theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure school bus travel is (a) affordable and (b) accessible in rural areas. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, particularly in rural areas. On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.

At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Cornwall Council has been allocated £10.6 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people.
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Mims Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital spending has been allocated to railways in Wales in each year of the Spending Review period; and (i) how much and (ii) over what period of time her Department plans to spend on railways in Wales outside of the Spending Review period. \p Jo Stevens: I would refer the Honourable Member to the answer I provided to written question UIN 69339 on 2 September 2025.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to hold (a) highway businesses, (b) agriculture businesses and (c) other non-water sector polluters accountable for water pollution. \p Emma Hardy: For the first time, river systems will be managed as a whole to tackle pollution from all sources, ensuring every sector plays its part in cleaning up our waterways.

Subject to consultation this autumn, the Government will abolish Ofwat and merge its functions with water functions across the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate to form a single new regulator.

There will be a regional element to the new regulator to ensure greater local involvement in water planning and allow all sources of pollution to be addressed across the river catchment.

Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and enforcement responsibilities in full. The Government will clarify its expectations through a Strategic Policy Statement and ministerial direction, expected to be published later this year.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that water bills do not rise in the context of the closure of Ofwat. \p Emma Hardy: The price controls set as part of Price Review 2024 came into effect on 1st April 2025, setting water bill levels for 2025-2030. The abolition of Ofwat and creation of a new water regulator will not affect these.

The Government has set out its intention to create a single powerful super-regulator responsible for the entire water sector, with the teeth to enforce the high standards the public rightly demand and to help protect the public from the kind of bill hikes we saw last year. Subject to consultation this autumn, the Government will abolish Ofwat and merge its functions with water functions across the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and enforcement responsibilities in full. The Government will clarify its expectations through a Strategic Policy Statement and ministerial direction, expected to be published later this year.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the localised hotspots in the reporting zones of (a) Greater London, (b) Nottingham, (c) Reading/Wokingham, (d) Coventry/Bedworth, (e) Eastern, (f) Greater Manchester, (g) Portsmouth, (h) South East, (i) Liverpool, (j) West Yorkshire, (k) Bristol, (l) Sheffield, (m) The Potteries, (n) West Midlands and (o) Tyneside which are not complying with the nitrogen dioxide annual mean limit value beyond 2023 in each calendar year until full compliance is achieved. \p Emma Hardy: The localised hotspots identified through Defra’s national modelling and monitoring networks are published annually as part of the national compliance assessment under the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which localised hotspots in the reporting zones of (a) Greater London, (b) Nottingham, (c) Reading/Wokingham, (d) Coventry/Bedworth, (e) Eastern, (f) Greater Manchester, (g) Portsmouth, (h) South East, (i) Liverpool, (j) West Yorkshire, (k) Bristol, (l) Sheffield, (m) The Potteries, (n) West Midlands and (o) Tyneside are delaying compliance with the nitrogen dioxide annual mean limit value beyond 2023 in each calendar year until full compliance is achieved. \p Emma Hardy: Predicting when locations will comply with the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide is inherently uncertain.
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Jonathan Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support local authorities to (a) reduce and (b) replace their use of pesticides. \p Emma Hardy: The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or animal health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.

There is a legal requirement to minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public. It is for each Local Authority to decide the best way of delivering effective and cost-effective weed control in its operations while protecting people and the environment.

Earlier this year, I met with local authorities to hear about their experiences implementing sustainable practices in urban environments. This highlighted the importance of peer-to-peer learning, and Defra will continue to strongly encourage local authorities to share knowledge to promote best practice.

Defra also funded the recent publication of Parks for London’s Integrated Weed Management guide.
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Jonathan Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to increase transparency around use of pesticides by local authorities. \p Emma Hardy: The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or animal health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.

There is a legal requirement to minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public. It is for each Local Authority to decide the best way of delivering effective and cost-effective weed control in its operations while protecting people and the environment.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Ofwat to be abolished in biggest overhaul of water since privatisation, published on 21 July 2025, whether the new water regulator will be responsible for flooding. \p Emma Hardy: This Government has confirmed that it will abolish Ofwat and bring water functions from four different regulators into one – a single regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and responsibilities in full. The Government will respond to Sir Jon Cunliffe’s recommendations in full via a White Paper, published for consultation this autumn.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to legislate to mandate the installation of smart meters for water usage. \p Emma Hardy: Water companies are already able to install smart meters in homes as part of their planning and, in areas of water stress, can charge on a mandatory basis where there is overall customer support and value for money for consumers has been proved. The Government is working alongside the Ofwat Smart Meter Delivery Group to review recommendations made by Baringa in a recent report on learning lessons from energy smart metering, which includes ensuring money saving benefits for consumers are realised.
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Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve public awareness of drinking water (a) safety and (b) quality standards. \p Emma Hardy: The Government is committed to ensuring a high level of protection for human health and the environment. Drinking water quality in England is exceptionally high and among the best in the world; the UK was ranked in the top 8 countries globally for drinking water safety in the 2024 Environmental Performance Index.

Public drinking water compliance with the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 has been consistently high for years. The most recent published figures show 99.97% compliance rate compared with between 98-98.5% in the early 1990s.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) publishes advice on drinking water quality safety and standards online. In December 2024, the DWI published a report, with recommendations, on drinking water standards by an advisory group of specialists with wide-ranging technical expertise. Defra and the DWI will work together to consider potential regulatory updates to England’s drinking water quality legislation based on these recommendations.
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Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in drinking water in England. \p Emma Hardy: Defra works with other departments, regulators and devolved administrations to assess PFAS levels, their sources and potential risks, informing future policy and regulation.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has provided guidance on PFAS since 2007, most recently updated in August 2024 and consolidated in March 2025. The guidance uses a tiered system with graduated responses based on concentrations detected in raw water.

In 2021 a guideline value of 0.1 micrograms per litre (µg/L) was adopted. Since August 2024, water companies must monitor for 48 PFAS in supplies, agreed with the UK Health Security Agency as safe levels with an appropriate margin. Any exceedance must be reported to the DWI, with actions taken to reduce levels. No exceedances have been found in UK supplies.

The DWI continues to review advice from World Health Organisation and the UK’s Committee on Toxicity, acting on emerging science to safeguard public health.
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Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to support national expansion of the Yellowfish campaign to reduce drain contamination. \p Emma Hardy: The Yellow fish campaign is a targeted community-led engagement initiative that raises awareness of water pollution caused by contaminants such as chemicals, oils, detergents, and litter entering road drains. Where drainage has been identified as a pollution source, this campaign offers a practical, visible solution to support pollution reduction efforts. It aligns with policy goals on clean water, community engagement and sustainable infrastructure and is a solution that should be encouraged in appropriate locations.
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Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure clear consumer labelling on wet wipes marketed as flushable. \p Emma Hardy: The Government’s message is clear – if you need to use wet wipes, dispose of them in the bin, not the loo, flushing wet wipes causes a number of environmental and drainage impacts.

We are considering if further action, including on product labelling, is required to tackle the issues caused by wrongly flushing wet wipes and other unflushables.
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Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to make smart metering mandatory in the water sector. \p Emma Hardy: Water companies already have the ability to charge by water meters on a mandatory basis in areas designated water stressed. This is only able to feature in water companies’ long-term plans if it represents value for money and has customer support.

The Government has committed to working with Ofwat to assess the recommendations from a report led by Baringa on the current approach including exploring mandatory standards for smart meter rollouts. This will reduce leakage and enable customers to have more data to make water and cost-efficient choices.
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John Lamont:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his proposed ban on trophy hunting imports will include the (a) import and (b) export of hunting trophies, (c) enforcement of existing (i) national and (ii) international laws against trophy hunting and (d) enforcement of penalties for offenders. \p Mary Creagh: The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Defra is engaging with relevant stakeholders on the scope and design of this ban, including on the enforcement of penalties and hunting trophy exports.

We will continue to implement all existing national and international laws regarding trophy hunting trade, for example, under the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 72246 on Litter: Fast Food, if his Department will ensure that packaging from fast food outlets is marked by the outlet with the car registration of the customer using Automatic Number Plate Recognition. \p Mary Creagh: We do not intend to require fast food outlets to implement a vehicle registration number printing system for packaging.

Guidance published by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government clarifies the powers available to councils to ensure new hot food takeaways do not increase the impact of litter on local communities. The latest guidance is available here: Healthy and safe communities - GOV.UK
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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Darwin Plus on maintaining the British Overseas Territories' environmental heritage. \p Mary Creagh: Darwin Plus remains a funding programme that continues to improve outcomes for the unique biodiversity and environmental heritage of the UK Overseas Territories and we note the strong support for that continuation.

Defra has confirmed funding for the continuation of existing projects throughout 2025/2026 and to support additional projects beginning this year. We have contacted all applicants shortlisted from our most recent funding rounds to discuss commencement of their individual project proposals and details of those successful projects will be published on the Darwin Plus website in due course.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's policies on reducing plastic pollution on levels of plastic pollution. \p Mary Creagh: This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives.

We have recently completed a Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the 2020 bans and restrictions on single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds. This review assesses the effectiveness of these measures in achieving their policy objectives, including reducing plastic pollution, and considers their environmental and economic impacts. The PIR is scheduled for publication in October 2025.

We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) compliance measures and (b) enforcement mechanisms he is developing to ensure (i) producer, (ii) sorter and (iii) exporter adherence to the (A) transparency and (B) traceability requirements of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. \p Mary Creagh: This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. The Government has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming autumn.

The Circular Economy Taskforce will initially focus on six sectors that have the greatest potential to grow the economy: textiles; agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; and transport.

The Taskforce has been extensively engaging with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the Strategy reflects the needs and insights of all involved.

As we develop the strategy, we will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and alongside The Circular Economy Taskforce we will assess what interventions may be needed across the textiles sector. The Taskforce will consider evidence across a range of interventions.
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Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will consider introducing a national scheme offering small grants to private individuals for the creation of climate-resilient, wildlife-friendly gardens. \p Mary Creagh: We recognise the importance of individual action and the contribution that wildlife-friendly gardens can make to nature recovery and climate resilience. Our Land Use Consultation this year asked about approaches to support such outcomes in urban areas. We are considering the responses we received, which will inform the upcoming Land Use Framework.

We also coordinate and work with a range of partners to promote guidance and support for individuals. For example, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s Grow Wild programme inspires and supports individual and community gardening, and Defra’s annual Bees’ Needs Week and Bees’ Needs Champions Awards celebrate action and promote simple actions everyone can take to benefit pollinators. We encourage individuals to participate in and contribute to the preparation of Local Nature Recovery Strategies to help shape nature recovery in their area.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2025 to Question 62999 on Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Aviation, whether information on the (a) number and (b) cost of domestic flights by Ministers since July 2024 is centrally held by his Department. \p Mary Creagh: Defra does not centrally hold this information.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on making clear recycling labels mandatory for pharmaceutical packaging. \p Mary Creagh: The Government is committed to introducing mandatory recycling labelling for packaging. We are aiming to do this in 2028 once we have reviewed the potential to bring forward an approach that is consistent with the provisions being established under PPWR for the EU.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. The Secretary of State has not yet had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the details of the labelling requirements as this is still to be developed following review of the EU equivalent regime.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent support he has provided to local authorities to help tackle fly-tipping. \p Mary Creagh: We want to see local authorities make good use of their enforcement powers and are taking steps to help them do so. For example, we are currently reviewing their powers to seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers to identify ways in which we help them make better use of this tool.

Defra also chairs the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders, including local authorities, to promote and disseminate good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools are available from their webpage which is available at: https://nftpg.com/.

From 2026–27, the Government will deliver the first multi-year Settlement in a decade, fundamentally improving how we fund councils and directing funding to where it’s most needed. We’re committed to simplifying the wider local funding landscape by reducing the number of grants and consolidating them into the Settlement, so councils can plan more effectively. Detailed decisions will follow the funding reform consultation and be set out at the provisional Settlement later this year.
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Rosie Duffield:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with the Ministry of Defence to deliver the target to protect and manage 30 per cent of the land and sea for nature by 2030. \p Emma Hardy: To deliver our 30by30 commitments Defra works closely with arms-length bodies and other departments, including the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

This includes through the National Estate for Nature Group, of which the MoD, which manages extensive estates, is a member.

Natural England and other Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs) also support the MoD in managing land to enhance biodiversity, and in minimising the impacts of their operations on Marine Protected Areas. We are working across Government, including with the MoD, to publish our delivery strategy for 30by30 on land in England.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding was allocated to local partnerships in Buckinghamshire in the last rural and wildlife crime funding settlement. \p Mary Creagh: Defra does not provide financial allocations to local partnerships for tackling wildlife crime but instead provides funding directly at the national level, to the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), and in 2025/26 is providing £424,000. Home Office, similarly, does not provide financial allocations to local partnerships. Home Office provides funding directly at the national level. In 2025/26 the Home Office has provided the NWCU with £450k and the National Rural Crime Unit with £365k.

The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats, and assisting law enforcers with investigations. In 2024-25 the NWCU provided support on wildlife crime cases to every local police force in the UK including Thames Valley Police.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 25560 on National Trails UK: Finance, what his timetable is for announcing the funding settlement for (a) National Trails UK, (b) the Thames Path National Trail and (c) The Ridgeway National Trail in 2024/25. \p Mary Creagh: Funding settlements to National Trails UK are not announced, and individual National Trails are not funded separately. In 24/25 NTUK received a combination of funding through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, direct grants and Access for All funding.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in levels of funding allocated to National Trails since 2018 on those trails. \p Mary Creagh: The Government remains committed to enhancing access to nature and will continue to work closely with Natural England, National Trails UK and relevant partners to understand and respond to the needs of our National Trails. We know it requires significant efforts and commitment from local authorities and trail partnerships to keep our trails accessible to the public.

The Government will continue to work with Natural England and our partners in support of our National Trails and to ensure that the public can confidently access our trail network. Despite the challenging fiscal environment, Defra has committed to supporting National Trails UK with a continuation of Protected Landscapes Partnership funding, individual grant, and Access for All funding. There are no current plans to assess National Trails specifically against year-on-year funding.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is monitoring the potential impact of extended producer responsibility scheme costs on food and drink prices in the (a) on-trade and (b) off-trade market. \p Mary Creagh: In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the packaging extended producer responsibility scheme (pEPR). The impact assessment sets out the estimated inflationary impact of pEPR on the UK economy as a whole. The central estimate for the increase in the Consumer Price Index is 0.29%. This is based on an assumption that producers pass on 85% of the costs incurred through pEPR. The pEPR impact assessment does not split out impacts on individual sectors.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to reform the (a) Packaging Recovery Note and (b) Packaging Waste Export Recycling Note system to (i) reduce price disparities, (ii) strengthen oversight of overseas export destinations and (iii) support domestic recycling infrastructure. \p Mary Creagh: We meet regularly with industry stakeholders and will examine options to reform the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN/PERN) system, which will include proposals intended to support the UK recycling sector.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Solicitor General, whether her Department has spent money on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024. \p Ellie Reeves: The Attorney General’s Office has not spent money on social media influencers since July 2024.

Influencers can be effective in reaching audiences that the Government and traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has spent money on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024. \p Hilary Benn: The Northern Ireland Office has not spent money on social media influencers since July 2024.
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which parties were offered an advance briefing on the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework. \p Hilary Benn: The Rt Hon Lord Murphy engaged widely across the political spectrum during the Independent Review.

The Northern Ireland Office speaks to parties regularly and does not give a running commentary on those discussions.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people have had their pass for the parliamentary estate withdrawn on security or serious misconduct grounds since 5 July 2024. \p Nick Smith: The House of Commons may suspend a Parliamentary pass temporarily pending the outcome of a criminal or disciplinary investigation. When an investigation is concluded and serious misconduct found against an individual, or a criminal conviction made involving a violent or sexual offence, then the individual’s pass is withdrawn. This response covers only passes that have been permanently withdrawn, as opposed to temporarily suspended.

As the House of Commons is not the direct employer of all passholders, information about disciplinary investigations and grounds for dismissal will not automatically be passed to Parliament for all passholders. This response therefore covers only employees of the House of Commons and Joint Departments, former Members of the House of Commons, and Members of the House of Commons who have been convicted of a violent or sexual offence and subject to recall, and any additional cases where the relevant information is shared with the House of Commons Administration. Equivalent data for the House of Lords Administration has not been included as it is a separate organisation.

The total number of passes withdrawn for security or serious misconduct since 5 July 2024 is five.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_2

Yuan Yang:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of the PIP daily living component are (a) in work and (b) self-employed at (i) regional, (ii) constituency and (iii) local authority level; and what proportion of those recipients were awarded fewer than four points in all daily living activities. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_3

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published in March 2025, how the £1 billion employment, health and skills support package will be spent. \p Alison McGovern: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_4

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to provide training in (a) military and (b) trauma-informed care to Personal Independence Payment assessors working with veterans in Fylde. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_5

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to extend the consultation entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, for disabled people. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_6

Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the housing benefit taper rate on young people in supported housing who increase working hours. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_7
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_7

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of eligible pensioners in Lancashire who have not claimed Pension Credit in the most recent year for which data is available. \p Torsten Bell: The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2022 to 2023 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2023 - GOV.UK. The next edition of the Pension Credit take-up statistics will be released between September and October 2025. Statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_8
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_8

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of procuring used vehicles for the Motability Scheme. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Whilst the Department for Work and Pensions works closely with Motability, the Motability Scheme is overseen by Motability Foundation (the charity) and delivered by Motability Operations. Motability is independent of Government and is wholly responsible for the terms and administration of the Scheme.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_9
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_9

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce unemployment in 18-21 year olds. \p Alison McGovern: As part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we are launching a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are working closely with the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England, which began mobilising the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in April 2025. The eight areas delivering Trailblazers are: the West of England, Tees Valley, East Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands and two areas within the Greater London Authority. The trailblazers will run for 12 months, and we will use the learning to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England.

This is part of a broader package of reforms, including introduction of a new jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, the development of work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, and the launch of Skills England to open up new opportunities for young people. We will work in partnership with organisations and businesses at the national and local level to offer exciting and engaging opportunities to young people. This could include work experience, training courses or employability programmes.

In addition, DWP continues to provide young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_10

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the number of job vacancies there are in each constituency. \p Alison McGovern: There are no published statistics on the number of job vacancies by constituency. However, the number of online job adverts by local authorities can be found here: Labour demand volumes by Standard Occupation Classification (SOC 2020), UK - Office for National Statistics
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_11

Clive Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of cancer patients who will stop receiving personal independence payments following proposed welfare reforms. \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).

Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These impacts are uncertain at an overall England and Wales level, and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at such a granular level as individual primary medical conditions.

The number of people currently on PIP who did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP in future. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. Someone who did not score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment as conditions change over time.

Changes to PIP eligibility aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years.

We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis, but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.

We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment which I am leading, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_12
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_12

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of requiring Personal Independent Payment claimants to score four points in a single category on autistic people. \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).

Among those in receipt of Personal Independence Payment whose primary impairment is autism, 94% scored at least four points on one daily living activity at their most recent assessment. That suggests that only a very small proportion of autistic people will lose PIP as a result of the new eligibility threshold being introduced from November 2026.

Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These impacts are uncertain at an overall England and Wales level, and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at such a granular level as individual primary medical conditions.

The number of people currently on PIP who did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP in future. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. Someone who did not score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment as conditions change over time.

Changes to PIP eligibility aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years.

We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis, but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.

We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment which I am leading, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.
wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-23)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-23 conversation_13

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people in receipt of childcare support are claiming Universal Credit. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The proportion of people in receipt of childcare support claiming Universal Credit is not available as not all childcare support is the responsibility of this department.

The latest statistics for Universal Credit households in receipt of Universal Credit childcare element are published and available here: Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 9 January 2025 - GOV.UK