobcentres across the UK and the digital MOT online, we also support older people to review their health, finances and skills.

The Government is reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new Jobs and Careers Service that will enable everyone, including the over 50s, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in their careers. This includes an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. The new service across Great Britain will be universal and

available to anyone who wants to look for work, increase their earnings, re-train, upskill, or change their career.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support entry-level employment opportunities for young people in the hospitality sector. \p Dame Diana Johnson: I recognise that the hospitality sector offers significant entry-level opportunities for young people. My department is working closely with UKHospitality, the trade body for the sector, to deliver Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) to 26 areas across the country. These SWAPs offer training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview to those ready to start a job, and participants that complete the programme gain the Hospitality Skills Passport which provides proof that a person is qualified to perform their job effectively and safely, giving them a universal entry standard into the sector.

A number of these SWAPs have already been delivered, most notably in coastal areas with high levels of deprivation such as Blackpool and Margate.

From April 2021 to June 2025 DWP delivered a total of 30,180 Hospitality SWAP starts across the country.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support available to people with Parkinson's disease in South Holland and the Deepings constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: I refer the Rt.Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 September 2025 to Question UIN 72849.
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Iqbal Mohamed:To the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on employment levels in the next (a) five and (b) ten years. \p Dame Diana Johnson: No current assessment has been made by the Department for Work and Pensions on the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on employment.

We are starting to witness AI’s impact within the labour market: transforming the workplace, demanding new skills and augmenting old ones. But there is uncertainty over the future scale of AI’s impact on the labour market. Given the recent rapid pace of AI development, government is planning against a range of plausible future outcomes and closely monitoring the data that will help track if we are heading towards any of these outcomes.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of employment support programmes for young people. \p Dame Diana Johnson: I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave 16 September to PQ 75889, referencing DWP evaluations which demonstrate the effectiveness of support programmes for young people.

The department will continue to build on the existing evidence base as we test, learn and improve the support available to help young people to find, stay in, and progress in work.

Our current evaluation plans include a dedicated evaluation of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers. Preparatory research is already underway to map activities, identify outcome pathways, and understand the supporting systems. As part of this research, we will also assess the feasibility of different methods to evaluate the impact of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers.

A process and theory-based evaluation will also be commissioned as part of a wider Get Britain Working Trailblazer evaluation, scheduled to begin in early 2026.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people on the top level of incapacity benefit have joined a coaching scheme to help get them back into work. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

There are several schemes for individuals in the Universal Credit Limited Capability for Work and Related Activity group (UC LCWRA) or Employment Support Allowance Support Group which may use some coaching to support individuals back to work. Examples include Additional Work Coach Support, Work and Health Programme, WorkWell, Connect to Work and Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies. However, these schemes are personalised to the needs of the individual and therefore coaching is only one of many ways to help get them back to work.

The published report “The impact of additional Jobcentre Plus support on the employment outcomes of disabled people” March 2025 includes some of the most recent relevant analysis on employment support for those on UC LCWRA.

The impact of additional Jobcentre Plus support on the employment outcomes of disabled people - GOV.UK
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support people with endometriosis in the workplace in Surrey Heath constituency. \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 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 women with endometriosis, 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.

In our March Green Paper, we set out our Pathways to Work Guarantee, backed by £1 billion a year of new additional funding by 2030. We will build towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits.

The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated our intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people. Furthermore, it outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.
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Iqbal Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support workers whose roles have been displaced due to offshoring by UK-based firms. \p Dame Diana Johnson: I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave on 10 September to PQ 72893.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that jobseekers receive prompt CV support. \p Dame Diana Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September to PQ 73218
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her planned timetable is for the review of the child maintenance calculation. \p Andrew Western: 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 an extensive public consultation, which we are planning to publish late in 2025, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny in the course of 2026.
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Julia Buckley:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the processing times of (a) applications for and (b) mandatory reconsiderations of Disability Living Allowance. \p Sir Stephen Timms: From April 2025 to August 2025, the actual average clearance times (AACT) for new Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claims is 77 days. Over the same period, the AACT for DLA Mandatory Reconsiderations (MR) is 125 days. These figures are averages, and are for child DLA claims only, as new claims for DLA are only open to children under the age of 16.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of potential impact of increasing the Dart Charge on the number of daily crossings. \p Simon Lightwood: Initial assessments suggest fewer car journeys and more goods vehicle journeys will be made than would have been the case if charges had been left unchanged. Revenue from the charging scheme, net of costs, must be spent on transport projects.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the increased use of (a) car-pooling and (b) lift sharing. \p Simon Lightwood: I am carefully considering how we can support and promote car club and car-sharing schemes. The Government already supports car clubs with bonus credits in the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and guidance for local authorities on charging for car clubs. As I set out in response to a topical question from the Member for Brentford and Isleworth on 11 September, I will hold a roundtable with industry stakeholders in the near future to inform these considerations.
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Greg Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to release the representative sample of local authorities it plans to consult on pavement parking research. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible. The new research announced last week will not delay this; my officials are finalising its terms now. Findings will be published within 12 weeks of agreeing final outputs, per Government Social Research protocols.
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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to (a) support bus services in (i) North East Hampshire constituency and (ii) other rural areas and b) reinstate bus routes that have been cancelled. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government knows how important, reliable and affordable bus services are enabling people to access education, work and vital services. The Government is committed to delivering better bus services across the country, including North East Hampshire and rural areas right across England.

The government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of our ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities that can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Hampshire County Council was allocated £14 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the government confirmed additional £900m funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that South Western Railway rail replacement bus services are fully wheelchair accessible. \p Keir Mather: Regulatory requirements apply to South Western Railway (SWR) to ensure rail replacement buses meet the necessary standards on accessibility. SWR works with its rail replacement providers to ensure services are accessible as far as possible, but if accessible options are not available, SWR will arrange alternative accessible transport.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to require train operating companies to guarantee that rail replacement services will be accessible for disabled passengers. \p Keir Mather: Rail replacement services operated by train operating companies must meet the needs of disabled passengers. This includes using vehicles compliant with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR). The train operators can only use non-PSVAR compliant vehicles when no compliant vehicle is available under the current exemption which will expire in July 2026. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) collects data on the levels of compliance with the PSVAR from the train operators. The ORR’s Annual Consumer Report for 2024/2025 showed that 96 per cent of rail replacement vehicles met required standards.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the third-party selling of vehicle registration marks. \p Simon Lightwood: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates. It is already illegal to use a vehicle displaying cloned number plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA and are required to verify that customers are entitled to the registration number. Suppliers must also maintain records of all plates issued. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS). Officials are considering options to ensure a more robust RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers.

On-road enforcement for offences relating to the display of number plates is the responsibility of the police. The police rely on existing statutory powers to seize vehicles displaying cloned number plates. The DVLA supports enforcement efforts by investigating reports of illegal trading and sharing intelligence with police and Trading Standards where appropriate.

To help victims of number plate cloning, the DVLA can, on request, provide a replacement age related registration number.

The table below shows the number of occasions where members of the public have contacted the DVLA about correspondence, fines or penalties that they have received from third parties about the use of vehicles which they do not recognise or accept responsibility for. This data is not held by constituency or region so specific information for Surrey Heath or the south east is not available. It is important to clarify that these figures do not represent confirmed cases of number plate cloning. While some of these reports may relate to cloned number plates, others may result from administrative errors, such as incorrect entry of registration numbers.

Calendar Year

Number of reports

2020

7,377

2021

7,430

2022

7,837

2023

9,848

2024

10,461
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to make cycling (a) safer and (b) more accessible through funding for (i) protected cycle lanes, (ii) well-lit routes and (iii) other new infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government treats road safety very seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing our Road Safety Strategy and will set out more detail when possible.

In the Spending Review we announced that we are allocating £616 million for Active Travel England from 2026-27 to 2029-30 to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure, which can include segregated cycle lanes and lighting.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_78

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with train operating companies on industrial disputes relating to the scanning of electronic tickets. \p Keir Mather: The train operating companies are responsible for managing industrial relations with their workforces and trade unions. The Department engages regularly with all of its contracted train operating companies regarding their approach to industrial disputes, including regarding ticket scanning.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_79
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_79

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of transferring the Office of Rail and Road’s (a) regulatory and (b) oversight functions to Great British Railways on (i) passenger protections and (ii) service standards. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent and that Great British Railways will be accountable for its decisions with appropriate oversight in place. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office of Rail and Road will continue to provide external regulation, enforcement and monitoring in the new sector across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_80
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_80

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Office of Rail and Road will (a) remain independent of Government and (b) retain oversight over Great British Railways’ decisions on (i) funding, (ii) licensing and (iii) track access. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office and Rail and Road will continue to play a crucial role in the new sector providing independent monitoring and enforcement across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_81
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_81

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what enforcement powers the Office of Rail and Road will retain once the Railways Bill is enacted; and in which circumstances her Department, will act as the primary regulator. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office of Rail and Road will continue to play a crucial role in the new sector providing independent monitoring and enforcement across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_82
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_82

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure scrutiny of Great British Railways’ decisions. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office of Rail and Road will continue to play a crucial role in the new sector providing independent monitoring and enforcement across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_83
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_83

Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on tackling (a) pavement parking and (b) other obstructions for (i) pushchair, (ii) wheelchair and (iii) mobility aid users. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with local authorities on these matters. The Government fully understands the serious problems that vehicles parked on the pavement, and other obstacles on the pavement, can cause for pedestrians, especially for people with mobility or sight impairments and those with wheelchairs, prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate. Recent reforms by my Department to the process by which Traffic Regulation Orders are made will make it easier for them to do so.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_84
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_84

Fleur Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the next meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge task force will be. \p Simon Lightwood: We intend to convene a further meeting of the Taskforce in the near future to discuss next steps. DfT officials will be in touch to arrange the specifics of this in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_85
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_85

Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on (a) promoting the safety of ethnic minority groups, (b) raising awareness of antisemitism and (c) protecting Jews in Scotland. \p Kirsty McNeill: Public safety is devolved to the Scottish Government. The Scotland Office regularly engages with Police Scotland on the safety of all our communities. The Government is clear that there is no place or justification for antisemitism.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_86
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_86

Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on their statements on Israel. \p Kirsty McNeill: Foreign Affairs and Defence Policy is reserved to the UK Government. Since day one, this Government has been clear that we need to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages cruelly detained by Hamas, better protection of civilians, significantly more aid consistently entering Gaza, and a path to long-term peace and stability. All our international partners understand that this is the UK’s position.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_87
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_87

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many days the Union Flag was flown on his Department's main buildings in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date. \p Kirsty McNeill: The Scotland Office leases space in Dover House, London from the Government Property Agency (GPA) and Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh from HMRC. GPA and HMRC follow guidance issued by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) regarding the flying of flags at these buildings.
wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_88
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-19 conversation_88

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to secondary school pupils who have not been awarded 5 GCSE's. \p Georgia Gould: All 16 to 19 study programmes should be tailored to support students to progress to education at a higher level or into employment, or should prepare them for adult life.

These study programmes should include substantial qualifications that stretch students. Students who are not awarded 5 GCSEs may take other level 2 qualifications to prepare them for employment or further study.

Any student on a 16 to 19 study programme, who has not yet achieved an English and/or maths GCSE grade 4 or higher, must continue studying these subjects.

In the 2025/26 academic year, the department has increased 16 to 19 funding for English and maths delivery and to help with the additional costs associated with teaching and supporting students who have not yet achieved English and/or maths GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 by the end of year 11.