theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-23)

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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to restrict dual-use technology from being exported to Israel. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

On 2 September we took decisive action, suspending certain licences for exports of items for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) that might be used in military operations in Gaza – whether such licences covered military or dual-use goods – and we continue to review licence applications on this basis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-23)

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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the interests of UK (a) beef and (b) ethanol producers are represented in the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: On 8 May, the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the US. The US has committed to further negotiations, and we will continue our extensive engagement with businesses from across the UK throughout these remaining negotiations.

For the first time ever, this deal will open up exclusive access for UK beef farmers to the US market. We are engaging extensively with the agricultural and food sector and will put the UK’s national interest first.

Senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting representatives of the domestic bioethanol industry, and the Secretary of State has met with bioethanol businesses. We are committed to working with the domestic bioethanol industry about their concerns.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-23)

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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Business and Trade of 31 October 2024, Official Report, column 927, what his Department's timetable is for publishing a Command Paper on support for small businesses. \p Gareth Thomas: The Government expects to publish the SME strategy later this year.

This will set out the Government’s vision for SMEs, from encouraging entrepreneurship to boosting scale-ups, across key policy areas such as creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment.

The paper will complement the Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-23)

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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the minimum wage on the trends in levels of hospitality workers. \p Justin Madders: The Government published an Impact Assessment (IA) for the 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage (NLW) rates, which includes a breakdown of the expected impacts by sector. The IA also sets out the economic literature to date, which shows that increases to the NLW have had a limited impact on labour demand, as measured by employment levels and hours worked.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-23)

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Patrick Hurley:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with Ofcom on stronger mechanisms for holding Royal Mail accountable for improving the reliability of letter deliveries. \p Justin Madders: It is for Ofcom to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards, and to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action. While the government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions, in January I met with representatives from Ofcom who gave their reassurance that Ofcom is closely monitoring Royal Mail’s performance and its action plan to drive improvement in quality of service.

In December 2024, following its investigation of Royal Mail’s performance in the 2023-24 financial year, Ofcom fined the company £10.5m because of its failure to significantly improve service levels. The government expects that Ofcom will continue to closely monitor Royal Mail’s performance and take action where appropriate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-23)

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Patrick Hurley:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage (a) the Royal Mail, (b) the Post Office and (c) Ofcom to collaborate on the (i) design and (ii) implementation of an Address and Collect service, ensuring access to mail for individuals without a secure address. \p Justin Madders: The government recognises the importance of access to post for all users, including those that are without a secure address. The universal postal service is intended to provide an accessible postal service for all.

An address and collect service solution involving Royal Mail and the Post Office would be an operational matter for those businesses but their further joint working, including with Ofcom, on this issue would be welcomed by government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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David Davis:To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make an estimate of the costs of (a) the two-week parliamentary sitting between the end of summer recess and the start of conference recess and (b) suspending maintenance work across the parliamentary estate during those sittings. \p Nick Smith: The House of Commons Commission 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. \p Chris Elmore: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council co-hosted a soft power workshop with the FCDO in June 2025. This workshop was held at the FCDO's King Charles Street office. The FCDO has provided funding in recent years to the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council for the Commonwealth Business Forum, which is held biennially at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), and also for the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit, held in London in non-CHOGM years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department's review of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance will include consideration of specific cases in which assistance was provided despite credible risks of torture or the application of the death penalty. \p Stephen Doughty: The Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment is an essential tool to ensure that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance meets our human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations, increases respect for the rule of law, and supports UK values.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for OSJA assessments so that it remains robust, effective and fit for purpose. As part of that review, we have engaged a range of stakeholders - including civil society organisations and Parliamentarians - through structured discussions. We are considering all the feedback received, including country examples that will help to inform the review process.

With countries whose practice raises questions about their compliance with international legal obligations, we ensure that our co-operation accords with our own international and domestic obligations; the UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture and is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance in the prohibition of UK involvement in (a) torture and (b) the death penalty. \p Stephen Doughty: The Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment is an essential tool to ensure that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance meets our human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations, increases respect for the rule of law, and supports UK values.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for OSJA assessments so that it remains robust, effective and fit for purpose. As part of that review, we have engaged a range of stakeholders - including civil society organisations and Parliamentarians - through structured discussions. We are considering all the feedback received, including country examples that will help to inform the review process.

With countries whose practice raises questions about their compliance with international legal obligations, we ensure that our co-operation accords with our own international and domestic obligations; the UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture and is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Government’s engagement with international partners on the use of the death penalty; and what steps his Department is taking to raise concerns with countries that continue to apply capital punishment. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We believe that the death penalty's use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable.

The UK works with our international partners and with NGOs to: increase the number of abolitionist countries, or countries with a moratorium on the use of the death penalty; reduce the numbers of executions and restrict the use of the death penalty in retentionist countries; increase judicial capacity and legal reform through training and partnerships with UK legal expertise, and encourage greater transparency about the use of the death penalty in line with international standards.

The UK remains a strong supporter of the UN General Assembly Resolution for the moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to redirect funding for orphanage economies to fund family strengthening. \p Stephen Doughty: As part of the Children's Care Reform campaign, a new programme was launched earlier this year to provide resources for technical assistance to signatories of the Global Charter and engagement with stakeholders, including young people with lived experience of the care system. The charter includes a commitment by all signatories to seek to monitor and phase out funding streams that incentivise institutionalisation, contribute to unnecessary family separation and undermine efforts to prioritise family care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Georgian counterpart on the treatment of (a) political opponents and (b) journalists in that country. \p Stephen Doughty: I remain gravely concerned by Georgia's democratic backsliding, attacks on the opposition and journalists. The former Foreign Secretary's 11 July statement condemned politically motivated detentions of opposition leaders in Georgia. On 6 August, the UK, with the Media Freedom Coalition, condemned the politically motivated sentencing of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli to two years in prison. Georgia must reverse course, uphold European values, and protect civil society and press freedom.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help enhance UK defence capabilities. \p Stephen Doughty: The National Security Strategy is clear on the requirement to collaborate with others to develop next-generation defence capabilities and that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) global network underpins the UK's ability to act as a credible global partner. FCDO Ministers and the network are active in engaging international partners in support of defence capability collaborations, including major UK programmes such as the AUKUS Partnership with Australia and the United States, the Global Combat Air Programme with Italy and Japan, the Eurofighter Typhoon Consortium with Germany, Italy and Spain, our work in the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), and in the new UK-EU security and defence partnership as well as our crucial work as a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support Türkiye to tackle wildfires. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government has not received any requests from Turkey for help tackling wildfires so far in 2025. Turkey has significant capabilities and expertise through its National Disaster Response Centre (AFAD) and has been managing this year's wildfires with its domestic resources. The UK supports multilateral organisations, such as the World Bank, which has programmes with Turkey to improve forest resilience, and stands ready to consider support should a formal request be made.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of funding more programmes that support gender equality as their main objective. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equality around the world, and stands in solidarity with women's rights organisations who are on the frontline of that fight. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) recognises that advancing gender equality and breaking down the barriers faced by women and girls is essential to development and to delivering the missions of this government overseas.

The FCDO is taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender equality across the Department's work. This will ensure we maximise the impacts for women, girls, and marginalised groups across all our spend and through our diplomatic levers, including by driving innovation to generate sustainable funding flows for women's rights.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will publish a list of projects focusing on improving equality, diversity and inclusion abroad that have received UK (a) foreign aid and (b) international development funding in the last two years. \p Stephen Doughty: Data on Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publications, which are available for 2023 and provisionally for 2024. Data is available broken down by sector for the 2023 publication, including social sector spending on health and education, and humanitarian aid.

Further information on specific programmes, including those with a specific focus on equalities, can be found on GOV.UK's Development Tracker.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to support lower-income countries in tackling health risks posed by inadequate public housing. \p Stephen Doughty: We can work with a range of partners to support lower-income countries in tackling wider health risks by working on the broader determinants of health including inadequate public housing. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has for example supported research programmes such as Community-led Responsive and Effective Urban Health Systems (CHORUS) and the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) to strengthen urban health systems and promote rights-based, evidence-led housing solutions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff in his Department are assigned to work on the China strategy. \p Seema Malhotra: China cuts across the work of all parts of government, from national security, to secure growth, to climate and clean energy, to science and technology, and teams across the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and in many other government departments are working together to deliver our strategic approach to China. As such, it is not possible to provide an exact figure for the number of staff working on the China Strategy. China is one of the UK's top foreign policy priorities. That is why this Government is investing in our China capabilities in the FCDO and beyond to effectively deliver the China Strategy and for our national interest.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has spent money on (a) digital and (b) social influencers since 4 July 2024. \p Seema Malhotra: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's central communication team has not paid any social media influencers for promotion since July 2024.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (a) how many Heads of Missions representing their countries in the United Kingdom have been summoned to the Foreign Office since 2019 and (b) which country they represent. \p Seema Malhotra: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not keep a central record of which Heads of Mission accredited to the UK have been summoned.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on responding to non-binding rulings of the United Nations International Court of Justice where they relate to the UK. \p Seema Malhotra: While not legally binding, rulings such as the International Court of Justice's advisory opinions carry significant weight and are likely to be highly influential on any subsequent court or tribunal considering the same issues, so the UK will take them into account when formulating relevant policies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterparts on the detention of Pastor Huang Zi; and what steps he is taking to support his release. \p Seema Malhotra: The environment for freedom of religion or belief across China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians. This Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, and we continue to monitor developments closely and engage with Chinese counterparts on areas of concern. We also continue to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the BNO visa settlement route on older BNO visa holders’ ability to access pension funds from Hong Kong. \p Seema Malhotra: The Government remains fully committed to the BNO route, and we will continue supporting members of the Hong Kong community in the UK and all those who will arrive in future. We are listening to visa holders' views about the route to settlement, and we will continue to do so.

We are aware that individuals in the UK on the BN(O) visa route are having difficulty drawing down early their pensions held in Hong Kong's Mandatory Provident Fund. We continue to raise this issue directly with the Hong Kong authorities to encourage a pragmatic solution.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what purposes their Department has used artificial intelligence in the last year. \p Seema Malhotra: Artificial intelligence (AI) is improving the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) efficiency, security and analysis. Over the last year, that has included using AI for language translation, document classification and data analysis, in support of the work of our policy and consular teams.

Through FCDO.ai, the Department is coordinating responsible adoption of this technology, including participation in the piloting of the cross government Microsoft Copilot tool. All activity is governed by our AI Acceptable Use Policy and established assurance processes. The Department will continue to develop capabilities aligned with UK principles on AI safety and work with partners across government and internationally to share best practice.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has spent money on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024. \p Seema Malhotra: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's central communication team has not paid any social media influencers for promotion since July 2024.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2025 to Question 66657 on Civil Service: Resignations, if he will publish the responses from the Permanent Under-Secretaries. \p Seema Malhotra: The letter of the Permanent Under-Secretaries of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, dated 29 May, will be deposited in the Library.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to review his Department's policies on distributing foreign aid to India. \p Seema Malhotra: We are currently working through detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29. We will publish indicative ODA programme allocations for the next three years in due course.

The UK has transformed its relationship with India from donor to investor and partner. Investing the UK's ODA budget in supporting India's transition to clean energy helps mitigate the worsening impacts of climate change through bolstering the development of clean technology. Through UK investments and sharing expertise, we are also creating jobs, opportunities and inward investment for the UK.

This is a strategic investment in our partnership with the Indian Government, which we can make a return on. Last year our ODA spend in India was negative: we received more money back from investments made than we invested that year.
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Sir Desmond Swayne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the government in Myanmar on the destruction of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Kachin State in March 2025; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure that (a) places of worship are protected and (b) religious freedom is promoted in that country. \p Seema Malhotra: The UK is deeply concerned by reports of attacks on places of worship, including the destruction of St Patrick's Cathedral in Kachin State. We remain committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all communities in Myanmar, and consistently raise concerns about the treatment of religious minorities and their places of worship in international fora. In April this year, the UK co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar, calling for the military to fully respect and protect the human rights of all persons in Myanmar, including religious minorities.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to help (a) advance gender equality and (b) protect women’s and girls’ rights through multilateral negotiations. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave him on 9 September to Question 71594.
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Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department has offered to British citizens accused of being co-conspirators in the closing days of the trial of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong; and what assessment his Department has made of the risks to (a) those people and (b) others named in the trial. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer given on 8 September to Question 71619.
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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of staff in his Department have flexible working arrangements; and how many of those work compressed hours. \p Seema Malhotra: As of July 2025, 6.2 per cent of Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office UK-based staff have formal flexible working arrangements. These include part-time hours, job sharing, and compressed hours. The Department does not currently hold separate data on compressed hours, as flexible working is recorded using Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) metrics. Staff may work compressed hours informally, but such arrangements are not centrally tracked unless part of a formal agreement.

Informal compressed hours are typically agreed locally between staff and line managers, reflecting the Department's commitment to flexible working and alignment with Civil Service-wide practices that support work-life balance and operational needs.
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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with European counterparts on export tariffs for the British Overseas Territories. \p Stephen Doughty: We recognise the impact tariffs have on the Overseas Territories exporting to the EU, particularly the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha. These tariffs stem from the fact that the UK-EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement agreed by the previous UK government did not cover the Overseas Territories.

We recognise the significant issue of these tariffs for the OTs and industry and continue to engage closely with the Overseas Territories on this and other issues to identify opportunities to improve their trading and business environment, not only with Europe but globally, including securing recent US Government agreement to reduce US tariffs on Falklands exports from a proposed 42 per cent to 10 per cent.
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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people with disabilities were employed in his Department on 2 September 2025. \p Seema Malhotra: Latest figures show that 12.4 per cent of Senior Civil Servants (SCS) in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have a disability. This is up from 7.5 per cent when the FCDO was formed in 2020. Reporting rates in the delegated grades has consistently been below 60 per cent, the threshold set by Cabinet Office/ONS to allow us to have data confidence. The FCDO is encouraging staff to share their disability data so we can better understand outcomes for our staff, however this is voluntary.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many days were lost to sickness absence by civil servants in their Department (a) in total and (b) on average per employee between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025. \p Seema Malhotra: The Cabinet Office publishes an annual report on sickness absence in different government departments and agencies, the most recent edition of which - published in January 2025 - can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence-2024/civil-service-sickness-absence-2024-report.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of attacks against churches in Vietnam; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help (a) ensure the protection of the Christian community and (b) promote religious freedom in that country. \p Seema Malhotra: Our Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief, David Smith MP, closely follows events in Vietnam including restrictions of the freedom for religion and belief of Christians. We are aware of credible reports indicating that members of unregistered religious groups continue to face harassment and intimidation. The UK raises concerns about freedom of religion or belief with the Vietnamese authorities, both bilaterally through the annual UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue and through multilateral forums including Vietnam's 2024 Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council. Our Embassy in Hanoi engages with civil society and the diplomatic community to monitor developments and support dialogue on religious freedom. We continue to urge the Vietnamese government to uphold its international human rights obligations, including those under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to ensure that all individuals, including members of the Christian community, can practise their faith freely and without fear of persecution.
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Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households in receipt of Universal Credit that are affected by the Benefit Cap have (a) no debt deductions from their Universal Credit award, (b) a deduction of more than 0% of their standard allowance and less than or equal to 5%, (c) a deduction of more than 5% and less than or equal to 10%, (d) a deduction of more than 10% and less than or equal to 15% and (e) a deduction of more than 15% in (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) England. \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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the April 2025 deadline for backdated voluntary National Insurance Contributions, how many requests for callbacks were logged by his Department before 6 April 2025; how many callbacks have so far been made and completed through all stages; how many people have made National Insurance top-ups under this concessionary arrangement; and when he expects the callback process to be complete. \p Torsten Bell: 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_33

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the April 2025 deadline for backdated voluntary National Insurance Contributions how many requests for callbacks were logged by HMRC before 6 April 2025; how many callbacks have so far been made and completed through all stages; how many people have made National Insurance top-ups under this concessionary arrangement; and when she expects the callback process to be completed. \p Torsten Bell: 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.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_34
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_34

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management in non-domestic buildings. \p Sir Stephen Timms: HSE is a non-departmental public body. Whilst it has responsibility for its own policy, it reports direct to DWP ministers.

The Work and Pensions Committee held an inquiry into HSE’s approach to asbestos management and published a report in 2022. I am now working with HSE on how it will tackle Great Britain’s asbestos legacy using a variety of regulatory interventions. Asbestos in non-domestic buildings is a key ministerial priority, and HSE provides regular updates and assurance to ministers about its approach to asbestos management.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_35
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_35

Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the availability of residential training places for disabled young people in Scotland on proposed changes to eligibility for Universal Credit for people under 23. \p Sir Stephen Timms: No assessment has been made.

We welcomed views on raising the age someone can access the Universal Credit Health Element to 22, as part of our Green Paper consultation, which closed on 30 June. We are considering the responses to this consultation, and we will set out the policy direction in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_36

Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for access to work applications. \p Sir Stephen Timms: As set out in the Green Paper, we are reforming Access to Work to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people into and on in work. We are committed to reducing waiting times for claims and we prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks. Nevertheless, Access to Work is demand-led and tailored to the needs of each customer.

We are continuing to streamline delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. Since May 2024, 118 additional staff have been redeployed to support Access to Work.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_37
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_37

Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his planned timeframe is for completing existing claimants’ Work Capability Assessment reassessments. \p Sir Stephen Timms: It is well-established government policy to prioritise Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claims to determine their capability for work at the earliest possible opportunity.

Reassessments occur when there is capacity in the system which has been limited due to an increase in demand for WCAs for new benefit claims. As a result, over recent months, reassessments have not been done in large numbers.

We are aware of delays in reassessing cases where the claimant has advised us that their health condition has worsened. We understand that this is a very important issue. This is why we are putting in place a process to expedite the reassessment of these cases.

The government has made it clear in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we will turn on WCA reassessments at scale as we build capacity to do so. We continue to work on options to make the WCA process more efficient and responsive, which includes accelerating healthcare professional recruitment to increase capacity for reassessments
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_38
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_38

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the levels of (a) fraud and (b) error in the welfare system in Lincolnshire. \p Andrew Western: Estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-25 can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK

We do not provide sub-national estimates of fraud and error as we are unable to break the statistics down to this level.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_39
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_39

Antonia Bance:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of abolishing the two-child limit policy for (a) two-earner couple households and (b) two-earner couple households in which both earners are in full-time work. \p Sir Stephen Timms: No such estimate has been made. 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.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_40
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_40

Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will take steps to ensure that retail workers required to work alone are adequately protected from (a) violence, (b) abuse and (c) theft. \p Sir Stephen Timms: I refer the Honourable Member to the previous answer 71094.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_41

Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) disabled people and (b) carers are directly involved in the review of the Personal Independence Payment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Timms review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This will include carers' organisations so that the voices of unpaid carers are heard.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_42

Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues to employers on managing risks associated with lone working in retail. \p Sir Stephen Timms: I refer the Honourable Member to the previous answer 71094.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_43

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to launch the review into the Disability Confident Scheme. \p Sir Stephen Timms: My officials and I have been working with a wide range of stakeholders—including disabled people, the Devolved Governments, disability organisations, employers, and sector experts—throughout the summer to explore potential reforms to the Disability Confident Scheme.

This includes considering how to support Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) better, strengthen validation processes, enhance promotion of the scheme, and improve transparency and accountability. These reforms aim to make the scheme more robust while building better support for both employers and disabled people in and out of work.

The Government is working towards announcing next steps for improving the scheme later this autumn
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_45

Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his timetable is for the review of the Personal Independence Payment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: I am aiming to complete the review by Autumn 2026.

The review will ultimately report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for final decisions. We are committed to reporting the outcomes of the review to Parliament.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_46
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_46

Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of permanently linking local housing allowance rates to the bottom 30th percentile of local private rents to help ensure (a) affordable housing support and (b) a reduction in levels of child poverty. \p Sir Stephen Timms: My department is working closely with MHCLG as they develop the Long-Term Housing Strategy and through the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping.

The review of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates considers a range of factors, including impact of the rental market and decisions on LHA will be taken in the context of achieving the Government’s priorities and goals within this challenging fiscal environment.

LHA was increased to the 30th percentile of local market rents in April 2024 costing an additional £1.2 bn in 2024/25 and £7bn over 5 years. LHA is not intended to cover all rents in all areas.

Any future decisions on LHA policy will include consideration of market rents and impacts of LHA rates, including on poverty.

For those who need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. DHPs can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_47
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_47

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reforms to PIP on demand for (a) local authority services, (b) food banks, and (c) mental health support. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, led by myself and co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_48
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_48

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department is advertising a role in Manchester Community Centre for a Sharia Law Administrator. \p Dame Diana Johnson: This was a position advertised on the Find A Job portal by an independent charity, registered with the Charity Commission, and was not a role within DWP. Find A Job is a free platform to help jobseekers find vacancies with employers from various sectors. The employer had been verified as legitimate and the advertisement did not breach Find a Job website terms and conditions.