theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State fir Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of property aggregation by wealth funds on the affordability of housing. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regularly engages with other government departments on matters relating to housing affordability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of social housing. \p Matthew Pennycook: This government is clear that there is a chronic shortage of social rented housing as a result of its undersupply over recent years.

That is why we are committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

For an overview of our policies in this area, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41721 on 3 April 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the document by the Regulatory Policy Committee entitled Status of Post Implementation Reviews, published 24 April 2025, when Department plans to publish its post-implementation review of The Infrastructure Planning (Compulsory Acquisition) (Amendment) Regulations 2017. \p Matthew Pennycook: It is a matter of regret that under the previous government my Department did not manage to carry out and publish the required post-implementation reviews of regulatory provisions in these Regulations in a timely manner.

I reassure the hon. Member, and the Regulatory Policy Committee, that this government will proceed to review these regulatory provisions and publish a report setting out the conclusions as soon as we can.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to conduct a post-implementation review of The Assured Shorthold Tenancy Notices and Prescribed Requirements (England) Regulations 2015. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government has considered the wider assured tenancy system in the process of preparing the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The Assured Shorthold Tenancy Notices and Prescribed Requirements (England) Regulations 2015 refer only to assured shorthold tenancies, which will cease to exist after the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The regulations will therefore cease to have any effect after implementation of the Bill, so we intend to repeal them by regulation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the planning system in Bedfordshire to manage planning applications for (a) accommodation, (b) hospitality and leisure and (c) other development types resulting from the proposed Universal theme park in Bedfordshire. \p Matthew Pennycook: On 9 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that a multi-billion-pound investment in a major new Universal theme park and resort in Bedford had been agreed between Universal Studios, the UK Government, and Bedford Borough Council.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has agreed, in principle, to consider any proposal.

Given the proposals remain subject to a planning decision, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Ministers cannot comment on any proposal, as to do so could prejudice the position of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Should the Department receive such a request, it will carry out a proper and impartial consideration of the planning merits of the proposed development.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the health of chalk streams. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 45278 on 30 April 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of a new national scheme of delegation in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on local democratic oversight. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes regulation-making powers to issue statutory guidance on a national scheme of delegation.

The government intend to formally consult on these proposals alongside the Bill’s passage.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether mobile network operators were consulted on the deployment of communications infrastructure in areas of planned housing growth as part of the process to inform the December 2024 revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29727 on 18 February 2025.

In addition to national planning policy and guidance, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published February 2022, sets out the roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders, including applicants and local authorities, when planning for, consulting on and installing telecommunications infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to question 46975 on Housing: Construction, what is the definition of a trailblazer site at Wyton. \p Matthew Pennycook: In March, the government established a new taskforce to support the release of surplus public sector land for housing.

Unused land will be identified, developed, and released by a cross-government collaboration, which will focus on getting it back into productive use as quickly as possible by removing barriers that have prevented houses coming forward at pace on vacant public land for too long.

This ambitious new partnership approach will explore new delivery models, establish collaborative agreements between the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Homes England, Network Rail and other government bodies, bring in the private sector – ultimately getting spades in the ground sooner to deliver homes faster, making the dream of homeownership a reality for many.

The early MOD sites selected as a focus for acceleration include Deverell Barracks in Ripon, Chetwynd Barracks in Nottinghamshire and Wyton Airfield in Cambridgeshire. All of these sites have significant potential for new homes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question 43882 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Industrial Disputes, what the dispute is between her Department and PCS on recruitment policies. \p Alex Norris: The Public and Commercial Service Union (PCS) had written to the department asking it to withdraw plans to “end location neutral recruitment”. The department has confirmed to PCS and the wider department that there are no plans to change our current approach to recruitment, as such we believe there is no reason for a dispute to exist on this issue.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to tackle pockets of deprivation in rural local authority areas. \p Jim McMahon: The 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement begins to fix the foundations of local government by targeting additional funding to places with greatest need and demand for services (using deprivation as a proxy for this), and less ability to raise income locally, through a new Recovery Grant, worth £600 million. Through the Settlement, places with a significant rural population will on average receive almost a 6% increase in their Core Spending Power next year, which is a real terms increase.

Broader redistribution of funding will follow from 2026-27 and we are committed to fundamentally reforming how we assess need to ensure funding is distributed to where it is needed most. The government will use the best available evidence to assess differences in the need for local government services – including deprivation – and resources available to local authorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure existing sports facilities are not detrimentally impacted by changes to the planning system. \p Matthew Pennycook: The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields and formal play spaces, should not be built on unless there is clear evidence it is no longer required, equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location, or development of the site is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use. Planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision, which plans should then seek to accommodate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to ensure that all (a) newly constructed and (b) refurbished public (i) buildings and (ii) supermarkets meet accessibility standards for disabled people. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government recognises the importance of ensuring that new buildings are accessible and adaptable to meet the diverse needs of individuals throughout their lives.

The Building Regulations (Part M) set out requirements for people to gain access to and use a building and its facilities. The Building Regulations are not retrospective; they apply to new buildings or those undergoing major refurbishment.

The Equality Act 2010 makes provisions for disabled people who may encounter difficulties in accessing commercial premises, so that disabled customers are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of mandating the inclusion of swift bricks in new residential developments; and whether she plans to include such a mandate in future updates to national planning policies. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 22080 on 15 January 2025.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an estimate on the number of individual households who were in council tax arrears while also in receipt of Council Tax (a) support and (b) reduction, in each tax year since 2019. \p Jim McMahon: The Department does not collect data on the number of people or the number of households who are in council tax arrears. Therefore, the Department does not hold data with specific characteristics requested, including those in receipt of council tax support or reduction.

The Department only collects data on the level of arrears of council tax in England. The most recent data can be found here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 45389 on New Towns, whether new towns will be designated where the local planning authority does not support the (a) designation or (b) proposed development. \p Matthew Pennycook: As set out in its Terms of Reference, which can be found on gov.uk here, the New Towns Taskforce will work in partnership with local leaders and communities, but its selection of sites will be made in the national interest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of accumulation of UK residential property by foreign investors; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the accumulation of residential property by foreign investors on the property market for UK buyers. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Department has not conducted a specific assessment of trends in the level of residential property ownership by foreign investors in the UK.

Data on property ownership by overseas companies in England and Wales is published by HM Land Registry and is publicly available via the GOV.UK website.

We recognise concerns about the impact of overseas investment on housing affordability, particularly for first-time buyers. In response, and as part of this government’s commitment to supporting first-time buyers, we have introduced fiscal measures to level the playing field.

Non-UK residents already pay a 2% surcharge on top of the residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when purchasing a dwelling in England or Northern Ireland.

In addition, at the Autumn Budget 2024, the government increased the higher rates of SDLT by two percentage points from 3% to 5%. The higher rates are also paid by non-UK residents purchasing additional property.

Increasing the higher rates of SDLT helps to ensure that those looking to move home, or purchase their first property, have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords and companies purchasing residential property.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the level of (a) debt and (b) liabilities held by local authorities on local government reorganisation. \p Jim McMahon: On 5 February, the Government issued invitations to councils in two-tier areas in England and neighbouring unitary councils to prepare proposals for local government reorganisation. It is for councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area.

It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government reorganisation does not change this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which metro mayors (a) hold and (b) do not hold the Police and Crime Commissioner function; and in which locations will that responsibility change following the implementation of local government reforms. \p Jim McMahon: The Mayors of Greater Manchester Combined Authority, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and Greater London Authority have responsibilities equivalent to that of a Police and Crime Commissioner. None of these areas are part of the current programme for Local Government Reorganisation and so these PCC functions will not be affected.

As part of the local government reorganisation programme, the government invited all councils in two-tier areas and their small neighbouring unitary authorities to develop interim proposals by 21 March 2025 that would be in the best interests of their areas. MHCLG will consider these proposals against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance, we are clear that reorganisation should not delay devolution and plans for both should be complementary. We will then consult on these plans before taking a decision on which of those proposals will be taken forward and implemented.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had recent discussions with large banks on the potential merits of re-introducing the help to buy scheme for first time buyers. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government has no plans for another Help to Buy scheme and the Deputy Prime Minister has not had any discussions with large banks about its reintroduction.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential impact of the classification of ancillary spaces as separate dwellings for council tax purposes on costs for owners of listed buildings. \p Jim McMahon: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is the organisation responsible for determining the council tax band of all domestic properties. In doing this they will make an assessment of whether a property consists of one dwelling or multiple dwellings. They will make this decision based on legislation and case law. The government does not have any plans to change this approach.

Where part of a property is liable as a separate dwelling, it will be liable for the standard rate of council tax for that band set by local authorities in the area. The council tax system does contain a number of discounts and exemptions to reflect different types of annexes. The government’s guidance on how annexes are treated for council tax purposes can be found here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to support Historic County Flag Day; and which public body organises the event. \p Jim McMahon: The department will continue its annual celebration of Historic County Flag Day in July 2025 by flying all registered historic county flags of Great Britain in Parliament Square.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for organising and overseeing the event.
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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) cooperatives, (b) community land trusts and (c) other community-led initiatives to (i) support local ownership and (ii) reduce inequality. \p Alex Norris: The government is committed to supporting communities. The Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, outlines plans for a new Community Right to Buy, allowing locals to acquire valued community spaces. The £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods will provide up to £20 million in funding over the next decade to 75 of the most deprived communities, partnering with residents, businesses, and local authorities to drive renewal.

On 25 March, we announced a £20 million support package for community-led housebuilding groups, including housing co-operatives and community land trusts. This investment, managed by Resonance Ltd, will support the construction of over 2,500 new homes in the next decade, addressing local needs. Following a consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework, we have also strengthened support for community-led housing by changing size limits on exception sites and broadening the definition of eligible organisations. Our Long-Term Housing Strategy will further support this sector's growth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) climate change and (b) extreme weather events that accompany it on the adequacy of Fire and Rescue Service budgets. \p Alex Norris: The 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 3 February by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. Standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities will see an increase in core spending power of £65.5m in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority.

Local authorities in England, including Combined Fire Authorities, can apply for financial support through the Bellwin Scheme for their immediate eligible response costs in respect of emergencies and disasters in their area including for severe weather events.

Link to the Bellwin guidance:

Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance to local authorities: guidance notes for claims - GOV.UK
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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to increase precept flexibility to devolve spending decisions closer to Police and Fire and Rescue services. \p Alex Norris: As of 1 April 2025, Ministerial responsibility for Fire transferred from the Home Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Home Office retains Ministerial responsibility for policing.

Council tax levels are a local decision. Local authorities and their local elected representatives will consider the appropriate level, taking into account the views of the local community.

Council tax referendum thresholds are determined annually and are subject to the approval of the House of Commons alongside the Local Government Finance Settlement.

For 2025/26, the referendum limit for standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities in England was set at £5 on a band D bill.

For 2025/26, the referendum limit for police precept was set at £14 for English Police and Crime Commissioners. Council tax policy is devolved in Wales, and therefore, Welsh Police and Crime Commissioners are not bound by referendum limits.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to financially support local authorities in (a) providing rent subsidies and (b) providing homelessness services caused by accommodating dispersed asylum seekers. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This Government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.

Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Government has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs.

The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider local authority obligations and plans.
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken an impact assessment on the decision to end overseas recruitment of care workers. \p Seema Malhotra: We recognise the huge contribution of overseas care, but it is important that long-term plans are drawn up to train homegrown talent into the care sector.

As outlined in the ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System - Technical Annex’, it is estimated there will be an annual reduction of approximately 7,000 main applicants resulting from the removal of Care and Senior Care worker occupations from the Health and Social Care route.

To manage this change, there will be a transitional period until 2028.

Many care workers arriving on this route have been widely exploited, with tens of thousands displaced and promised jobs that did not materialise. They will be given the opportunity to work in the care sector, alongside the ongoing development of future workforce plans.

The White Paper sets out a number of reforms to the immigration system which will be implemented in a phased way. Each measure will be subject to an impact assessment when they are brought into force.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of British nationals who have emigrated to India to work. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office does not hold this information.
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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce net migration and (b) promote social integration and community cohesion. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer my Hon Friend to the Statement made by the Home Secretary on 12 May accompanying publication of the Government’s Immigration White Paper.
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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Iranian nationals have been detected arriving in the United Kingdom via small boat crossings in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025 to date. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office publishes statistics on detected small boat arrivals to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on small boat arrivals by nationality and year is published in table Irr_02b of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK summary tables’, with the latest data up to the end of December 2024. Data up to the end of March 2025 will be published on 22 May 2025.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK's membership of the ECHR on its capacity to summarily deport illegal migrants; and if she will make it her policy to amend the Human Rights Act 1998 to this end. \p Dame Angela Eagle: On the 12 May 2025, the Government set out its plans to reform the Immigration system in the Immigration White Paper. This includes reforming the framework for assessing appeals to stay in the UK on the basis of Article 8 of the Human Rights Act. The new framework will reflect a fair balance between individual circumstances and the UK’s economic and social interests and will be endorsed by Parliament. Further detail on the framework will be published by the end of the year.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to systematically collect data on safeguarding incident outcomes on asylum seekers in receipt of government accommodation support. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, as well as quality and availability of data.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of Serco's performance against the key performance indicators in their Asylum Accommodation Services contract. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office monitors the performance of its Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contract (AASC) providers including Serco through a robust performance management framework. Performance data is published periodically and includes performance against key contractual obligations and key performance indicators. Information on key performance indicators is published every quarter and can be found here: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts - GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding her Department provides to hotels contracted to accommodate people seeking asylum for (a) restoration and (b) maintenance of the property upon the termination of the contract. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office does not comment on commercial arrangements. All commercial contracts are completed and awarded in line with government procurement rules which are designed to ensure the best value for taxpayers.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if they will make it their policy to not provide (a) translation and (b) interpretation for speakers of non-UK languages for services provided by their Department. \p Andrew Western: DWP has a statutory duty to provide language services to its customers in line with the Equality Act. The aim of the service is to provide spoken and written translation services for staff and customers who are deaf, hard of hearing or do not speak English as a first language in order to access DWP services. Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery. DWP has no plans to move away from this statutory duty.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing compensation relating to pre-1997 pensionable service for Pension Protection Fund members to be indexed. \p Torsten Bell: We are committed to consider and reflect on what we have heard on the issue of Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme rules on the indexation of pre-1997 pension accruals.

Any change in this area has significant implications on public finances for both the taxpayer funded Financial Assistance Scheme and for the Pension Protection Fund which is levy-funded. These are complex matters requiring a balanced approach for those receiving compensation, levy payers and taxpayers. This is an important issue and one where we will continue to work with the Pension Protection Fund.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_112

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure people with physical disabilities are able to access job opportunities in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Alison McGovern: The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with physical disabilities, and have a range of support available so individuals can stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. These include Additional Work Coach Support which provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased one-to-one personalised support from their work coach to help them move towards, and into, work and access wider support including our employment programmes earlier. Support is now available in all Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales, informed by trialling in Jobcentres.

Employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. 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 Minister for Social Security and Disability has been discussing ideas for making the Disability Confident scheme criteria more robust with stakeholders and will be bringing forward proposals for this in due course.

To build on this, the government has commissioned “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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_113

Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department’s planned reforms to Personal Independence Payments on the mental health of people with disabilities. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We are taking action to address anxiety about the sustainability of the funding of PIP, focusing the benefit more on those with the greatest needs, by introducing a new eligibility requirement. The change to the PIP eligibility criteria will mean that people with a higher level of functional need – for example, people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – still receive PIP.

We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life.

For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_114
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_114

Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential contribution of grassroots sports clubs to providing (a) training, (b) experience and (c) other employment related skills as part of the Youth Guarantee Scheme. \p Alison McGovern: Sports, arts and culture play a vital role in our society and economy. They create hundreds of thousands of jobs, drive economic growth, and bring joy to millions. That is why we formed our initial Youth Guarantee partnerships with the Premier League, Channel 4, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Across the country, many national and local organisations already do inspiring work with disadvantaged young people – helping them to build skills, grow in confidence, and access meaningful experiences, qualifications, and employment. DWP already works with organisations such as the English Football League, Rugby Football League, CoachCore and SportsWorks.

We are now exploring opportunities to expand initial Youth Guarantee partnerships by bringing additional organisations from the sports, arts, and culture sectors into national partnerships. For example, in the North West there is a network of grassroots sports organisations that we refer young people to for holistic support through the platform of sport.

In the North West they have found that referring to organisations such as Street League gives our young people access to mentoring, career advice, daily sport and fitness activities, and the opportunity to acquire recognised sports qualifications to pursue careers in the industry.

We continue to build relationships with grassroots and league clubs across the country to expand our network of options. Following insight with young people, we continue to work with organisations to identify gaps in their existing offers and how we can tailor programmes to better suit their needs.

These partnerships will connect young people across the country and offer a wide range of development opportunities – such as apprenticeships, work experience, training courses, and employability programmes. By engaging young people in a shared effort to enter and progress in the workforce, we aim to set them on a path to long-term success.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_115
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_115

Kirsty Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the letter of 9 April 2025 from the hon. Member for Aberdeen North, reference ZA32718, case CMPT12025/33740. \p Andrew Western: We aim to investigate issues raised by complainants, and MPs on their behalf, within 15 working days, but where the case is complex, we may need to take longer.

We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9th April 2025 and will provide a reply shortly.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_116
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_116

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Serco's performance against key performance indicators in the Restart Scheme contract. \p Andrew Western: Serco’s performance against the contracted Key Performance Indicators has been varied. As part of our established performance management intervention regime, the department has therefore implemented intensified support and heightened monitoring for the two Contract Package Areas in which Serco delivers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_117

Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households that claim Universal Credit and are affected by the two-child limit (a) were affected from the start of their claim and (b) were previously affected under a claim for Tax Credits. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Of the 380,000 Universal Credit (UC) households affected by the policy in April 2024, 236,000 (61%) were affected in their first assessment period on UC and the rest became affected in a subsequent assessment period. Using slightly different data to allow linking to Child Tax Credit (CTC) data, 106,000 (28%) of households affected on UC in April 2024 had a previous CTC claim at some point and 99,000 (27%) were affected by the two-child policy during their CTC claim.

Figures and percentages provided may not sum to the total due to rounding and use of different data sets.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_118
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_118

Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of her Department's proposed changes to Personal Independent Payments on people with mental disorders in Yeovil Constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: No assessment has been made.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).

Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors, which have been estimated for England and Wales, including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These are likely to differ across the country and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at parliamentary constituency level.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_119
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_119

Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether existing Personal Independence Payment claimants of pension age who request a change of circumstances review from November 2026 will be required to score at least four points in one daily living activity in order to (a) maintain and (b) increase the daily living element of the benefit. \p Sir Stephen Timms: In the Pathways to Work Green Paper we announced that we will introduce a new eligibility requirement to ensure that only those who score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity will be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. This requirement will need to be met in addition to the existing PIP eligibility criteria.

Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.

In keeping with existing policy, people of state pension age are not routinely fully reviewed and will not be affected by these changes.

All claimants are required to notify the Department of any change to their circumstance, be that an improvement or deterioration in their needs. Upon notification of a change, a Case Manager will consider what further action might be required to ensure the claimant is receiving the correct level of support.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_120
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_120

Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish an impact assessment on the potential impact of the proposed changes to disability benefits on voluntary organisations before the legislation is introduced. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_121
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_121

Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children live in households claiming (a) income-based employment and support allowance and (b) new style employment and support allowance. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not held.
wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_122
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-16 conversation_122

Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on people with severe disabilities. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We are taking action to focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, by introducing a new eligibility requirement. The change to the PIP eligibility criteria will mean that people with a higher level of functional need – for example, people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – still receive PIP.

We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life.

For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).

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