theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Simon Hoare:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the official set up date under section 5 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiry entitled Inquiry into the circumstances of the Death of Bernard Lodge at Manchester Prison on 28 August 1998. \p Jake Richards: The Bernard Lodge inquiry was commissioned initially as an ad hoc investigation with no statutory powers. The investigation was converted to a statutory inquiry under section 15 of the Inquiries Act 2005 on 23 February 2009.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to find prisoners who were released by accident. \p Jake Richards: Any release in error is unacceptable, and public safety is the Government’s first duty. In such cases, we coordinate across multiple agencies including the police to ensure individuals are returned to custody. The majority of those released in error are recaptured swiftly.

Releases in error are another long-term symptom of the prison system crisis this Government inherited. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are bearing down on those errors that do occur.

On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan. This includes strengthening release checks across prisons, a multi-million pound investment in new technology, and an independent review, which will report its recommendations in spring next year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the availability and effectiveness of rehabilitation support for individuals with a gambling addiction within the criminal justice system. \p Jake Richards: His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) co-commissioned an independent report to inform understanding of the prevalence of gambling harms among those in prison and on probation in the community: Report on Gambling Harms and the Criminal Justice System.

We are committed to rehabilitating those impacted by gambling and its harms, through a rehabilitative culture, positive relationships and pro-social staff. Together with this, HMPPS delivers a broad range of interventions to address individuals’ criminogenic risks and needs, including accredited offending behaviour programmes. In addition, the NHS provides support for individuals who are experiencing gambling addiction.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Government action to protect children from abusive parents, published on 22 October 2025, how he plans to enact the repeal of the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989; and what his planned timetable is for that repeal. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Government will repeal the presumption of parental involvement when Parliamentary time allows. Doing so requires amendments to the Children Act 1989 which will be taken forward once an appropriate legislative vehicle is identified. This remains a Ministerial priority, and we will announce further plans for implementation in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many family court cases the mother acted as a litigant in person due to lack of access to (a) legal aid and (b) representation in each of the last five years. \p Alex Davies-Jones: It is not possible to identify from the data whether the mother or father was represented during proceedings. However, representation can be broken down by applicant and respondent, and this information is published in the Family Court Statistics Quarterly collection. The latest publication is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly

Reasons why parties may not have been represented are not held centrally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_93

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the average financial cost for people meeting their own legal fees in family court proceedings in each of the last five years. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Ministry of Justice does not hold records on the average financial cost for people meeting their own legal fees in family court proceedings. These are private arrangements and there is no statutory requirement for them to be reported.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what mechanisms exist to coordinate information between criminal courts and family courts. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Disclosure of Information between Family and Criminal Agencies and Jurisdictions: Protocol 2024 came into effect on 1 March 2024 and applies to the exchange of information and material between criminal and family agencies and jurisdictions.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Family Court system, particularly in cases where one parent is legally represented and the other is not. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Government does not record the number of litigants who were unable to present their case properly due to lack of representation. The Ministry of Justice publish official statistics includes legal representation data in the following: Family_Court_Tables__Apr-Jun_2025_.ods

The Government is committed to ensuring all court users can access justice fairly. HMCTS offers practical guidance and intermediary support for litigants in person, while wider legal help is available through organisations funded by over £6 million from the Ministry of Justice (April 2025–March 2026), including online resources like Advicenow.

We have not made a specific assessment of the delays in cases involving litigants in person. However, published statistics show that cases where both parties, or the respondent only, had legal representation generally took longer to conclude than those where only the applicant was represented or both parties were unrepresented.

We recognise the impact delays have on families and are taking action to improve outcomes. In private law proceedings relating to children, Pathfinder courts are reducing case durations, delivering some of the fastest times nationally and providing better support for vulnerable parties, including domestic abuse survivors.

This Government has not made an assessment of judicial outcomes. The Judiciary are constitutionally independent from the Government. Commenting on or evaluating judicial decisions would risk undermining this independence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent on probation services in (a) Greater Manchester (b) Oldham for each year from 2015 to date. \p Jake Richards: The data below shows the annual spend for Probation services in the Greater Manchester Probation Region and Oldham since 2021.

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24

2024-25

£m

£m

£m

£m

Greater Manchester Probation Service

44.5

58.8

66.7

72.1

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24

2024-25

£m

£m

£m

£m

Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) Oldham

1.8

2.2

2.5

2.7

To note:

Data prior to July 2021 is unable to be reported on, due to the structure of probation regions following Transforming Rehabilitation in 2014 where a National Probation Service (NPS) for high-risk work, and 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) for low/medium risk were created.

Under the National Probation Service, Greater Manchester was part of a wider area called North West Division.

The unification of CRCs and the National Probation Service (NPS) in England and Wales took place on 26 June 2021, creating The Probation Service and marked a significant restructuring of the probation system.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the full scope of the five point action plan to tackle release inaccuracy announced by him on 11 November 2025. \p Jake Richards: Releases in error are never acceptable, and we are bearing down on those errors that do occur.

Releases in error have always existed, and are another long-term symptom of the prison system crisis this Government inherited. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are taking decisive action to address this issue to reduce the risk of future mistakes.

On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan. This includes:
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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using scanning machines in probation offices to detect weapons; and what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of probation officers in the workplace. \p Jake Richards: The safety of probation staff is our priority, and we are committed to taking action to protect them. Following a comprehensive review of health, safety, and security across all probation premises, we are urgently implementing measures to strengthen protection for staff and improve overall safety.

We have completed a comprehensive nationwide review of local safety arrangements and are currently installing visitor lockers outside all probation contact areas with the aim of preventing the ingress of weapons and rolling out bleed control kits and defibrillators in every office to provide critical emergency support.

We are also planning to pilot enhanced security measures in seven probation offices. The proposed pilots include archway scanners, handheld wands, body-worn cameras, and advanced safety training focused on de-escalation and aggression management. The aim is to prevent weapon ingress, improve staff safety, and assess the effectiveness of the proposed interventions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 2 December 2025, what safeguards will be put in place to ensure that, where defendants can no longer elect a jury trial, decisions are (a) consistent and (b) subject to appropriate oversight. \p Sarah Sackman: The court reforms, including removing the right to elect for a jury trial, are not intended to impact trial outcomes; the intention is only to change how trials are heard.

The vast majority of criminal cases - over 90% - are already heard without a jury, by magistrates. Their decisions will continue to be based on the law and the facts of the case. Safeguards are in place to ensure magistrates’ court decisions are consistent and subject to appropriate oversight. This includes a new appeals process whereby defendants will be able to seek permission to appeal based on an arguable point of law for their case. This new process will mirror the appeals process from the Crown Court to the Court of Appeal. Magistrates and judges must also follow sentencing guidelines when making sentencing decisions. These guidelines outline the factors they should consider before reaching a final decision.

Under the reformed system, trials taking place in the Magistrates’ Court will be recorded. This transparency measure represents an important modernisation of our Courts but also represents an important safeguard for all parties.

We will continue to monitor conviction rates and sentencing outcomes as part of our ongoing assessments of the criminal justice system.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for legal aid in family proceedings were granted to fathers in each of the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: The Legal Aid Agency does not specifically track or report on grants of legal aid broken down by whether the applicant was a mother or father as the same eligibility criteria are applicable to all parents and persons with parental responsibility. The requested information could only be obtained by manually reviewing individual applications at disproportionate cost to the Department.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the financial equitableness when only one parent receives legal aid in family court proceedings. \p Sarah Sackman: The eligibility for family legal aid does not discriminate as between Mothers and Fathers. In any case, the eligibility criteria apply equally to both.

The legal aid framework was reformed by previous governments through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). In 2019, the then Government published a post-implementation review of LASPO; the outcome of that review, including in relation to legal aid in family proceedings, is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-implementation-review-of-part-1-of-laspo. Furthermore, between January 2023 and March 2025, the Ministry of Justice undertook a comprehensive Review of Civil Legal Aid (RoCLA); all reports are available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-legal-aid-review, this includes a deep dive on legal aid in family law cases.

Non means tested legal aid is available for parents and those with parental responsibility in most public family special Children Act 1989 cases, including care proceedings as well as related proceedings. A light-touch merits test is applied, so that only the need for representation is considered. As a result, more than one parent may be eligible for legal aid.

Legal aid is available in some private family matters for individuals experiencing, or at risk of, domestic abuse; for individuals (for example, parents) where the child who is the subject of the order is a victim of child abuse or at risk of abuse; for people under the age of 18; in certain cases of international or domestic abduction; for family mediation where there is a family dispute; and for certain urgent protection applications – for example, non-molestation orders. To be eligible for legal aid in these cases, means and merits tests usually need to be met, and evidence of domestic abuse also needs to be provided.

It is possible for both parties to receive legal aid in private family proceedings, if the case is in scope of LASPO and both parties meet the statutory eligibility and evidence requirements, where applicable. It is however also possible under LASPO for only one party to receive legal aid. This is due to the overall intention of LASPO which is to target legal aid to particularly vulnerable cohorts and those most in need.

Where an issue falls outside the scope of legal aid, eligible individuals may be able to obtain Exceptional Case Funding where they can show that, without the provision of legal aid, there is a risk that their human rights may be breached.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that the removal of a defendant's right to elect a jury trail is compatible with Article 6 of the ECHR. \p Sarah Sackman: We are confident that the removal of the defendants’ right to elect is compatible with Article 6 of the ECHR. Whilst the jury trial will remain an important feature of the criminal justice system following these reforms, it is important to recognise that there is no constitutional right to a jury trial. As you will be aware, the vast majority of criminal trials in this country are conducted fairly, without a jury. 90% of all criminal cases being dealt with by magistrates. Only around 3% of all criminal trials are heard by a jury currently. But the status quo is not working for victims, defendants or anyone involved in the justice system.

The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record and rising open caseload of nearly 80,000 criminal cases waiting to be heard and too many victims waiting years for justice. One of the first priorities of this Government has been to tackle this crisis which is why we asked Sir Brian Leveson to undertake his independent review. On 2 December, the Deputy Prime Minister responded to the first part of that review and set out why reform is necessary, alongside investment and modernisation.

As with all reforms, we will conduct full equalities impact assessment ahead of implementation to obtain an understanding of the impact.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the maximum sentence will be that a judge could impose on a convicted person when tried under the proposed new swift courts within the Crown Court. \p Sarah Sackman: The new ‘swift courts’ will operate within the existing Crown Court which means the same procedures in the Crown Court will apply, apart from mode of trial. Judges will assign triable-either-ways cases to the new Crown Court Bench Division where the likely sentence is three years or less, but they will retain the full sentencing powers of the Crown Court.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the number of people who will be sentenced to more than three years in prison by new swift courts within the Crown Court in each of the next five years. \p Sarah Sackman: The new ‘swift courts’ will operate within the existing Crown Court which means the same procedures in the Crown Court will apply, apart from mode of trial. Judges will assign triable-either-ways cases to the new Crown Court Bench Division where the likely sentence is three years or less, but they will retain the full sentencing powers of the Crown Court. Sentencing decisions remain a matter for the independent judiciary and the Ministry of Justice is unable to provide estimates.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of new swift courts within the Crown Court on the number of wrongful convictions. \p Sarah Sackman: The new ‘swift courts’ will operate within the existing Crown Court framework, following the same process and procedures. Safeguards will be in place including the existing appeals procedure, and judges in the ‘swift courts’ will be required to provide reasoned judgments when delivering decisions to convict or acquit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the average amount repaid by people who had received legal aid in family court cases in each of the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: For financial year 2024-2025 the average legal aid expenditure in family proceedings(1) was £4,551 for private family law cases e.g. proceedings concerning child arrangements orders and £10,058 for public family law cases e.g. care and supervision proceedings brought by the local authority. These figures are derived from Civil Representation expenditure data published as part of the LAA’s official statistics.

Under the 2013 Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources and Payment for Services) Regulations individuals may be assessed as liable to make a contribution towards the cost of their legal aid case from either income or capital. In 2024-2025, in cases where an individual was assessed as liable to make a contribution, the average contribution collected in relation to family cases was £1,019.

Under section 25 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 individuals who recover or preserve money in civil legal aid proceedings are required to repay the cost of their legal aid case from the money recovered (unless exempt under regulations). This is known as the statutory charge. In 2024-2025, for cases subject to the statutory charge, the average amount recovered in respect of family cases was £7,409. Recovery of the statutory charge can be postponed in certain limited circumstances and so recoveries made may not necessarily relate to cases funded in the same period.

(1) As defined in the 2024 Standard Civil Contract: Category Definitions.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the total annual cost of legal aid issued in cases where one party subsequently (a) breaches court orders, (b) refuses contact arrangements and (c) obstructs proceedings. \p Sarah Sackman: The requested information is not centrally held.
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Damien Egan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in County Court proceedings relating to possession or enforcement actions against individuals living in vehicles. \p Sarah Sackman: The Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) Part 55, 55.1 (a) states a possession claim means a claim for the recovery of possession of land (including buildings or parts of buildings), on which a vehicle might be parked.

The CPR stipulate that possession claims should be listed within 4-8 weeks. The most recent published statistics, covering the period July to September 2025 show that the median time from claim to order is 7.6 weeks. The timeliness of the subsequent enforcement of an order, where this is required, can be influenced by the actions of users as well as the court. For 2024 only 26% of possession claims required enforcement.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on possession claims at: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s digital systems on the finances of legal aid firms; how many providers have received (a) partial and (b) emergency contingency payments since that incident; and what additional financial support he plans to provide to firms undertaking legal aid work without payment. \p Sarah Sackman: We acknowledge and appreciate the constructive way that providers have worked with us following the serious criminal attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital systems. They have continued to do vital work in challenging circumstances.

From the outset the LAA has consulted with providers and provider representative bodies to understand their concerns. These consultations confirmed that maintaining cash flow was a key priority and we immediately took steps to ensure that providers had the cash flow that they needed.

For some types of legal aid this meant adjusting the way in which providers submitted their claim for payment to the LAA. From 19 May, providers have been able to claim their usual payments for Legal Help, Crime Lower & Mediation work via a contingency process. Due to previous investment, the criminal legal aid systems were more modern, and internal access was restored more quickly. This enabled the LAA to resume paying Crown Court bills from early June.

It was necessary to agree a payment contingency for Civil Representation work with HM Treasury. This led to the implementation of the Average Payment Scheme on 27 May. The Average Payment Scheme enables providers to opt in to receive a temporary average payment for Civil Representation work that would otherwise be due. Payments are made on a weekly basis. The weekly average payment is based on previous payments made to that provider over the preceding 3-month period.  Some providers have not opted in to receive payment, but it is there should they need it.

As of 30 November, 2,045 advocates, and 1,206 legal aid provider offices have received payment through the Average Payment Scheme. As payments are calculated as a weekly average there is no scope or need to make a ‘partial’ or ‘emergency’ payment. However, there is, in addition, a simple escalation process in place to enable providers to request a payment in excess of the average amount offered to meet specific expenditure.

We are satisfied that providers have been able to access payment for work carried out whilst systems have been offline.
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Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department provides to county courts on (a) the verification of documents submitted in support of Mental Health Breathing Space applications and (b) instances in which concerns have been raised that such documents may be forged or fraudulent. \p Sarah Sackman: When a Breathing Space is cancelled, the creditor will be automatically notified by the Insolvency Service. They should provide a copy of this notification to the county court when they apply for any further enforcement action.

The decision on whether someone enters a Breathing Space Moratorium is not initially determined by the court but by a debt advice provider authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority or by a local authority (where they provide debt advice to residents). For a Mental Health Breathing Space, an Approved Mental Health Professional must certify that a person is receiving mental health treatment. If a creditor disagrees with a notification, there are grounds under which they can ask the debt advisor for a review. After a review, if the creditor does not agree with the decision, they can then apply to the court to cancel the breathing space.

If a creditor who has applied to the court is concerned about the validity of documents supporting a Mental Health Breathing Space, they should include supporting evidence as to why the documentation may be invalid in their application, verified by a statement of truth. Such applications are treated as a Part 8 claim by the court. The evidence will be considered by a judge who will make the decision.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of financial restrictions on the ability of victims of civil online defamation and harassment to take action. \p Sarah Sackman: Individuals who believe they have been defamed online can bring a claim under the tort of defamation, provided it meets the statutory requirements in the Defamation Act 2013, including demonstrating that the statement has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to their reputation.

Victims of harassment can seek civil remedies under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, which allows applications for injunctions to prevent further harassment and, in some cases, claims for damages.

As with any civil claim there are costs involved which may involve seeking professional advice. The general principle in England and Wales is, however, that legal costs are recoverable; usually the losing party pays the costs, as well as their own, following the event.

To help manage the costs of litigation, individuals may wish to consider a range of funding options, including conditional fee agreements, damages-based agreements, and insurance products such as after-the-event cover. Third-party litigation funding may also be available in some circumstances.

Civil legal aid may be available for injunctions to protect people against harassment. Eligibility depends on both the nature and merits of the case and the applicant’s financial circumstances.
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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has assessed the potential implications for open justice of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision to bar the press and public from recent proceedings. \p Sarah Sackman: The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) is an independent statutory tribunal that hears cases of alleged misconduct by solicitors, registered European Lawyers, registered foreign lawyers, and employees of solicitors’ firms.

The SDT is committed to upholding the principles of open justice. Its default position is that hearings should be held in public and that any departure from this principle must be justified as an exception. Rule 35 of the Solicitors (Disciplinary Proceedings) Rules 2019 governs the SDT's power to hold a private hearing and stipulates the specific exceptions where hearings may be private. The primary ground for holding a private hearing is exceptional hardship or prejudice to a party, witness, or affected person. In addition, a private hearing may be necessary where a public hearing would prejudice the interests of justice. Details of the SDT’s approach to conducting hearings, or parts of a hearing, in private are available here: https://solicitorstribunal.org.uk/resource/policy-public-private-hearings/.

Whilst the Ministry of Justice does not intervene in individual cases or decisions of the SDT, we keep the underlying legislative framework under review to ensure it continues to provide an effective and transparent disciplinary system.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve support for unemployed claimants aged over 50 seeking to return to work. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement. The Department is therefore committed to supporting workers over the age of 50 through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes inclusion, flexibility, and progression. This includes promoting age-inclusive practices, supporting workplace health, policy and service reform and removing age related barriers to employment. The Department has also signed up to and actively promotes the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge, encouraging employers to adopt flexible working, age-positive hiring, and career development.

The Government recognises that workers over 50 bring a wealth of skills and experience both to the workplace and the economy. We are committed to reforming labour market support, taking lessons from the current DWP service to those over 50, and the experience of 50PLUS Champions, to ensure that future support is reflective of their individual needs.

We published our Get Britain Working White Paper on 26 November 2024. This set out our plans to reform Jobcentre Plus and create a new Jobs and Careers Service that will enable everyone, including claimants over 50, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and help them progress in work or increase their earnings.

Our new service includes an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice and will provide support that is better tailored and personalised. We will embed the principles of accessibility and inclusivity into the design of the Jobs and Careers Service throughout the entire customer journey, acknowledging diverse support needs, including those of individuals over 50.
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of foreign nationals claiming welfare benefits. \p Andrew Western: On 20 November the Home Secretary launched a consultation on proposals for a fairer pathway to settlement, the point at which foreign nationals generally gain access to public funds. These plans include doubling the standard qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years, with the opportunity to reduce this period based on their contributions to the UK economy and society and longer periods for those who contribute less.

The consultation also covers proposals that benefits might not be available to those who have settled status, reserving them, instead, for those who have earned British citizenship.

You can find more details in here: “Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy (accessible)”,(opens in a new tab) and in “Open consultation: Earned settlement(opens in a new tab)”.

In conjunction with these reforms, my Department will consult in due course on a change to taxpayer-funded benefits to prioritise access for those who are making an economic contribution to the UK.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish the eligibility criteria for fully funded SME apprenticeships for people under 25. \p Andrew Western: As announced at the Budget, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for eligible people aged under 25 from the next academic year.

This does not change the policy on level 7 apprenticeships which the government announced in June. From January 2026, the government will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships except for apprentices under the age of 22, and those under the age of 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan. This applies to all employers, including SMEs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_116

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of progression rates from subjects such as a) psychology, b) sociology and c) English studies and creative arts on priority sector recruitment. \p Andrew Western: I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 24 November to PQ 90863.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_117

Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase skills and training opportunities for HGV drivers. \p Andrew Western: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 26 November to question 92492.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_118
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_118

Mark Garnier:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Oral Statement on 11 November 2025 entitled Pensions, whether the 2007 report on the effectiveness of automatic pension forecast letters is the one referenced in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report entitled Women's State Pension Age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pension's communication of changes. \p Torsten Bell: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s reports titled “Women’s State Pension age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pensions’ communication of changes”, published 19 July 2021, and “Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues”, published 21 March 2024, both refer to findings from DWP’s ‘Evaluation of Automatic Pension Forecast’ research.

In retaking the decision, we will review the evidence from DWP’s ‘Evaluation of Automatic Pension Forecasts’ Research Report, no.447 alongside evidence previously considered. The process to retake the decision has already begun.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_119
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_119

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people living with mental health conditions and on benefits into the workplace. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.

Disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with mental health conditions, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work including those that join up employment and health systems. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, and has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.

In recognition of employer’s vital role in addressing health-related economic activity we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working independent review, which was published on 5 November. In partnership with DBT and DHSC colleagues we are immediately launching Vanguards to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work, putting his key recommendations into action from day one. In the review, Sir Charlie has recommended that mental health in young people should be a priority area as a deep dive for the Vanguards.

The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_120
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_120

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will consider leading a workforce strategy for the advice sector to support the aims of the Get Britain Working white paper. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Work coaches refer to the National Careers Service (in England) for high-quality, careers information, advice and guidance which is essential to help people make informed decisions about their futures. For the future Jobs and Careers Service, we will ensure advisers have a robust understanding of job roles, pathways and skills required, so support is tailored to individual needs, including for those seeking careers in the advice sector.

The Get Britain Working White Paper outlined plans for the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation, bringing together skills and health to get more people both into work and to get on in work.

We remain focussed on delivering our Get Britain Working strategy by supporting people into good quality work, enhancing earnings, and developing a skilled workforce for key sectors.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_121
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_121

Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the cost of ending the existing Find a Job digital service and transitioning to a new in-house replacement digital service for the new Jobs and Careers Service. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The full contract for running the Find a job and Disability Confident services includes exit fees, and is available online at: Find a Job Service extension - Find a Tender - GOV.UK
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_122
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_122

Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the level of spending required to develop and run in-house the replacement digital service for the new Jobs and Careers Service. \p Dame Diana Johnson: This information is not available at this time. The Jobs and Careers Service Programme is still being designed.

When the Business Case has His Majesty’s Treasury approval, an executive summary will be published in line with current practice.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_123
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_123

Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to use AI-powered job-matching tools developed by the private sector to run the new digital service behind the new Jobs and Careers Service. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to reforming the Jobs and Careers Service to better support jobseekers and employers. The Department continues to monitor market innovations and will leverage the right technology, including AI, to deliver improved outcomes for citizens. Use of AI would be subject to rigorous assessment, procurement in line with government regulations, and alignment with the Department’s responsible AI framework.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_124
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_124

Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will ensure that carers are not being pursued for overpayments where this was incurred due to incorrect operational guidance. \p Sir Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to my Written Statement of 25 November HCWS1092 and (at Col 22WS) Carer's Allowance Overpayments Review - Hansard - UK Parliament where I set out that the department will be reassessing historical and existing Carer’s Allowance cases with an earnings-related overpayment in England and Wales. This will cover the period between 2015 and summer 2025 where the treatment of fluctuating earnings may have given rise to an incorrect overpayment. I also said we would set out more details on the reassessment exercise in the New Year.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_125
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_125

Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the readiness of the replacement digital service for the new Jobs and Careers Service. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Department is working to ensure the new Jobs and Careers Service is delivered on schedule. The Department continues to engage with stakeholders and will communicate changes in a timely manner.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_126
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_126

Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Universal Credit starts in each of the last 5 years were (a) new benefit claimants and (b) claimants transitioning from legacy benefits through managed migration. \p Sir Stephen Timms: This information is not readily available. However, as detailed in the DWP Statistical Work Programme and the Universal Credit statistics release strategy, the Department is developing a method to denote UC claimants given a migration notice from the Move to Universal Credit programme, and updates on this will be shared in the DWP Statistical Work Programme.

As we continue the Move to Universal Credit (UC) programme, the department is moving people from legacy benefits to UC, leading to an expected rise in the UC caseload.

Latest Official Statistics show that, up to end of September 2025, almost 1.9 million individuals have made a claim to UC following receipt of a migration notice.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_127
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_127

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 4 December to question 94564, whether he made an assessment of the potential impact of those policy changes on people with fluctuating conditions like MS before the policy was announced. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Before any announcements were made, Motability Operations confirmed it will continue to offer a broad range of vehicles without an Advance Payment, ensuring that people who elect to join the Scheme can access vehicles suited to their needs, whatever their health condition or disability, in exchange for all or part of their mobility allowance.
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_128
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_128

Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the membership of the Timms Review steering group will be published. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We have launched the Timms Review to ensure Personal Independence Payment is fair and fit for the future. The Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts.

On 30 October, I announced that I will co-chair the Review alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group of around a dozen members, which will set the Review’s strategic direction, priorities and workplan.

The steering group is being recruited through an open and accessible Expression of Interest process, which ran from 30 October to 30 November. We are now considering applications and will provide an update shortly.