theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the location of Peng Shuai. \p Seema Malhotra: This Government remains deeply committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including in China. We continue to monitor developments closely and raise issues of concern with Chinese counterparts at senior levels. The Prime Minister, Chancellor and former Foreign Secretary all raised human rights recently with their Chinese counterparts. We remain concerned about cases that raise broader questions around freedom of expression, and accountability, and we continue to work with international partners to support these principles.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has raised Chinese claims on the Indian territory of Arunachal Pradesh with his counterparts in the Chinese Government. \p Seema Malhotra: The UK's position is that it is for relevant parties to resolve border disputes bilaterally. We support all peaceful means to do so and oppose any attempts to use or threaten the use of force to change the status quo. The UK Government welcomes recent discussions between India and China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and agreements to deescalate tensions. We continue to support a peaceful resolution between India and China on the border question.
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Harriet Cross:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the £8.3 billion allocated to Great British Energy and its nuclear body will be classified separately from defence expenditure in meeting the Government's commitment to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2027. \p James Murray: The £8.3bn allocated to Great British Energy and its nuclear body is not included in the Government's commitment announced in February to spend 2.6% of GDP on NATO qualifying defence expenditure by 2027.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her fiscal policies of trends in the cost of (a) groceries and (b) other household bills. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government understands that increased costs in essential areas such as groceries and household bills are causing hardship for many families. The best way to help with the cost of living is by reducing overall inflation. The Chancellor has asked departments to prioritise reducing inflation when developing policies

The Bank of England has the responsibility of controlling inflation, and the Government fully supports them as they take action to sustainably return inflation to 2%. The independent Monetary Policy Committee has cut Bank Rate five times since August 2024. Falling interest rates mean someone with a new representative fixed rate mortgage now pays £90 a month less than they would have before the election.

The Government is supporting households with targeted measures to ease pressure on budgets. This includes increasing the Universal Credit Standard Allowance, extending the Household Support Fund with £1 billion a year for crisis support through councils, and expanding Free School Meals to all children with a parent on Universal Credit from 2026. On energy, the Warm Home Discount will be expanded to cover around 6 million households, and from this winter pensioners with incomes up to £35,000 will also receive a Winter Fuel Payment.
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Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that Gypsies and Travellers are able to access homes and contents insurance without discrimination. \p Lucy Rigby: Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. The government does not usually intervene in these decisions.

However, the government is determined that insurers treat customers fairly and insurers must comply with all relevant regulations and legislation. This includes the Equality Act 2010 which generally prohibits discrimination based on certain protected characteristics, including race.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the independent regulator of financial services firms, requires firms to treat customers fairly under its rules. This includes ensuring that firms meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010. The FCA actively monitors firms and has robust powers to take action if firms do not comply with its rules.

Individual insurers may take a different view of the relevant factors in determining whether they will offer insurance and at what price. Consumers may wish to contact the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, who can offer guidance on how to look across the insurance market for the best deals and may be able to provide names of specialist brokers.
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Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Emma Reynolds MP participated in any meetings with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on the impact of inheritance tax changes on farmers since 1 July 2024. \p Dan Tomlinson: HM Treasury Ministers take part in internal and external meetings routinely on a range of subjects relating to the department’s responsibilities and their specific portfolios.

As the Minister responsible for the UK tax system, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury’s portfolio of responsibilities includes inheritance tax. My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs has not been the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury. She was Parliamentary Secretary at HM Treasury and the Department of Work and Pensions from 9 July 2024 to 14 January 2025. She was Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 14 January 2025 to 5 September 2025.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance her Department has issued for banks on reporting customer account closures while complaints remain unresolved by the Financial Ombudsman Service. \p Lucy Rigby: In June 2025, the Government legislated to introduce stronger protections for customers in cases of bank account closure.

The measures we have introduced extend the minimum notice period of termination from two months to 90 days and place a new requirement on banks and other providers to give a sufficiently detailed and specific explanation to the customer so they understand why their service is being terminated, subject to certain exceptions. Where providers give a notice of termination to a customer, they must advise the customer on how they can make a complaint and of any right they may have to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). These changes will take effect for relevant new contracts from 28 April 2026. Guidance on implementing requirements would be a matter for the relevant regulators.

The Financial Conduct Authority’s rules on how the FOS should handle complaints state that ‘The ombudsman will attempt to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage’. A number of factors may affect the time it takes for the FOS to resolve complaints that are referred to it. In 2023-2024, the FOS resolved over half of its cases within three months.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2025 Issue 1, published on 3 June 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the OECD's growth forecast for the UK in 2025. \p Lucy Rigby: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an independent international organisation.

As part of ongoing engagement with many different stakeholders relevant to the conduct of economic and fiscal policy, the Government engages regularly and constructively with the OECD, and values their independent advice and forecasting in the Economic Outlook.

The OECD's Interim Economic Outlook will publish updated forecasts on 23 September 2025.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June to Written Question 61630 on Investment, what steps she is taking to talking to support retail participation in UK capital markets following the cancellation of the retail sale of NatWest shares. \p Lucy Rigby: The Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms will give more people the confidence to invest in our world-leading capital markets, benefitting both consumers and the UK economy.

In particular, the Treasury is working closely with the FCA to roll out a system of targeted support in time for ISA season next year. This represents the biggest reform of the financial advice and guidance landscape in more than a decade, and will be a step change in the support available to consumers.

The Government will also move Long-Term Asset Funds from the Innovative Finance ISA to the Stocks & Shares ISA from April 2026. This should give more consumers access to the higher returns available from less liquid assets, while directing investment into productive assets that will drive economic growth.

In addition, the Government welcomes the industry-led initiatives to promote the benefits of investing to the public, and to reform how firms talk about the risks and benefits of investing.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. \p Lucy Rigby: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not had recent discussions with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). However, the Government works closely with the CWEIC by, for example, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office providing funding to the CWEIC in recent years for the biennial Commonwealth Business Forum, which is held on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of recent trends in the level of business confidence. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government monitors a wide range of indicators to assess the UK’s economic performance, including measures of business confidence. Many of these are volatile and can move materially from month to month. Official economic forecasts and assessments of policy impacts are set out in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook documents, the most recent of which was published in March 2025.

Kickstarting economic growth is the Government’s primary mission and businesses are central to this. The Government is committed to going further and faster to drive growth and raise living standards, working in close partnership with business to design and delivery policy.
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Tristan Osborne:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she is considering steps to incentivise domicile Exchange Traded Funds in the UK if they have a significant corporate footprint in country. \p Lucy Rigby: The UK is home to the world’s second largest investment management sector, with over £10.9 trillion of assets under management (11% of global assets). The UK has historic expertise in portfolio management, a crucial part of the Financial Services ecosystem. The UK Government is committed to supporting this important sector and in the recently published Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy committed to be one of the most competitive places globally to manage investments.

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are often domiciled outside of the UK for a range of reasons including marketing access, and existing pockets of administrative expertise. However, many of these funds are still managed here - 49% of all assets managed in the UK are managed on behalf of overseas clients.

The Government has undertaken a wealth of work to enhance the UK’s fund domicile offering, including as part of the recent review of the UK funds regime. This has led to the introduction of new UK fund structures focused on enhancing real-economy investment including the Reserved Investor Fund, the Long-Term Asset Fund and Qualifying Asset Holding Companies.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase access to capital for businesses based in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government is committed to ensuring that businesses across the UK, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, can access the capital they need to grow. Working with the British Business Bank (BBB), we are delivering a range of targeted interventions, including through loan guarantee programmes and equity investments, designed to address regional funding gaps and unlock investment opportunities.

Businesses in Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme are already benefitting from the £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIF). It is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses across the Midlands and providing funds to businesses that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.

In addition, as announced this week, the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has now provided over £60 million in lending in the North East. The Bank will also host a ‘Meet the Investor’ event in partnership with Tech UK in Newcastle on 11 November to help connect SMEs with potential investors.

Businesses in these areas also benefit from national programmes such as the Regional Angels Programme, Future Fund: Breakthrough and British Patient Capital. The recent Spending Review increased the Bank’s total capacity to £25.6 billion, which supports a broad range of regional and growth programmes and will enable annual investments of around £2.5bn to support more high-growth and innovative UK SMEs up and down the UK.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of university-based (a) research and (b) development activities on levels of UK (i) productivity and (ii) economic growth. \p James Murray: Evidence shows that every £1 of public R&D investment leverages around £2 of business R&D investment [1] and generates approximately £7 of net economic benefits in the long term [2].

Universities play a central role in the UK’s R&D ecosystem, receiving around half of the Government’s R&D funding [3]. Their impact is wide-ranging, from advancing scientific knowledge to commercialising innovation. For example, university spin-outs and start-ups – just one channel through which universities contribute to the economy - attracted £20.6 billion in investment between 2014 and 2022 [4].

[1] The relationship between public and private R&D funding | Oxford Economics

[2] ‘Evidence on the balance and effectiveness of research and innovation spending’, written evidence submitted by UK Research and Innovation to the Science and Technology Select Committee, published November 2018

[3] UK gross domestic expenditure on research and development

[4] Intellectual property, start-ups and spin-outs | HESA
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of implementing and maintaining a Digital ID system. \p James Murray: The government will cost and publish costings of policies it chooses to introduce in the usual way at fiscal events.
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Dave Doogan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the total value of bonds sold by, or on behalf of, the Development Company for Israel in the UK in the most recent year for which data is available. \p Lucy Rigby: The government does not hold this information.
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Llinos Medi:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of family-run construction companies on the potential workforce and skills implications of proposed reforms to business property relief and agricultural property relief. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Government has received representations, including from the construction and plant hire sector, about the reforms to both agricultural property relief and business property relief.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free.

Information from claims is not recorded to enable regional or national breakdowns of the number of estates expected to be affected. However, the Government has set out that the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates across the UK claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data.

The Government has also set out that around 1,500 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief are expected to pay more inheritance tax in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those estates only holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27.

The reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief are forecast to raise a combined £520 million in 2029-30. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.
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James MacCleary:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to implement and administer the proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief under the inheritance tax regime; and whether this estimate will be published prior to the reforms taking effect in April 2026. \p Dan Tomlinson: I refer to the answer given on 5 September 2025 at UIN 70546 :

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-08-29/70546
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much VAT was refunded to international visitors as a result of the Government's Shop and Ship retail export scheme in 2019, 2023 and 2024. \p Dan Tomlinson: Goods purchased in the UK and subsequently exported outside the UK, whether by the business or the consumer, may be eligible for VAT zero-rating, provided that the relevant conditions are met, and appropriate evidence of export is retained. However, as such transactions are accounted for at the zero rate on VAT returns, they do not generate a separate refund and are not separately identifiable in HMRC’s systems. Therefore, HMRC does not hold data on the volume or value of such exports for which VAT has been zero-rated.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that savers have access to high return investment options. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide. That is why the Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms included bold actions to boost retail investment.

In particular, the Treasury is working closely with the FCA to roll out a system of targeted support in time for ISA season next year. This represents the biggest reform of the financial advice and guidance landscape in more than a decade, and will be a step change in the support available to consumers.

The Government will also move Long-Term Asset Funds (LTAFs) from the Innovative Finance ISA to the Stocks & Shares ISA from April 2026. This should give more consumers access to the higher returns available from less liquid assets, while directing investment into productive assets that will drive economic growth.

In addition, the Government welcomes the industry-led initiatives to promote the benefits of investing to the public, and to reform how firms talk about the risks and benefits of investing.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of borrowing costs on mortgages. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government does not comment on specific financial market movements. Government borrowing costs are determined by a wide range of international and domestic factors, and it is normal for the price and yields of gilts to vary, especially in the context of wider movements in global financial markets.

The pricing of mortgages, which is influenced by a number of factors, is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene.

Headline average mortgage rates are materially lower than the recent peaks seen in Summer 2023 and Autumn 2022.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many uncovered auctions there have been for Government gilts since 4 July 2024. \p Lucy Rigby: From 4 July 2024 to the date of this response, there have been no uncovered auctions for gilts. The results of all gilt auctions are published on the UK Debt Management Office website.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the International Monetary Fund on the impact of the rising cost of bond yields. \p Lucy Rigby: The government does not comment on specific market moves.

As the Governor of the Bank of England recently noted, the underlying driver of recent moves in yield curves is global. This means it is more important than ever to have fiscal rules that provide stability.

Sound public finances are essential to economic and financial stability, and delivering economic growth. That is why at the Budget we will continue to meet this government’s non-negotiable fiscal rules, building on the decisions we took at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025.

This is the responsible choice – to live within our means, reduce our levels of borrowing in the years ahead and support the Bank of England to get inflation down, so we can deliver on the priorities of working people and spend less on servicing debt.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential risks associated with loans offered through the app Wagestream to employees on low incomes. \p Lucy Rigby: As a consumer credit firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Wagestream must follow the FCA’s detailed rules on affordability checks. FCA rules mean that firms should only lend to consumers who can afford repayments and this should be based on a careful assessment of their income, spending, and financial commitments. These rules aim to prevent over-indebtedness, promote responsible lending, and ensure fair treatment of customers.

More broadly, ensuring individuals have access to the appropriate financial products and services they need is a key priority for the Government. This is why we are bringing forward a Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year which will seek to tackle a range of barriers individuals face, including how to increase access to affordable credit for underserved consumers. The Strategy will also consider how to improve the financial resilience of low-income households through interventions to support people to build savings, access insurance, and seek debt advice where they need it.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the Financial Conduct Authority’s regulatory framework in relation to insurance companies’ use of loss adjusters; and whether she plans to regulate the conduct of loss adjusters. \p Lucy Rigby: Whilst loss adjusters acting on behalf of insurers are not directly regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), they are typically members of professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA). CILA sets standards for ethical conduct, technical competence, and professional integrity through its Guide to Professional Conduct.

Insurers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that all aspects of their claims process meet the FCA’s regulatory standards. These include requirements to handle claims promptly and fairly, provide reasonable guidance to policyholders, and avoid unreasonable claim rejections. The FCA’s Consumer Duty also requires insurers to deliver good outcomes for customers throughout the claims journey.

At present, there are no plans to introduce additional regulation specifically targeting the conduct of loss adjusters. However, the FCA continues to monitor practices across the insurance sector and has robust powers to take action against regulated firms that fail to comply with its rules.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Financial Conduct Authority’s regulatory framework for insurance companies’ use of loss adjusters; and whether she plans to regulate the conduct of loss adjusters. \p Lucy Rigby: Whilst loss adjusters acting on behalf of insurers are not directly regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), they are typically members of professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA). CILA sets standards for ethical conduct, technical competence, and professional integrity through its Guide to Professional Conduct.

Insurers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that all aspects of their claims process meet the FCA’s regulatory standards. These include requirements to handle claims promptly and fairly, provide reasonable guidance to policyholders, and avoid unreasonable claim rejections. The FCA’s Consumer Duty also requires insurers to deliver good outcomes for customers throughout the claims journey.

At present, there are no plans to introduce additional regulation specifically targeting the conduct of loss adjusters. However, the FCA continues to monitor practices across the insurance sector and has robust powers to take action against regulated firms that fail to comply with its rules.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Government completes exit from NatWest, published on 30 May 2025, what estimate her Department has made of the potential income from the retail model of sale. \p Lucy Rigby: On 30 May 2025, the government sold its remaining shares in NatWest Group, bringing to an end the public ownership of banks resulting from the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.

The government focused on ensuring sales of NatWest shares were delivered in a way that achieved value for money for taxpayers. This included undertaking sales via Directed Buybacks and the Trading Plan, whereby any sales were undertaken at market price.

UK Government Investments regularly conducted fair value assessments of the bank, with support from advisors, to determine a price per share above which it represented value for money for the government to sell at that point in time.

Further details of the sales, including amounts raised, were included in the Economic Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement of 3 June 2025.

As the Chancellor set out in the July 2024 Spending Audit, the government does not believe that a retail offer represented value for money for taxpayers, given the likely incentives needed, which precedent suggests could have cost the public hundreds of millions more than selling via established disposal methods.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has spent money on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Treasury has not made any payments to social media influencers for promotional activity since July 2024.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent analysis she has made of the potential impact on the economy of Lifetime ISA savers defering utilising the scheme for purchasing houses due to the house price restriction and withdrawal penalty. \p Lucy Rigby: The LISA encourages younger people to save towards later life at the same time as being able to save for their first home.

Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the Lifetime ISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values.

As of 2023/24, there were over 1.3 million LISA accounts open and, since its introduction in 2017, the LISA has helped 227,600 people purchase their first property.
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Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the resources required to deliver on its financial inclusion obligations. \p Lucy Rigby: The Government recognises the key role the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has in improving financial inclusion for UK consumers. This is why the FCA is part of the Financial Inclusion Committee which has been convened to develop a Financial Inclusion Strategy. The membership of the committee reflects the fact that the whole financial inclusion ecosystem will need to work together for the strategy to be a success, including government, industry, consumer representatives, and the regulator.

The strategy will be published later this year and will seek to tackle a range of barriers which prevent individuals from accessing the financial services and products they need. This will include actions for the FCA to take forward as part of their responsibilities within the sector, as well as relevant metrics to monitor the strategy’s progress.

The Government will work closely with the FCA to deliver the strategy and regularly engages with the FCA on this topic at ministerial and official level. In November, the Chancellor also included reinforcing financial inclusion as a matter for the FCA to have regard to in her letter of recommendation. In response to this, Nikhil Rathi noted the FCA’s support for the development of the Financial Inclusion Strategy and its collaboration with partners to help build consumers’ financial resilience.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much her Department has allocated (a) overall, (b) to the Ministry of Defence and (c) to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to fund payments under the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia [CS Mauritius No.1/2025] in each year of the agreement. \p James Murray: The overall cost of the agreement can be found in the document ‘UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia’ published by the government on 22 May 2025, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukmauritius-agreement-concerning-the-chagos-archipelago-including-diego-garcia-cs-mauritius-no12025.

The payments to Mauritius will be split between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Ministry of Defence. They will be published in the normal manner alongside other departmental spend in the annual accounts.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_243
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_243

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Solicitor General, how many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service has discontinued in the last three years; and for what reasons. \p Ellie Reeves: Management information held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) shows the number of defendants whose prosecution was dropped by the CPS and the primary reason allocated to the outcome at finalisation.

The table below shows the number and proportion of prosecutions dropped and the reason applied for the latest available three years ending March 2025.

2022-2023

2023-2024

2024-2025

Total Prosecutions

402,052

419,401

449,573

Prosecutions Dropped

45,674

46,794

49,553

Prosecutions Dropped % of Total Prosecutions

11.4%

11.2%

11.0%

Victim or witness reasons

13,334

13,023

14,160

Victim or witness reasons % of Total Prosecutions

3.3%

3.1%

3.1%

Victim reasons

10,426

10,479

11,351

Victim reasons % of Total Prosecutions

2.6%

2.5%

2.5%

Witness reasons

2,908

2,544

2,809

Witness reasons % of Total Prosecutions

0.7%

0.6%

0.6%

Disclosure - undermining unused material

1,637

2,185

2,067

Disclosure - undermining unused material % of Total Prosecutions

0.4%

0.5%

0.5%

Evidential

18,572

19,251

19,622

Evidential % of Total Prosecutions

4.6%

4.6%

4.4%

Public interest

11,510

11,720

12,886

Public interest % of Total Prosecutions

2.9%

2.8%

2.9%

Other

621

615

818

Other % of Total Prosecutions

0.2%

0.1%

0.2%

Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_244
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_244

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Solicitor General, how many additional prosecutors the Crown Prosecution Service has recruited in each of the last three years. \p Ellie Reeves: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has recruited the following additional prosecutors in each of the last three years:

CPS Prosecutor Full Time Equivalent (FTE) at year end

FTE Change on previous year / additional prosecutors recruited

FY 22/23

3022.5

+ 82.4

FY 23/24

3075.1

+ 52.6

FY 24/25

3052.7

- 22.4

Total FTE Growth / additional Prosecutors

+112.6

The CPS forecasts significant growth in the number of additional prosecutors for the financial year 2025/26 following its positive Spending Review Phase 2 settlement – in which CPS received an uplift of £96 million.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_245
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_245

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Solicitor General, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of resources available to the Crown Prosecution Service to meet current case volumes. \p Ellie Reeves: In June, the Chancellor announced a landmark increase of £96m (RDELex) in additional funding for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over the spending review period.

Through the spending review process, the AGO worked with the CPS and HM Treasury to review and agree CPS resources through assessing current and anticipated future case volumes, including consideration of the number of sitting days and the growing complexity of cases. This included a zero-based review of the CPS’ budget for this financial year, which tested the value for money of their spending and ensured that they are driving efficiencies and delivering for the public.

The additional funding over the next three years will mean the CPS can recruit more Crown Advocates and frontline staff to prosecute cases and better support victims. Investment in digital technology, new digital casework tools, and exploration of artificial intelligence tools will enable a more productive CPS to respond to the growing volume of cases.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_246
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_246

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Solicitor General, 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 Ellie Reeves: Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.

The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_247
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_247

Lisa Smart:To ask the Solicitor General, what guidance her Department has provided to the Crown Prosecution Service on communicating with victims of sexual violence about trial (a) delays and (b) adjournments. \p Ellie Reeves: The Attorney General’s Office does not issue operational guidance to the CPS.

The CPS has a specific programme of work dedicated to improving communication with victims of crime which includes the introduction of a new Enhanced Service offer for adult victims of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO). This service incudes the offer of a pre-trial meeting with a member of the prosecution team which provides victims the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the process of giving evidence.

CPS guidance recommends that those leading the meeting discuss with victims the likely timescales involved in a case and point out the potential implications of court listing practicalities.

The CPS has also recruited over 40 Victim Liaison Officers (VLOs) to work in its RASSO Units to help improve the quality of engagement with adult RASSO victims. These VLOs act as a consistent point of contact within the CPS for victims, should they have any questions about the prosecution process.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_248
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_248

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what recent assessment she has made of levels of public confidence in the administration of hon. Members' business costs since the general election. \p Charlotte Nichols: The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (SCIPSA) is a statutory body whose role is defined by the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, as amended by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. The Committee reviews the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA)'s annual estimate of the resources it needs, in order to ensure the estimate is consistant with the efficient and cost-effective discharge of IPSA's functions, before the estimate is laid before the House by the Speaker.

It is not part of the Committee's statutory role to quantify public confidance in the work of IPSA; the publicly available data does not distinguish between administration of business costs by IPSA and public attitudes towards Members of Parliament, the way they perform their duties or the wider self-regulatory system relating to the conduct of Members.

However, data held by IPSA shows that the volume of complaints received in the three months following the 2024 General Election from members of the public regarding business costs decreased by 56 per cent compared to the three months prior to polling day.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_249
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_249

Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 43700 on Access to Work Programme, what progress her Department has made on clearing outstanding payments through the streamlined process for payments for the Access to Work Plus scheme; and if she will make an estimate of the total amount of (a) outstanding payments and (b) outstanding payments for applicants in North East Hampshire constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Significant progress has been made to clear outstanding payments through the streamlined payments process for the Access to Work Plus scheme.

The majority of Access to Work Plus applications have been processed and awards have been made. There are two outstanding claims from 13 and 14 August 2025 currently being processed.

Information on the total outstanding payments by region is not recorded, therefore estimates cannot be provided.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_250
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_250

Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides to ensure that people impacted by the Post Office Horizon scandal are aware that compensation payments are exempt from Universal Credit means testing; and whether a review is underway to help support people who have not received their benefit entitlement due to a lack of awareness. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Payments of compensation from the Post Office compensation scheme have been indefinitely disregarded as capital and income from the calculation of Universal Credit. Please see guidance below for customers relating to special compensation payments.

Universal Credit: money, savings and investments - GOV.UK

The Department has added this scheme to internal guidance for staff and decisionmakers to make them aware that payments should be disregarded.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_251
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_251

Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with HM Treasury on improving communication between HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions on cases involving voluntary National Insurance contributions paid while working abroad. \p Torsten Bell: We work closely with HMRC on Voluntary National Insurance Contributions, sharing information where appropriate and proactively identifying ways we can improve our working practices.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_252
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_252

Debbie Abrahams:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with The Pensions Regulator on strengthening its Code of Practice to require large companies running trust-based pension schemes to establish and maintain an internal audit capability. \p Torsten Bell: DWP officials work closely with the Pension Regulator on all its Codes of Practice to ensure they remain fit for purpose in a changing pensions landscape. In addition, both the Pensions Regulator and my officials have met with the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors to listen to their considerations about pensions schemes and internal audit.