theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the average processing times for pension credit applications in each of the last five years. \p Torsten Bell: Pension Credit application Average Actual Clearance Times (AACT) are measured weekly. Please see attached annex for details of Pension Credit applications average processing times back to October 2022. We do not hold this information prior to October 2022.

Please note, The Average Actual Clearance Time figures shown are unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The figures are rounded to the nearest working day and based on the week the claim was cleared, rather than the week the claim was made.

DWP currently works to a planned timescale of 50 working days to clear Pension Credit claims. The next publication of the Annual Reporting and Accounts will include claims processed in the Financial Year 2024 to 2025, which is due for publication in the summer.

Attachment (pdf, 134.2KB)
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the Spring Statement 2025 on the number of benefit claimants at risk of poverty in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset. \p Alison McGovern: The government's impact assessment regarding Health and Disability Reform is available at Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts.

An assessment of the poverty impacts of the reforms is not available at the constituency or local authority area level.
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Paulette Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for Personal Independence Payment were stopped due to the death of the claimant where they received a Daily Living component but less than four points for each Daily Living activity in their last assessment in the last year for which information is available. \p Sir Stephen Timms: This information is not readily available.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's Green Paper entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, published on 18 March 2025, what steps her Department is taking to consult (a) disabled people and (b) organisations representing disabled people on the Green Paper. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We have set out proposals to reform the health and disability benefits proposals in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published on 18 March 2025. A full 12-week consultation will begin from the point all accessible versions are published on GOV.UK. We want to improve and refine our plans by consulting on certain measures as described within the paper. We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do.

The Green Paper is an important staging post on a journey of reform, building on the vision and approach set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024. It sets out our vision, strategy and proposals for change. We would like to hear views from a wide group of people, in particular disabled people and people with health conditions and disability organisations and encourage responses to the consultation through the online form, email and post.

We also intend to run a number of accessible virtual and face-to-face events on the Green Paper to hear from stakeholders, including disabled people and their representative organisations, directly. More information on these events and registration will be advertised on the consultation pages on GOV.UK in due course.

In the Green Paper, we have also announced that we will set up collaboration committees to develop parts of our reforms further. This will involve bringing together disabled people and other experts with civil servants around specific issues to collaborate, provide ideas, challenge, and input into recommendations.
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Richard Burgon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 139 of the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, for what reason it is her policy that people should no longer be eligible for the daily living component of the Personal Independence Payment if they need (a) assistance to be able to cut up food, (b) supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe, (c) assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist, (d) assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower, (e) supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs, (f) assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body and (g) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication and, or, to be able to monitor a health condition. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We have committed to introducing a new requirement whereby, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria, people must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment. Our intention is that – subject to parliamentary approval – the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026.

A high number of people get PIP by having multiple but low-level functional needs across several activities. These could individually be managed with small interventions or the addition of aids or appliances. This change will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, ensuring those who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them, still get support.

Through the Green Paper we are consulting on how best to support those who may lose any entitlement because of this change.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's report entitled Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms - Impacts, published on 26 March 2025, what financial support her Department plans to provide to Personal Independent Payments claimants affected by the proposed changes to the entitlement rules. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The changes to PIP eligibility will ensure we can focus the benefit more on those with higher needs. There will be no immediate changes to anybody’s entitlement. Our intention is that the new eligibility requirement in Personal Independence Payment, where people must score a minimum of four points in one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component, will - subject to parliamentary approval - apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026.

We are mindful of the impact this change could have on people. That is why, in the Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working (published on 18 March), we are consulting on how best to support those who lose entitlement due to the reforms, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.
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Mel Stride:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 3.2 of the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published on 26 March 2025, what changes were made to the universal credit standard allowance increase following the certification deadline; and for what reason. \p Darren Jones: In response to feedback from the Office for Budget Responsibility, the government made amendments to the policy parameters of the Universal Credit standard allowance change. The UC standard allowance will reach £106 per week in 2029-30, an increase above inflation.

This update was made after the statement delivered to the House by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 18 March 2025, once the Office for Budget Responsibility had given its final assessment of the costing and behavioural assumptions associated with the measure. The adjustments were made to ensure we continue to strike the right balance between setting strong work incentives and fiscal sustainability.
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Mel Stride:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 3.2 of the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published on 26 March 2025, what changes were made to the reduction in the level of the Universal Credit health element following the certification deadline; and for what reason. \p Darren Jones: In response to feedback from the Office for Budget Responsibility, the government made amendments to the policy parameters of the changes to the Universal Credit health element. The government is freezing the reduced Universal Credit health element level for new claimants, in line with our objectives to rebalance the system, rather than uprating it by Consumer Price Index inflation.

This update was made after the statement to the House delivered by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 18 March 2025, once the Office for Budget Responsibility had given its final assessment of the costing and behavioural assumptions associated with the measure. The adjustments were made to ensure we continue to strike the right balance between setting strong work incentives and fiscal sustainability.
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Mel Stride:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 40157 on Public Expenditure, and with reference to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury's statement to the House on 28 October 2024, Official Report, column 562, whether it is her Department's policy to target an overall budget surplus. \p Darren Jones: At Autumn Budget 2024, the government confirmed new fiscal rules to put the public finances on a sustainable path, and prioritise investment to support long-term growth.

The stability rule is that the current budget must be in surplus in 2029-30, until 29-30 becomes the third year of the forecast period. From that point, the current budget must then remain in balance or in surplus from the third year of the rolling forecast period, where balance is defined as a range: in surplus, or in deficit of no more than 0.5% of GDP. This range will support the government’s commitment to a single fiscal event every year by avoiding the need for policy adjustment at forecasts outside of fiscal events. If the range is used between fiscal events, the current budget must return to surplus from the third year at the following fiscal event.

In its March 2025 forecast, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility confirmed the government was on track to meet its stability and investment rules two years early. By 2029-30, the current budget is forecast to be in a surplus of £9.9 billion.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the enforcement of legislation relating to managed service companies on chartered providers of accountancy services. \p James Murray: The managed service companies legislation tackles specific tax avoidance arrangements that disguise employment in order to not pay the right tax. Ordinary tax advisory and accountancy services do not come within scope of these rules.

In November 2024, HMRC published Spotlight 67 explaining how the legislation works and what activities fall outside its scope.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the guidance entitled Property business arrangements involving hybrid partnerships (Spotlight 63) was published on 4 October 2023; whether her Department prepared an impact assessment for that guidance; and whether she is taking steps to ensure that HMRC complies with its charter in the context of affected (a) landlords and (b) tenants. \p James Murray: HMRC tackles avoidance schemes by directly challenging promoters and by informing and educating taxpayers. This includes for example, targeted educational campaigns for taxpayers, spotlight publications which provide an early warning to taxpayers of marketed avoidance arrangements, and publication of details on tax avoidance schemes and those that promote them.

HMRC takes the Charter very seriously. The HMRC charter, published on GOV.UK, defines the service and standard of behaviour that taxpayers should expect.
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Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make transitional relief on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) available to first-time buyers in cases where completion has been subject to unexpected delays. \p James Murray: In September 2022, the previous government announced a change to the level at which purchasers of residential property start paying Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), from £125,000 to £250,000. This change was made temporary in November 2022, and the rate reverted to £125,000 on 1 April 2025. For first-time buyers, the nil-rate band had been temporarily raised to £425,000 and the purchase price limit for accessing the relief to £625,000. On 1 April 2025, after the rates reverted, first time buyers can still benefit from paying no SDLT up to £300,000 and will be able to claim relief on purchases up to £500,000.

Purchasers have had notice of these tax changes, as legislated for in the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Act 2023. In order to benefit from the temporary rates, purchasers will have needed to complete on their purchase by 31 March 2025. The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the usual tax policy making process.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if HMRC will provide (a) National Insurance records, (b) historic income tax records showing taxable payments of state pensions and (c) any other related records of deceased people to bereaved family members for claims for underpaid state pensions. \p James Murray: His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) operates a strict duty of confidentiality to protect customers’ data. Therefore they can only supply information regarding the deceased to family members in certain circumstances permitted in law, for example to enable the tax and National Insurance affairs of the deceased to be settled.

At present HMRC does not have the power to provide families with tax and National Insurance information for the purpose mentioned.

The State Pension is a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC shares information via an established legislative gateway with DWP for its administration.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to increase retail investor participation in UK capital markets. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government wants to see more consumers participate in capital markets and benefit from the long-term financial security that investing can provide.

The Financial Services Growth & Competitiveness Strategy Call for Evidence, which closed on 12 December, asked how increasing retail participation in capital markets could support long-term sustainable growth within the sector and the wider economy. The call for evidence welcomed further evidence on how to improve consumer engagement with investing, and the Government is considering the feedback provided.

At Spring Statement 2025, the Government announced it is looking at options for reforms to ISAs that get the balance right between cash and investing, to earn better returns for savers, boost the culture of retail investment in capital markets, and support the growth mission.

More broadly, the Government is committed to boosting our capital markets to deliver growth across the UK and is pursuing ambitious reforms to make our markets even more competitive. For example, reforms to the Prospectus rules will give investors, including retail investors, access to better quality information and so participate more easily in the capital raising process. The Government is also working with the FCA to review the boundary between financial advice and guidance, to ensure consumers get the support they need to make decisions about their finances.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the technical differences between co-operatives and credit unions which justify excluding credit unions from the exemption from audit requirements available to smaller co-operatives under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014; and whether the Government plans to review this distinction in light of forthcoming recommendations from the Law Commission’s review of the Act. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government recognises the important contribution of co-operatives and mutuals to the economy, serving local communities around the country and ensuring the UK has a diverse business sector with their model of shared ownership. The Government is committed to unlocking the full potential of the mutual and co-operative sector to support inclusive growth.

Co-operatives are diverse organisations that span a variety of different sectors. Credit unions are financial co-operatives which offer savings and loans to their members. As deposit-takers, credit unions are subject to specific regulatory requirements.

The Government is funding the Law Commission’s independent review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 to help ensure that co-operatives legislation is meeting the needs of this sector. This review will consider ways to update and modernise the Act. The Government will carefully consider the findings of this review to understand whether reform of the legislation is needed to ensure these businesses are supported to grow and succeed into the future.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 35444 on London Stock Exchange, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the 6.6% reduction in the number of firms listed on the London Stock Exchange between July 2024 to March 2025. \p Emma Reynolds: The UK has recently attracted several high-profile listings from firms taking advantage of our reforms to make it easier to raise capital and fund growth on UK markets.

This includes IPOs from high-growth UK firms such as Applied Nutrition, as well as listings from prominent international firms such as Canal+ and CK Infrastructure.

More broadly, in 2024, London raised over £25bn equity capital, which is more capital than the next three European exchanges combined.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government has taken to achieve the target of 350 banking hubs since 5 July 2024. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups or face challenges using alternative payment methods. The Government is committed to maintaining the viability of cash as a payment method for those who choose to use it. The Government also understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets across the UK, including those in rural communities, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority.

In September 2024, The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced regulatory rules for access to cash. Its rules require the reasonable provision of free cash withdrawal and deposit facilities for personal current accounts.

Where a branch closure is announced or a community has submitted a cash access assessment request, LINK, the independent industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments, assesses a community’s access to cash needs, and will recommend appropriate solutions where it considers that a community requires additional cash services. Any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK, the financial services sector, and for the FCA, which oversees the access to cash regime.

Under the framework provided by this regime, the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK which will provide individuals up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open.
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Kanishka Narayan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to reduce friction in the UK’s payments infrastructure. \p Emma Reynolds: The National Payments Vision, published at Mansion House 2024, sets out the government’s ambition for a trusted, world-leading payments ecosystem delivered on next generation technology, where consumers and businesses have a choice of payment methods to meet their needs. It sets out two key foundations to deliver the government’s vision: a clear, predictable and proportionate regulatory framework, and resilient payments infrastructure that supports innovation.

The Vision established a Payments Vision Delivery Committee, which is chaired by HM Treasury and attended by senior representatives from the Bank of England, Payment Systems Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority, to drive forward key outputs over the course of this year, including on payments infrastructure.

The Committee, through work led by the PSR and the Bank of England, will set out an approach for the development and delivery of the UK’s retail infrastructure needs and the required governance and funding model to achieve it.
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Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support (a) credit unions and (b) other responsible lenders. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing products and affordable credit. In her Mansion House speech on 14 November, the Chancellor announced new measures to support the growth of the credit union and mutuals sector. This included publishing a call for evidence on the potential to reform common bonds for credit unions in Great Britain, asking the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to produce a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025, and welcoming the establishment of an industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Business Council.

The Government recognises that credit, when provided responsibly, can be crucial for people facing unexpected expenses or managing their cash flow. Alongside continuing to engage with the banking and mutuals sector, HM Treasury is considering access to affordable credit more broadly as part of the financial inclusion strategy work announced last year.

Additionally, Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) play an important role in the provision of credit to SMEs and individuals, promoting access to finance, and offering an alternative to mainstream lenders. The Government has a renewed commitment to the CDFI sector and launched the Community ENABLE Funding programme through the British Business Bank in November 2024. This has the overall purpose of increasing the supply of debt finance to smaller businesses by supporting CDFIs.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support small businesses impacted by a reduction in (a) local bank branches and (b) in-person banking services in South Holland and the Deepings constituency. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, businesses and high streets in the South Holland and Deepings constituency and across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open.

Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will hold discussions with LINK on the adequacy of (a) its assessment process for approving banking hubs in rural areas and (b) its considerations of the need for in-person banking services beyond access to cash when approving banking hubs. \p Emma Reynolds: Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open.

Where a branch closure is announced or a community has submitted a cash access assessment request, LINK, the independent industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments, assesses a community’s access to cash needs, and will recommend appropriate solutions where it considers that a community requires additional cash services.

The FCA’s rules require designated firms to consider a range of factors in their assessments which will account for challenges in cash access faced in rural areas. For example, firms are required to consider the actual travel times and costs to reach cash access facilities and identify gaps in provision where these are unreasonable, which may be particularly the case in rural areas.

Whilst the government meets with LINK to discuss a variety of matters, any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK, the financial services sector, and for the FCA, which oversees the access to cash regime.
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Emily Thornberry:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 41805 on Freezing of Assets: Russia and with reference to the guidance entitled Financial sanctions guidance for Insolvency Practitioners, published on 18 March 2025, what the value is of assets immobilised in the UK under the prohibited persons provision of the Russia regime. \p Emma Reynolds: Coordinating closely with our G7 partners, the UK is contributing a £2.26bn loan to Ukraine through the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) scheme, generated from profits of immobilised Russian sovereign assets held across the UK’s jurisdiction.

It is important that any decision to publicise information relating to the ERA scheme is taken on a collective G7 basis.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to bring forward any legislative proposals from the first phase of the Pensions Investment Review. \p Torsten Bell: The final report of the Pensions Investment Review, including the policy proposals to be legislated for, will be published in the Spring ahead of the introduction of the Pension Schemes Bill.
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Chris Law:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37199 on Agriculture: Seasonal Workers, how many complaints were received by HMRC for seasonal agricultural workers in each of the last five years. \p James Murray: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff.

HMRC continue to crack down on employers who ignore the law, ensuring workers receive the wages to which they are entitled.

HMRC continues to undertake compliance activity within the agriculture sector across the UK. However, we do not hold specific data on how many complaints we receive relating to seasonal agricultural workers.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will bring forward proposals for a furlough scheme for parents of chronically ill children. \p James Murray: The Government recognises the important role parents and carers play in looking after disabled people and people with health conditions, including chronically ill children. Significant support is available to support disabled people and their families and carers, such as Disability Living Allowance for children worth up to £184.30 per week, and Carer’s Allowance worth up to £81.90 per week.

This Government is going further to give carers greater flexibility to work and increase their financial security by raising the Carer’s Allowance Weekly Earnings Limit to the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage from 6th April 2025. This will be the largest increase to the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.

We are also strengthening the right to request flexible working arrangements through the Employment Rights Bill, enabling parents and carers to better balance work around their caring commitments.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure (a) that the rollout of digital quarterly submissions for tax returns under MTD for ITSA does not lead to penalties for non-compliance and increased stress for vulnerable groups who do not have the digital skills or digital access to meet the new requirements and (b) that measures are in place for people without digital access or digital skills to continue to submit manual books where necessary. \p James Murray: Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax is designed to make it easier for users to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs. Taxpayers will use software to keep digital records and send simple quarterly updates to HMRC; in turn, this will help to finalise their Income Tax position after the year end.

A new fairer penalty regime will also be introduced to support taxpayers submitting more frequent updates under MTD. They will not be penalised for occasionally missing a deadline. Instead, they will receive a penalty point towards a points threshold. They will only receive a financial penalty once that threshold is met.

The government recognises that not everyone is able to interact with HMRC digitally. Digitally excluded taxpayers will be able to apply for an exemption from MTD and will continue to file using existing processes. HMRC will set out further information on the exemption process when it opens later in 2025.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the total value of the (a) VAT zero-rating and (b) Insurance Premium Tax concession applied to vehicles (i) purchased or (ii) leased as part of the Motability Scheme from the most recent data available. \p James Murray: HMRC’s published tax relief statistics provide an estimate of the cost of the Zero Rate of VAT for Vehicles and other supplies to disabled people (vehicles only) of £1,210 million in 2023-24, see Non-structural tax reliefs - GOV.UK. Most of this cost represents vehicles in the Motability scheme, but it also includes other sales of adapted vehicles to disabled people.
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Liz Saville Roberts:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the names of deceased fathers can be included on birth certificates in instances where the parents were unmarried prior to his death. \p Alex Davies-Jones: Under Section 55A of the Family Law Act 1986, in situations where a child is born to unmarried parents, and the father dies prior to the birth, a Declaration of Parentage must be issued by the court in order for the paternity to be established. Once a declaration is issued, the birth can be re-registered to include the father’s details.

We want to make the process as simple as is possible in these circumstances, whilst still ensuring the court has means to establish parentage if one parent is deceased and not able to convey their views. This is vitally important as, in some cases, this decision will have significant financial implications for others, such as children from previous relationships.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_341
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_341

James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost of applying to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order was in cases relating to Child Trust Funds in the latest period for which data is available. \p Sarah Sackman: It is not possible to provide information on the numbers of applications for a deputyship order in cases relating to Child Trust Funds as Court of Protection data is not broken down by the type of asset held.

Locally collected management information relating to Child Trust Funds does not include those cases where a Child Trust Fund may be one of several assets owned by the young person lacking capacity and therefore does not provide an accurate picture of the number of applications made.

With effect from 08 April 2025, applications to the Court of Protection will cost £421. Where an application to access a Child Trust Fund is made before the child reaches 18, no fee is payable if the child has savings of less than £4,250 and a monthly income less than £1,420. In addition, where the Child Trust Fund is the sole asset, an exceptional fee waiver can be applied for. When an application is made after a child turns 18, and they have savings or income above these levels, a parent or carer can apply for an exceptional fee waiver at the court’s discretion.

The Ministry of Justice has published a toolkit for parents and carers to help them navigate the court process.

The Department is exploring plans to facilitate the CoP process for parents and guardians applying for a deputyship, for example by alerting parents in advance of a child's 18th birthday of the need to make an application.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_342
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_342

James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what options she is considering for improving access to matured Child Trust Funds for people who lack capacity. \p Sarah Sackman: Where a young adult lacks mental capacity, including due to a disability, the law requires parents or a guardian to have legal authority to make decisions on their behalf about financial assets or property. This requirement to have legal authority is vital in ensuring that vulnerable people are safeguarded and protected from all forms of abuse including financial abuse. This is not specific to accessing funds held in Child Trust Funds or Junior ISAs but applies more widely to all assets belonging to vulnerable people who lack capacity. This includes in relation to accessing funds held in a Child Trust Fund or a Junior ISA.

On 9 June 2023, the Ministry of Justice published the Making Financial Decisions for young people: parent and carer toolkit’ explaining the process by which parents and guardians of disabled children are able to obtain legal authority if no other arrangements are in place. This can be done by making an applying to the Court of Protection for an order authorising access to monies held in a Child Trust Fund or Junior ISA. The toolkit is available on Gov.UK.

We understand that concerns remain, and I am speaking with relevant stakeholders to explore what further can be done to help improve access to matured Child Trust Funds in a way that balances facilitating access with safeguards.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_343
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_343

Tessa Munt:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of private prosecution cases brought by the RSPCA under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice does not collate or record detailed data on individual private prosecutions, although some prosecutors may publish their own data separately. Therefore, it is not possible to provide data on the number of prosecutions which have been brought by the RSPCA under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

This Government recognises that greater transparency is needed in relation to private prosecutions, in order to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight, regulation, and transparency of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 8 May. The consultation seeks respondents’ views on improvements to the available data on private prosecutors and the prosecutions they bring, and this includes prosecutions brought by the RSPCA.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_344
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_344

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has considered raising the Aarhus Convention cost limits on judicial reviews of development and infrastructure. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government remains committed to protecting access to justice in environmental cases, while supporting the timely delivery of infrastructure projects under the Government’s Growth Mission. The issue of cost caps relating to Judicial Review in the planning context was considered by Lord Banner in his independent review published in October 2024. He did not recommend any change to the default cost caps in Aarhus cases. Judges already have the power to vary costs caps upwards or downwards according to the particular circumstances in a case.

In addition, between September and December 2024, the Government ran a Call for Evidence on access to justice in relation to the Aarhus Convention. This Call for Evidence considers the recommendations of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) regarding whether changes are required to the Environmental Costs Protection Regime (ECPR).

The Government intends to publish a response to the Call for Evidence in the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_345
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_345

John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which organisations within the financial industry her Department has consulted with on locked Child Trust Funds since January 2025. \p Sarah Sackman: The Department continues to engage with financial organisations on the issue of Child Trust Funds where the account holder lacks mental capacity to access their account and legal authority is required to enable a parent or carer to access the funds on their behalf.

Since January 2025, the Department has engaged with The Investment and Savings Alliance (TISA) and UK Finance. The Department has also engaged with a range of stakeholders with interest including One Family and others.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_346
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_346

Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) judges and (b) other people were employed in the Employment Tribunal by HM Courts and Tribunals Service in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those roles were vacant in that time period. \p Sarah Sackman: The number of judges and members of tribunals is published annually in the ‘Diversity of the Judiciary’ statistics. Headcount figures can be found at the tabs named “3_2_JO_Area”.

2020: diversity-of-the-judiciary-2020-data-tables.ods

2021: diversity-of-the-judiciary-2021-data-tables.ods

2022: Judicial_diversity_2022_Tables.ods

2023: 2023_JDS_tables.ods

2024: JDS_2024_tables_-_FINAL_v3.ods

We are maintaining investment in the annual recruitment of about 1,000 judges and non-legal tribunal members across all jurisdictions. Annual recruitment requirements for judicial and non-legal tribunal members are determined by business need and judicial departures.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service has recorded Employment Tribunal staff (including legal caseworker) headcount in December each year as follows between 2020 and 2024:

Year

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

HMCTS Staff

465

514

500

470

427

Agency Staff

100

104

106

112

118

Total

565

618

606

582

545

Staff vacancies in the Employment Tribunal over this period are not held centrally. Recruitment requirements for HMCTS staff and legal officers in the Employment Tribunal is determined in response to business need and staff departures.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_347
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_347

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the non-recognition of unmarried partnerships in family law on economic abuse. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The financial difficulties which cohabitants can face when their cohabiting relationships come to an end is a matter of concern. The Government committed in its manifesto to strengthening the rights and protections for women in cohabiting couples within its broader commitment to tackle violence against women and girls.

As part of our work on cohabitation reform, we are carefully considering issues relating to cohabitation and domestic abuse, including economic abuse. We will launch a public consultation later this year to build public consensus on what cohabitation reform should look like.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_348
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_348

Katie White:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to speed up proceedings within the Family Court system; and what initiatives are being implemented to enhance the digitisation of documents and processes. \p Alex Davies-Jones: Delays in the court process can have a significant impact on children and families. HM Courts & Tribunals Service is committed to improving timeliness of cases and reducing the outstanding caseload.

The Family Justice Board agreed system-wide national targets for reducing delay in 2024/25. These are focused on closing the longest running cases in private and public law, resulting in a reduction of the private law cases by 10% and increasing the proportion of public law cases concluded within the statutory 26-week timeframe.

The HMCTS Reform Programme has introduced several new digital services within the Family Courts, enhancing and automating the administration of family court orders. These services encompass Divorce, Financial Remedy, and Public Law Proceedings. Currently, HMCTS is piloting a new digital service for private law proceedings, aiming to replicate the administrative improvements seen in other family services. This service is scheduled to be implemented across England and Wales by the end of 2025.